Safe with Me
Page 22

Caleb offers us a mock-salute and leaves through the back door to the fenced yard behind the house where he’s set up all sorts of odd equipment to work out with.
“How are things with him?” Meg asks and gestures to the back door with her head.
“Fine,” I shrug and take a sip of coffee.
“Are you sleeping with him yet?” Nat asks casually, and I gape at her.
“No,” I lie and take another sip of coffee. “He’s here to protect the girls and me.”
“Right,” Meg rolls her eyes and pushes out of her chair to refill our mugs. “That’s why he looks at you like he wants to rip your clothes off and do you here on the kitchen table.”
It’s fun when he does me on the kitchen table.
But I don’t voice the response aloud, I simply shake my head and laugh.
“Whatever.”
“Deny it if you want to,” Meg smirks and glances out the back window. “Damn,” she whispers.
“What is it?” Nat asks and rises from the table to see what Meg is looking at. Her eyes widen and she glances back at me and then outside again. “Holy shit.”
I know exactly what they’re watching.
Or, who.
And yes, it is a sight to behold.
“How do you ever get anything done around here?” Meg asks as I rise and lean against the sliding glass door, coffee cradled in my hands, and watch the sexy man in my backyard. “I’d just stand around and watch him all day.”
“Uh, Meg,” I glance over at her and laugh. “You have one of these at home,” I remind her, referring to Caleb’s pro-football star brother, Will, who is also Meg’s live-in boyfriend.
“And it’s a good thing he’s gone most of the day or I wouldn’t get anything done either.”
“It’s starting to rain,” Nat observes, but it doesn’t seem to faze Caleb. He lifts two thick, heavy ropes in both of his hands. The ends are attached to Nat’s photo studio out back. With a firm grip on the ropes, he begins to wave them up and down, quickly, the rain pounding down on him, causing his shirt to cling to every muscle as it flexes and moves with the motion of the exercise.
“Hot damn,” Nat whispers and I silently agree. He continues to pump his arms furiously, effortlessly. “What does that exercise do?” Nat asks.
“Works his arms, back and abdomen, and it’s cardio too,” Meg responds and takes a sip of coffee.
Just then, Caleb drops the ropes, bends down to grab onto a medicine ball and lowers his tall body to the sit-up position.
“Maybe he’ll bend over again,” I murmur, earning giggles from the other two women.
“It’s a good thing Jules isn’t here,” Nat mutters and licks her lips as her eyes watch Caleb hold the medicine ball in front of him, sit at a forty-five degree angle, and twist from his left to his right, over and over again. “She’d never let us watch him like this.”
“Jesus, that medicine ball is fifty pounds,” Meg whispers, amazed.
“Watch this part,” I urge them as Caleb tosses the ball to the side like it’s a beach ball and assumes the push-up position and begins to perfectly execute the push-ups, easily completing more than a hundred of them in two minutes.
“Why aren’t you sleeping with him again?” Meg asks and I choke on my coffee.
“I might be,” I whisper and feel their astonished gazes on me, but I avoid them. “Don’t you dare breathe a word of that to anyone.”
“Who can blame you?” Nat asks just as Caleb stands and returns to the ropes. “Look at those back muscles.”
“Look at that ass,” Meg counters.
“You should see it naked,” I respond and we all giggle again.
“Should I be grossed out by this?” Nat asks, tilting her head to the side. “He’s practically my brother.”
“But he’s not your brother, Nat.” I remind her with a grin. “And the Montgomery men are freaking hot.”
“That’s no lie,” Meg agrees. “Aren’t you going to be late for work?” She asks me.
“I have a few minutes,” I murmur and feel the familiar pull low in my belly as I watch Caleb lay on the ground again and execute perfect sit-ups.
It would be the perfect position for me to ride him. I might have to suggest that tonight.
“He’s hardly panting,” I observe. “What kind of physical training must he go through to work that hard and have it hardly phase him?”
“Oh girl, you have no idea the rigorous training they go through to become SEALs. It’s not natural.” Nat shudders. “All of the boys have always been athletic.”
“Obviously,” I murmur sarcastically. “It’s a bit intimidating.”
“Caleb can be the scariest person on Earth if he’s pissed off,” Nat informs us, her eyes still glued to him. “He’s just big and strong, and damn intimidating.”
“You should see him with the girls.” I grin, remembering our movie night last week. “He’s funny and sweet.”
I realize the room has gone dead silent. I look over to my friends to find them looking at each other and then staring over at me. “What?”
“You’ve got it bad,” Nat remarks and snickers. “Welcome to the club.”
“What club?”
“The ‘I Love a Hot Man’ club, sweetheart.” Meg laughs and salutes me with her mug just as Caleb approaches the sliding door, frowning at me. I step back in surprise as the girls giggle.