Page 39 of Challenge Me

Me: That sounds amazing, but Mom has work.

Mal: I’m never in the way.

Me: I know. I’m just too busy during training. Pick one for now, okay?

She sent a thumbs up. Knowing it was normal for her, I tried not to read into it.

Hands came down on my shoulders from behind, making me flinch. When I felt breath on my ear, I had the urge to shake him off, but at the same time, I was completely rooted to the spot.

“You look like you want to back out,” Remi said softly.

Like an idiot, I let my head tip back enough to look at him. It put our faces so close that our noses brushed.

“I don’t,” I replied.

Movement drew my gaze away from him. Renshu had his phone up as he took a picture. With an appreciative sound, he came up to me and flipped it around. The image was almost too good, the perfect mix of intimate and casual.

Remi’s fingers massaged my shoulder. “We look damn good together. Don’t we, Renshu?”

“You play the part well,” he agreed. “Let me get a couple more.”

“For what?” I asked.

“Your Instagram.”

“Do we have to do that?”

“Combined with this interview, it’ll completely shift the narrative. Nobody will be able to look at these and think you prowl bars at night.”

With a scoff, I leaned back. Remi looped his arms around my neck and perched his chin on my head. Renshu snapped more photos, then motioned for us to do something else. I gasped when Remi grabbed my hair and bit down playfully on my neck with a ridiculous growl.

“Amir,” Renshu said. “Look like you’re enjoying it.”

I tried to fake a laugh. Judging by the sound he made, it wasn’t believable.

“I’ll lick you if you don’t get it together,” Remi warned.

“You’d better not.”

His tongue swiped my cheek all the way across. The shock faded to exasperation, but before I could decide how to react, he clutched the back of my neck and slammed his mouth against mine. My hand hovered in the air for a moment, torn between pushing him away or pulling him closer. I put it on his chest, then my fingers grasped the front of his shirt. My lips parted, as if inviting him closer on instinct.

“That’s perfect,” Renshu said.

I pulled back abruptly, only to find Remi smirking. He gave me a wink, then sauntered over to Renshu. While he looked at the pictures, he spoke to him softly.

“I thought you’d be some old guy,” Remi admitted. “Not . . .” His eyes drank him in. Renshu noticeably flushed, and when he saw me watching, he excused himself.

I tucked my fingers under my thighs. “People could see you doing that.”

Remi looked at me innocently. “Doing what?”

“Flirting.”

“I was conferring with the PR man. It’s a major reach to assume anything else.”

“Mm. Maybe save the flirting for private.”

“Will do, baseball man.”