A/N: Hello! I am still alive and I have not given up on any of my stories! I have just been very busy with school. I'm about to finish my second university degree and that's pretty stressful.
Anyway, here's another AU piece! Enjoy :)
Also, thanks boo ;)
Disclaimer: Same as always!
April nervously bit down on her bottom lip as she walked towards the intimidating gym equipment for the first time. She had only been inside the building long enough to change in the locker room and she was already rethinking her New Year's resolution. It was a stupid idea. She didn't even believe in New Year's resolutions. This was the first one that she had ever made in her life.
But in her defence, last year had been an absolutely terrible year and she had just wanted a change. Even if it was a stupid, small one.
Just after Thanksgiving, Matthew, her boyfriend of three years, had broken up with her. For her it had come out of nowhere but clearly he had been thinking about it for a while. He hadn't offered her much of an explanation. He had just said that things had changed between them. In reality she knew that the only thing that had changed over the years had been her weight. She wasn't overweight by any means, but she had always been rather petite and now she knew that she was just a little heavier than when they had first met. After a lot of crying and drinking, pep talks from her friends, and dying her hair red, she had decided to make her very first New Year's resolution. She was going to go to the gym regularly. And she told herself time and time again that she was not doing this for Matthew, she was doing it for herself.
She wanted to be able to wear her favourite dress again.
So she had purchased a membership to the nicest gym closest to her apartment building and had been given a very nice tour and explanation of how to use all of the equipment.
Now, however, she completely forgot all of those instructions. She opted for the safe choice and headed towards the treadmill. She knew how to do that without help; she had run track in high school.
She ran on the treadmill for forty minutes before she stretched, showered, and headed home. She called Arizona and complained about how she already hated the gym but she still went back the next day. She was too stubborn to give up already.
She took Sunday off but returned to gym before work on Monday. She hopped on the treadmill again and looked across to the weight room where she spotted the most beautiful man that she had ever seen her in life. She was surprised that she didn't trip in her own feet and fall because she was sure that she was staring at him like a cartoon character. He was tall with broad shoulders and lovely olive skin. He had a clean shaven head but scruff along his jawline that was very sexy. He was wearing a black t-shirt and blue shorts but it was easy to tell that he had an incredible body. The gym was clearly not an unfamiliar place to him.
And suddenly April had her motivation to keep up her stupid New Year's resolution for a little while longer.
She watched him over the next two weeks like some creepy, pathetic, stalker, but he was too nice not to look at. He came to the gym Monday through Friday at the same time as her, which meant that he probably had a job that he went to afterwards. Probably something super successful, she thought to herself, like a lawyer or a hot shot businessman, or maybe he was a model. He was pretty enough. She could see him as a model...an underwear model maybe. Or maybe he was an athlete.
Look at those thighs. They could definitely be the thighs of a football player.
Sometimes he came to the gym with a friend but most of the time he was alone. He did different exercises on different days, most of them with weights, but he also used the rowing machine and a few others machines that she wasn't gym-experienced enough to name. He never ventured towards the treadmills and she was willing to bet that he ran outside. She was also willing to bet that he did push-ups and sit-ups at home too.
With those arms. Definitely.
She sighed to herself as she gradually slowed down the treadmill and pulled out the ear buds of her IPod. She was acting more pathetic than usual, she was fawning over a guy that she hadn't even spoken to. She didn't even know his name.
And even if she did, he was so out of her league. He was ten times hotter than Matthew and even he had thought that he could do better than her.
As per her routine, she headed to the locker room and took a quick shower before leaving the gym. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the main floor when someone hopped in at the last minute. She felt her cheeks flush and she quickly looked down at her shoes. It was the beautiful man. He was wearing a grey t-shirt, black jeans, and a leather jacket, and he had his gym bag over his shoulder.
"Hey," he greeted as the elevator doors slid closed.
Oh great, she thought to herself, he has a hot voice too. "Hi," she responded meekly.
"You spend a lot of time on the treadmill," he added after a pause.
Her eyebrows shot into her hairline. He had noticed her? He had noticed her on the treadmill?
"Yeah, I guess. I find some of the other equipment rather intimidating," she laughed softly.
He chuckled along with her and she could have sworn that her insides twisted in delight.
Once he stopped laughing he turned to her with a bright smile. "I'm Jackson by the way," he introduced himself as he offered his hand.
God, she sighed internally, his teeth and his smile were to die for. She placed her hand in his as she forced herself to make eye contact with him. Bad decision. Very bad. His eyes were the strangest and most exotic colour, a mixture of blue and green.
He was so pretty that she was almost jealous.
"I'm April," she answered after clearing her throat. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," he grinned. He let her hand go and stepped towards the door as the elevator came to a stop. "If you ever want to step off the treadmill and have a real workout, let me know."
Her mouth dropped open and she blushed at the possible innuendo. She recomposed herself quickly and quietly scolded herself. Obviously he did not mean it that way, he was talking about the gym.
"Pull it together, Kepner," she mumbled to herself.
Three days later, she decided to take Jackson's advice and venture off of the treadmill. She ran for only twenty minutes before she slowly walked towards a piece of equipment that she had seen many people use for their arms and legs.
She was still looking at it quizzically when she heard a voice behind her. "Do you need some help?"
She spun around to see Jackson smirking at her with his perfect torso and stupid perfect face. "Oh...hi," she blushed. "I'm just...um...sizing up this particular machine."
He chuckled as he approached her and placed the water bottle that he was holding on the floor. "Just sit down and I'll help you out," he smiled pleasantly.
After nervously chewing on her bottom lip, she did as she was told and sat on the cushioned seat. Jackson knelt down beside her and adjusted the amount of weight that she would be lifting.
"Let's not go crazy," he spoke quietly. "We'll start with a light weight and go from there. This is the first time you've done this?" He asked as a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"I think that's pretty obvious," she replied shyly. "I guess I'm a bit of a gym virgin. I mean except for the treadmill. I used to run in high school so being on the treadmill feels pretty normal but all of these other machines are totally over my head," she rambled.
He slowly rose to his feet again and looked down at her with a boyish grin. "I'm sorry, I didn't really hear anything after virgin."
She blushed traitorously and her eyes widened. She couldn't believe that she had said something like that in front of him. Her lack of filter consistently got her in trouble, but it usually wasn't an issue around outrageously gorgeous men. Mostly she just embarrassed herself around her friends and close coworkers, and none of them looked like Jackson.
He put her out of her misery when he smiled pleasantly and helped her adjust her position. He watched her do repetitions of the arm press before he adjusted the weight.
"Does that feel good?" He asked in concern.
She nodded slowly as the timber of his voice made her wish that he was asking her that question in a very different situation.
She did fifty repetitions before exhaling a puff of air and standing. "Is that it? Or should I do something else?"
"That's good for today," he smiled. "You don't want to overdo it."
"Well that wasn't very hard," she laughed softly. She experimentally stretched her neck and she watched him narrow his eyes in distress. "What?"
"Are you okay? You didn't hurt yourself, did you? I wouldn't want to send you back to the treadmill."
"No, I think I'm fine," she assured him.
"Well let me see, just to be sure." He led her towards one of the benches underneath the window and straddled the bench so that he could massage her shoulders. "I'm not trying to be creepy or anything. This is what I do."
She didn't think he was being creepy...creepy was definitely not the word that she would use. His fingers felt magical. She cleared her throat and decided to strike up casual conversation to distract herself. "So what exactly do you do?"
"I'm an athletic trainer for the U Dub Huskies," he answered quietly. "Football specifically."
And she could feel his breath on the back of her neck.
"What do you do, April?" He asked, and she could hear a genuine interest in his voice.
She closed her eyes as the pads of his fingers dug into her shoulder blades. "I'm an internal medicine fellow at Mercy West Hospital."
"Wow," he whistled. "Impressive. That's like what they do on House right."
"Yes," she giggled. "Sort of." She opened her eyes and glanced at her watch. "And speaking of work, I should really get going." His hands dropped to his sides and she turned to face him. "Thanks for everything."
"It's not a problem," he smiled. "I love this stuff, I guess I'm a bit of a gym nerd."
She laughed and tried not to let her eyes wander over his chiseled body. His love for the gym showed, she thought. "Well have a great day, Jackson."
"Yeah, you too," he replied brightly. "Will I see you tomorrow?"
"Most likely," she smiled.
"Great," he grinned. "I'll show you how to work another machine."
April tried to ignore her friend as she approached the coffee cart. All that she wanted was her morning coffee; she had not anticipated a lecture.
"He wants to get in your pants!" Arizona practically squealed as April placed her order.
The red-head rolled her eyes as she paid for her beverage. "He does not," she threw over her shoulder.
"He rubbed your shoulders," the blonde pointed out.
April huffed as they started to walk towards the elevators. "He's just being nice. He's an athletic trainer, he likes doing that kinda stuff. He saw how helpless and pathetic I looked amongst all the equipment and offered to help me. That doesn't mean anything. Not all guys have ulterior motives."
"You know that men obsess over the idea of having sex at the gym, right? So if they're talking to you, if they're offering their help, then they're really thinking about one thing."
April stopped in her tracks and raised both of her eyebrows in bewilderment. "What do you know about what men are thinking?"
Arizona brushed off her comment with a scoff. "Enough! So," she began as a devilish grin took over her face, "when are you going to let him in your pants?"
April blushed but rolled her eyes. "I assure you that he is not interested in me. He's," she paused, "the word gorgeous doesn't even do him justice. He's the prettiest man I've ever seen and his body is incredible. He's in a league that is very out of my reach."
The paediatrician frowned as April continued on her way to the elevator. April had always been rather insecure, but all of those insecurities had been amplified during her break up with Matthew. The girl was convinced that she wasn't physically attractive, which was absolutely absurd.
"April," Arizona began softly.
"Don't start," April cut in. "I don't need some uplifting speech. I'm okay, really." She glanced at her watch and smiled. "And now I have an appointment. See you at lunch?"
Arizona nodded slowly but continued to frown. "Yeah, see you at lunch."
April winced as she hopped off the treadmill and hobbled towards a nearby bench. She sat down and started to massage her right thigh, clearly she had not stretched adequately before running.
"You okay?" A familiar voice called.
She glanced up and offered Jackson a smile, but she knew that it looked more like a grimace. "Yeah, my hamstring is just a little tight."
"Want me to stretch it for you?"
"Yeah, that'd be great actually," she responded quickly. She laid back on the bench without thinking and closed her eyes. She felt Jackson raise her right leg and press it back towards her body as much as he could. It felt so good that she couldn't stop herself from releasing a moan.
Her eyes flew open in embarrassment and she looked up to see Jackson hovering over her with a small smile. "You okay?"
She nodded slowly as she felt her face heat, hopefully he would think that she was still flushed from running and not because she had just moaned. And not because her knee was hooked over his shoulder and she could see all of his beautiful, rippling muscles. She took a deep breath and let her eyes drift towards the ceiling. In retrospect this was an incredibly bad idea and she wasn't sure why she had said yes so quickly. Why did she think it was a good idea to let him stretch her hamstring? Now he had his hands on her thigh and she could smell his amazing cologne, and she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about this for the rest of the day like some obsessive teenage girl.
And here he was trying to be a nice guy and a professional, and she was imaging him sweaty and naked...but they were still in this position.
"That's good. Thanks," she mumbled with a squeak.
He carefully eased her leg off of his shoulder and she sat up. She avoided his gaze as she packed up the bag at her feet.
"How have you been?" He asked politely.
"Good." She raised her head and smiled tentatively. "Work has been busy. What about you?"
"I've been great," he grinned. "Work has been really great and I've discovered this great hole in the wall Indian restaurant. It's a diamond in the rough for sure." He chuckled to himself, "I kinda like to eat."
Well it certainly doesn't show, she thought to herself.
His eyes started to trail along her legs and she started to become self-conscious as to the reason why...either he was still thinking about her sore hamstring, or he was realizing just how chubby her thighs were. To shift his attention she cleared her throat and brought up a new topic of conversation. "Do you have any plans for this weekend?"
His already bright eyes brightened even more and a broad grin took over his face. "No, I'm completely free. You?"
She slowly shook her head. "Nope! I'll probably just relax like I do every weekend."
He seemed slightly surprised by her answer, and she could see his jaw tense as he ran a hand over his shaved head. There was a long silence before he spoke again. "Actually, I have an idea for something to do this weekend that would really make you sweat."
April's mouth dropped open as her minded wandered off to a dirty place. Thankfully, he elaborated before she could completely give herself away.
"This gym offers a hot yoga class every Saturday at seven. It's pretty great. You should come?" He asked as he delicately raised an eyebrow.
"Oh...um," she muttered. "Yeah, maybe I will." She slowly stood up and got to her feet as she grabbed her bag. "But I really have to get to work. Maybe I'll see you later."
"Yeah, definitely," he called out to her. "Think about hot yoga!"
April did think about hot yoga, and a lot more, for the next few days. When she fell asleep at night she pictured Jackson above her stretching her hamstring and well...it lead to very interesting dreams. She woke up hot and bothered and drenched in sweat, and had taken to having cold showers before she even went to the gym.
Today, on her day off, she had decided to go to the gym in the afternoon. Her reasoning had been that maybe she would be able to avoid Jackson and all of his physical perfection. Unfortunately, while walking by the indoor basketball court she spotted him playing basketball with another very attractive guy.
And he was shirtless. Shirtless and glistening with sweat.
She watched him dunk the basketball into the hoop, and look amazing while doing it. He laughed and tossed the basketball to his friend before he turned and spotted her on the other side of the glass wall. He waved with a smile and her natural reaction was to awkwardly wave back before hurrying anyway.
She couldn't talk to him. Not today.
Jackson watched April practically run away with a frown on his face. He just didn't get her, and he liked to think that he was generally pretty good with women.
"Hey," Alex Karev chuckled, "who's the stalker?"
Jackson sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. "That's April. She's messing with my head."
His friend furrowed his brow in confusion. "She not putting out?"
Jackson shook his head, of course Karev would jump to issues with sex. "No, we haven't even been on a date yet." A fact that frustrated Jackson to no end. He thought that they had a flirty relationship that was slowly and steadily progressing. The other day when she had asked him about his weekend plans he had been sure that she was going to ask him to have dinner, or a drink, or something. "Like I have no idea if she's not interested or if she's just playing hard to get."
Karev shrugged before he took a shot from the free throw line. "Maybe you're just not being blunt enough."
The dark-skinned man looked down at his shoes and smiled to himself. "She does seem pretty innocent. It's sweet."
Karev ignored the guy's response and trudged forward. "You guys workout together all the time, right?" Jackson nodded in confirmation. "Well just man up and ask her after a workout if she wants to screw in the shower."
Jackson picked the basketball up off of the floor and threw it at Karev. "I don't need to be that blunt, man." He didn't want to completely turn her off propositioning her like that.
"Whatever," he shrugged with a boisterous laugh. "That's what I would do."
Jackson rolled his eyes and started to laugh along with his friend. "Yeah, I know you would, and it's definitely not something I would be opposed to."
Alex chuckled triumphantly, "There's the Avery I know."
Although sex was definitely on his mind, he just wanted to know if she was into him because he really liked her. "She's really sweet and smart, she's a doctor, and her ass," he groaned. "Damn, she has a great ass."
"Tell me all about it," Karev smirked.
Jackson paused thoughtfully before he responded. "Actually I'm going to track her down. I'll be right back!"
He sprinted off of the court and towards the women's locker room. He figured that if she had taken a shower then he hadn't missed her yet. He waited patiently and greeted her with a bright smile when she finally emerged from the room.
"Jackson," she gasped in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to catch you before you left," he explained. "I hope that I didn't scare you off because I'm practically naked."
He chuckled, and because he had drawn attention to his partial nakedness, April could not stop herself from letting her eyes drift over his torso. He looked just as unbelievable shirtless as she had imagined. His abs were perfect, and his hip bones protruded just enough to be sexy, and his pecs looked firm and strong. And he was glistening.
And she wanted to run her hands over him.
And maybe lick him a little.
"No, it's fine," she squeaked. "Did you want something?"
"Yeah, I just wanted to remind you about hot yoga tonight. It'd be really cool if you could come. I'd really like it," he added suggestively.
She nervously chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated his request. Would he be shirtless at hot yoga? She asked herself.
"I will come if nothing comes up," she finally answered.
He smiled widely and she felt her stomach flutter just a little. "Great."
Jackson watched April stretch without trying to appear too obvious. He wanted to look but he didn't want to come off as a pervert.
For whatever reason, she had decided to come to hot yoga with him and he was very happy about it. Her mat was in front of his and slightly to the right so he had the perfect view. She looked incredible in a tank and shorts and he was enjoying watching her bend into interesting positions. It gave him lots of ideas.
He heard the instructor call out that the next position was downward facing dog and he tried to contain his boyish smirk. He moved into the position easily, having done it hundreds of times of before, and then watched April move into the position with grace.
He couldn't stop himself from thinking that her ass looked even better from this angle.
"You're a natural," he commented.
"Thanks," she panted, "I didn't think it'd be this hard to be honest."
"It feels great though, right?" She answered him with a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a moan and he felt a distinct stirring below his waist. He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. He refused to be that guy. He could control himself.
But apparently he couldn't control his eyes because they were still glued to April's ass. He knew that there were at least four women in this room that were staring at him and yet he was hung up on the girl that didn't even know that he was flirting with her. What was wrong with him? Maybe Karev was right, maybe he just wasn't being up front enough. He needed to stop being subtle and just get to the point.
They did three more positions, all of which afforded him amazing views, before the instructor walked them through a few cool down stretches. Afterwards, he turned to April with a smile. "Feels rejuvenating, right?"
She nodded in agreement as she brushed a few tendrils of hair off of her forehead. "Definitely. I didn't know I could sweat that much."
He laughed as he bent down and picked his towel up off of the floor. He wiped his chest and noticed that her eyes followed the motion. She wanted him, at least in some capacity and maybe not as much as he wanted her, but she wanted him. He really wanted her. In his bed. In his shower. On his kitchen table.
"Do you want to get something to eat?" He asked softly. "Or maybe a drink?"
"That sounds great but I'm the sweatiest I've ever been in my life," she laughed, "so I should go home and get in the shower."
"There's a shower at my place," he responded suggestively.
Her mouth dropped open and she realized that she had no idea how to respond to that. He was definitely inviting her to his place, but was he also inviting her into his shower? Was this some kind of joke? She thought to herself. If so, it wasn't very funny.
She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder without looking at him. "I have some things to do," she muttered quietly. "Bye Jackson."
Jackson watched her leave with a bewildered expression on his face. He didn't know what he was doing wrong. Subtle hadn't worked and neither had coming on strong. He didn't know what the hell to do.
"I'm sorry about trying to convince you to take off your pants for him," Arizona spoke quietly as they walked into the gym together. "He's obviously a jerk, and a little bit of a perv."
"I thought he was nice," she sighed in disappointment. "He was helpful and friendly. I just didn't think he would joke like that." She paused and sighed before she spoke again. "Matthew used to joke like that when he wasn't interested in me anymore."
Arizona frowned as they headed towards the treadmills. "Well maybe he wasn't joking. Maybe it was a real shower invitation."
April sharply turned her head and raised her eyebrow. "I doubt that. There were likely twenty other women in that room that he could have extended real shower invitations to. They all ogle him like he's a piece of meat."
Not that she was any better.
"April," she admonished. "You have a great body, one that guys want to talk showers with."
"No, I don't," the red-head muttered. "Now let's run."
Arizona sighed before giving into her, but it wasn't long before they were interrupted by some sort of God on Earth. She had never been attracted to men before but a part of her thought that she could make an exception for him.
"Hey April," he began as he leaned against the front of her treadmill. "I just wanted to talk to you about Saturday night."
The red-head flushed and turned to her friend. "There's nothing to talk about," she replied dismissively. "This is my friend Arizona, we work together."
He extended his hand with a charming smile. "Hi, I'm Jackson Avery, nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Arizona smiled and April could have sworn that her cheeks flushed a little.
Jackson sensed that April wasn't in the mood to talk to him so he returned to the weight room after exchanging some pleasantries with Arizona.
Once he was on the other side of the gym, Arizona slapped April's arm and gasped. "That's him! That's Jackson!" April nodded in confirmation so she continued to gush. "You really weren't lying about how gorgeous he is. I would take a shower with him," she laughed.
April rolled her eyes. She would too, but it was just a fantasy. One of many fantasies that she had had about him over the past few months. Just this morning she had woken up after having a dream that had included him doing naked push-ups above her. She had been sweaty and embarrassed. Her crush was getting a tad out of control. She just needed to meet a nice, sensible guy that was on her level. She needed to be realistic.
When she and Arizona finished their workout they went their separate ways. Both took a quick shower in the locker room but then Arizona headed to the hospital while April stopped into a nearby cafe. She was just about to order a tea and a bagel when she heard the very last voice that she wanted to hear on any day.
"April?"
She reluctantly turned around and came face to face with her ex. "Matthew, hey, how's it going?" She asked with a forced smile.
"Good," he smiled back. "I've been good. You?"
She nodded and hummed. "Hmm, yeah, busy at work as usual."
He looked her up and down and his smile widened even further. "You look really great."
She ignored his compliment and looked around the small cafe as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm just waiting for my boyfriend," she blurted out. "He's supposed to meet me." She knew that it was wrong to lie but she just couldn't admit to him that she was still the same person as she had been before they had broken up. Lying about a boyfriend seemed like the best way to prove to him that she was completely over him.
Which she totally was...she just didn't have a real boyfriend to prove it.
But Matthew's smile instantly dropped and that made her feel better. "Oh that's cool," he replied. "How long have you guys been together?"
"Just a couple weeks."
April felt a rush of relief when the door to the cafe opened and Jackson stepped inside. Before she could talk herself out of it, she waved to him and called, "Hey hun, over here!"
Jackson played along instantaneously and walked towards her with a bright smile. He wrapped his arm around her waist and placed a kiss on her temple. "Hey babe." He nuzzled his nose into her hair and hummed. "Mmm, you smell good."
Matthew cleared his throat and Jackson turned to him with a large boyish smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Jackson Avery." He extended his hand and furrowed his brow. "And you are?"
"Matthew Taylor," he answered in annoyance. "April and I used to date."
"Oh, she's never mentioned you," Jackson grinned.
April bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing out loud. She could tell that Matthew was incredibly irritated and he had only been in Jackson's presence for less than five minutes. But he had always had a problem with pretty boys and Jackson was certainly a pretty boy.
Matthew was still staring at Jackson in annoyance when he whispered in her ear loud enough for Matthew to hear. "I know I said we could get breakfast but can we take it to go? I just really wanna get you back to my apartment." He slipped his hand into the back pocket of her jeans and April had to actively keep herself from blushing.
She could feel his hand on her ass.
Before she could respond, Jackson turned to Matthew with another bright smile. "We're gonna go. It was really nice to meet you."
Matthew mumbled in agreement and watched them leave the cafe.
Once they were around the corner, April turned to face Jackson with a giggle. "Thank you for doing that! I'm not sure why I called out to you like that. Thanks for playing along!"
"No problem," he smiled. "Who was that guy anyway?"
"My ex," she responded with a frown. "We didn't end on very good terms and that was the first time that I've seen him since the breakup."
"Well then I'm glad I could help." He glanced at his watch and then at her. "What are you up to now? Do you have the day off?"
She nodded. "Yep! I was going to start my day off with tea and a bagel but I guess that option is out now."
"Want to come back to my apartment? The offer still stands," he spoke slowly as he twirled his keys on his finger.
"What? Um...I don't understand...I..."
Jackson grabbed her to stop her incoherent rambling and he pressed his mouth to hers before she could say anything else. He was done with talking, clearly it did not work for them. He kissed her hungrily, pushing his tongue into her mouth, while his hands ran up and down her back. When he finally pulled away, she panted as she looked at him with wide eyes. "So," he said before licking his lips. "My place?"
"Uh huh," she squeaked. How could she say no after that kiss?
Jackson grinned and entwined his fingers with hers. "Come on, it's just around the corner."
He lead her towards his apartment and he was right, it really wasn't that far. Or maybe she was just so distracted by the lingering feeling of his lips on hers.
He unlocked his door and April didn't even get a chance to take in her surroundings before his hands and mouth were on her. She responded to him excitedly and squealed when he lifted her into his arms and carried her to his bedroom.
He was strong...but of course he was, she thought, all of those muscles.
He placed her back on her feet but kept a firm hold of her hips. April had never been with someone where it felt this urgent. She wasn't sure exactly what to make of it but she knew that she felt really good.
He walked backwards until he hit the edge of his bed. He sat down and made sure to pull her between his legs. He held her mouth to his with one hand in her hair before he pulled away and allowed her to stand up straight. "God," he groaned, "I've wanted this for so long. I thought you were playing games with me."
She laughed softly, "I don't know how to play games."
"Yeah, I get that now," he grinned. "You just need me to be explicit. I guess I'll have to keep telling you what I want." He chuckled as he placed his mouth against her collarbone. "And right now I want you in my shower." He kept a hand entwined in her hair as he got to his feet. He kissed her repeatedly on the mouth before he pulled away with a laugh. "I just want you naked."
He took a step backwards and started to peel off his layers of clothing. Eventually he was standing in just a pair of tight, black boxer briefs and all that she could do was stare. His body was so perfect that it was hard to believe that he was real.
And all that April could think about was that she still couldn't fit into her favourite dress.
He stepped up to her and moved to wrap his arms around her waist but she backed away. "I'm sorry," she muttered as she looked down at the floor.
He followed her movement and successfully placed his hands on her hips. "It's okay," he whispered softly. He had no idea what she was apologizing for though. He dipped his head to kiss her but she stepped away again. "April."
"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I thought that I could do this but I can't. I'm sorry."
She had fled his apartment before he had even realized what was happening. He looked around his bedroom in confusion and groaned. Why did she keep running away from him?
"You did what?" Arizona asked over lunch the next day.
April hung her head in shame as she twirled her fork through her spaghetti. "I ran away," she mumbled.
"Why?" The paediatrician practically yelled. "You were in his bedroom and he was almost naked, and you ran away?"
The red-head sighed and dropped her fork. "I looked at him and he was so gorgeous that I knew that I couldn't go through with it."
Now Arizona was really confused. "Why?"
"Because," April began, "he was standing there looking so perfect with his abs, and his pecs, and his thighs, and his very impressive package, and all that I could think about was what he would think of me when I took my clothes off. I couldn't handle that so I left," she finished quietly. "He's probably slept with women who look like supermodels. I can't compare."
"April," Arizona began angrily. She had finally had enough. "You have to stop thinking about yourself this way. He's attracted to you. He wanted you naked. Let him have his fun! It's not about you anymore; it's a public service!"
April laughed softly but confessed a secret. "I want to fit back into my favourite dress first. The black sexy one. That's my goal."
"That can still be your goal, you can just accomplish this while sleeping with him...because of his very impressive package," she added with a chuckle.
The red-head laughed and tried to hide her blushing face. "It was very pretty. He could easily be an underwear model." She giggled as she tried to finish the rest of her lunch.
It was nice to think about but it wouldn't do her any good. She had run away, and even if she was ever able to face him again, she doubted that he would want to talk to her. She was too much work...too much effort. She wasn't worth it.
When April finally mustered up the courage to return to the gym, she stepped into the elevator after taking a deep breath. She was an adult, she told herself, she could handle this.
However, she instantly froze and gulped nervously upon seeing who was already inside the elevator.
Jackson was leaning against the back wall with his arms folded across his chest. "You've been avoiding me," he shot at her.
"I was working nights," she replied.
That was true but it was also true that she had been avoiding him.
She looked down at her feet and was surprised when he gently pushed her against the wall and placed both of his hands on either side of her head. "What is your problem?" He asked in frustration.
She looked up at him in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"You're playing me hot and cold," he explained. "Do you like me or not? Because one minute you're into me and the next you're running out of my apartment, and I must say, I've never had a woman run away after I've taken my clothes off."
"It's not you," she assured him quickly. "You looked great. You look really good without your clothes on." She blushed furiously. "I mean...I...oh God..."
"It's okay," he interrupted. "I'll take the compliment. So what's going on?"
"I...just...I..." She exhaled heavily, "Sometimes I just feel really insecure around you because you're so good-looking and I...I just...I'm trying to lose weight. I don't feel very comfortable in my body," she confessed quietly.
Jackson closed his eyes for a moment as everything made much more sense to him. She always seemed a little awkward at the gym, sometimes she wore unnecessarily baggy clothing, and she had never gotten the hint that he had been flirting with her. She didn't have much confidence, probably because of her ex. "I think you look great," he told her. "I wanted you from the first moment I saw you, but just so you know, everyone feels insecure about something."
She raised an eyebrow in challenge. "You do?"
"I'm pretty. Most women are only ever interested in me for my looks. They can barely stand to hear me talk," he laughed.
"I'm sorry," she answered sincerely.
He smiled, "When you asked me every morning about my work, that's the most I've talked about myself in years. It was refreshing."
"Sorry," she whispered again.
"Stop apologizing," he chuckled before he kissed her. "So, do you want to go somewhere and talk?"
She couldn't stop herself from giggling. "Are you asking me out like a normal person?"
He rolled his eyes and laughed playfully. "Yes, I am. Although in my defence, I thought that was the only way to make myself clear."
"I would love to talk," she began tentatively. "But would you be opposed to going back to my apartment instead?"
She was not going to chicken out this time.
She bit down on her bottom lip coyly and he knew exactly what she was suggesting. For once they were talking about the same thing. "I would like that a lot," he responded huskily.
The elevator stopped and she looked at him curiously. "Do you still want to do our workout or skip it?"
He chuckled again as he placed his mouth against her ear. "I don't think we'll need to worry about burning calories."
She flushed and her heart raced as she reached forward and impatiently pressed the button that would bring them down to the main lobby. When the elevator doors closed, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his lips down to hers. He pressed her up against the wall and they kissed desperately until the elevator came to a halt again.
"I live in the building across the street," she told him breathlessly.
"Great," he replied excitedly. "Lead the way."
She did lead the way but she could feel Jackson's restlessness as he walked beside her.
"What floor do you live on?"
"The fourth," she answered.
Jackson swore under his breath. "Damn, that's far."
She giggled and increased the pace of her step. They finally made it to her building and stepped into the elevator where they made out like teenagers. They walked down the hallway to her apartment and she unlocked the door as fast as she could.
They finally made it inside and Jackson's arms instantly wrapped around her while his mouth attached to her neck.
"You have a nice place," he muttered.
She laughed loudly. "You're not even looking!"
"Yeah, but I'm sure it's nice," he explained. "I can look at the apartment later."
She giggled even louder as his hands slipped underneath the front of her shirt. "Jackson, my bedroom is down the hall."
"Don't know if I'll make it there," he murmured as he urgently pushed her up against the kitchen counter.
She felt every inch of his hard, muscular body against hers and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to make it to her bedroom either. "Okay," she gasped before kissing him heatedly.
They didn't make it out of her kitchen. It was frantic and desperate. They teared at her others clothes and groped, and there was lots of teeth and tongue. It was hot and sweaty, and so completely satisfying. April had never known that sex could be that primal. It was amazing. She wasn't sure why she had even waited to jump him like that.
She giggled uncontrollably as he laid next to her on the kitchen floor. "That was great."
"Yeah, it was," he agreed with a pant. "Fucking amazing." He looked around the kitchen and grinned mischievously. "This is the cleanest kitchen that I've ever had sex in." She smacked his abdomen and he laughed. "Kidding...well, sort of." He rolled over around his side and snaked an arm around her waist. "I wasn't too rough, was I?"
He was worried that things had gotten a little out of hand. He had done a few things in a the heat of the moment that had seemed like fantastic ideas, but now he was a little afraid that he had scared her off.
She slowly shook her head. "No, definitely not." She chewed on her bottom lip as she blushed fiercely. "I've never...before...not like that," she stammered.
He smiled proudly as his hand slipped down to cup her ass. "You've never come like that before?" He asked as he brushed his nose against hers. She kissed him and he took that as a yes. "What?" He muttered against her lips. "Was the tall dork a little lacking downstairs?"
She smacked him again, this time on the chest. "Don't make fun of other people just because you're physically perfect."
"Is that a yes?" He persisted playfully.
"Stop it!" She admonished with a giggle. "You just think about the fact that I let you leave a hand print on my ass."
He grinned uncontrollably as his hand gently caressed her behind. "I just really couldn't help myself." He had spent far too much time thinking about her ass to not grab it at his first opportunity. His hand slipped down to her thigh and his eyes trailed over her legs. All of that running had done wonders for her, her thighs and calves were incredibly toned. "You have really great legs," he told her huskily.
She glanced down and instantly grimaced. "They're so pale that I almost just blinded myself."
He laughed, "Yeah, but they feel pretty awesome wrapped around me. That's something you can't experience."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't think I realized that you were such a perv."
"I'm just being appreciative," he explained impishly. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck. "I think you're beautiful," he whispered.
She felt herself practically turn to mush as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He sounded so sincere. "Do you wanna see my bedroom room?" She asked him quietly.
"I dunno, I'm really enjoying the kitchen," he joked.
Before she could reply, or hit him, he kissed her and scooped her into his arms. "I'll try my best to make it to the bedroom this time," he promised.
April giddily raced around her apartment as she got ready for her first evening date with Jackson. It had been two weeks since they had slept together and she had been working nights for two weeks. They worked out together at the gym per their usual routine and they had gone to grab coffee on several occasions, but there was something that felt different about going out together in the evening. They would have dinner and wine, maybe there would be some dancing, and then they'd likely end up in bed.
She was very excited, and not just for the sex.
She squealed when the doorbell rang as she grabbed her heels. "One second!" She called out.
"Take your time, babe!" Jackson yelled back.
She slipped her heels on, checked her appearance in her bathroom mirror, and took a deep breath before she walked to the door to let Jackson in. He was wearing black slacks and a blue, button-up shirt, and of course he looked gorgeous.
"You look so handsome," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her apartment.
"Thanks," he grinned. He placed his hands on her waist and kissed her in greeting before he took a step back to look at her. "Wow. You look really unbelievable." His hands brushed her sides sensually as his grin broadened. "That is one sexy dress."
"I know what you're thinking," she laughed softly. "And we're going to dinner. We have a reservation!"
"Okay, okay," he conceded with a sigh. "But you really do look smokin' in that dress."
She smiled to herself as she grabbed her purse. Well it was her favourite dress for a reason, and the last time that she had worn it she had been on some boring date with Matthew. She felt much different wearing it this time around. She was more confident and fitter...and just happier.
And all because of a stupid New Year's resolution.
She kissed Jackson softly and placed her hands on his biceps. "If you're lucky, I'll let you take it off later," she teased.
A/N: Please leave a review! And I'll post again when I can :)