Weights of Wrath (Cipher Office Book 4)

by Smartypants Romance

  “Our goal,” I instruct, “is to make it across the length of the field. Stan, when you get to the end, Nicolas will take over and bring it back. Each of you go one length three times. Unless you go too fast, then we’ll change it to four.”

  Stan turns to Nicolas and asks the same question I’ve heard from clients a million times before. “Why did we think this was a good idea again?”

  “Apparently, we got more complacent with our workouts than we thought.”

  “Remind me not to do that again.” He squats and grunts as he lifts the tire and flips it. Stan’s breath is already heavy, and we just got started.

  “How’d you get into this stuff anyway?” Nicolas asks as we trail behind Stan, who continues to grunt and strain. His form is great though, so I’m not worried.

  “Um, I found it a couple years ago by accident when I was flipping through some channels. The World Championship was on, and these dudes were tossing logs and pulling cars on chains. It was pretty cool.”

  “I’ve seen some clips of lifting cars before. Those dudes are fucking incredible.”

  I nod in agreement. “It looked really interesting, and I’m the kind of person who can get bored with my workout if things don’t change up regularly, so I started doing some research on it. Seeing what kinds of things I could incorporate. It sort of spiraled from there. Just one more, Stan,” I yell. “Almost there, man.”

  He flips it one more time with a yell and turns to Nicolas. “Holy shit. You’re up.”

  “Harder than you thought, huh?”

  Stan lifts his shirt to wipe his face with the hem, having ditched his hoodie halfway through. “I’m no pansy, but that was so much harder than I thought it would be.”

  “It’s good though, right?” Please say yes. My ability to buy formula may depend on your answer.

  “So good.” Yes! “We should try and get Dan to come with us, Nick.”

  Nicolas bursts out laughing as he begins his squat. “That would be hilarious. He’d have no idea what hit him.” With that, he begins lifting, cursing me the whole way up until the tire topples over. “I’m not gonna be able to walk tomorrow, am I?”

  I can’t help but smile mischievously. “That was my plan all along.”

  He nods and catches his breath before squatting again. “Well done. I applaud you as the mastermind behind some much-needed torture.”

  I’ll give it to them—these guys may not be used to this kind of exercise, but they refuse to quit. Not when I add an extra set. Not when we move on to farmer carries. Not when I add weights to both ends of the barbell so they’re fighting to keep the whole thing balanced while they walk back and forth.

  No, they’re troopers and put in well over one hundred percent.

  When our hour is finally up, they’re dripping with sweat and practically singing my praises as they walk out the door until next time. I make damn sure Keely hears them when they promise to bring a couple co-workers for a trial run in a couple days.

  “I’m impressed, Marshall,” Keely says in her normal tough-guy boss tone, her arms crossed showing off her toned biceps, stiletto tapping on the ground. “I was a little worried a Strongman class would have such a specific demographic it would be a waste of money. But it turns out it may be a niche we need to fill.”

  I flash her a flirty grin, but not too flirty since she’s my boss and all. “I told you I wasn’t the only one who gets bored with their workouts. It’s fun to shake things up.”

  “Well, keep it up. I’d love for us to be known for having more diversity in our class styles.”

  I fist-pump when she walks away, thrilled by how things seem to be falling together. If the ball keeps rolling this direction, adding a baby to the mix won’t be as hard as it could be.

  If only I could get Rosalind on board with a Strongman-themed nursery…

  Chapter Sixteen

  ROSALIND

  I don’t make a habit of watching members work out. Unless they run weird like Bambi or are funny when they argue with their trainer, like Abel’s client Rian who is apparently pissed Abel can’t make her lose baby weight faster, I tend to stick to my job and ignore everyone around me.

  And then Joey signed up the hottest men I’ve ever seen in my life. And trust me, as a stripper, you see hundreds of men on the regular, so I’ve seen my fair share of gorgeous guys. But these security dudes? Holy shit. My poor little pregnant body can hardly take the hormones running through me right now, and all I have is my memories. That’s how aroused they made me.

  I admit to feeling a little bit of guilt that I find them so attractive. I’m having a baby with Joey, so I should be lusting over him, right? In my defense, I actually have been lusting over him for a while now. And when we had Christmas at my aunt Lucia’s house, there was a moment when I really thought he was going to kiss me. I was ready for it.

  And then Abel thought he would be funny and sit in between us. Moment ruined.

  In hindsight, it’s probably good that my cousin got in the way. Making out in front of my parents probably would have been considered “tacky” and “uncalled for.” Personally, I think sticking my tongue down his throat would have been perfectly called for after the gift he unexpectedly gave me, but I’m too tired to fight with my mother.

  I’m also too horny for my own good. I thought by now Joey would have made some sort of move on me, but he hasn’t. Not even when I sleep in his bed. I know, I know. I told him he wasn’t getting any sex, but I meant that night, not forever. I was still in my first trimester then and sick all the time. Now? Now my hormones are raging. I have dirty thoughts about him often, I just don’t know how to let him know without coming across desperate or slutty. Besides, he hasn’t given me any indication our relationship is anything more than just two people preparing to co-parent. Without any real relief my hormones are finding fantasy-worthy material pretty much anywhere. And holy. Shit. Did they ever find them with the new clients.

  I can’t stop thinking about their biceps bulging as they lifted those giant-ass tires. And their tight glutes as they stretched and strained. And Joey’s thick thighs as he squatted and spotted. Between the three of them, it was eye candy delight.

  And yes, the glass doors really did need to be washed at the exact moment they were taking advantage of the outdoor area. It had nothing to do with the sweat sliding down the back of their necks or the abs I got a peek of when they would wipe their faces with the bottom of their shirts. Nope. None of that at all. I was just doing my job. Just… doing… my job…

  I blow a breath over my face as I try to calm my body down, but really, it’s impossible at this point. The three of them were just so… sensual in their manliness.

  Joey walks into his bedroom, where I’m currently trying and failing to get comfortable for a good night’s sleep. I’ve been sleeping like a proverbial baby in here for a couple weeks now, having given up on going back to my own room. I’m not sure if it’s the mattress or the comfort of having him next to me, but it doesn’t look like I’ll be leaving Joey’s room until I feel better rested. Not that my current thoughts are doing anything to make me sleepy. It doesn’t help that Joey’s fresh from a shower, fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist and another one being rubbed through his hair. Water droplets trail down his chest leading directly to the faint treasure trail, reminding me of exactly what’s underneath.

  Joey is one fine specimen of a man. And no, we may not have had the most stellar one-night stand, and I may have done my best to push away the memories of how I obtained a head injury, but one thing has remained vivid in my mind all these months later—Joey has nothing to be embarrassed about. A lesser man may actually gloat at his being well-endowed, but not Joey. He knows he’s got it going on, so he has no reason to flaunt it.

  “Sleeping in here again tonight?” he asks from behind the towel that he’s still using to sop up the excess water from his long hair.

  “Yep.” I barely comprehend his question as I absentmindedly peruse his
body with my eyes. His arms flex as he moves, a washboard eight-pack peeking out from behind the extra bulk he’s been packing on lately. He looks… strong and powerful. And that bulge under the towel is awfully large considering he’s not hard at this point.

  “Rosalind.” My eyes flick up to his and I know I’ve been caught. That cocky grin is proof of that. “Like what you see?”

  I can’t take it anymore. I’ve been trying to give him signals but he’s not picking up on them. After weeks of living with him and constantly being surrounded by the faint scent of his sweat and musk, I can’t wait any longer. This may be a terrible decision, but if I don’t have an orgasm in approximately half a second, my entire body is going to combust.

  I release the bottom lip I didn’t even realize I was biting. “Get naked, Joey. Now.” If that isn’t obvious enough, nothing is.

  It takes him less than half a second to get with the program and lose the little bit of terrycloth standing in the way of me and my good time. He launches himself onto the bed, attacking me with his mouth.

  His wet hair gets stuck on the side of my face, but I don’t care. His tongue immediately invades me, and while it’s clumsy and awkward, a few too many teeth involved, it’s also a very, very welcome intrusion. My hands are roaming everywhere, trying to feel everything at the same time, desperate to find relief from the itch I need scratched so badly.

  But then he pulls away. “Wait a minute. You wouldn’t let me touch you the other day when you slept in my bed. You’re not even thinking about me right now, are you? You’re hot for those new clients of mine.”

  As much as I don’t want to be, I can’t help the way my body feels. Still, I don’t want him to get the wrong idea. He’s the fantasy. They’re just the final straw. “Why would you think that?”

  “I saw you practically licking the window while we were flipping tires today.”

  Busted.

  “Does that bother you?” There’s no point pretending I didn’t go from zero to fuck-my-brains-out. I might as well tell him the whole truth. “I mean, I’m not thinking about them. I’ve been thinking about you a lot. For a while. But today gave me some new ideas to play with. About all three of you.” I tap my temple with my finger. “Right in here, doing dirty things to me.”

  Joey thinks for a second too long for my pleasure before licking his lips. “That’s actually really hot.”

  “Then shut up and get inside me.”

  We work together to get my panties down my legs, and I’m so close to getting them off when a shooting pain runs through my skull.

  “Son of a bitch,” I shout, holding my hand just above my eyebrow. “Did we just knock heads?”

  Joey rubs a red mark on his own forehead. “Yeah, sorry. I was a little excited to get you naked again.”

  “Okay, well, for safety’s sake, don’t move. I’ll finish this part.” I finally get the offending panties off and toss them across the room, less self-conscious about my do-it-at-home grooming-gone-wrong than I should be. But seriously, I’m so horny at this point, I don’t even care that it didn’t turn out even remotely close to what my expensive waxer used to do. At least I didn’t have to drop a huge tip after flashing the goods, and I’m still getting laid.

  Finally, we seem to be working together and he pushes inside me, just as I shout, “Wait!”

  He freezes. “What?”

  “Aren’t you going to use a condom?”

  “Oh shit,” he grumbles and drops his head on my shoulder. I feel my muscles already pulsing inside me. It’s making it hard to concentrate on this conversation being that he’s so close to hitting the exact right spot. “Hold on!” His head pops back up. “You’re already pregnant. We’re fine.”

  I push on his shoulders despite my desire just pull him closer. “But what about diseases?”

  “Oh yeah. Do you have any?”

  I scoff. “That was rude. Of course, I don’t. You are the last person I was with, and my OB checks for all that in my blood work. I was talking about you.”

  “I had to get tested for a bunch of stuff when I signed up for Strongman. They would have caught it.”

  “So, you’re clean?”

  He nods. “I’m clean.”

  “Then go!” I instruct and grab his ass cheeks to push him further inside.

  The movement feels so good, I moan my pleasure and push off the bed, gyrating my hips faster, hoping he’ll get the hint and punch the gas, too. But he doesn’t.

  “What are you doing?” I complain. “Why are you moving so slow?”

  “I don’t know how fast I can go before I’ll hurt the baby.”

  “Oh, for shit’s sake. I can’t take it anymore,” I grumble and push him as hard as I can until he rolls over. I go right over with him, one leg on each side of his hips and make sure he’s lined up with my entrance before dropping down on him again. My head falls back and I groan at the glorious feeling before setting my own pace and moving however I see fit. “For the record, you can’t hurt the baby. He’s well insulated in there, so the next time you are on top, you better fuck me like you mean it, got it?”

  “Got it,” he breathes, and I roll my hips faster and faster chasing the orgasm that’s on its way. I feel Joey begin to flex underneath me. “So, you like thinking about three men with their hands all over your body?” he growls, and the thought makes my insides tighten up. “You like thinking about the looks on our faces when we strain our muscles just knowing that’s what we look like when we come?”

  Holy. Shit. Who knew I enjoyed some dirty talk?

  “Keep talking,” I beg.

  “You’re wondering if those are the noises we make during sex, aren’t you?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Well, let me reassure you,” he says and nips my earlobe, sending a zing straight to my core. “That’s exactly how we sound during sex.”

  I’m so close I want to cry. “If you move, I will rip your face off. You hit the spot with your dirty talk, do not screw it up for me.”

  He freezes, except for the laugh that rolls through him. The slight movement from his chuckle does exactly what I need, and the orgasm hits me fast and furious.

  I groan so loud I’m almost screaming by the time I begin to come down from my high. At that exact moment Joey cries out, “Holy shit,” his neck muscles strain gloriously, hair fanned out on the pillow as he finds his own big “o.” And yes, it sounds exactly like when he works out. That’s going to make things uncomfortable for me at work.

  Completely spent, I fall onto his chest and we roll to the side, Joey’s arm still wrapped around me, panting heavily. It’s the most post-coital snuggling I’ve had in a while, and I have to admit, I kind of like it. For whatever reason, Joey makes me feel safe. Maybe it’s because my bitchy attitude doesn’t seem to bother him. Maybe because he’s followed through with everything he’s promised since the beginning. Maybe it’s just because I’m coming off the best high there is. Regardless, I make no attempt to move.

  “That was amazing,” Joey sighs and kisses me on the forehead. “Don’t you think it was amazing?”

  This is one of those moments where I must decide if I’m going to be honest or if I’m going to stroke his ego. But since I’ve never been one to sugarcoat things, I give him the cold, hard truth.

  “I’ve had better.”

  Joey lifts his head up and looks at me in disbelief. “Seriously?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, that orgasm hit the spot. But we also have bruises on our foreheads and stopped to discuss STDs. You’re gonna honestly say that was the best sex you’ve ever had?”

  He lays his head back down and thinks for a second before responding with, “You’re right. The ending was great, but I’ve definitely had a better lead-up.” Taking a deep breath, Joey runs his fingers through my hair before asking the question that was also on my mind. “So, you wanna do it again?”

  “Yep,” I respond without hesitation and roll him to his back to get this party started.

/>   He makes sure to go faster this time.

  And the time after that.

  Chapter Seventeen

  JOEY

  “I got your latest box, Mom. There’s some good stuff in here.” I inspect one of the prepackaged meals she ordered online from my favorite grocery store and had delivered. It’s a chicken parmesan dish but it looks extra cheesy. That’s going to hit the spot.

  “They’ve really upped some of their options since we moved. Of course, I had to complain that three or four choices weren’t going to cut it when this is what you’re subsisting on lately.”

  “Hey now,” I argue as I stack all the containers on top of each other in the fridge. “I have my protein shakes, too.”

  She tsks playfully. “You are so disciplined when it comes to food. Don’t let that routine get in the way of feeding Rosalind. She needs extra nutrition as she grows my grandbaby, so make sure to feed her, too.”

  I chuckle because it’s just like my mom to send over food for me, yet still worry I’m not going to share. “Don’t worry. She knows she can eat whatever her body craves whenever she needs. And she was really appreciative of the ice cream you sent over.”

  “Oh good. I took a chance on her favorite kind. You tell her to make a list of whatever she wants, and I’ll make sure it’s included.”

  Closing the fridge, I begin grabbing the ingredients for tonight’s dinner. So, spaghetti noodles and sauce. Two ingredients shouldn’t be too hard to try.

  “I can tell you right now she won’t give you a list. Rosalind is wildly independent, so she’ll never ask. If you want to make sure she’s fed, just keep guessing. That’s the only way she’ll accept it.”

  “I like that,” Mom says. “You need a strong, independent woman to keep you on your toes.”

  “That she is.” And I kind of love her for it. But I don’t say that out loud. The longer she lives her, the more I feel for her. But I’m still afraid of scaring her off. Her jumping me the other night was a definite step in the direction I want to go, but I’m still determined to go at her pace. The last thing I need is my mom pushing her too hard. And it is a valid concern.