Page 23 of Charm and Conquer

Grant stares at him like he just suggested we all eat worms. I swat his sweaty, washboard abs. "Shut up."

Asher spins on me. "Why should I shut up? I'm trying to convince him to stay and train us. You're just standing there like the cat got your tongue."

"I'm being respectful and listening to what Grant has to say. If you'd done the same, you'd understand that his problem with us is that we aren't listening to what he tells us to do. Right, Grant?" I turn to Grant, but he's not there. He's already jogged to the bottom of the hill and started up the next one. Rage burns in me like the fires of Hell. "This is your fault." I poke Asher in the chest for emphasis.

"It's okay," Asher says. "Grant never stays mad long. He'll be back next week."

I stare at the beautiful idiot, and an overwhelming urge to kiss him washes over me. I fight it off. "He's not coming back."

I walk up the hill. I need to keep moving before my knee stiffens up.

"Where are you going?" Asher is hiking so close behind me I can feel his hot breath on the crown of my head. "We need to figure this out."

"Weneed to do nothing.Iam going to finish my workout."

"But you don't even know where to go. Grant said there's a fork in the trails up ahead."

I huff out an annoyed sigh and step to the side of the trail. I bring up a trail map on my phone and ignore Asher chattering in my ear. Not paying attention to the words, however, does nothing to save me from the way his deep voice vibrates over my skin. How is his voice so melodic?

I find the trail map and figure out where I am. "Got it," I say as I slip the phone back into my running belt.

"Great," Asher says. "Let's go."

I jog down the hill. If I ignore him, he'll run out of steam and I'll lose him, eventually.

"So glad we're working together."

"We're not working together," I yell and pick up my pace.

"But it makes so much sense." He's getting breathy now. "My research suggests the proper way to prepare for a trail race includes strength training. I can help you with that."

"I know how to do squats, Aldridge." I jog faster to get away from him, but something hard and sharp hits the back of my head. Slowing to a stop, I see a pointy ball from a Sweet Gum tree on the ground next to me.

That's it.

I have had enough of this guy.

Swinging hard, I pelt the ball back at Asher, but he just grins and dodges to the side.

"Go home. I'm not training with you."

"Just hear me out. I have a lot to offer. And—"

I turn and start jogging again. "Not a chance in hell."

The sound of his feet land heavy behind me. I try to increase my pace, but he's too fast. He hits me and takes me down to the side of the trail, rolling as we fall so that I'm on top of him.

We come to a stop a few feet from the trail in dead leaves. "Ouch," he grunts out. "Didn't expect to land that hard."

I wiggle against his arms banded around me, but they're like iron. "Let me go."

"Stop wiggling. I just want to talk to you."

"I swear to God, Aldridge, you let me go or I'm going to—"

I shift to bring a knee up and get him in the balls when I feel him against me. He's hard and very, very large.

"Oh. My. God. What the hell?"