Girl Gone Viral (Modern Love #2)(48)

Chapter Fifteen


UGH, HOW COULD she have fallen asleep?

Katrina yawned and waited for Doodle to finish her business in the yard. She was so groggy, and if the dog hadn’t woken her up to go outside, she would have easily slept for another hour. Watching the Good Morning Live segment this morning must have really sapped her of her energy.

She staggered back into the house once Doodle was done and nearly yelped when she saw her face in the mirror. She tried to make some order of her hair and rubbed her cheek in a vain attempt to get the sleep creases out. She checked her watch. Almost two o’clock. “Jas?” she called out. He must be back. Doodle was back, after all, and with a cute new red collar and pretty white teeth.

Doodle sniffed the floor and then paused in front of a door. “What’s that, girl?” Katrina went to the door and opened it, startled to find stairs. She hadn’t realized any houses in California had basements, but she supposed some of the ones built earlier in the century might.

The clang of metal on metal told her Jas was down there. She petted Doodle. “Good girl. You can go lie down.” Doodle huffed as if she understood, and turned away, her tail thwacking Katrina hard on her thigh.

Katrina rubbed her leg and descended to the basement. This was no fancy place. The basement was one large cold concrete room, unfinished, so she caught sight of Jas immediately.

And promptly almost swallowed her tongue.

Welp.

He wore only gym shorts and reclined on the bench press, hefting the heavy weight above his head. His thighs were thick and muscular on either side of the bench, feet on the floor. His bare chest was sprinkled with dark hair, and it was wide and shiny with sweat. The muscles of his abs were clearly delineated, each one perfectly carved.

Save for his nightmare, when she’d been utterly distracted by his pain, she’d never seen him with so much skin exposed. So much . . . beautiful skin.

Katrina pressed a hand to her belly. Oh God, the zings. The zings.

She tried to mentally slap herself. This was Jas, not some piece of meat to ogle. He was like . . . well, she couldn’t view him as some sexual fantasy come to life.

He placed the bar back into its holder thing and crunched to come to a seated position, which did all sorts of amazing things to those stomach muscles. He twisted to grab his water bottle from the floor and lifted it to his lips. It was inexplicably sexy when he tilted his head back and drank large gulps.

He lowered the bottle, and that was when he met her eyes. He jerked back, like he was startled. Well, why wouldn’t he be? She was hovering by the foot of the stairs like a poltergeist. “Katrina. Is anything wrong?”

She licked her dry lips. Yes. Things were wrong. She’d come here for a reason. A very specific reason. “Unf.”

“What?” He swung his leg over the bench and rose to his feet. A trickle of sweat ran down his chest.

Remember that hug?

She’d carefully repressed that memory. But it came back to her in a rush now. His arms hadn’t gone around her, but she’d felt the power in them. Had he hugged her, he could have squeezed her so tight.

Those biceps were gigantic. She was willing to bet he gave good hugs.

“Katrina?” He grabbed his T-shirt from where he’d slung it over another bench and pulled it on.

She snapped out of her hypnotized state. What had he been asking? Something about his pecs? Or the way the white T-shirt clung to his sweaty man chest? “Yes.”

“Yes, what? Something’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Then what do you need?”

“Yes.”

“What?” He took a few steps toward her.

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

He spoke slowly. “Why are you here? Is something wrong?”

“Oh. No. Um. I woke up, and . . .” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “I was sleeping.”

“I know. I saw you.”

“Right. I fell asleep. I don’t normally fall asleep, but here we are. I think I’m groggy. Yes, that is why talking is hard. Anyway, how was the vet visit?” Yes, good brain. Go to a neutral non-muscle-related topic.

“Good. Doodle is in great health. No chip, no one who’s called looking for her. I ran into Bikram and he says he still has a few neighbors to hear back from, but no leads yet.”

Yes, she would be happy about all of this when she could concentrate on what he was saying with his mouth and not what he was saying with his abs. “Cool.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay, then. I’ll go shower—”

No, he needed to stay looking like this. “Hey. Didn’t you say you’d use this time to teach me self-defense?” she blurted out, and immediately nearly kicked herself. Looking for ways to get closer to him? Control yourself.

“Self-defense?” His beautiful thick brows drew together.

She tried to laugh. If she could play it off as a joke, maybe they could let this whole thing go. “A silly idea. Sorry. I was—” Visualizing what it would feel like to have your hands touching me in any way possible. “You know. It was a thought.”

“It’s a good thought. I did say I could show you some stuff,” he said slowly, flustering her more.