ESCAPE [Completed] (NOT EDITED)

Chapter Nine

My legs burned as if they were on fire, pain searing through my calves up to my thighs as I pushed myself to run further on the treadmill. Two weeks at the gym and I managed to work back up to my best pace, time and length of running. My breath came in quick pants. Two more minutes, I could do this. I focused on my breathing trying to forget about the pain in my legs and kept giving myself a little pep talk in my head. Looking down, I almost fist pumped the air when I saw that I had reached my goal. I slowed down the treadmill to a walking pace and caught my breath back. A few minutes later, I turned the machine off.

"You did good, baby." The gravelled voice came just as I was about to walk off the machine. My legs felt like jelly and like the clumsy person that I was, I lost my balance and practically fell into Lincoln's arms. My body slanted back and my hand flew out, landing on his sweaty chest making my breath stunt for a whole other reason than me falling. "Easy there, Grace." I met those thunder, gray eyes and narrowed mine at him. Lincoln's strong arm rested behind the back of my waist, curling around just below my breasts which were moving fast with each breath.

"That was your fault. You startled me." I chastised. I was still on a slant with Lincoln's tight hold on me. Looking down at his muscular arms, I swallowed. "You can let go now." Lincoln smiled and locked his eyes with mine for long seconds before he positioned my body upright and removed his arms. I turned away from him so that I wouldn't lose my balance again from seeing his impressive physique and grabbed my water bottle from the holder next to the machine. "You really need to stop sneaking up on me like that." Lincoln didn't say anything as I turned to face him again and greedily gulped down the remainder of water in my bottle. I could feel his eyes on my throat as he watched me drink. Replacing the cap back, I grabbed my towel and patted my chest down.

"It's almost as if you're doing what you're doing for my benefit, Ava." I immediately pulled away the towel from my chest when I processed what he said. Giving him an 'as if' look, I walked around him. I strolled to my destination of the showers, not discounting the sound of Lincoln's heavy footsteps behind me. When I was a few feet from the lockers, Lincoln's soft hand wrapped around my wrist and jerked me to turn around. I waited for him to say something, my gaze settled on the tattoos that marked his neck.

"What do you want, Lincoln?" I asked, impatiently.

"You know what I want." Lincoln's other hand went under my chin and tilted it up so that I could look into his eyes. "How many times are you going to make me ask you, Ava? Go out with me."

"That wasn't asking Linc; that was demanding." I squirmed, taking my wrist out his hold and moved back so that he was no longer touching me. I couldn't think when his skin was in contact with mine. Lincoln's lips quirked up.

"I love it when you call me Linc." His boyish smile made me smile in return and I laughed softly. He stepped forward again, as if indicating that he hated the distance between us. "And I love that sound too." Leaning his torso forward so that his body was a hair away from mine, he bought his mouth to my ear. "Go out with me, beautiful." I pulled my hand up between us and laid it flat on his chest, feeling the irregular beating of his heart. Nice to know, I wasn't the only one affected by our close proximity.

"I can't, Linc." He grazed his bottom lip over my earlobe.

"You can. It's easy. You just show up at the same place as me, at the same time and keep me company."

"I would have thought you'd pick me up for our first date." I laughed. Lincoln kissed the sensitive spot below my ear making me shudder and pulled away a fraction to look at me.

"Is that a yes?" His eyebrows were hitting his hairline in anticipation.

"No." I said, regretful. Lincoln sighed and nodded.