Life in IT had settled down, and the help desk was following the new schedule. Ian received a few compliments but no complaints. The software systems were up and running. The security consultants were scheduled to do an audit, but Ian would let them do their thing and stayed out of their way.

The best news was he had his last physical therapy appointment and was told he could start climbing, cautiously. He brought his gear to work the next day and told Ainsley, he would be home late.

"Have fun and be careful."

She never clung too hard. Never had he dated a girl like her. He wanted more of her because she took less of him. How screwed up was that? But he never complained about her evenings with Lilli. Maybe they should coordinate their busy nights.

When Henry showed up at lunchtime, his friend fist pumped when he heard Ian got the green light.

"I have to go slow, but I might take my cousin over the weekend if I feel okay."

He wanted to bring Ainsley, but had an uncomfortable feeling it wouldn't be a good idea. Henry had been complaining about his nemesis, and it coincided with Ainsley feeling stressed at work. Henry complained she met with HR about a promotion right after the help desk thing. He wanted to smile, because he could see Ainsley aggravating Henry.

The clock moved backwards as he waited for it to be five. He felt like a kid at Christmas, until he stood in his workout clothes, a knee sleeve for extra support, and climbing shoes looking up at a medium wall. Maybe he should try an easier wall to make sure. In front of him was his proverbial horse and he was afraid to climb back on it.

Reaching up, he gripped a hand hold above his head and pulled himself up and stepped on a grip with each foot. His muscle memory took over the rhythm of the climb. He reached the top of the wall Brooke climbed and felt a surge of achievement. He climbed down the short wall rather than rappelling down. Next he moved on to an intermediate wall. It was the one he wanted Brooke to try. It was a wall he should race up, but he didn't trust his knee. As he repelled down, he felt relief it still felt good.

Henry appeared looking sweaty. "Is this where you are?"

"I said I was going slow."

"Do you want to grab a drink?"

"Not tonight." He turned when he heard his name. "Val. How are you?"

"I'm great. We've missed you."

Val worked for the gym. She had hair redder than his and she gave off a vibe like she would agree if he asked her out. Besides her hair being more red than his own, she was also older and definitely taller in heels. That was too many -ers to ever interest him.

She leaned close and asked about his surgery and recovery. He stepped back a little but didn't want to be rude. Before his accident, her scent and heat would have affected him. He wasn't blind, so he might have looked past her age and height for a consensual fling. Instead, he wondered how to end the conversation so he could go home to Ainsley. Henry winked at him as he walked past the door. Ainsley, they were both fooling themselves because they were way beyond a fling. The thing that bothered him most was that it didn't bother him in the least.

He pulled sweatpants on over his shorts to go out in the cold and head home. In his building, he went straight to Ainsley's door. She answered after a light rap. Her smile filled the open doorway.

He pushed her in and greeted her with his mouth. She giggled. "How was it?"

"Great. My knee was okay. I missed you."

She pushed on his shoulder. "You did? You smell like perfume."

He lifted his arm and turned his head to smell his shoulder. Wrinkling his nose, he said, "A gym employee wanted to talk about my knee. I just wanted to come home."

"You hungry?"

"Uh, huh. For you."

She giggled. Lust pushed aside his need for food. It was the adrenaline rush, definitely not Val, but he wanted, needed Ainsley. He loved how she met him with her own desire. They were in sync as she moved her hips to match the movement of his finger. He watched her face and smiled. His chest swelled as he knew the exact second he sent her over the edge and she gushed on his finger. He loved her smell and taste, as she was ready for him. They had abandoned the condoms. He trusted the pill, or more importantly, he trusted Ainsley taking the pill. He needed fast and hard and she met his needs.

"Damn, is this what climbing does to you?" She gasped.

He laughed. "Now I'm starving. I want to teach you."

She laughed. "Can you control yourself? We might get arrested."

"You're teasing. I would never, not in a public place. I love the gym too much to be kicked out."

Ainsley threw her head back as she laughed. It was too early for bed although they hadn't made it to the other side of her partition, but he didn't want to stop holding her. He told himself he would leave for his own bed, especially because Felix was alone and hungry.

"We can watch before you go."

He pulled her closer. She played by the rules expecting him to leave. He liked rule followers even if the rules needed to be changed. Why did it matter if they woke up together? Some nights it was easier to leave because they kept their clothes on. He wasn't overcome with lust every night. Maybe it was the climbing.

After two episodes of laughter, he reluctantly stood. "I have to feed Felix."

She yawned as she nodded. "You wore me out."

The arch of her back when she stretched caused him to stir again. "I can put you to sleep with my magic."

She snickered. "Your magic wand."

"I was thinking touch but wand works too. Do you want to cast a spell?"

"Tempting, but I need to sleep. We have our first of the month meeting."

He nodded. It was the first of November. "I'll see you at eight-fifteen. Good night."

He brushed his lips over hers if he lingered or their bodies pressed together he would officially become a neglectful pet owner. He was on the verge as it was.

Felix was waiting for him and vocalized his annoyance. Sometimes he sniffed him and looked in his face and meowed. His cat smelled Gunther and complained.

"I know you're hungry. I was with Ainsley. You love her." Felix always cuddled with her. "Are you jealous of Gunther? What would happen if you met? A cat fight? Would you snub him?" Their cats had no reason to meet. "Did they?" He yawned. Instead of talking to his cat he should brush his teeth.

He woke with a jerk and a massive hard-on. "Hell, what a dream?"

His alarm could wake the dead, but it had been going for a minute before it roused him out of his erotic dream. If he had stayed at Ainsley's, he would have rolled towards her. It wouldn't make them late, just not early.

When he walked up to his staff at nine, Ellen looked at him. "You look tired."

He shrugged. "I slept last night." And dreamed.

"Still with your ladylove." He nodded, not wanting to offer any details. "We should plan a happy hour, so you can invite her."

He shook his head. "Raj, where do things stand."

With the subject officially changed, he focused on the business at hand. At noon, he wished he could have lunch with Ainsley. Instead, Henry came down and grilled him on his climb. The kid smiled when Ian confirmed his knee still felt good.

"I have to contact my uncle about seeing Brooke."

"Why do you want to hang out with a kid when Val wants you?"

"Val? I'm seeing someone."

"Right. I forgot. You hardly mention her."

Ian smiled. "That's because you are too busy talking about the woman you hate."

"I don't hate her."

"Fine, but I'll give you some advice. If you like-like her, get over it. You blew it by being a jerk."

"I'm not a jerk."

Ian shook his head. "Arrogant, entitled."

"I'll be nicer."

Ian sighed. "Didn't you say she was seeing someone?"

"I think she made him up. She never talks about him."

Ian had to figure out a way to tell Ainsley, but she would know he had helped Henry get hired.

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