Page 42 of Get Me to the Starting Line
“You know what. You winced,” I say like an accusation.
“I didn’t.”
“Liar.” I step in close, invading her personal space. “What’s wrong, Leah?”
Something flares in her eyes but I don’t know what it means. She deflates a little.
“It’s my calves. Or my shins, I’m not sure. They’re really sore.”
“Are you stretching and warming up?”
“A little.”
I give her a little extra time to tell the truth.
“Fine. No, I don’t typically stretch or warm up.”
“Why the fuck not?” The harsh words come out of my mouth before I can think. They’re louder than I intended and we both tense, looking at Levi. But he’s enthralled with the Canadian geese walking past.
He’s not old enough yet to realize the birds are malicious demons, ready to terrorize unsuspecting humans who get too close. They strut around as if they own the place, which in part they do, seeing as they’re a protected species and we’d be fined for even scaring them.
“I don’t have time, okay? It’s tough enough getting out here in the mornings, especially when someone gets his feathers ruffled if we’re—ow!” She winces as she steps towards me. I catch her by the elbows and lead her to a nearby park bench.
“You should’ve told me.”
“Why, so you could lecture me more?”
“Lecture?”
She sits, locking the stroller before bringing both feet up on the bench. When she starts massaging her calves, she winces again, and something hot burns in my chest at seeing her in pain.
I don’t think, I take a seat beside her and pull her legs into my lap. She jolts in surprise but doesn’t protest or try to pull away. It would’ve been hard to let her go if she resisted, but I would have. Damn it. I should’ve asked first, but the sight of her pain propelled me.
“C-Can I help?” I ask, my hands hovering over her legs.
Again, there’s something in her face I can’t read, but I know I don’t like it. I want to read her thoughts.
“What was that look?”
She sighs. “It’s hard to accept help.”
This makes so much sense.
“Too bad.”
I don’t let her get another word in. I take one of her legs in my hands and start kneading the muscle. Gently at first and when I feel her loosen beneath my touch, I increase my pressure. A hiss escapes her breath that quickly turns into something a little more ... pleasurable.
My cock notices. I have to shift, turning to face her, suddenly aware of the position I’ve put us in, with her practically sitting in my lap. In public. With her son right there. So much for a buffer.
But Leah closes her eyes so I keep going. Her bare legs feel so small as I work the muscle in my hands, payingattention to the ridge along her shin where the muscle connects. Without warming up and stretching—and I’d bet my bonus without strength training either—she’s developing shin splints.
“Têtu,” I whisper under my breath. Her eyes fly open, narrowing.
“What?”
“You’re stubborn. You have shin splints.”
“Shin splints?!” she asks, worry furrowing her brow.
