Man of Strength: An older alpha male and younger woman short romance (Filthy Rich Love Book 5)

by Sadie King

  It’s not just the urge I have to possess her; I want to know about her. What’s she so scared of? Why is she so distrustful? I want to take her in my arms and tell her it’s going to be okay, that I’ll look after her now. I’ll keep her safe. I’m overcome with protectiveness for her. She may think she’s tough, but I can see how vulnerable she is.

  My head is crowded with thoughts of her, and I go into the bathroom and splash cold water on my face, trying to bring myself back to the present moment. I need to concentrate.

  My whole business could depend on the next few days. I can’t let some girl distract me. But she’s not just some girl, my heart whispers.

  “Focus,” I tell myself in the mirror.

  I sit at the desk and pull my laptop towards me. I’ve been going over the figures for the club, and something doesn’t seem right.

  It has the lowest number of personal trainer clients of any clubs I’ve visited so far, yet it’s in an affluent area and member numbers are good.

  I run the data from the past two years. It all looks fine until about twelve months ago. There’s a steady decline. It starts small and drops steadily until now, when the number of members using a personal trainer is about 50% lower than what it was two years ago.

  Why has the manager not picked this up? I scan through old board reports and regional meeting minutes. There’s nothing mentioned about dropping PT sessions. I’d expect the club manager to report something like this.

  I sit back and run my fingers through my hair. From my experience, if there’s a problem in one area there’s usually a problem in another.

  I grab another coffee from the machine. It’s time to dig a bit further into the accounts. It could be a long night.

  4

  Zoe

  I’m at the gym at 6 o’clock on the dot. The parking lot is empty. The gym won’t open for another hour. I see movement inside, and Tyler swings open the door for me. I’m not sure what type of personal trainer gets all hour’s access to the gym, but I’m not going to question it. We all have out secrets.

  My breath catches at the sight of him, and my heart starts to race. This is going to be an interesting workout.

  “Want to start with some cardio?”

  I’d like to start by ripping his clothes off and pressing myself against those muscles, but I just nod and say, “Sure.”

  We head up to the gym floor and take treadmills next to each other.

  “So, where you from?” he asks, firing up his treadmill.

  “I grew up in the East,” I tell him vaguely.

  “You got family still there?”

  “My mom died last year. She was the only family I had.”

  He stops his machine and pulls the plug on mine. He takes his hands in mine and makes me turn to face him.

  “I’m sorry,” he says.

  “Yeah, well, these things happen.” I look down and try to break away from his grip, but he’s holding me too firmly.

  Maybe it’s the human contact that I haven’t had in months or the way he’s looking at me like he really cares, but before I know it my eyes are welling up and thick tears are coursing down my cheeks.

  He pulls me towards him and holds me in his strong arms. It feels so warm and safe and natural. Soon I’m telling him all about Mom. Not all of it obviously; I leave out the part about owing money for rent, and how I’m constantly looking over my shoulder in case they come for me.

  I tell him the good things. The birthday cakes she made for me as a kid, the glass of soda we always shared when I got home from school, the Australian soap operas she loved to watch which I can’t bear to see on the TV now.

  All the things I’ve tried not to think about for the last nine months because when I do my chest tightens and my stomach contracts. It all comes out to this virtual stranger who doesn’t feel like a stranger at all.

  He lets me talk until the tears dry up, and my chest feels a little less tight.

  “Feel better?” he asks, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “Sorry,” I say, suddenly embarrassed.

  “Don’t be sorry. You can tell me anything. I’ll look after you now.”

  His words send a thrill down me. I consider for a moment telling him about the Harrison family and the money they think I owe them. But he’s already been too kind, and I don’t want to burden him anymore. Instead I pull myself up and wipe my face on my sleeve.

  “How about this workout, then?” I say.

  We get back on the treadmills and run at a comfortable pace. I ask him about himself, and we chat for most of the run until the last five minutes when we pick up the pace and do some hill work and we’re both pushing ourselves too hard to talk.

  After the treadmill, we hit the weights room. I go for the smaller weights and he assess my technique, making little adjustments to my stance and telling me to keep my elbow up.

  He picks up some heavier weights, and I’m so distracted watching him pump his arms that I’m finding it hard to concentrate on my workout.

  “Want to do some mat work?” he asks.

  Hell yeah, I want to get down on the floor with him!

  We start with sit-ups. I lie back with my knees up, and he holds my feet. Even though his hands are on my shoes, I can feel the heat traveling up my ankles and right between my thighs. He’s so close his breath tickles my legs. Every time I sit up, he’s right there, his lips only inches away.

  My breathing becomes shallow, and all I can think about is leaning further forward and kissing those thick lips. As if he’s reading my thoughts, his hands move onto my ankles. I gasp at the contact. His hand slides up my shin until he’s holding my knees.

  The next time I sit up, he moves one hand to grab the back of my head and pulls me towards him. His lips are surprisingly soft for such a big man. He presses them into mine and I open my lips, letting him in.

  His tongue darts into my mouth and I open up for him, meeting him in the kiss. It sends tingles all throughout my body from one set of lips to another.

  He pushes me back onto the mat, and I submit willingly. His hand runs down my neck and over my breasts. It’s the most exquisite feeling, this strong man kneeling over me.

  He nuzzles my neck with his lips; his hot breath sends shivers through me. His scent fills my nostrils, hard-earned sweat and a faint tinge of lavender.

  I reach out to run a hand over his thigh and his arm shoots out and he pins me down on the mat.

  Suddenly I’m back in my mom’s apartment with Darren on top of me. He smells like stale bourbon and cigarettes. I’m struggling to get free as he pins me down with one hand, the other hand fumbling at his belt buckle.

  The flashback is so strong I start to struggle. Tyler lets me go instantly and sits up.

  The greasy walls of my mom’s apartment fade. The smell of bourbon disappears. I take in my surroundings. I’m breathing hard on the exercise mat with Tyler sitting back on his heels, his hands in the air as if showing me he means no harm.

  “You okay?” he asks.

  I nod, even though I’m not sure what the fuck just happened.

  “I’m sorry. I thought you were into it. I wouldn’t do anything if you weren’t.”

  “I am into it,” I say, trying to get my breathing under control. “I’m definitely into it.” He puts his hands down, seeming to relax a little.

  “It just triggered some bad memories, that’s all.”

  His brow creases, and anger flickers through his eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t know that was going to happen.” Damn, I’ve ruined my chances with not only the hottest man I’ve ever seen, but also the only person I’ve felt comfortable opening up to for as long as I can remember.

  “Who did this to you?” he asks, his hands curling into fists. “Tell me who did this to you.”

  I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. It...” I can’t finish my sentence before I’m crying again. Damn, I’ve spent nine months refusing to cry, staying strong and loo
king after myself. One hour with this guy and I’m blubbering like a baby. How does he make me feel so vulnerable?

  “Is it okay to put my arms around you?” he asks. The fact that he has to ask makes me cry even more. I can only nod at him.

  “Tell me what happened?”

  I sink into his strong embrace and start to talk.

  5

  Tyler

  The more she tells me the angrier I get, until the blood is thumping in my ears and my muscles are pulled so tight I might snap.

  It’s a relief to know she was able to fight him off and got away before he did anything worse. But still the thought that someone has hurt my girl, treated her like this, makes me want to throw something through the nearest wall.

  This is what’s made her so defiant, so distrustful, and now so upset. I hold her in my arms until she’s finished talking and her breathing is calm. If I ever get my hands on this Darren, I’ll kill him for doing this to her.

  “I’m sorry to tell you all this when I just met you,” she says.

  “Don’t ever apologize.” I lift her chin up, so she meets my eyes. “You’re safe now. You’re with me.”

  She nods and smiles at me, and my heart clenches at this vulnerable woman who I’m suddenly desperate to protect from harm.

  “This isn’t the way you thought this workout would end, is it?” she says.

  “There’ll be plenty of time for that.” I wipe away a tear from her cheek with my thumb and bring my lips to hers for a gentle kiss, and she responds. It’s a lot gentler than the urgency of a few minutes ago, but I won’t push her again. Even though my body’s aching for her, we’ll go at her pace.

  The gym door opens, and we break apart. The burning anger from the story she’s told me turns to fury at the interruption.

  “What do you want?” I bark, turning to the door. It’s Connor, one of the other personal trainers.

  “I want to get the floor ready for my first session,” he says.

  I glance at the clock. Damn, it’s almost 7a.m. We’ve spent a lot of time talking. Not how I expected the morning would go, but I’m happy to have gotten to know my girl better and hopefully provided some comfort to her.

  Zoe gets up off the mat.

  “I’m going to go shower,” she says, grabbing her gym bag. “I need to get to work.”

  She brushes past Connor and he gives her an appraising look, following her ass with his eyes as she leaves the room. He turns back to me with a smirk on his face and nods appreciatively.

  “Nice one, man. Let me know when you’re done. I’d like to take a turn with that one.”

  I move so fast he doesn’t see me coming. In one movement I’ve got him pinned against the wall with my hand around his throat. “Show some respect, asshole.”

  His eyes bulge out of their sockets. “Sorry man, didn’t realize you’re the territorial type.”

  I squeeze him harder around the throat until his face goes red and he’s making choking noises. “She’s my woman, and if you so much as look at her again I’ll twist your body up so bad you’ll never train again.” I let go, and he drops to the floor.

  “I could get you fired for that,” he wheezes, clutching his neck and trying to get his breath back.

  “Try it and see what happens.” I push past him and stride down the corridor to the showers. I turn the water to cold hoping it will cool me off, but it does nothing to dispel my anger. After my cold shower, I change quickly and head out to reception hoping to catch Zoe before she leaves.

  “You’re too late,” says Melanie with a smirk. “She high-tailed it out of here about five minutes ago.”

  Damn. I jog out to the parking lot, but she’s long gone. At least I know she’s going straight to work. I’ll go around and check on her when I get a chance. I’ve got clients booked all morning, and I need to do some snooping around.

  I uncovered some irregular accounts last night, and there’s definitely something not right here. I need to play my role until I find out what it is.

  No better place to start then here, I guess. I walk back to the reception desk and give Melanie my most charming smile. She starts twirling her hair again as I lean my elbows on the desk.

  “So, Melanie.” She smiles demurely, but there’s no blush to match and her eyes are too knowing to be innocent. She’s a master at the flirting game.

  “How about I buy you a coffee?” I ask.

  She perks up and leans in conspiratorially. “I’m not supposed to leave the reception desk unstaffed, but Clarissa will be here in ten minutes so I guess it can’t hurt.”

  Man, she is so getting fired when all this is over.

  “How about I come back when Clarissa gets here?” I tell her. “Wouldn’t want to get you into trouble.”

  “I can get into trouble all on my own.” She gives me a practiced smile, and I wince at the level I’ve been reduced to. But my business is on the line, and if I have to weather the flirting of an overeager employee, then that’s what I’ll do.

  “I’ll see you in ten,” I tell her.

  Before heading to the café, I take a detour to the manager’s office. The door isn’t locked, which is disappointing, and I let myself inside.

  It’s a box-shaped office with a single desk and office chair. A corkboard above the desk is plastered with staff schedules and notices. A rickety filing cabinet sits in the corner. I

  scan the papers on the desk and the bulletin board, but there’s nothing of interest there. The filing cabinet is mostly full of old class schedules and PT programs.

  Wedged between two files, I find a list of old PT clients with names crossed out in red. I stuff it in my pocket and head out to meet Melanie.

  6

  Zoe

  I hum to myself as I walk into town. I feel lighter, like the lead ball that’s been sitting in my stomach for nine months has been lifted a little.

  It felt good to talk to Tyler. Even though I just met him, it’s like he tapped into my most vulnerable parts and split me right open. I didn’t realize how much I’d been holding it all in.

  I turn the corner onto High Street, and my blood freezes. The car from yesterday is back. It’s parked in the same spot directly across the road from the diner. The tinted windows give no indication if there’s anyone inside.

  Taking deep breaths, I tell myself it’s a coincidence. Just a parked car. I duck my head and cross the road, so I don’t have to walk past it.

  It can’t be Darren, I tell myself. How would he have found me? But Tyler found me easily.

  And just like that, the lead ball’s back weighing me down. Damn. I’m going to have to move again. Just when I finally opened up to someone. Someone who’s kind, and thoughtful, and hot. I’m going to have to leave before anything has even started.

  He’s been so protective of me that I actually thought it might be okay. That I could forget my past and have a future with this amazing man, a normal life.

  I shake my head. How stupid of me. There will be no normal life for me. I will always be on the run, looking over my shoulder. I can’t put that on Tyler. It’s not fair.

  It will be best if he doesn’t know, I decide. I’ll leave tonight as soon as my double shift is finished. I’ll get my wages, pack my bag, and go.

  I pull open the door to Carl’s Diner, my heart a lot heavier than it was five minutes ago.

  “Good to see you’re on time today,” Carl says sarcastically from behind the counter. “I need you to clean the fryer. Drain the fat off. Saturday mornings are slow to start, so this is the perfect time to do the deep cleaning.”

  Great. I’m going to spend the next hour with my arms in a vat of fat. I swallow down the frustration of another dead-end job.

  I’m lucky to have a job, I tell myself. When this is all over, I’m going to get myself a career, something with meaning. Yeah right. This is never going to be over.

  I must be staring into space, because Carl throws an apron at me.

  “Come on, girl. Get to
work.”

  “Okay, okay.” I tie the apron on and lose myself in a “what might have been fantasy” as I scrape fat into a plastic bucket.

  The breakfast rush starts late on Saturday and runs on into lunch. It’s after two o’clock before I get a break. The afternoon is just as busy, and I’m shattered by the time ten o’clock rolls around.

  I can’t get across the room quick enough to turn the sign on the door to closed. I peer through the glass into the darkness. The black shape of the car is still visible across the road. A shiver runs down my spine. Hopefully it’ll be gone by the time I’ve finished cleaning up.

  I’m sweeping the floor when Carl appears from the office out back. He’s swapped his greasy t-shirt for a checkered shirt, and his hair is slicked back.

  I raise my eyebrows.

  “Got a date,” he says proudly.

  “Who’s the lucky lady?” I ask, genuinely happy for him. Carl may be a hard task master, but he’s a decent guy underneath.

  “My wife,” he says, his confidence deflating a little. “My ex-wife, actually. I’m trying to win her back.” He runs his hands through his hair, and then wipes the excess gel off on a hand towel. “You okay to lock up tonight?” he says, working a key off a key ring. “Don’t want to keep the lady waiting.”

  “Sure,” I say, a pang of guilt knotting my stomach at the way I’m going to leave with no notice. “Um, is it okay to get my pay for the week?”

  He frowns at me. “You’re not gonna do a runner, are ya?”

  “I’ve got a date too,” I lie.

  “With that big fella?” he asks. “He should be paying, you know. Back in my day, the man always treated the lady.” He goes over to the register and gets some money out.

  “I can pay for myself,” I say.

  He chuckles. “Good for you,” he says, handing me the cash.