5

Chapter Five

“You aren’t breathing properly.” He was already winded after just ten minutes at the rowing machine. With his physique and general level of fitness, that shouldn’t have been the case, but he had been more sedentary since his injury, and today was the first day he actually seemed to make a full effort.

He glared over his shoulder up at her. “I know how to breathe. That part’s not broken.”

She put a hand on his when he would’ve begun using the machine again, stilling the motion. “Let’s go over some respiratory exercises before you try again.”

His rolled eyes and huffy sigh left no doubt about his opinion, but he wheeled away from the machine to face her. Harper knelt down beside him, until they were roughly equal in height. She put her hand on his chest, ignoring the rapid fluttering in her own as she touched him. His skin was warm through his tank top, and she forced herself to focus on the rhythm of his chest instead of the feel of the muscles under her palm. “Breathe in