Indecent...Proposal. Jane O'Reilly

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СКАЧАТЬ pissed off to notice. And then I turn my attention to Scott.

      His gaze is focused straight ahead as he runs at a steady pace, arms pumping. White wires trail from his ears to the dark band that circles one of his impressively cut biceps. I can see the woman on the other treadmill desperately trying to catch his attention. A spark of jealousy flares up inside me.

      I’ll show her how to make him look. I thumb the speed button on my treadmill until my feet are pounding the machine. I can feel all the muscles in my body starting to burn, and my sports bra starting to lose its fight against the weight of my breasts.

      That gets his attention. A surreptitious slide of his gaze across the mirror, quickly whipped away when he realises I’ve noticed. I keep running. My heart is pumping a strong, steady rhythm, and I feel fit and alive. But oh god, the bounce. With each step, my breasts fight the tight confines of my bra. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep going.

      I’m starting to wonder why I came here, why I’m doing this to myself. It’s not as if I need Scott Smithson. If I want to play, I’ve got Lucas for that. He’s more than capable and more than willing, and he won’t list all my flaws when we’re done.

      And if I wanted a workout, there is a great class at seven. Usually I’m on my way into it just as Scott is on his way out. He gets to see me with my make-up still in place, my gym clothes fresh. I get to see him sweaty and exhausted as he heads off to shower. It has always made me feel superior, and I realise that I needed that to help me deal with him.

      I’m not feeling superior now. I’m still running, keeping my pace, but my mouth is open and I’m breathing loud and hard. My face is red and my armpits are soggy, and there’s no escaping the pain in my breasts. It takes me a heartbeat to decide that I’ve had enough. I drop the speed to a walk, trying to at least make my exit look dignified and intentional, and not like defeat.

      I fight the urge to hook an arm under my breasts and hold them steady, then I think oh, fuck it and do it anyway. It’s not like I have much dignity left now. It’s then that I realise Scott is staring at me. He’s still running, still pounding out the beat to whatever music is blasting through his headphones, and he’s staring at me with the same raw hunger that I saw back in the hotel, when he caught me with Lucas.

      I stumble, nearly losing my footing on the treadmill. The brunette sniggers, and that finishes me off. I’m sweaty and sore, and I don’t know why I came here. It’s too confusing, too much for me right now. I slam the red button that stops the machine, climb off it with shaking legs, then head to the changing rooms as fast as dignity will allow. I empty out my locker without bothering to shower – I can do that when I get home – then push my way to the exit with my kit bag slung over my shoulder and my heels in my hand.

      Outside it’s still light, and I’m heading for the car park when I remember that I didn’t bring my car today, I walked. I stop where I am and rub my hand over my face, wondering what the hell is wrong with me. I came here because I wanted to tease Scott about what happened earlier. I wanted to rub the fact that he’d basically had phone sex with me right in his prudish, self-righteous face. I wanted to make him admit that he wants to fuck me, even though he doesn’t like me. I wanted to see that same hungry look in his eyes again, and I did. But instead of leaving him red-faced and ashamed, I ended up making a complete idiot of myself. I’m not even sure how it happened.

      ‘Amber.’

      I hear the male voice behind me, recognise it instantly. I debate running off, but I decide that I’ve already done enough running for one day. I don’t think my boobs or my back could take the punishment.

      ‘Scott,’ I say, as he moves alongside me. He’s thrown a sweatshirt on over his kit. He offers me the bottle of water he’s carrying and I take it, because it seems less awkward than refusing, but I don’t look him in the face.

      ‘My car is just over there,’ he says. ‘Do you want a lift?’

      I should refuse. I don’t need to make Scott Smithson fancy me in order to prove that I’m still attractive. I should say no and end this now, then we can both get back to not liking each other, and I can shag Lucas until I’ve worn him out. It’s a fantastic plan.

      I don’t follow it. I follow Scott to his car instead. It’s a black BMW, so typically guy-with-a-good-job-and-no-ties that it almost makes me laugh. The lights flash and the boot pops open. Scott drops his bag inside, gestures for me to add mine too. Moving near enough puts me dangerously close to him, close enough to smell hot aftershave and hot skin, and my knees go suddenly weak. I sling my bag inside. It falls against his, soft pink fabric against creased black leather. I set my heels carefully down against my bag, then Scott closes the boot and ushers me round to the passenger side.

      Such a gentleman. I suppose I shouldn’t expect anything less, really. Scott is nothing if not polite. I am the one who gets drunk and swears and shags random men at weddings. He opens the door for me and I tuck myself into the car. The leather seat is cool against my arms, my bare legs. I take a moment to inhale the smell of polish and Magic Tree and remind myself that I hate Scott Smithson.

      Then he opens his door and folds himself into the driver’s seat. ‘Do you want me to take you straight home?’

      I nod. I seem to have lost the ability to speak. I wish I’d lost it this afternoon, instead of saying all those filthy things I said to him on the phone. It’s odd, really, because I never usually care what anyone thinks of me, but I can’t seem to help it.

      I want Scott Smithson to like me.

      He closes his door and starts the engine, then puts the car in gear and pulls out of the car park, gliding easily into the traffic. ‘I’ve never seen you use the treadmills before. I didn’t think running was your thing.’

      So that’s it? He doesn’t want to embarrass me about the phone call this afternoon, he wants to lecture me about my exercise habits? I stroke my hand over the edge of my seat. The pale leather is supple and smooth, like the flesh on a man’s upper back when he’s face down on the bed. I know I shouldn’t be thinking about touching Scott like that, but I am. I glance across at him. God, he is beautiful in profile, the lines of his face hard and masculine. He is also clearly not normal. We practically had phone sex this afternoon, for fuck’s sake, and he’s talking about gym equipment. ‘Why not?’

      ‘A lot of women assume it’s too vigorous,’ he says. He takes a left, pulls the car to a halt on a quiet side street. ‘Especially women with your body shape.’

      The part of me that is still me jumps on that without hesitation. ‘By body shape, I take it you are referring to my tits?’

      Scott closes his eyes. Then he turns to me. ‘Why do you do this, Amber?’

      I feign innocence. ‘Do what?’

      ‘Turn everything into something crude, something dirty.’ He sounds tired, angry, frustrated, and I can’t help but poke at him some more, just to see what he will do.

      ‘You didn’t seem to mind this afternoon,’ I point out.

      His jaw hardens, and he grips the steering wheel tightly. ‘What happened this afternoon was…’ He looks away from me for a long, heavy moment, then turns back to me again. ‘You use sex as a weapon, Amber. I’m not sure you even realise you’re doing it half the time.’

      ‘Believe me, I know exactly what I’m doing,’ I say, refusing to let the shock I feel show on my face. ‘I certainly got a kick out СКАЧАТЬ