Chapter 28
Chapter 28:
As night draped over Hillcrest Villa, the house glowed with warm light. Brinley slipped inside after a long day at work, but the moment she opened the door, her breath caught.
Austin stood in the living room, bare-chested, his muscles shifting as he moved through a weight-training routine.
Beneath the chandelier’s glow, his skin gleamed. Sweat traced down the ridges of his back before disappearing into the waistband of his low-slung workout pants. His jaw was tight with exertion, his breaths rough but steady, the veins along his arms standing out against the swell of muscle.
A sharp flutter rattled through Brinley’s chest.
She had seen him composed in crisp suits and relaxed in casual clothes, but never like this—stripped of restraint, unguarded, every line of his body speaking of strength.
Her gaze lingered helplessly on the sculpted lines of his shoulders, the hard definition of his abdomen, the smooth flex of his back.
T𝗵𝖾 𝗯𝖾ѕ𝘵 𝗋𝖾a𝖽іո𝘨 e𝗑р𝖾𝘳𝘪eո𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘯
Rooted in place with one hand still on the doorknob, Brinley could only stare, caught as if spellbound.
Just then, a sharp metallic clang shattered the quiet.
A dumbbell slipped from Austin’s grip and crashed against the floor, the impact jolting Brinley back to herself.
“Careful!” she blurted.
Her body moved on instinct, hurrying forward to steady him.
But before she could reach the weights, strong arms swept her close.
Her back pressed against his hard chest, and his damp heat surrounded her. His breath, edged with exertion, brushed her neck.
“I’m exhausted,” Austin murmured, his voice husky as he buried his face in her hair, his hold tightening around her waist. “Let’s rest a little p>
The tip of his nose brushed her earlobe, sending a shiver skating down Brinley’s spine. She went rigid, her thin blouse clinging to her skin as the heat and sweat from his chest seeped through, raising goosebumps along her arms.
“Austin, you…” Her protest faltered the moment her palm met the slick firmness of his abdomen.
Taut muscle flexed beneath her trembling fingers, making it hard to shove him away.
It took only a heartbeat for her composure to snap back into place. She twisted sharply, driving her knee into his side with practiced precision.
Austin grunted, and in that instant of weakness, she seized her opening—rolling him flat onto the yoga mat.
Straddling his waist, Brinley caught his arm and squeezed the firm swell of his bicep. One eyebrow lifted as she teased, “Mr. Moore, playing helpless with muscles like these p>
Flat on the mat, Austin met her gaze with a flicker of amusement. The fading sun streamed through the windows, catching in her hair and softening her sharp beauty into something almost luminous.
Brinley leaned closer, her lips near his ear, her voice slow and deliberate. “But I have to admit… those lines. You’re built like a runway model p>
Her hand slid down his arm, fingertips tracing each contour until she felt his body tense beneath her touch.
The intensity in his stare deepened—fierce, unyielding.