Titus: Book Two of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Nineteen

Anna tiredly rolled over, her body cushioned by lavish pillows and a firm yet soft mattress that would put anybody to sleep. There was only one problem; she hadn't gone to sleep on the bed last night. Titus had went on the bed after promising that he would finally let her just sleep on the couch. Her eyes opened on the angry realization, scanning the room for any sign of the man who had just broken what had felt like a sincere promise.

No sound came from the bathroom. The covers of the couch were neat and made. As she got out of bed, Anna looked toward where he had left his shoes last night. She found that spot empty. The man had probably gone downstairs to the workout area to kill his body so early in the morning like he had been these past few days.

Grumbling about it being a little past six in the morning, Anna put on her flip flops and walked with frustrated steps down to the workout area in nothing but Titus's shorts and her torn t-shirt. At about halfway down the stairs, she realized her mistake in not wearing a bra. Her breasts were beginning to hurt without the support, but she gritted her teeth and forged on.

Titus was so in for it. As soon as she got her hands on him, he would regret ever having moved her from the bed for three consecutive nights in a row. Today was their last day of vacation. The very last day for him to just take a break like he deserved. He deserved the bed, a hot tub, and just plain everything that he's ever wanted; but, she realized once again, he didn't take any of it.

Titus just kept forcing and forcing himself to wake up at five every morning. He didn't allow himself the bed that would alleviate the pain she knew was afflicting his back. She had seen it every day back at the ranch as a wince would come over his face every time he did something as simple as bending down.

Trying not to bend down and throw up herself, Anna approached the desk. The attendant for the fitness room gave her a wide-eyed look, most likely surprised by the angered look on her face and her wild, bedhead hair that fell down to her back in frizzy, snarly waves. She ignored him and used the hair tie from her wrist to tie her hair back in a somewhat okay look.

“Sorry. I just forgot something,” she told him, trying to put a gentle smile on her face. “Shouldn't take more than a second to go get it.”

“Okay, miss. You can go right in.” He opened the door for her.

She walked right in, flip flop-covered feet smacking against the thin carpeted floor. Filled with every workout and weightlifting machine or exercise under the sun, the area was huge. But that didn't stop her from immediately spotting Titus.

He was on the floor, back and legs straighter than a board as he lowered himself down and up and down and up. The muscles in his bare back, arms, and legs bunched with every movement, flexing and bending according to their owner's will.

Taking a swig from the water bottle he had left next to his sweaty shirt on the floor, Anna effectively cleared the morning breath from her mouth. She could tell by the way his languid movements became stiff and edgy that he had noticed her, but she didn't care. Instead, she walked towards him, water bottle and sweaty t-shirt in hand.

“You moved me again,” she stated, sitting down on the padding of the bench where an impressive amount of weights was on its bar.

“Yup.”

“Today is the very last day of your vacation. So, tell me what you promised me you'd do today? Really, enlighten me.”

“Promised that I would let you take the couch, so that I could have the bed and sleep all day.”

“You did, didn't you? Ya see, if I would have said that to anybody else – and I mean anybody – they would have gladly taken the bed.They would've said, 'Oh, Anna, how so very sweet of you. I mean, the couch is just the perfect size for you, so I see why you would want me to take the bed.'”