So much hotter than me. I’m in yoga pants, my favorite pink running tank top, and my trainers. My hair is tied back into a ponytail. I have a little makeup on—mascara, blush, and gloss on my lips, which I quickly applied before we left the house to come here.
Stopping in front of me, Kas tucks some stray strands of my hair behind my ear. His fingers skim over my cheek, making me shiver.
He smiles as he takes ahold of my hand, lacing his fingers with mine, and starts to lead me over to Superhumans.
Butterflies start to riot in my tummy. Crazy how one small act can make such a big impact.
Kas opens the door, holding it for me to go through.
We walk up to the reception counter. The guy behind the counter looks up at our approach. I’d say he’s in his mid-thirties. He’s combated a receding hairline by shaving his hair off.
He grins when he sees Kas. “Hey, man, how are you doing?” he greets with enthusiasm.
Kas lets go of my hand as the guy stands and leans over the counter. They do that manly handshake thing that guys do.
“Yeah, I’m good. How are things with you?” Kas asks him.
“Ah, you know, life is always bright.” He smiles.
I watch with interest. I’ve never seen Kas interact with people in this way before.
And, by that, I mean, friendly.
“Alex, this is Daisy. Daisy, Alex,” Kas introduces us.
Kas steps back to me, and he takes ahold of my hand.
I see Alex’s eyes go to our joined hands.
He grins, lifting his eyes to me. “Nice to meet you, Daisy.”
“Likewise.” I smile, suddenly feeling conscious.
“So, are you here for business or pleasure today?” Alex asks Kas.
Kas does business here?
“Pleasure,” Kas answers.
“Cool. Well, let me buzz you in.” Alex presses a button behind the desk, and a door buzzes.
Kas holds the door open, letting me through first.
“Have a good session,” Alex calls after us.
Session? Where the hell has Kas brought me?
I’m standing in a hallway. The first thing I notice is the music that’s playing. It’s dance music, like what you’d here in a club. And it’s loud.
Kas grabs my hand again and leads me down the short hallway.
On my right, I see a door marked Men’s Changing Room. The next door along is marked for the ladies’ changing area.
Kas pushes through the double doors at the end of the hallway, and then I find myself in…well, I’m not really sure what it is.
It’s a huge room.
And it’s filled with people doing what I can only describe as something like gymnastics.
The far back wall is covered with this amazing graffiti. To my right is an elevated area, and above that is a mezzanine-style balcony that runs right around the room. To the side of the mezzanine is a climbing wall. Directly above the elevated area, hanging from the ceiling, are gymnastic rings. Beneath the stage is a pit filled with cubes of blue foam. It reminds me of those ball pools at children’s play centers.
Directly in front of me is an area with a wooden floor, a ramp running down the side of it, and a mirror covering the whole of the left side. Above it is scaffolding suspended from the ceiling. Beyond the wooden floor is safety flooring, and to the right of that is a trampoline set up with a safety net. There’s also some wooden fixtures set over to the left of the safety flooring that remind me a lot of pommel horses.
“So…what do you think?” Kas’s voice comes from beside me. He sounds a little unsure, as if he’s nervous and anticipating my response.
I lift my eyes to his. “It’s great.”
“You have no clue what it is, do you?”
“No,” I admit, laughing.
He chuckles. “It’s a parkour academy.”
“The stuff you did when you jumped from your balcony and nearly gave me a heart attack?”
He chuckles again. “Yeah.”
“Wow,” I say, letting my eyes drift around.
I see a guy, about my age, standing on the edge of the elevated area. He backs up before running at full speed, and then he leaps from it and catches hold of the scaffolding bar with both hands.
I audibly gasp.
Kas chuckles. “Don’t worry; he knows what he’s doing.”
He lets go of my hand and moves to stand behind me. His chest is so close to my back that I can feel the heat emanating from him.
His fingertips lightly touch my waist. That barely there touch sends my body into overdrive.
He’s not even touching skin, but I can feel his touch like he’s burned through my clothes.
I’m watching this guy move over the equipment like he’s some kind of acrobat. But his acrobatics aren’t the reason why my heart is beating faster or why my body feels like it’s breaking out in fever.
It’s because of Kas. His nearness.
The guy jumps from a high board, about fifteen feet up, and I tense.
“You see how he evens his body weight out by spreading his arms?” Kas’s fingertips press a little harder against my waist. “That helps him keep his balance,” he explains.
The guy lands on his feet with only a slight stumble.
“It’s amazing,” I say, turning slightly to look at him. “And you do this?”
He nods.
“For how long?”
“Six years now.”
I feel like there’s so much I don’t know about him.
“So, I know you practice parkour, and you do MMA. Anything else I need to know about you? Crime-fighting superhero by night?” I laugh.
He does, too, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “No. I’m just me.”