In the Fast Lane (Fast Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

him, she couldn’t be sure what had grabbed his attention, but Jessi got the feeling he was looking at her food. She resisted the immature urge to wrap her arms around her tray and hunch over it to keep him from his perusal.
    “Besides,” Dalton continued, “given what they’re feeding you this morning, it could be hours before you finally work up the nerve to choke it down. Just bring it with you.”
    Jessi spared Dalton a glance over her shoulder. Just as she’d thought—he was currently looking at her plate with some disgust. As her coach, he would have all the stats on her, from when she started her period to how much she weighed in the morning and at night. His knowledge would extend to what she consumed at her carefully appointed meal times, too.
    So, yeah, he probably knew what she was being forced to eat this morning: a meal carefully planned out and individualized for each swimmer by the team’s nutritionist. The reality of actually seeing the food, as opposed to reading it on a spreadsheet, seemed to be bringing back some bad memories for Dalton. Jessi aborted her earlier plan and leaned to the side so he could get a better look.
    Dalton scowled at her, then turned around and headed for the doors of the cafeteria. Man, he was taking this coach thing seriously. He was playing the jerk well. Then again, that was really his forte.
    “You’d better go,” Amelia whispered, even though Dalton was well out of earshot.
    Damn it. Jessi’s conscience was getting the better of her. After her inspiring speech about following coaches’ orders, she could hardly skip out on Dalton now. She smiled at Amelia reassuringly. “His bark is meaner than his bite. Don’t worry.”
    Amelia didn’t really have to worry. She was a distance swimmer, and a breaststroker at that. The likelihood of her working directly with Dalton was slim. He was all about fast and hard. Long distance breaststroking didn’t fit that description.
    Nevertheless, Jessi reached across the table and gave Amelia’s arm a little squeeze. Then she got up, grabbed her tray, and walked out of the cafeteria. Better to get this over with so she could focus on fixing her stroke and getting rid of Dalton McKinney.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 5
     
     
    Jessi entered the film room that was reserved for watching tape. In this day and age, it was actually digital media; the vocabulary hadn’t caught up with the technology. Dalton was queuing the footage of her practice at the computer. He’d had ample time to get things set up.
    She looked at his face. He was working hard to keep his features in check, but she could see a little pink on his cheeks. Ah, the curse of the Irish--beautiful, blushing cheeks. She’d have to keep that in mind. Dalton McKinney did have tells after all.
    “Thanks,” she said.
    “For what?” He didn’t look up.
    “For keeping the lights on. I really do appreciate it, but it’s not like I’m uncomfortable with you.”
    “Yeah, well, the last time I saw you, I was doing something a little...inappropriate. I thought you might be more comfortable if the first time we were in a room alone together it was a lit one.”
    “Um, so you know I’ve had sex at this point, right?”
    Dalton’s eyes popped open.
    “It’s not like I was traumatized by what you were doing in Brazil. Well, at least not forever, anyway. I’m well over the shock and awe of Dalton McKinney. Turns out you’re not a sexual deviant after all.”
    It annoyed her to no end that she was letting him off so easy, but the fact that he’d left the lights on was just the tiniest bit touching. He must have really thought he’d scarred her.
    Well, he kind of had. She took it as the olive branch it was.
    Her forgiving mood deteriorated substantially as her eyes fixed on the croissant sandwich and hash browns encased in a take-out box on the desk next to him. The box was wide-open and sinfully aromatic.
    “You rat bastard!”
    Dalton’s head jerked back up from