Asher, Zane, and Freya were standing outside the door, enjoying the show, apparently.
Trace shook her head, but couldn’t help but smile at her rowdy friends in the glow of the rising sun.
Cole turned slowly around, flipping them off before rising to his feet and lowering a hand for Trace.
Finally, the nosy trio came into the gym, grinning like idiots and filled with teases.
Asher, of course, couldn’t resist. “I’d say ‘get a room,’ but now I’m thinking Pippa’s hairbrained plan to get you guys together worked and you already have one.”
Cole pushed his hair back and fluttered a lazy look that Trace knew had preceded a jab straight to the nose more than a few times. “Figuredyoualready got a good workout in this morning and would be a little more understanding about the need for privacy.”
Asher lifted a single eyebrow.
Cole shifted a lopsided, teasing smile.
Shaking his head, Asher almost seemed to blush, and cleared his throat. “Love a good run on a rainy beach… then a little core burner after.”
Freya stood by the door, arms folded over her chest, subtly enjoying the entire scene. “I don’t know how you all work out as couples. I love Zane to bits, but yoga is my sacred time.”
Zane hooked his arm around Freya’s waist and snuck a drawn-out kiss on the mouth. “Ditto. But I do like watching you get into some of those positions.”
“Alright, come on,” Asher said, tipping a nod back to the door. “Pippa and my mom made reservations for all of us for breakfast. We agreed to let Pippa plan a few things this weekend, but the wedding is all Sophie and me. And my mom, because, well, she’s better at that stuff, yet she remains calm, unlike my sister.”
“But we love her,” Freya said, leaning into Zane and patting his side.
Asher snorted and rolled his eyes, but Trace knew he and his sister had always been close, to the extent that Asher was marrying Pippa’s best friend. “Food. Hungry. Oh-eight-hundred. Pippa should be sending out the address,” he said.
The intruders headed out first, and Trace moved to scrub down their mats so they could get moving.
Cole took care of his, rolling it up as she did, sneaking peeks over at her and teasing a grin while he did.
She reached out and took his mat while he turned off the TV.
When she turned around, Cole was standing back, waiting, biting down on the edge of his tongue. Brow low, he looked like he had a few million things he was actively bottling up.
As she reached him, he opened his mouth to speak, closed his eyes and shook his head. Laughing under his breath, he finally met her look and honesty dripped from his gray-green-bluish eyes. “About that kiss—“
“No,” Trace said, flatly honest. “Let’s not ruin it by talking about it. Not yet.” Lifting her hand, she lightly drew down his bottom lip with her thumb. How many times had she gotten so close but ran away.
With a hungry growl low in his throat, he leaned in and kissed her. Easier this time, sweet and spicy, the kiss sucked her in and spun her in a whirlwind of lust. Tucking her pelvis to his, she gripped his sides and kissed him deeper.
He lightened the intensity and smiled against her mouth, kissing again and again as he seemed as reluctant to pull away. “Breakfast.”
Catching her breath, she smiled and kissed him again. “Okay.”
Hand at her waist, he shifted, slipping his hand into hers and interlacing their fingers. Trace melted into his side as they walked. Tummy filled with horny butterflies, heart pounding on lusty overdrive, she couldn’t think of a thing to say.
At the steps, they disconnected long enough to dash up to the second floor, and the walkway was too narrow to walk together again. When they got to the door, she pulled out her key. Cole came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her middle, leaning in and kissing her shoulder.
“I’m sweaty,” she whispered, suddenly self-conscious with the electronic lock arguing that she hadn’t held the keycard just right.
Instead of realizing that she was sweaty and stinky and not at all sexy right now, he licked a trail up her neck and nibbled her earlobe before kissing her shoulder again. “I like you sweaty.”
Little zings pinged in every direction, the lock finally cooperated, and Trace opened the door before she could say something stupid. Instead, she grinned like an idiot.
Beyond tempting, she wanted to spin around and kiss him in complete privacy, but the hotel was wide awake, her friends messing around in the parking lot as everyone was mobilizing. Shit. She picked up the pace and opened her suitcase.
All business, she nodded to the bathroom. “You first. You’re quicker.”
