Like Gold

22.

"GOOD CLASS TODAY."

I spun, clutching my clipboard to my chest to find Jace smiling at me, still dripping and shirtless. He held his towel in his hand, casually ruffling it in his hair to dry it.

I blinked, trying very hard not to glance down at his bare chest. Shit. Did I glance already? Did he notice? I shook my head, deciding to stare at my clipboard instead. I spun my pen between my fingers, glaring at the paper as if I hadn't already filled it out and signed it off.

My breath caught and I realised I hadn't replied.

"You think?" I asked finally, my voice cracking slightly. I cleared my throat, my face warming. "It was the same as always."

"No, no," he brushed off. He stepped closer, the water dripping off his shoulders onto the tiles around us, and I could see the faint outline of his chest muscles just over the top of my board. I swallowed hard. "Your whistling was extremely strong today. Really admirable."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Gee, thanks. I've been practising."

"I could tell," he said. "That whistle after the warmup? Whew – that was a good one. One of your best so far."

I couldn't help my laugh this time. It burst from my lips and I quickly caught myself, glancing over the top of my clipboard to see Jace grinning at me, considerably closer than before.

"She finally looks at me," he teased. I warmed, shoving his shoulder lightly. God, was he always this muscular? "Ouch. Why so violent, Ali?"

"I didn't realise you were keeping track of my whistling," I joked, raising a brow.

He shrugged, running a hand through his damp brown hair. "I can't help it. I appreciate good music. I mean, that technique? Hard to miss."

"So hard to miss that you had to come up to me right after class?" I asked.

"Had to." He tilted his head, his words echoing in a low drawl. "You had me distracted the whole time."

My face felt hot and my breath caught in my throat.

"Because of the whistling," I managed, though the words sounded strangled.

"Right." Jace lifted a brow. "Because of the whistling."

My grip on my clipboard tightened and I felt my heart pounding in my throat, blood rushing in my ears. He watched me, those brown eyes glittering with amusement, his lips twitching.

Behind him, voices began chattering and I cleared my throat, quickly glancing around him. I gestured vaguely to the changing rooms behind him. The rest of the class was already exiting, dry and dressed and waving goodbye. "Look. You missed out on towelling of with Frank and the boys."

Jace shivered. "I think I could miss out on that for the rest of my life."

"I don't blame you." I quirked a brow, my face still burning, and glanced at the group of elderly men leaving the centre. Beyond them, Jenna's next class waited for their session. I clipped my pen onto the clipboard, turning towards the office. "Well, I'm headed home."

"Home?" he echoed, lifting a brow. "On this fine Saturday morning?"

"Yes," I said. "I have a whole season of America's Next Top Model downloaded and waiting to be watched."

"Ah, right. The America's Next Top Model. Can't miss that, huh?"

I shrugged. "Priorities."

"Priorities," he agreed with a laugh. He shuffled on his feet for a moment before saying, "I'll walk you?"