Flawless (Chestnut Springs #1) (22)

“But I don’t want to.”

My head tilts. “Why?”

His hands fly up in frustration. “Because it’s true! I fucking hate milk. And that shouldn’t be a crime.”

A breathy laugh escapes me, my cheeks twitching as I struggle to contain my smile.

“See? You’re laughing at me.” He scrubs a hand through the scruff on his chin before swinging his finger over my face in a U shape. “You have been since that first day in the office. That snarky little smirk.”

I sit up straight now as his gaze drops again. “Rhett.” His eyes roll, and he avoids making any eye contact with me, like a petulant child. I lean forward and nudge my knee against his. “Rhett.”

When he turns his full attention on me, my heart skitters in my chest. No man has any business looking as good as he does. The dark lashes, the square jaw.

With one shake of my head, I regain my focus. “I was not laughing at you. I was laughing at this situation. Because you know what I think?”

“Yeah. That I’m a dumb cowboy.”

I rear back, face scrunching. “No. I think they blew this so far out of proportion that I can’t help but laugh. Who the hell cares what you prefer as a beverage? I’m laughing, or smirking, or whatever you think, because this entire situation is so insulting and far-fetched that if I didn’t laugh about it, I’d straight up quit my job and become a personal trainer.”

He stares at me blankly, eyes darting over my face like he’s searching for proof I’m joking.

“If I think about it too much, it makes me angry on your behalf. And I don’t want to be angry.”

He gazes down at his hands and spins the silver ring on his finger before whispering, “Okay.”

God, he’s really got this wounded, insecure little boy routine down. I nudge his knee again. “Okay,” I repeat. “You gonna tell me why you hate milk so much?”

“Ever had raw farm milk?” he asks.

“No.”

“Okay. Well, it’s thick, and yellow, and fatty, and we had a cow growing up, and my dad would make us drink a glass of it every day, and I’m pretty sure it was borderline child abuse. Now, the thought of sitting down and just slugging back an entire glass . . .” He shudders. “I’ve never been happier than I was the day that cow died.”

“That’s dark!” I burst out laughing. “It sounds terrible though. I’ll give you that.”

“I’m properly traumatized.” His cheek twitches, and he gives me a soft smile. A genuine one that makes butterflies swarm in my chest.

Did we just have some sort of breakthrough? It seems like it. But so far, this guy gives me whiplash. So maybe I’m wrong.

What I know for sure is that I smell like sweat and look like a mess. So, I push to standing, not realizing how close I am to him when I do. Our knees brush, and his eyes lock on that spot.

I suck in a sharp breath and walk away. I’m very due for a shower, but I stop at the doorway, mulling over the conversation we just had. When I glance over my shoulder, I catch his eyes lower on my body than they should be, but they snap up to my face instantly. My cheeks heat all the same. After all, Rhett Eaton just checked out my ass in gym tights.

Which must be why my voice comes out more husky than usual. “Don’t spin it if you don’t want to. And don’t let Kip bully you into it.”

His lips press together, and he nods at me. Then I’m gone. Heading toward a shower.

A cold one.





9





Rhett





Summer: Want to come to the gym with me? It will be good for you. You can’t just lie around all week.

Rhett: Are you my new personal trainer now too?

Summer: Will that make you feel better about me being here?

Rhett: Maybe.

Summer: Well, then, I’m whatever you want me to be.

Rhett: That’s a dangerous thing to say.





“I’ve been doing a bit of reading on good exercises for bull riders.” Summer is waiting right outside the men’s changing room, talking at me the second I clear the door.

“Uh huh,” I say as I step ahead of her toward the cardio area, pulling my hair back with an elastic. Treadmills, bikes, and elliptical trainers face out the windows onto Rosewood Street.

“Do you usually work out much?” She peers up at me curiously as I opt for a bike, thinking it will help stretch out my hip, and shove my water bottle into the holder as I climb up.

“Usually. Lots of balance stuff. But not lately. It’s harder on the road sometimes.”

She hops up on the bike beside me. “I can also help you with exercises to accommodate whatever injuries you might have.” And then she makes this adorable squeaking noise and falls forward onto the handles of her bike. “Shit.”

I look down and stop one side of my mouth from hitching up. She was so busy talking to me that she failed to notice the seat on the bike she chose was way too high for someone as short as her and tipped forward when she reached for the pedal.

Her cheeks are all pink like she’s embarrassed. I try to focus on the fact that she appears to be hilariously off balance rather than gawking at how insanely good she looks in gym clothes. The way they hug her curves could almost make a guy jealous.