Blocked

by Lisa N. Paul

  “Hey, sweetie, you still want me to come with you to the doctor today? I’m thrilled you’re finally getting that rash checked out.” April looked up at Decker and grinned sweetly as she wiped the sweat from her neck before she continued to speak. “It's beginning to spread.”

  Decker's lips curled up as he nodded just once in April's direction without slowing his pace. The treadmill tramp to his left punched the big red “Emergency Stop” on her machine, bringing the belt to a halt. Wiping her hands onto her lycra-covered thighs, as if to rid herself of whatever ickyness may have jumped from Decker onto her during her thirty-minute eye-fuck, the jiggly-jogger stood slack-jawed. Her stare moved from Decker to April then back to Decker. Disappointment bloomed in her doe eyes before she quickly hopped off the treadmill and flounced in the direction of the ladies’ locker room. April bit her lip in effort to contain the laughter that wanted to escape, but it was futile. Small snickers left her.

  The whirling sound of the motor began to decline as Decker slowed his pace. His tank top, once pale gray, was drenched in sweat and nearly black as it molded to his broad chest. April’s gaze roamed his body, his skin a natural shade of tan that covered divine muscle and sinew. The man was simply gorgeous, and while he was aware of his allure, he wasn’t cocky or arrogant; he was just comfortable in his own skin.

  “Okay, dimples, not that I'm complaining, because that girl was flat-out creepy, but what the hell?” Decker stepped down from the treadmill, his knuckles resting firmly on his hips. “A rash? For real? Couldn't you have come up and pinched my ass or kissed me? Why did you have to give me a rash?” He grimaced as he wiped the sweat from his face with the towel that had been draped over the hand bar.

  April choked back a laugh, doing her best to keep a straight face. “Look, you should both be thanking me. I saved you from her, and technically, I saved her life.”

  Decker looked perplexed by her claim. “What do you mean?”

  “Oh come on, Deck, don't even try to pretend you weren't checking out her ass.” April felt her cheeks flush. “Hell, I couldn't take my eyes off it. And while it was indeed a great ass, I need to know, who wears a thong bodysuit to the gym these days? Christ, I thought she was going to saw herself in half running in that thing.” Unsuccessful in her attempts, a tiny snicker escaped. “I cut in the moment I smelled smoke.”

  Decker threw his head back as deep laughter poured from him, the sound so thick and rich it reminded April of melted dark chocolate. She wanted to revel in his mirth or, better yet, grab a spoon and eat it. Instead, she found herself laughing alongside him, deep hard laughter, the kind that had her eyes watering and her belly aching. It was the best kind of happy there was… the uncontrollable kind. After a minute or five, April wiped her eyes and realized that not only were several members staring at her as if she’d gone off the rails, but Decker seemed to be studying her too, no longer laughing, but his face happy none the less.

  “Oh my God, I’m so embarrassed,” April whispered through the hand that covered her mouth.

  Decker reached for the hand she’d used to cover up her chagrin and engulfed it in his much larger one as he warned, “Don’t you ever apologize for being happy, for laughing. Fuck, April.” His voice was low and deep as he inched closer to her, making the space between them nearly non-existent. “I swear to Christ, that was the sexiest sound I’ve ever heard.” His free hand swept through his deep brown, sweat-slickened hair. His molten eyes reminded April of the same sweet confection his laugh had just seconds before. The man was downright edible.

  Tingles crept up her arm as she realized her hand was still nestled in his. It felt as though someone pressed the “pause” button on the remote control of life, leaving just the two of them in slow motion while the rest of the world kept still. April looked down to watch Decker’s thick thumb rub circles across the top of her hand. While the motion seemed mindless, small even, he stood quietly sharing her space and her breaths. Each time his calloused thumb glided over her soft skin, waves of long abandoned desire burst through her already wanton body. “Un-pause”—her heart pounded behind her ribs in a frenzied rhythm that had nothing to do with the cardio she’d completed more than ten minutes prior. Melting into a lust puddle by Decker’s feet was certainly not on the top of her priority list. Then again, laughing like a clown hadn’t been either. She needed to change the subject, fast.

  April slowly withdrew her hand from Decker’s and refastened the elastic on the ponytail that had fallen loose during her vigorous exercise. With some physical space between them, she was able to think with her head instead of her hormones. More stares and dropped jaws were aimed in their direction than before. A shiver of embarrassment coursed through her heated body. She needed to get out of the fishbowl that was the workout center, because other than when she was teaching, she hated being the center of attention. She thought it best to lead them out to the lobby. At least the entrance was alive with people coming and going, not to mention the constant activity from the juice bar—the whirring sounds of the blenders that served up the protein shakes and energy drinks would be sure to steal the attention from her.

  “Anyway,” she said, attempting to steer the conversation back to its original content, “You should be happy I was in there to save you, Deck.” April grinned. “Aside from the obvious, you know, the fact that she had a rockin’ body, I can’t imagine what you and Thong Barbie could’ve possibly had in common.”

  Decker tilted his head, questions blatant in his eyes.

  “Oh, come on, she was one high maintenance chick. I don’t know you well, but you certainly don’t strike me as the type to go for a woman who works out with a face full of makeup.”

  Decker’s brows furrowed as he cocked his head to the other side. Shit, did I totally peg him wrong? Did I insult him? Why can’t I shut up? While April chastised herself silently, she noticed Decker’s lips begin to lift. That smirk screamed “I gotcha.”

  “Hmm, well then, thank you, you kind and thoughtful woman.” Decker’s bright smile instantly put April at ease. “You truly are a selfless soul. I feel as though I owe you a great debt, you know… for saving me from the Thonged Villain.” April giggled at Decker’s mock horror. He shook his head, feigning torment. “I was going to ask her out for this weekend, but you opened my eyes and made me think better of it. Now what should I do?”

  * * *

  HELL, THIS COULDN’T have worked out better had Decker planned it himself. April’s bright eyes sprung wide as he tossed out the question he’d been gearing up to ask. Her cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of pink than when she’d just finished her cardio. Was that bad or good?

  “What do you say, April?” he teased. “The guys on the jobsite would say you cock-blocked me with the Thong Princess… so—”

  April’s eyes narrowed as her hands rested on her small waist. “Oh, big guy, I didn’t realize I was interrupting such a love connection between you and the Floss Fairy.”

  Decker wanted nothing more than to kiss the woman who was dishing out silliness with the same ease she received it.

  “You stay put, and I’ll see if I can go find her. I’m sure she and all of her 90s hair could be ready for that date in about four hours.” She winked and turned her back to him.

  “April,” Decker warned, his hand gently gripping her biceps to stop her retreat. He watched as her shoulders rose and fell and her blond ponytail swayed with each breath. Within two steps, he stood face to face with the smiling beauty and found himself at a loss for air. He could get lost in the dimples that hugged each side of April’s lush lips. In fact, he wanted nothing more.

  “What can I do for you, big guy?”

  “Will you go out to dinner with me this weekend?” The timidity in his own voice threw him off guard for the first time in years. Shit, the only time in his entire life he’d lacked confidence were the years he was with Olivia, and even then it was conviction he was missing, not confidence. At the time, he’d been too frightened of ma
king a mistake, of hurting the wrong people to follow his heart, and in the end, everybody lost. Now, as he looked at the woman who’d not only piqued his interest but sparked his passion, he knew that he needed her to accept his invitation.

  “Umm, sure.” April licked her lips then rubbed them together as if she were spreading gloss from bottom to top, even though the perfect skin was void of artificial color or shine. “Okay.”

  Decker’s eyes dropped to her plump lips as he felt a stirring low in his groin. He shifted the towel he’d been holding to cover the front of his basketball shorts. “Wow, Dimples, I’m overwhelmed by your excitement. Seriously, try to tone it down a bit,” he snarked, attempting to hide the disappointment her lack of enthusiasm caused.

  April let out another sexy laugh. “No, I’d really like to go out with you, Deck. It’s just… well, this whole thing is just strange.” Decker wanted clarification. As if reading his mind, April continued to explain. “It’s like something came over me when I saw that girl trying to get your attention.” Again she moved her pink tongue across her bottom lip, and again he felt his cock twitch, but instead of pressing on, she looked away.

  “April, truth, okay?”

  She shifted her gaze back to his and nodded.

  “That feeling, was it jealousy?”

  “Completely.” She sighed before muttering something unintelligible to herself.

  “What was that?” He definitely liked how her cheeks flushed when she was embarrassed.

  “Oh, it’s nothing…just thinking about how that must sound, me admitting that to you. I promise I’m not the bunny-in-a-pot-of-boiling-water kind of girl.”

  The Fatal Attraction reference wasn’t lost on him. Both he and his brother had come across more than one crazy stalker over the years, but thankfully, no pets had been harmed, unless of course one counted his pet rock, Rusty. Molly Martin, his third-grade girlfriend, had thrown Rusty out the window when Decker broke up with her for Samantha Park.

  The same errant lock of hair had escaped her ponytail. Decker couldn't help but reach out and tuck it behind her ear. His heartbeat quickened when she leaned into the touch. “I get it, you know.” Her arched brow told him she had no idea as to what he was referring. “Other than wanting to pummel that ass, Rocco, for trying to help himself to something that wasn't his and to someone who wasn't interested, I was jealous as hell that he was talking to you and I wasn't. Fuck, I’ve been jealous of every man who got you to smile, even if it was just your I’m-not-interested-now- go-away smile. So don’t worry about feeling jealous, and don't worry about other women, April... there isn't anybody else.”

  As he waited for his words to sink in, he watched as what appeared to be concern, possibly even torment, drift across the planes of her beautiful face.

  “I hear you, Decker, I do,” she replied, nodding her head. “But I also believed my ex-husband when he promised to be faithful, and that got me nowhere. So while I truly look forward to going out with you this weekend, you're gonna need to give me a little time and a large learning curve with anything that comes after the check.”

  Honesty, she was giving him flat-out honesty. Shit, when was the last time anyone other than family had offered that?

  Nodding, he smiled at the playful, genuine woman before him. “Dinner and drinks, April. Just two people who clearly like each other”—he winked—“getting to spend some time together. Sound good?”

  The divots in her cheeks winked at him. “I look forward to it, Decker, but now I need to go and pick up Eli from day care… I’ll chat with you later.”

  “I’ll call you tonight,” he promised, “after I put Charlie to bed.”

  When April flashed him another of her megawatt smiles, something inside him shifted. The satisfaction he felt from seeing her beam, from being the man who put it on her lips… fuck, it was incredible. Without thought, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on April’s forehead. When she didn’t shy away from the embrace, he ran his finger along her jawline and under her chin, tilting her head back until her eyes met his. Her stare glazed over with questions and lust as her once smile shifted into a siren’s grin—alluring, inviting, and intoxicating.

  “I can’t believe you just kissed me, Decker. I must have tasted gross, all salty and sweaty. Not my finest moment.”

  Decker chuckled. Her tone was sweet, and her words were adorable, innocent even, but it didn’t match the sexy woman who was clearly begging to come out. He wondered if April even knew how many incredible sides she had. Something told him she had no idea.

  “Mmm, I think you tasted perfect.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Yep, amazing. Dinner, April, Saturday night. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Me too,” April agreed once more before waving good-bye.

  Chapter Six

  My Mother is Babysitting

  “EEEP!” RORI CLAPPED her hands together. “I can’t believe my girl is going on a date tomorrow night. I feel like a proud parent.”

  “Oh my God, Ror, keep your voice down. The last thing I want is for my personal life to become fodder for the rumor mill here at school.” April peered over her shoulder to see who else was in the staff lounge this early in the morning. “I swear, sometimes I think the teachers are worse than the students when it comes to gossip.”

  “Ooo, gossip. What gossip?” Janie floated into the lounge, her usual smile present and accounted for. “Seriously, girlies, what am I missing?”

  “Oh, nothing,” Rori said in a singsong voice. “Except that April here has a date tomorrow night with Super-Hot-Gym-Guy.”

  “Shut the fuck up!” Janie exclaimed, her eyes wide with interest. “I’m so excited for you that I’m not even gonna be hurt that you didn’t call me as soon as it happened.”

  It wasn’t that April was hiding the information from Janie; it was more like she hadn’t been able to process it yet herself, let alone involve anyone else. Sure, she’d told Rori immediately, first because the woman was her best friend, and second because it was the first time she actually needed to find a babysitter for Eli. April had practically felt Rori’s regret through the phone the previous evening when her friend explained why she was unable to help with the little guy, but that unease was nothing compared to what April felt when both of her siblings were also unavailable, leaving her mother as a last resort.

  Sighing, April admitted, “It’s true. I’m going on a date. It’s the first date I’ve been on in more than ten years. And it’s with the hottest, sweetest, funniest man I’ve ever met… I should cancel.”

  “Stop it,” Janie and Rori said in unison as Janie pulled up a chair and joined the women at the table.

  “I want details, all of them.” Janie pointed from April to Rori. “And what she chooses to leave out, can you please fill in? We can’t get her the help she needs if we don’t have all of the details.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Rori said. “But from what I’ve heard about Mr. Six-Pack, he seems to manage our girl just fine. She’s calm around him, not at all like the mess we’ve seen when she talks about him. The only thing I think she needs is a—”

  “Umm, hello!” April interjected, waving her hands in front of her friends’ faces. “You guys are talking about me as if I’m not sitting right here at the table.”

  “Oh, so you are here.” Rori grinned, winking at a satisfied Janie. “Are you sure you’re part of this conversation? Because the people at this table are getting ready for a date. They are not canceling or thinking about canceling on someone who makes them smile the way this man does you. So knock off your shit and dish the deets.” Seemingly proud of her speech, Rori nodded her head as if to say she was finished speaking and took a large gulp of her coffee.

  April looked at the two women who sat beside her. While Rori was her closest friend, Janie was much more than just a co-worker. The truth was, April was lucky to have these women in her life, and she could use some advice regarding her date so… “Okay, Decker made reservations at the ne
w Italian place in Charistown, Amore, for seven o’clock.”

  “Ooh, Max, and I love it there. The food is amazing, and the service is great.” Janie’s eyes sparkled with the dreamy look she got every time she mentioned her boyfriend. “We intend to go back there as soon as the Grand Re-Opening for our bar is over and we have spare time. But anyway, back to you.”

  April bit her lip, unease filling her belly. “Well, here’s the thing. I’m not sure I want him to come and pick me up. I think I’d rather meet him at the restaurant.” Her comment was met with two pairs of narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

  “Chica? It’s a date. The guy is supposed to pick up the girl.”

  “Rori’s right, April. What’s the deal?”

  April stared down at her hands, as if the state of her un-manicured nails had all of a sudden become fascinating.

  “Oh.” Rori placed her hand over April’s and squeezed. “I understand. You don’t want Decker meeting Eli, right?”

  Bingo. “Look,” April answered quietly, “you know how I am with my son. The kid hasn’t even met my hair dresser, and I’ve been going to her for three years. I refuse to have him meet people who are only going to hurt him when they up and leave.” She could feel Rori watching her—hell, she could practically hear the thoughts whipping around in her friend’s mind—but she refused to look up from her hands. “Anyhow, Elijah is only one of the reasons I can’t have Decker come to my door.” April looked up when complete silence met her comment. “Ladies, please, my mother is babysitting. Do you really think it’s a good idea for him to meet her on our first date?”

  “Nope,” Janie answered.