Level Hands: Bend or Break, Book 4 by Amy Jo Cousins Page A

out.
    After an hour on the ergs, broken up with some sprints on the treadmills, Rafi was extra glad for the music. They were alone, so he got to play his tunes over the speaker system, which rocked. The music definitely elevated his mood, dragging it up from grimly focused concentration to something a little more playful. Rafi had even broken out some dance moves in between sprints, when that summer’s latest hit poured into the room.
    By the time they finished their workout, the sky was darkening and they’d opened up the doors to let the cooler night air into the stuffy room. Thank God, because Denny’s sweat was some kind of weird trigger to Rafi, the smell of it haunting him as they moved together from the ergs to the free weights and the exercise balls. Postworkout endorphins punched up Rafi’s mood though, and Denny could obviously feel the difference as they sprawled on the mats, half-assing their way through their stretches.
    “Remind me to hang out with you after workouts more often. You’re way mellow tonight.” Smiling lazily with his hair plastered to his forehead by sweat, Denny pushed a foot against Rafi’s leg.
    Rafi kicked him back, softly, ignoring the way his stomach tightened at something as innocent as the sole of Denny’s running shoe against his skin. Cracking jokes and giving each other shit, the whole night had been more like the way they’d been friends in Chicago than any time they’d spent together since Rafi had arrived on campus.
    They showered afterward, and Rafi was hyperaware of the two of them being the only people in the building. The only people. Naked. And wet.
    A couple of girls from the women’s team had come in during their session, but only for quick workouts that had ended before Rafi and Denny finished up their sprints. Rafi knew Denny wanted to push for a seat in one of the varsity boats as much as he did. They were committed to squeezing in extra workouts whenever they could for as long as it took to match the older rowers’ stroke speed and endurance.
    Rafi toweled off at his locker, keeping his back to Denny, because seriously? It felt like half his fucking mental energy was spent avoiding finding out exactly what Denny looked like naked. It was hard enough to keep himself from imagining it. He blocked the picture of a dripping-wet-from-the-shower Denny from his head and concentrated on getting out of there without being spotted sporting a hard-on. Easier said than done, but slamming his hand in the locker door because he wasn’t paying attention helped.
    “Fuck.” He popped the side of his hand into his mouth and muffled his curses.
    “You okay?”
    “Yup. All good. Let’s go.”
    They were almost out the door when they noticed the music still playing in the background.
    “Don’t forget your phone,” Denny reminded Rafi.
    “Oh shit. That would’ve sucked.”
    Halfway across the room to where the docking station was plugged in, he halted as the song changed and Romeo Santos came on.
    “Aww, yes.” Rafi punched a fist into the air and spun around in a tight circle, executing some quick steps. “This is a groove.”
    Denny smiled at him from where he stood by the door, bag slung over his shoulder, and Rafi’s stomach flipped.
    “Come on.” Rafi jogged over to his iPhone and cranked up the volume until the music was blasting. Making his way back to Denny, he waited until he was close enough to talk over the hit song. “Let’s dance.”
    “Here?” Denny backed up a step. “No way. I’ll trip on a barbell or a weight bench or something and kill myself.”
    “Outside then.” Rafi left the building, waving for Denny to follow. “We can still hear the music.”
    The concrete pad between the boathouse and the dock was always kept clear of anything that might trip an unwary rower with a boat balanced on his head. Clear and empty, it was a perfect dance floor. Rafi dropped his backpack and hit the open space like he was entering a nightclub. Denny stood