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“No.” He shook his head. He looked at me for a long moment, like he was trying to decide something. I knew the moment he’d come to a decision. He shifted his body, and no matter how well I thought I knew Adam, there was no way I could have guessed what he was about to do.

One moment, we were sitting next to one another like we usually did, and the other, I found myself straddling him, my hands resting on his shoulders.

“What are you⁠—“

“Shh…” he hushed me, brushing a strand of my hair behind my ear.

“I’m going to squish you,” I complained, feeling way too self-conscious. His hand slid from my hip to my ass and squeezed, almost in a silent warning.

It should have been weird.

Adam and I had always been close and touchy feely, but he’d never grabbed my ass like this or had me straddle him.

Yet this came like second nature.

“You could never,” he said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“What?” I blinked, trying to remember what we’d been talking about, and I snagged my bottom lip with my teeth when I remembered. “Adam.”

“Callie,” he retorted, and we stared at one another when it hit me.

I am on Adam’s lap! So close to him I could feel his breath on my lips and the heat and hardness of his body surrounding me. Still wearing the leggings and tee I’d worn to work, I could feel exactly how hard he was. Not only did it feel like he was made from a slab of granite, he was hard again. I could feel him pressed against me, thick and long. I wondered if he could feel how hot and wet I was through his jeans.

“You’re so fucking pretty, ladybug.”

“Adam.” I swallowed. “What’s happening?”

“What’s happening is that I’m done being benched.”

“Benched?”

“Granted, I put myself there.” He sighed, playing with my hair, the tips of his fingers grazing my arm.

“You did?”

“Babe, you’re it for me.”

“You sorta mentioned that at the gym,” I reminded the two of us.

“I know.” His jaw clenched, and I could feel the tension radiating off him. “I’m sorry. I kinda went ass backwards there.”

“Why did you come in tonight?” I asked softly. A muscle ticked beneath his eye.

“We won last night,” he said. Of course, I knew that; I’d watched the game. Home runs were the only person I wanted to share that with,” he continued on an exhale. “The guys went to the Lamda party. They wanted me to go with them to celebrate like we usually do, but I wanted to be with you. Even if all I did was stand outside the gm and watch you work from out there.”

“Stand,“ I started to say. “You do that?” He nodded and then kept shaking up my world.

“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t planning on going inside, just standing outside to watch you, maybe follow you home to make sure you got back okay⁠—"

“You actually do that?” He nodded again. His confession was seriously difficult for me to process. “This whole time?” This nod cam slower, and I could see the weariness in his gaze. Like he was preparing for me to yell or get pissed. But instead, for some reason (obviously, there was something wrong in my head!) I giggled. “I can’t believe you did that!”

“Can I answer your question now?”

“Please.”

“I saw him talking to you, and you smiled.”

“I smiled?” My brows rose. “Smiled? Smiling isn’t flirting.”