by Stella Moore
The yelling man stalked over to Mindy and Jenna. “This isn’t a peep show, ladies. Move along.”
His words didn’t register at first. Mindy was too lost in the molten caramel of his eyes, the thick, scruffy beard that should have been off-putting but instead just added to the image of rough and tumble sex. Jesus, the man was gorgeous.
Jenna’s elbow in her side snapped her out of it. “Oh, yes, uh I know. I actually came in because of the sign in your window. About personal training?”
The man slowly raked his gaze down her body, then back up to her face and smirked. “Lady, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but you aren’t up for the kind of training I provide. There’s a gym down the street with pretty machines and TVs on the walls. That should be more your speed.”
Embarrassed heat flared in her cheeks, but Mindy wasn’t about to back down. “This is a gym, correct? And you are a personal trainer, correct? I’m looking for both. What’s the problem?”
Those mesmerizing brown eyes narrowed at her, and Mindy had to consciously fight the urge to take a step backwards. “I already told you. This wouldn’t be a good fit for you.” His eyes flicked up, then latched onto something behind her. “Hey, Benji. You pay me this month yet?”
A gruff voice behind her responded. “Man, I don’t know. Ain’t it your job to keep track of that shit?”
The man in front of her snorted. “Yeah, like I’ve got time to deal with the books with all you assholes taking up my whole damn day.” He waved the other man away. “I’ll figure it out.”
The oak tree sprouted an acorn. “Need some help with your bookkeeping?” Mindy casually asked.
The man zeroed in on her again, and the intensity of his gaze nearly took her breath away. “Yeah. Why? Are you an office clerk or something?” he asked with a smirk.
She shrugged off the insult and focused on the job at hand. “Actually, I happen to be a CPA. My hourly rate ranges from fifty to three hundred, depending on the complexity of the financial issues I’m dealing with.”
He looked like she’d just told him the moon was, in fact, made of cheese. “Jesus Christ. Are you serious? Thanks, but no thanks.”
She’d figured as much, so she pushed ahead with the next step of the plan. “Would you be open to a trade?”
“What kind of trade?” he asked suspiciously.
“And hour of bookkeeping for an hour of training.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up in the barest hint of a smile. “You don’t take no for an answer, do you?”
“I’ve spent the last year of my life not getting what I want. I’m making some changes.”
There was a flicker of something, appreciation or maybe even pride, in his eyes before they went flat again. “Okay, you’re on. Come back tomorrow at seven and we’ll work out the details.”
“Seven’s perfect, Mr…?”
“Washburn. But call me Fox.”
It was her turn to be amused. “Is that a nickname or something?”
“No. My mom’s a huge X-Files fan.”
“Oh. Well, then, Fox. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.” With that settled, she turned and walked out of the gym.
“What the actual fuck just happened?” Jenna asked when they hit the sidewalk.
“I got myself a personal trainer, for free. Well not exactly free, but for a fair trade. I get what I want, and I don’t have to spend all day rearranging my budget. It’s a win-win.” And it felt glorious.
“I know, I was there for that. But why this gym? That guy was right, you’d be way better off someplace more, um, welcoming. And less stinky.”
Mindy shrugged. “I don’t know. I just liked the place.” And there are no skinny cheerleader types to judge the way I look in yoga pants. But she kept that thought to herself. If she spoke it out loud, Jenna would deliberately haul her to the nearest gym to sign up, insisting that she face her fear. No, a bunch of stinky guys who were infinitely more interested in how they looked in their workout gear was definitely preferable.
Chapter 4
Fox turned the key in the front door of his gym promptly at five every morning, except Tuesday. It gave him time to have a few cups of coffee, inspect the equipment, and go over his appointments for the day before anyone came in and ruined the quiet solitude of the morning. This particular morning, his first interruption was set to be packaged in a killer body with blue eyes that saw straight into a man’s soul.
He still wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to her little trade deal in the first place. While he couldn’t outright ban women from his gym, he did everything in his power to discourage them from joining. He’d had one or two competitors over the years who had fit in, and that hadn’t been so bad, but blondie didn’t seem like she was looking to compete.
Not that he had a problem with women. On the contrary, he loved them. Loved the soft curves, the bright voices and laughter, the way they felt beneath him in bed. And it was his own dirty little secret that he preferred his women with a little meat on their bones. While he appreciated the lines of a female who worked hard to maintain a slick physique, he much preferred a woman with curves he could sink his hands—and other parts—into. Blondie definitely fit that bill, and if the way she’d looked in those jeans was any indication, he was going to have a hard time keeping his hands off her.
He began making his rounds, ensuring all of his equipment was in perfect working order, making notes of supplies he needed. And failing to keep his mind off the blonde beauty who was supposed to be showing up any minute. He half expected her to bail on him, especially since he’d told her to be here so ridiculously early on a Sunday. There were plenty of time slots open later in the day, but he’d figured the early hour would scare her off. But she hadn’t even blinked, so maybe she’d show up after all. He couldn’t quite figure out which outcome he was rooting for.
At five minutes to seven, the bell above his front door jangled. She walked through the front door and his mind simply froze. She’d ditched the jeans in favor of a pair of the stupidly expensive leggings he knew the cardio bunnies favored, and a baggy t-shirt. The shirt did little to hide her curves, and he had to tamp down his initial desire to yank her down on the mat and show her an entirely different kind of workout.
She looked around, her blue eyes lighting up when they landed on him. The woman was either brave or stupid to be so excited to see him after he’d made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want her here. “Hey, Fox. Ready to get started? You want me to take a look at your files first or what?”
Jesus, he’d all but forgotten about that. “Uh, yeah.” He gave her a deliberately condescending smile. “Though you’ll probably be regretting this little deal of yours once you do.”
Challenge flared in her eyes, and despite himself, he was impressed that she didn’t back down.
“Show the way,” she said sweetly, gesturing toward the back of the gym. “I’m Mindy, by the way. Since you don’t seem inclined to ask.”
“Figured I’d get that when you filled out your paperwork.” It was a lie, of course. He wasn’t about to admit he’d been so blinded by her that he’d forgotten to ask. “This is my office. What do you need from me?”
She’d stopped in the doorway, a pained look on her face. Ah, so she wasn’t as tough as she thought. But then she stepped forward and plopped her beautiful ass in his computer chair. “Give me some time to start sorting through this mess and I’ll let you know where we need to go from here.” With that breezy dismissal, she started digging through the pile of papers on his desk.
Fox stood in the doorway and watched her, too stunned to move. She’d kicked him out of his own office. He felt his lips curve upward. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
He left her to it, busying himself with tasks he’d been neglecting out front until she called him back. When he walked in, he pulled up short at the sight of his desk. While it wasn’t what anyone would call neat or tidy, she’d put a definite dent in things. She lo
oked up from her perch on his chair, blonde hair swinging, mischief in her eyes. “You have a very unusual filing system, Mr. Washburn.”
“Fox,” he corrected automatically. “And I don’t have a filing system.”
Mindy grinned. “I know. I was being kind. No worries, I can get you sorted out in no time. Do all of your clients pay with checks?”
“No. Some pay in cash. Why?”
“Have you ever considered electronic payments? I could easily set it up so the payments are automatically deducted from their accounts every month. You know, like the rest of the world does things in the twenty-first century.”
She was teasing him, the little minx. His palm practically itched to bend her over the desk and plant a few good smacks on her delicious derrière. She had a point, though. “Never thought about it.”
“Well, that’s something we can work out once we get everything else straight.”
She glanced at her watch, one of those fancy contraptions everyone seemed to be wearing these days that kept track of every piece of their lives. He hated the damn things.
“That’s my hour. Your turn.”
“Then get your ass out of my chair.” He knew he sounded like an asshole, but he was seriously on the edge with her. Everything about her pulled at him, and he was desperate to put some distance between them, even if was just of the emotional and mental variety. There was no escaping the fact that he’d have his hands on her. It was up to him to make sure it stayed professional.
But apparently his rudeness barely even registered with her. She hopped out of the chair and bounced into what he laughingly considered his visitor’s chair. “Should I take notes or something? I brought my tablet just in case.”
“Are you always so prepared?” he asked as he settled into his chair and pulled out his binder with all of his clients’ information.
“Of course. Jenna says it’ll just be me and the cockroaches at the end of the world because I’m too prepared and stubborn not to survive. So, notes?”
“No. Who’s Jenna?” Maybe she was a lesbian and the mysterious Jenna was her lover. That would at least help the issue of keeping things professional between them.
“My BFF. The chick who was in here with me yesterday? Stupidly gorgeous, legs that go for miles, dark hair?”
“I vaguely remember.” He remembered another woman had come in with Mindy, but he’d only had eyes for the beautiful blonde in front of him.
“Vaguely?” Mindy giggled, and the high, girlish sound had him getting even harder. “Everyone remembers Jenna. She’s the pretty one.”
“Princess, are you planning on chitchatting all morning or do you want to actually get some work done?”
Her cheeks went bright pink at the verbal slap. “Sorry, si- Fox.” Now her cheeks were bright red and for the first time, she wasn’t making direct eye contact.
Had she almost called him sir? His cock was rock hard now, demanding attention. Demanding that he do something, anything, to get between her full, luscious thighs.
“This was a mistake.”
Her head whipped up at his words, her mouth slightly open. “No. We had a deal.”
“And it was a mistake. I’ll pay you for the hour, and thanks for the offer, but this isn’t going to work.”
He didn’t know what he’d expected. Tears, maybe. For her to storm off, cursing his name, perhaps. What he hadn’t expected was for her to cross her arms, glare at him, and say, “No.”
“No, what?” he asked, dumbfounded.
“No, I’m not leaving. We had a deal, Mr. Washburn. And you’re going to honor it.”
They stared each other down for several long seconds before he felt himself give in. “Fine. What’s your goal?”
She blinked, looking rather surprised that she’d gotten her way. “My goal?”
“Yeah, your goal, princess. Why are you here?”
Confusion filled her cornflower blue eyes. “Isn’t it obvious?” She asked, gesturing down at her body. “I need to lose weight.”
“It’s not obvious to me.” It slipped out before he could stop it, so he simply plowed ahead. “If you want to lose weight,” he continued, deliberately emphasizing want over need, “I can help you, though it’s not what I normally do. What are you doing diet-wise?”
Her cheeks colored again, and she nibbled on her bottom lip, the only sign of nerves she’d exhibited since walking through his front door. “I don’t know. I mean, I’ve tried different things but nothing ever seems to stick.”
Fox made notes on her sheet. “Weight loss has more to do with what you’re eating. I’ll work up an eating plan for you and have that for you tomorrow. Now, outside of losing a couple of pounds, what are your goals?”
She blinked again, looking so lost he wanted to pick her up and set her on his lap and tell her everything was going to be okay and he’d take care of her. He loved pampering his women, making sure they were properly cared for. But she wasn’t his woman, and she obviously didn’t need anyone to take care of her. “I don’t understand the question,” she said quietly.
“What are your goals, outside of the gym? You looking to run marathons, climb mountains, what?”
“I-I don’t know. I’m not really the outdoorsy type.” She stopped herself and frowned. “That’s not true. I used to love hiking and kayaking. So, I guess I just want to get back to doing things I enjoy.”
There was something there, some hurt rippling under the competent, confident veneer. He wanted to kiss it away, whatever it was, and then personally destroy the person who had put it there. “That’s a good place to start. I’m going to work on your plan tonight and we can get started tomorrow if you’d like.”
Her lower lip poked out in a pout so adorable it nearly tore his self-control to pieces. Jesus, this woman was going to be the death of him. Two hours in the same space and he was ready to throw every rule he had out the window for her. “But I was hoping we could start today.”
“Tomorrow, princess. What time do you go to work?”
“Eight. Your place is about halfway between my house and the office.”
“Can you be here at six?”
“Yes, but like I said—”
He cut her off with a look. “And I said tomorrow. The only way this is going to work is if you do as you’re told. Capice?” Was he mistaken, or had her eyes gone a little glassy, her breathing gotten a little more labored?
“Yes. Capice. Tomorrow at six.” She stood and leaned over to grab her bag, and his breath caught at the sight of her perfect ass encased in those leggings when she bent over. “Bye, Fox. And thanks.”
“See you,” he grumbled, watching her exit out of the corner of his eye. When she’d left, he finally let out an easy breath and prayed he wasn’t making a huge mistake.
Chapter 5
Mindy’s alarm went off at five. She clicked it off before rolling out of bed. She’d packed her bags the night before, so all she had to do was enjoy a cup of coffee, get dressed, and head out. The rumbling of her stomach insisted that she needed to eat something, but she ignored it and sipped her coffee.
And daydreamed of the rough, ripped, sexy Fox Washburn. The way he’d been so firm with her had set her nether regions on fire. And he’d been so sweet, lying to her about how he didn’t think she needed to lose weight. A guy like that knew when a person had even an ounce of extra fat, so it wasn’t like he couldn’t see it on her. But it had been nice of him to say, anyway.
With two cups of coffee in her system, she dressed for the gym, grabbed her bag and headed out. She hyped herself up with some blaring metal as she drove into town. Parking her car on the street, she fed the meter and danced her way into the gym.
“Hey Fox!” She called cheerfully when she spotted him at the front desk.
He glared at her, and there were those tingly feelings between her thighs again. “How the hell are you so chipper this early?”
She grinned and shrugged. “Always been a morning person. So, what do we do
first?”
“First, you put your bags in the back. Did you bring a lock?”
She pulled a brand-new combination lock from her purse and held it up. “Yup.”
“Good. Pick a locker, doesn’t matter. Whole damn room is yours,” he added under his breath.
Refusing to allow his grumpiness to ruin her mood, she went back to the tiny locker room designated with the little stick figure wearing a dress. She put her bag in the first locker she found, closed it and clipped the lock on it before returning to the gym area.
“Ready when you are, boss.”
Fox pointed to the treadmill. “Ten minutes to get you warmed up.”
Humming happily to herself, she hopped on the treadmill and set an easy pace.
“Nice try, princess. This ain’t a stroll in the park. Pick up the pace.”
She bumped the speed up a few notches, and her legs began to protest. Glancing down at the timer on the treadmill, she was devastated to realize she hadn’t even reached the halfway mark. God, she was out of shape.
She pushed her way through the ten minutes, her chest heaving with each breath by the end. When she was done, she hit the button to stop the treadmill and hopped down, placing her hands on her knees while she struggled to catch her breath.
“Having fun yet, princess?”
She raised her head enough to glare at Fox, and contemplated shooting him the bird. She didn’t know if he sensed her intentions or was just enjoying teasing her, but he raised a single eyebrow and shook his head in a very definite no. “Tons,” she eventually replied, straightening up and sending him a bright smile. No way was she going to turn tail and run the second things got hard.
“Good. We’re going to start with squats. No weights just yet, I want you to get your form right first.”