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for the locker rooms. Obviously limited for space, the gym had a handful of private dressing rooms, only two with showers, all non-gendered. And there was only a single steam room. She preferred to steam in the nude, but wasn’t quite up to crossing the hall with just a towel on. Not with other employees around. Next time she’d pack a swimsuit.
    Her shower shoes flopped on the linoleum as she scampered across the hall to the shiny stainless steel door. Claire heaved it open and shimmied inside, closing it quickly behind her. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the hot steam. With a sigh of pleasure, she sank down on the nearest bench, and relaxed backward against the wall.
    “Who’s there?”
    Claire jumped at the voice. In one corner, Helmut’s head swirled into view through the mist. Dark hair clung to his head, curling and damp. She could just make out his neck and the hint of more dark curls at the top of his obviously bare chest.
    “You scared me,” she said lamely, quickly hopping to her feet, clasping her towel tightly above her breasts. “I didn’t see anyone in here.”
    “Sorry. I was starting to doze. Don’t go on my account.”
    Claire hesitated.
    “If you want privacy, I can leave,” he offered. The mist cleared temporarily and she caught a glimpse of navy blue workout shorts below tanned and rippling abs.
    Claire gave herself a mental shake. They were both adults. Mostly-dressed adults. She sat stiffly and focused on arranging the folds of her towel to cover as much of her bare hips as she could.
    “I didn’t see you in the gym. Did you just come for a steam?” she asked to fill the awkward silence.
    “I was in the racquetball courts. You?” His voice was clearing, sounding more awake.
    “Treadmill,” she answered.
    The silence stretched out between them again. Claire sat back and tried to close her eyes. Her traitorous mind called up a picture of his bare chest. Irritably, she tucked one leg up under her, and swung the other foot, flip-flop dangling from one toe.
    “It’s usually pretty quiet in here on a Friday after work,” Helmut said.
    “I imagine everyone has somewhere more exciting to go than to the gym.” The heat was beginning to take effect. She could feel some of the tension melting out of her shoulders.
    “I like the quiet.”
    “Me, too. I get some of my best thinking done when I’m running.” Claire shifted again, wondering if that was a hint that he wanted her to leave. Too late now if he did. Her legs felt like lead, and she had no intention of rising for at least ten more minutes.
    Claire’s calves were tight, and she wanted to massage them, but there was no way to do it without dropping the towel. She settled for stretching first one leg out in front of her, and twirling her foot around, alternately stretching and flexing the tight muscles. She untucked her other foot from under her knee. Her flip-flop flew off and skidded across the floor, bumping into Helmut’s big toe.

Chapter 6
     
    Helmut picked up the shoe and turned it over in his fingers. The hot pink and yellow floral foam looked entirely too girlish for the woman sitting across from him.
    Claire’s towel hid far too much, yet revealed far too much, for his comfort. Seated, she was bare to almost the apex of her sleekly muscled thighs. Just below toned shoulders, the scraggly white terry cloth strained over her rounded breasts and skimmed the slim waistline and curve of her hip.
    Her cheeks flushed, damp with exertion and steam, and she looked both invigorated and sated, as if she had spent the past hour making love instead of running on a treadmill.
    His cock was already half-aroused, straining against his shorts under the towel in his lap. Helmut drew a steadying breath. He didn’t think about what he was about to do. He swept the towel aside, and knelt in front of Claire.
    “May I?” he said, indicating her foot.
    Claire’s bright blue eyes glowed luminously against her warm pink