Cassius by Stevens, Madison (chromebook ebook reader txt) 📕

her face a mask of curiosity before they continued. He tried to inhale through his nose without being too obvious, but he didn’t smell anything suspicious. Though his back was turned, he could sense the men shuffling back into their huddle once he and Kendra had moved about ten yards away.

“Everything’s on schedule for tomorrow,” one of the men said.

“Good. Our boss isn’t going to be happy if there are problems.”

The background cacophony of the other workers and guests soon overwhelmed the quiet whispers. Hybrid hearing might be far better than that of humans, but even it had its limits.

“I’m so excited,” Kendra said, pulling away CJ to pump her fists. “Seeing the obstacles almost finished really gets me ready to do my thing.”

“I can’t wait to see it myself,” CJ said with a smile.

He didn’t look back at the men. The conversation worried him, but there was nothing inherently damning about it. Either sinister conspiracy spies or normal men working overtime might have had the same conversation. The only anomaly was the fourth man, and that wasn’t the kind of evidence that would get Maximus to send a strike team.

Making a move then and there risked blowing his cover and accomplishing little. Doing anything with his Vestal around was idiotic.

There was only one choice left. He needed to come back when there were fewer people around. They were planning something later. A night trip with Julius was the best bet.

Kendra stretched her arms above her head. “I’ve got a good feel for the course now, and it’s not even noon. Thanks for indulging me.”

“There are worse ways to spend a morning than hanging out with a beautiful woman,” CJ said.

Kendra’s breath caught. She swallowed, the action subtle in her delicate throat. She stared into his eyes. “You think I’m beautiful?”

CJ laughed. “Of course. Was that in doubt? You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.”

In truth, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Accepting he felt that way only strengthened the case for Kendra being his Vestal.

“How about lunch?” Kendra asked. “I need to stop off at my hotel and change. All this walking around has worked up a sweat. I’ve got some light training scheduled this evening, but Graham likes to leave me alone the day before a competition because he knows I can be pissy.”

CJ chuckled. “This is pissy? Could have fooled me.”

Kendra smiled. “I’ve got a good reason not to be pissy.”

He should say no. He should be checking in with Julius and planning for their night recon. It wasn’t like the place was going to be abandoned.

Going back to her place would lead to more temptation. There was no way he could be in her hotel room again and not want to continue what had happened the night before, but Kendra didn’t wouldn’t want it to continue.

CJ’s loins stirred. He looked away and took a deep breath.

“Is something wrong?” Kendra asked.

She wasn’t a helpless woman. She’d made that clear the other night by stopping him before they went farther. Going to her hotel room didn’t guarantee anything would happen other than exactly what she wanted.

Julius could wait. CJ wasn’t planning a raid on an enemy stronghold. He wanted to sneak into the course and check some things out.

“Nothing’s wrong.” CJ smiled. “I’d love some lunch.”

Chapter Fourteen

Kendra welcomed the cool touch of the AC as she stepped into her hotel room. Despite it being morning, it’d grown increasingly warm during her time at the course. The city didn’t want her to forget it was summer.

She’d done events in places like Arizona and Florida at the height of the summer, so she wasn’t worried about her performance. That didn’t mean she could ignore it. Proper hydration would be a must, but that was a future problem. Her immediate concern was the gorgeous man following her into her room.

They were alone again in a room with a nice, large bed. Her heart kicked up. Warmth spread through her body. Hydration wouldn’t help. She could drink the entire ocean and it wouldn’t quench her thirst.

She shouldn’t do anything. The same logic she’d offered the night before applied, if not more so. The race was looming tomorrow. Tiring herself out with someone already demanding all her attention was a guaranteed road to loss.

Her tracksuit was proof of what she should be doing, light exercise and visualization of the obstacles she’d scouted. She hadn’t flown all the way to New York for a booty call.

“It’ll be tough,” she said, trying to recenter on the race and not CJ.

CJ looked her way with a smile. “What will be?”

“The competition.” Kendra unzipped her jacket and hung it over the edge of a chair. “I’ve been thinking about the new obstacles. They’re trickier than I realized. I might have been taking this too lightly, but now it’s gotten real.”

“Isn’t that better?” CJ asked.

Kendra stared at him, her brow furrowed. “Why would that make it better?”

CJ nodded. “It’s all about challenging yourself, right?” He motioned to the door. “The races, the climbing, the training. That’s the takeaway I got from what you said. The channel and the videos are a way to give you the money to do what you really want to do.”

Kendra nodded slowly. He’d not known her for long, but he already understood her so well. A man who only cared about getting into her pants wouldn’t have pushed back like that. He would have tried to soothe her and insist the race would be easy.

“And the only way to challenge yourself,” CJ continued, “is to constantly push yourself to your limits, even if you risk losing.”

Kendra sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re right.” She shook her head. “Sometimes I come close to forgetting what this is all about. Sponsorships and being famous are distractions, not goals in of themselves.” She toed off her running shoes. “I can lose a few sponsorships and do okay. I can continue making a living at this. I’ll never