I grunted.
“Admit it. You do, don’t you?”
My mouth twisted wryly. She even had a good personality. She was a sweet little thing. She didn’t need to be. She could have gotten by on sheer good looks alone. “I have a little something I make.”
“It’s a drink, isn’t it? I’d bet good cash you make it with a Vitamix, and it has kale in it.”
I coughed out a laugh. “You aren’t wrong. I’m pretty predictable, huh?”
She winked at me. Fucking winked. It was adorable, and I needed to get away from her. “You’re a mystery to me. I’m just throwing out guesses, trying to figure you out.”
“Now why would you do that? I have to tell you, I’m about as boring as they come.”
She shook her head, her eyes soft. “Not at all. You seem fascinating to me, Dair.”
I wasn’t sure why, but that seemed to be my breaking point.
I politely excused myself and hit the showers. I was the only one in there, and I did give half a thought to rubbing a quick one off, but I refrained. I’d be home soon enough.
I emerged from the showers, clad in a fresh white T-shirt and black athletic shorts, to find Iris still hanging near the weights, still in her workout gear, dabbing at her glistening br**sts with my towel.
Well, I guess she’ll be keeping that, I thought, giving it one last longing look before I turned on my heel and headed out.
I nearly let the door swing shut on her before I realized that she’d followed me, still in her workout gear, duffle bag in tow. I held the door wide for her, a little worried at her beaming smile.
“You shower at home?” I asked, then wanted to take it back. I did not need a visual of her showering.
“Yeah, usually. Here.” She draped the used towel over my shoulder.
My mind went really filthy with the things I’d be doing with it later.
“Thanks for that. You just headed home now?”
I nodded, looking over at the parking lot, back at the gym, anywhere but at the too young girl that was too much trouble for my peace of mind.
“Have a good one,” I murmured and walked away.
“Wait,” she called out from behind me when I was halfway through the parking lot.
I stopped. She was just a few feet behind. Either she was following me, or she was walking somewhere. My pearl white model S Tesla was the only car parked this far back.
I turned to her, and she was smiling at me, of course.
“Do you mind giving me a ride?”
I took a few deep, steadying breaths, wondering what to do.
Of course I needed to give her a ride. If the poor girl needed to walk somewhere, she could hardly do it dressed like that. She’d get abducted, for sure.
I wasn’t positive that I wouldn’t abduct her myself.
“Sure, honey. Where you need to go?”
She pointed at my car, her eyes widening. “Is that your ride? It’s brilliant. Wow. A Tesla. Just beautiful.”
I smiled, impressed that she knew what it was, and waved her on.
I loved my car, and I got a real kick out of her excited reaction to it. She was good at making me smile.
“I’ve never been in one of these before.”
“I just got this one about eight months ago.”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes. I’m happy with it.”
“Whoa. You got the seven seater? You have any kids?”
I laughed. “No. I have no excuse, other than that the salesman was very good at selling me features.”
We were inside and belted before I looked at her again. I could smell her in the small space. She smelled so good that it was playing havoc with my peace of mind. Like vanilla and some hint of what could only be her hot little body after a good workout.
I was shamefully happy that she hadn’t showered after the workout. I had a very clear visual of licking every bit of that salty sweet sweat off her, and since that wouldn’t be happening, I had a smell to obsess over in place of that.
She reclined her seat until she was lying down flat. Her mouthwatering br**sts pointed straight up in that position. “That is so cool. What is that called? The glass ceiling?”
“An all glass panoramic roof. Like I said, the salesman was very good at selling me features, even ones I didn’t need.”
I started the car, waiting for her to tell me where to go. When we just sat there for a few minutes, I asked, “So, where can I drop you?”
She brought her seat back up. “Aren’t you going to invite me back to your place? I want to see your house. And I’d like to try whatever concoction you make yourself drink after your workout.”
I smiled and shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Iris. You are much too young to be inviting yourself to some man’s house. Especially an old guy like me.”
“How old are you?” she asked, sounding only vaguely curious about that.
“Forty. Old. How old are you?”
“Twenty-four, Alasdair. Old enough for any damn thing.”
I gave her a gimlet-eyed look, sure she was messing with me. “I don’t believe you. Prove it. Show me your ID.”
She giggled like I’d just said the funniest thing, but she did bend forward to fish around in her bag, retrieving a small pink wallet. “What? You think I’m jailbait?”
“Something like that.”
She handed me a Nevada driver’s license. I studied it, did some quick math, then studied it some more. It was real, as far as I could tell, and it did place her at twenty-four. I could hardly believe it.
“I’m still way too old for you.”
“Your c**k doesn’t agree.” Her tone was so innocent that it took me a moment to process what she’d said.
I flushed bright red. “My c**k doesn’t know what’s good for it.”
“But I do.” Her voice was whisper soft.
I put the car in reverse. “You sure about this?”
“Sure about what? What’s the big deal about sharing a drink and checking out your pad? Going by this car, I know you’re going to blow me away.”
I nodded tightly and kept my hands at two and ten, my eyes straight ahead.