Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 17129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 86(@200wpm)___ 69(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 86(@200wpm)___ 69(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
“Lennox, I’m going to get lunch!” I called. She was teaching an older woman how to operate the treadmill, but she glanced up at me for a moment before smiling and waving me off.
The sky was overcast with dark, ominous clouds when I stepped outside. I huffed, glaring up at the sky. My mood had been lightening by the hour, but the dark clouds overhead were practically mocking me.
I sighed. If there was anything living in this town had taught me, it was that the weather was extremely unpredictable and could turn on someone in a mere second.
Hell, they hadn’t even predicted rain today! But those clouds told me it was going to pour.
Grumbling, I made my way to my car and slid into the driver’s seat before heading to the Chinese take-out restaurant next to Tractor Supply. By the time I made it the few miles down the road to the restaurant, it was already beginning to rain, so I quickly rushed out of my car and ran under the awning.
And proceeded to slam into a warm, brick wall.
“Ugnh.” Warm hands grasped my upper arms to steady me, and I snapped my head up, any apology I’d been about to give dying in my throat.
Holy fucking shit balls. I didn’t even know men this gorgeous existed anymore.
The guy standing in front of me had messy brown hair with a trimmed beard covering his jawline. Gorgeous blue eyes stared back down at me, roving over my face and drinking me in the same way I was drinking him in. His fingers were warm and calloused, and his biceps were thick. He had the body of a hard worker instead of a bodybuilder, and fuck, could I appreciate the hell out of that.
“You okay?” he rumbled, slowly releasing me once he realized I was steady on my feet.
I nodded, tucking my blonde hair behind my ears. “I, uh, yeah,” I stammered. Christ, I never tripped over my words. I was always confident and sure of myself. But this man had managed to scramble my brain cells. “I’m so sorry for running into you.” I waved my hand toward the parking lot. “It’s just raining and—”
He chuckled. “Calm down, goldie.” My eyes snapped up to his in surprise. I’d gotten used to being called blondie all the time because of my very blonde hair, but goldie was different.
And I liked the way his southern accent drawled the word.
“You here getting lunch?” he asked as he pressed his massive hand to my lower back and gently steered me to the line.
I nodded like a stupid bobblehead. “Yeah. I just opened the new gym in town—Training Ground—and I decided to treat my assistant manager to lunch since she brought me breakfast this morning,” I overexplained, but eh. That was one of my worst traits. When I got nervous, which was rare, I always overexplained everything.
He flashed me a smile so fucking gorgeous, I forgot what words were for a moment. Jesus. He was horrible for my brain.
“Training Ground, huh? I heard talk of a new gym. Maybe I’ll come check it out.”
I beamed at him. “Really?” That was probably way too enthusiastic, but fuck it. I was going all in now. “If you have any friends, please spread the word.”
He chuckled. “I will, but only because you’re adorable as fuck when you’re excited.”
Cue my ovaries exploding. Just boom. Gone. Poof.
My cheeks heated, and I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear. “Are you flirting with me?” I boldly asked, hoping I wouldn’t make a huge dumbass of myself for doing so.
He hummed, a devilish smirk tilting his lips. “I am. Is it working?”
I laughed, already at ease again. There was just something about this man that settled me. “It would if I knew your name.”
He winked at me. “Beau Justice. Proud member of the Storm Hogs MC and one of the owners of Storm Hogs Construction.”
My eyes widened. I hadn’t realized he was basically the town’s royalty. I couldn’t go anywhere without someone talking about the club or the construction company. “This town worships you guys.”
He snickered and gently grabbed my arm to turn me around. I cringed when I realized the line was basically gone. Damn, had I been that captivated by him? His lips hovered at my ear, and I froze, my heart skipping a beat in my chest. My belly clenched. Christ, how did he smell so good when he was sweaty and covered in dirt and dust? “Stick around, goldie, and maybe you’ll see why,” he murmured.
With that, he gave me a gentle push to the window so I could order my food.
two
Beau
“Dude, could you have taken any longer?” Remi grumbled when I walked into the building we were renovating with two bags of food with three styrofoam containers in each. “I thought you decided to run away and never come back.”