With her hand, mind you. Not the purse. That damn thing had nearly cold-cocked him.
He let his gaze run over her leisurely. She was curvy, all right, and in all the good places. He wrapped his fingers around the cold pack to keep himself from reaching out and grabbing her. There was nothing that scared off a woman more than jumping past the get-to-know-you stage right into the heavy petting.
He shook his head to clear the urge from his brain. ‘All it will take is some weight and cardiovascular training to get you toned. I won’t sugar-coat it, though –’
‘No sugar?’ she said with a pout.
The stupid grin on his face wouldn’t go away. ‘It will be hard work, but you’ll like the results.’
So would he.
She sat down with a plop, and he had to hide his disappointment. He couldn’t see her so well when she hid behind his desk.
‘You’re serious,’ she said, disbelief colouring her tone.
‘As a heart attack – which, by the way, exercise can help prevent.’ He leant forward and tried to peek over the edge of the desk at her legs. He’d gotten a good view of them when she’d skidded across the floor with her skirt nearly up to her waist. ‘But what’s your rush? What’s happening in three months?’
The minute he asked the question, he regretted it. Ah, shit. Was she getting married? Needles prickled at the back of his neck. He’d already started to get fascinating ideas about her. A fiancé would complicate things. Still, that didn’t rule out the possibilities. He’d never shied away from a challenge before.
His gaze shot down to her left hand. No ring. That was a good sign.
‘It’s my ten-year high school reunion,’ she replied, her lips twisting in distaste.
A reunion. The needles relaxed their pinch. Things were looking better and better. ‘Looking for a little revenge?’ he asked.
She smiled impishly. ‘I’ve heard that it’s sweet.’
That smile kicked Jake right in the solar plexus. God, she’d grabbed him by the cock with her looks alone. Add personality and a sense of humour, and he didn’t stand a chance. ‘So priority number one is a “killer bod”?’ he asked, clearing his throat halfway.
She shrugged. ‘I’d settle for a “nice figure”.’
He gaped at her. Was she out of her mind? Had she looked in a mirror recently? ‘Been there, done that. I’ve got clients that would kill for a body like yours.’
She flushed right up to her cute little ears.
He shook his head in bemusement. ‘So a reunion, huh? I assume you have a suitably impressive car to take you to the event?’
Another shrug. ‘It’ll do, or I’ll rent one.’
He thought back to his own reunion the summer before. Idly, he rolled a pencil between his thumb and forefinger. ‘What about the boyfriend and the career? I’ve heard that they both score big points on the reunion scene.’
A funny look crossed her face, and she nervously reached up to try to straighten her mussed hair. ‘I’m an accountant. It’s not that impressive, but it’s a respectable occupation.’
Jake pounced on the half-answer. No fiancé and no boyfriend. Things were definitely looking up. As to her career, it intrigued him more than she could know. He might be able to use that.
‘I just want to look nice,’ she said.
She already looked nice. Better than nice. Still, he knew what she was getting at. She wanted to be a drop-dead, stop-’em-in-their-tracks, bombshell blonde. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
She didn’t have far to go.
‘I can help you with that,’ he said.
She nibbled her lower lip, causing his thoughts to scatter completely.
‘I’ll probably need more help than most,’ she admitted. ‘My willpower is nearly nonexistent.’
‘You need instant gratification.’
Her flushed face turned nearly fuchsia.
Jake was feeling a little hot under the collar himself.
Business, he needed to concentrate on business. Get her in the door as a client first. Then he could coax her into doing other, more interesting things with him.
‘You need a trainer,’ he said bluntly. Over the years, he’d seen thousands of people like her. Correction. None of them had looked like her; they were just in the same situation. They all wanted to lose weight and get into shape, but although they started out with good intentions, they quickly dropped out when they discovered how difficult the process was.
She flicked aside another invisible speck of dust from her skirt. ‘How expensive would that be?’ she asked.
The casual tone didn’t fool him. He knew she was still looking for an excuse to leave. Well, she wasn’t going to get one from him. ‘We’ll discuss that later. Let me show you around the place first.’
He put down the ice, stood, and circled the desk. She looked hesitant, but she shrugged out of her winter coat. A funny look crossed her face, though, when she stepped towards him.
Jake went still. He knew what that surprised look meant. He’d seen it when she’d crashed through the front door.
His gaze was suddenly drawn downwards. He watched in fascination as one of her stockings slid down her leg. It pooled around her foot like an invitation, and every muscle in his body clenched.
‘Damn!’ she hissed.
He couldn’t have said it better himself. He looked at her helplessly. He wasn’t a saint.
‘It snapped during the fall,’ she said with embarrassment. ‘Could you turn around?’
Not likely.
She twirled her finger. ‘Just for a minute?’
Stiff-legged, he faced the door – only to find her reflection in the window. Jake nearly groaned aloud. She’d lifted her foot and planted her high heel on the chair. The pose was something right out of a seedy strip club, only she was dressing herself. Somehow, it was just as erotic.
The clinging nylon slid over the curve of her calf, and his hands clenched when she smoothed the sheer material over her knee. Only women could move so sensuously. They did it instinctively, not even realising how it could jumble up a guy on the inside.
Especially one who wasn’t supposed to be watching.
He couldn’t help it. He was entranced as she hitched her skirt up high on her thigh. Lust hit him hard when he saw the dangerous curves. Her skin was lily white and smooth as silk. She worked the stocking up to nearly her crotch before she attached the garter belt, and he focused so hard on the little pink triangle of her panties, his eyes went dry.
Bless that loose catch, he thought a little desperately.
She smoothed her skirt back over her hips, and it was all he could do not to turn around and whip it back up. God, he wanted to touch her.
‘I’m ready,’ she said.
So was he.
He cleared his throat. ‘This way,’ he said as he opened the door.
He couldn’t look at her. If he did, she’d see the bulge at the front of his exercise pants. He lowered his clipboard to try to hide it from the rest of the club. This was one muscle group he didn’t have control of.
But it sure as hell was getting its exercise today.
His teeth ground together as he led her to the aerobics room. He needed to start thinking with the head on top of his shoulders. She was ready to bolt, he could tell, but there was no way he could let that happen. He had to find a way to keep her around.
This was one beauty he wasn’t going to let get away.
The wheels in Roma’s brain began to whirl as she followed Jake out of his office. Could anything else happen to embarrass her in front of this man?
She ran her hand over her skirt and felt the garter belt underneath. She’d been torn between taking off her hose entirely or putting her faith in the loose catch. She hoped she hadn’t made the wrong decision. With the way he was looking at her, the more clothes she had on the better.
She stopped abruptly when she nearly bumped into him outside a classroom window. Her hip brushed against his clipboard, a
nd he let out a harsh cough.
‘This is our aerobics room,’ he said in a voice that sounded strained. ‘We teach around thirty classes weekly, so you should be able to find a time that fits into your schedule.’
She’d gotten too close. She could feel his heat radiating towards her, and the scent of clean soap and tangy aftershave filled her senses. It pulled her even closer. Only the clang of a weight stack brought her back to reality.
She quickly turned her attention to the activity in the aerobics room. A step class was in full swing. Her eyes rounded with amazement. A bouncy brunette was directing a roomful of people through precise, drill-team-like movements. The different combinations of stepping onto and off of the boxes made her head spin.
Jake cleared his throat. ‘Uh, maybe you should save the step classes for later.’
Like when she could walk in the door without doing a face plant? She scrunched her nose. ‘Good point.’
‘Come over here and take a look at our weight room.’
She followed as he guided her through the rest of the gym, making sure she kept a better distance between them. She was nervous about facing her audience again, but she was relieved to find that everybody was friendly. And she had to admit that she liked what she saw. The equipment seemed to be very high tech, although she had no clue what it all did. She just liked the way everything glistened.
He’d conveniently evaded her question about the club’s rates, though. Joining would be expensive.
There’s your excuse, her devilish side told her.
But what’s more important? the other side asked. An excuse or a tight butt for reunion night?
No question. A tight butt.
‘How does personal training work?’ she asked when they returned to the office. He’d succeeded in piquing her interest.
He sat down and put his clipboard on the desk. She’d noticed that he’d kept it with him the entire tour, but he hadn’t taken any notes.
‘We tailor workouts for each individual,’ he said. He folded his arms across his chest and rocked back in his chair. ‘We’d start by putting you through some preliminary tests to determine your current level of fitness.’
Uh-oh. She didn’t know if she liked the sound of that. ‘What kind of tests?’
‘You’d start with a strength test and a flexibility test. Then, you’d get on the treadmill so your heart rate could be monitored. Of course, we’d take some baseline measurements so we can track your improvement over the weeks.’
We? Just what did he mean by ‘we’? And what exactly were these measurements?
‘Let me assure you that we keep everything confidential. Your file will be locked here in my office.’ He pointed at a filing cabinet in the corner of the room. ‘Believe me, I’ve learned that disclosing a woman’s weight or dress size is an offence punishable by death.’
‘I should think so!’ She’d rather get a bad perm than let somebody know her weight.
But enough with this ‘we’ stuff already. He didn’t expect her to hire him as her trainer, did he? She’d never be able to concentrate if he was hovering around her all the time, watching her, pushing her. Tempting her. That ‘we’ was more of a congregational term, right? We – as in his staff. Preferably another commiserative female.
Roma shifted uncomfortably in her chair. ‘That aerobics teacher looked competent. Is she a personal trainer?’
He settled his elbows on the desk, and she couldn’t help but be preoccupied by the way the muscles bunched up in his arms.
‘Missy teaches a few classes a week to help pay for school. She’s getting her master’s degree.’ He looked as if he were fighting a smile. ‘I had someone else in mind.’
He paused, and Roma’s heart tripped over itself. Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say, she silently begged.
‘I thought I’d train you myself.’
‘Oh.’ Her brain flew in a myriad directions. Working with him would be so personal. He’d touch her. His big muscled body would loom over her. He’d see her sweat. ‘Can’t somebody else do it? I mean…Hmm. Well, you must be very busy. I’d hate to put you out. I’d be more than willing to work with one of your employees.’
He leant closer, and her breath hitched.
That mysterious smile still hovered on his lips. ‘No can do. It’s me or nobody.’
‘Excuse me?’ she choked.
‘I’d like to discuss a trade.’
Her belly clenched. The glint in his eye was unmistakable. Was he talking about what she thought he was talking about?
He swivelled in his chair and pointed at a stack of papers. He sighed heavily and admitted, ‘I need help with that.’
Roma looked at him dumbfounded. What?
OK, so he hadn’t been talking about what she’d thought he’d been talking about. The paper. She looked at it incomprehensibly.
‘I need help with the club’s books.’
Dismay gripped her. ‘Don’t tell me,’ she whispered.
He looked around his office as if he had gotten so used to the mounds of paper, he didn’t even see them any more. At least he had the decency to look sheepish.
Roma’s body sagged. His office was an accountant’s personal version of hell. Some of the stacks stood so high, they looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Worse yet, she knew it was probably just the tip of the iceberg.
He ran a hand through his blond hair. ‘I need an accountant. A good one.’
Like a zombie, she stood and walked over to look more closely at the mess. There were receipts, copies of cheques, and electricity bills just in the handful that she grabbed. She looked through more slips of paper and nearly moaned. There were debits mixed with credits. Receipts shuffled between invoices. Cheques that hadn’t been cashed. And here was even a birthday card from someone named Liz. She turned on him. ‘You need a miracle worker. You do realise that taxes are due in just over a month.’
He grimaced. ‘I’d heard something about that.’
She rolled her eyes. Taking a calming breath, she gestured at the room. ‘This is your filing system?’
He shrugged. ‘I had a full-time bookkeeper, but she left me about a year ago. Her husband got a job in Chicago. I haven’t found anybody willing to take on the job since she quit. The staff and I do our best, but numbers really aren’t our thing.’
‘Can I see your accounting system?’ she asked with dread.
‘You mean the books?’
Oh, God. He didn’t have things computerised yet? ‘Whatever you have.’
He opened the bottom drawer and passed a ledger to her. More loose sheets of paper fell to the floor when she opened it. Her frown deepened as she looked over the entries. ‘Let me see your personal training rate sheet.’
He picked up the phone book and found the information sitting underneath it. He pushed the paper under her nose. Her eyes bulged.
‘That’s why nobody else could train you but me,’ he explained. ‘My trainers get a commission. I refuse to ask any of them to take a pay cut so the club can have an accountant.’
‘Oh. I see.’ It was the most intelligent response Roma could come up with. She chewed her lower lip. She hadn’t thought that the rates could be high enough to make all this work worth it. Unfortunately, he’d just proven to her that the trade would indeed be a fair one.
She glanced over at the imposing stack of papers again. There was a lot that needed to be done there. Still, she had lost Mr Dubcek’s account just two weeks ago. He’d sold his men’s clothing store for a healthy profit, but the new company had an accountant on staff. She had the time to do the job that Jake was proposing, but did she have the patience?
Her gaze flitted back to the rate sheet. Even if she did find another qualified trainer in town, she doubted that their prices would vary much from what he was showing her. Vaguely, she wondered if she was about to make a big mistake. ‘You promise you can make me skinny in three months?’
She’d thought he’d smile. He didn�
�t. Instead, his hot gaze slid slowly over her body.
‘The men will be sweating in their beers, and the women will be green with envy.’
Roma felt a sharp thrill run through her. It was politically incorrect and very shallow of her, but she wanted that bad. She wanted all her male classmates to see what they’d missed out on, and she’d just love to see Ellie Huffington gape at her sleek and fit form.
But was it worth all this work?
Oh, yeah. No doubt about it. Watching Ellie eat crow would definitely be worth all the pain and suffering. ‘You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr Logan.’
A smile broke out on his face. ‘Jake. Call me Jake.’
He leant forwards across the desk and firmly gripped her outstretched hand. Little shocks of electricity hissed up Roma’s arm at the contact, and her nipples tightened painfully. Her gaze flew to his, but he was looking strangely at their interconnected hands. He could feel it too, she realised. Slowly, he let her go. His fingers glided across her skin, and the friction made a fire start deep in her belly.
‘When do we start?’ she asked, her voice unsteady.
‘Tomorrow.’ He sounded a little winded himself. ‘Definitely tomorrow.’
Chapter Two
The next day, Roma pulled into the gym parking lot. Her right foot itched to gun the gas, but she forced herself to find a spot and park. She’d been changing her mind all day long about the deal she’d made. Even on the drive over, she’d turned around twice to go home. Something, though, had made her turn back.
That something was those darn fifteen pounds.
Jake’s assurance that she only needed to lose such a teeny-weeny bit of weight had her hooked.
And he didn’t help matters.
That chest. Those arms. Those dark-blue eyes.
She felt an electric shiver shoot down her spine. No red-blooded woman could walk away from that.
Before she could change her mind again, she grabbed her gym bag from the passenger seat and got out of the car. She hefted it up over her shoulder, but nearly unbalanced when she saw Mr Hunk waiting for her. Jake stood outside the gym, casually leaning against the plate glass window as if he expected her to chicken out. His gaze caught hers from halfway across the parking lot, and Roma felt her knees go weak.
High School Reunion Page 2