by Roni Loren
Just a workout. That was all this was.
Before she could finish her pep talk and get her ass out of the car, the main door swung open and the silhouette turned into a full 3-D form as Lucas jogged out into the puddles with a large, black umbrella. Taryn grabbed her bag and quickly opened her car door.
“Hey, there,” he called over the thrum of the rain. “Let’s get you inside.”
Taryn stepped out into the now inch-high water in the parking lot and ducked under the umbrella, clutching her bag to her chest. Lucas huddled close to her and they hurried to the door, but a hard gust of wind hit them and the umbrella flipped inside out.
Water poured down on them both, and they broke into a run. When they reached the overhang, a thick streak of lightning zipped through the sky, illuminating the dark parking lot, and the accompanying clap of thunder made Taryn yelp.
“Shit,” Lucas said, yanking open the door. “That sounded like it hit close. Get inside.”
He guided her in first with a hand on her lower back and then slipped in behind her, tossing the useless umbrella onto the floor by the door. The cool air of the gym chilled Taryn’s wet skin, and she shivered.
Lucas scrubbed a hand through his hair, sending droplets flying, and his shoes squished when he moved. “You all right?”
Taryn had managed to keep her head under the failed umbrella but the rest of her was a loss. Lucas was even worse off, his shirt soaked through. She swiped water off her arms. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m sorry you got drenched. You didn’t have to come out and get me.”
“I wasn’t sure if you had an umbrella. If you made it all the way here in this rain to work out, you’ve earned curbside service,” he said, pulling his shirt away from his skin as if to check its status. “But my umbrella was a fail.”
She laughed. “You think? We look like we fell into the pool.”
“Maybe that’s where we should start the workout, then,” he said with a chagrined smile. “I’ve already gotten you wet.”
Gotten you wet. The second the words were out, she could feel her face heating. God, she was like a teenager around this guy, her mind turning everything into double entendres. “Um, I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
Lucas cleared his throat. “Maybe not, then.” He rubbed his palms on his workout pants, even though they were soaked, too. “How about you get changed and then we’ll do some warm-up exercises to get the chill out and your muscles limbered up?”
“Right. Sounds good. Where are the locker rooms?” Taryn picked up her bag.
He pointed. “Down that hall on the left. And before we get started, I just want to let you know that when Kincaid called and said she couldn’t make it, Rivers went home. He figured you were going to cancel, too.”
Taryn looked up. “Oh?”
Lucas crossed his arms and nodded, looking a little uncomfortable. “Yeah, so it’s just us here. Rivers only lives a few blocks away, so if you don’t feel comfortable, he’s happy to come back, and I won’t be offended. Or we can reschedule. I want you to have whatever you need.”
Taryn considered him, trying to tap into her gut feelings, something she’d learned to trust. Her mother would tell her to get the hell out of there because she didn’t know this guy and no one could hear her scream. That was where her mom’s mind would instantly go. But Taryn didn’t feel that fear with Lucas. He could’ve skipped telling her this if he had bad intentions. He also would probably be trying to do a better job of reassuring her. Plus, she’d asked the guy out twice. He wasn’t exactly eager to get her alone. “It’s okay. I don’t want Rivers to have to come out in this rain. Plus, Kincaid knows I’m here, so if you kill me, she’ll know it was you and hunt you down. I expect she’d make it a painful and slow death.”
She’d meant it as a joke, but Lucas frowned. “You’re safe with me.”
The stark sincerity in the words hit her right in her gut. Something in his eyes said he truly was worried she’d see him as some kind of threat, even though he’d shown her nothing but kindness since he’d helped her find her shoe the other night. Maybe he was used to people being intimidated by him because he was so fit. She nodded. “I believe you.”
The tension in his face softened. “Thanks. I’ll meet you on the main floor, okay? Take your time, and be ready to sweat.”
She shivered again. “That actually sounds pleasant compared to rain-soaked and freezing.”
His lips lifted at one corner. “We’ll see if you’re still saying that after the workout.”
She laughed. “I’ll probably just be cursing you and the horse you rode in on.”
“Probably,” he said brightly.
She groaned and headed toward the ladies’ locker room. Once inside, she quickly took off her glasses, put in her contacts, and tied back her hair with a bandanna. Then she changed into her workout clothes, the new items feeling foreign and far too clingy. She’d planned on wearing her old sweatpants and loose T-shirts for these sessions, but when she’d mentioned that to Kincaid, her friend had vetoed that idea immediately. If we’re really going to subject ourselves to falling into swimming pools, you don’t want to be drowned by your ugly, floppy pants and old T-shirt. We need to look cute as we embarrass ourselves.
Taryn had dutifully bought two new workout outfits on her lunch break yesterday, still debating whether she’d actually wear them. The last thing she wanted to do was wear Lycra after not having worked out in years. But when Rivers had emailed her last night with the information for the training sessions, the safety rules had been attached. No loose clothing allowed on obstacle courses and the equipment. Because it posed a safety risk. Having a sweatshirt get hooked on something as you fell was a good way to hang yourself, apparently.
So now Taryn was wearing clothes that clung to her as if she’d applied them with superglue and feeling completely out of her comfort zone. Before leaving the locker room, she snatched her hoodie and pulled it over her head. She could claim it was because she was cold. Plus, she probably wouldn’t be doing obstacles right away. They were just going to warm up.
Lucas was waiting for her when she stepped inside the main part of the gym. The skylights flashed with the lightning outside, and the rain battered the roof, making it sound like they were inside a huge barrel. Lucas had changed into different clothes—a snug, black T-shirt and a pair of gray track pants. She worked hard not to stare.
Definitely failed.
Lucas smiled, clipboard in hand. “All ready to go?”
She shrugged. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He didn’t seem deterred by her lack of enthusiasm as he looked down at the clipboard. “All right. Let’s walk or jog a few laps around the track to get warmed up and then we’ll try The Wall.”
He said the last two words as if they were capitalized and should be followed by of Doom.
“Wait, hold up.” Taryn lifted a finger and pointed to the giant curved wall off to the left behind Lucas. “Surely you don’t mean that wall over there.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “The very one.”
“You’ve got jokes, Lucas.”
He gave her an amused glance. “No jokes. You’re trying that wall tonight.”
Yeah, and ice-skating in hell would follow that event. “You’re nuts.”
“Maybe.” He grinned and set aside his clipboard. “I said you’re safe with me. I never said I’d be easy on you.” He clapped his hands. “Now get moving, songbird.”
“Songbird?”
“Yep.” He started running in place. “A talented singer. But also a lady who’s doing a lot of crowing right now.”
She lifted a brow, affronted. “Did you just call me a crow? Don’t make me throw my shoe at you again.”
He jogged away. “You’ll have to catch me first.”
Well, that did it. She hadn’t been a runner in a long time, but that old
competitive spirit from track fired up at the challenge. She jogged after him toward the narrow indoor track and poked him in the arm when she caught up. “I’m out of practice, but not slow.”
“Getting cocky already, songbird,” he said, keeping pace with her.
She picked up her speed a little to pass him and put her arms out to flap them like wings. “Caw-caw.”
His deep laugh was a balm to the nerves she’d felt coming in here tonight. This wasn’t so bad. Lucas was easy to be around, and it actually felt good to be moving. She jogged ahead but didn’t push it too hard, still wary of what had happened at the race, and soon Lucas caught up and kept a steady pace with her.
“I want you to stay at the level of effort where you can talk but it’s a bit of a challenge to hold a conversation,” he said, his feet pounding the track next to her. “And never be afraid to ask for a break. I’ll push you because that’s what you’re coming here for, but I need to be able to trust you to tell me when it’s too much.”
“I’ll tell you,” she promised. “I’m not known for keeping my mouth shut.”
“Good. Now let’s sweat.”
Half an hour later, Taryn was warm from the inside out and dripping with sweat. Lucas looked like he was barely glistening. She hated him a little in that moment.
He handed her a bottle of water and a towel and then took a towel for himself. He wrapped it around his neck and nodded at her. “That was good work. Feeling okay?”
“I’m feeling out of shape.” She took a long sip of the water. “But okay.”
“Out of practice. That’s all,” he said, his tone reassuring. “But that’s why you’re here. Today will be the worst day. The only place to go from this point is up.”
“Right.”
“And by up, I mean up that wall.” He cocked his head toward the ridiculous obstacle.
She dried her face with the towel and groaned. “Still with the wall?”
“I keep promises,” he said, a wicked gleam in his eye. “You and I have a date with that wall.”
“I thought you didn’t date,” she teased.
“I make an exception for Wally. We’re in a steady relationship. And we’re about to invite you in.”
“That sounds dirty.” She tossed the towel aside and set her water bottle on the floor next to it. “And is it a requirement for all trainers to be sadists? Do they screen for that? Because I feel like you’re enjoying this a little too much.”
A dimple appeared in his left cheek. “Yes, it’s the third class in trainer school…How to Make Your Clients Hate You Before They Love You.”
“Uh-huh. Gotta be honest. Not loving you so much right now.”
“You’re not supposed to.” He turned. “Let’s get started.”
She frowned, his tone sounding different from the playful one he’d been using, but she followed him to the obstacle course area anyway.
Taryn put her hands on her hips and stared at the giant curved wall in front of her. The thing had to be twelve feet tall, and the rope she was supposed to capture near the top seemed to be miles away. It might as well have been hanging off the side of a ten-story building. “Shouldn’t I have, like, a skateboard or something to get up this thing? A rocket booster?”
Lucas picked up his clipboard from where he’d set it down before their run and then dug around in a gym bag near his feet. He handed her a set of kneepads. “Nope. But don’t freak out. Day one, I just need to see where you are so I can track your progress. It’s a benchmark. I expect you to suck at this one.”
“Well gee, thanks, Coach,” she said as she strapped on the knee pads. “Good speech. Very motivating. You should do a TED Talk.”
He smirked, blue eyes crinkling. “Would you rather I lie to you?”
She groaned and bounced on her toes, trying to rev herself up like she used to do before a race. “No, but a little positivity wouldn’t hurt.”
“Okay.” He swung his arm out. “The mat at the bottom is soft, and you’re wearing knee pads, so it probably won’t hurt that much when you fall.”
She gave him a droll look. “Are you supposed to want to hit your trainer?”
He set the clipboard aside and crossed his arms over that broad chest, looking like a Greek god with a mean streak. “You should take off the sweatshirt. The bulk is going to make it even harder to build momentum.”
“Right.” She wet her lips and, after a moment of panicked hesitation, nervously tugged off the shirt. When she dropped it to the side, leaving her in what amounted to a skintight tank top and leggings, she felt more than a little exposed, and the cold air was probably making things even more visible, but she tried to keep her expression neutral. This was a gym. These were gym clothes. Lucas’s gaze darted down her body and then quickly shifted to a spot over her shoulder.
He cleared his throat. “I’m ready when you are.”
The Wall. That was where her focus needed to be. Taryn let her gaze travel up the intimidating curve of the obstacle, and sweat broke out on her lip. She squatted down to make sure the knots on her shoelaces were tight and then stood and checked the waistband on the new workout leggings to make sure they weren’t going to give up on her when she tried to get up this damn wall.
Shaw lifted a brow, a little of the humor back. “You’re stalling.”
Taryn narrowed her eyes. “That is my right.”
He nodded, conceding the point. “If you’re too scared…”
Scared. She flexed her jaw and eyeballed the ramp again. Well, that did it. She was a lot of things, but she wasn’t a coward. It was a wall. So what if she fell? What was the worst that could happen? A hurt ego? A sore butt? Her pants ripping? Her bones breaking into a million—nope, not going to think about that. She squared her body toward the wall.
She took a deep breath, braced a foot behind her as though she was waiting for the starter pistol of a race, and then took off with as much power as she could. She made it two strides up the wall, her arms outstretched for the rope that was far out of reach, and then gravity took over and dragged her backward. She tried to catch herself, but the reverse momentum was too much. She fell onto her kneepads and slid down the wall on her hands and knees, eventually landing on the padded mat below with an indelicate grunt.
She slapped the mat. “Damn.”
“Seven feet,” Shaw said as he stepped up next to the wall and made a note on his clipboard. “Great. Now we know your starting point.”
“Is it good or bad?” she asked, sitting up on her knees.
He glanced over at her. “It’s neither. It’s your personal day one. Next time you try, you’ll be able to gauge whether you improved or not.”
She hated that answer. Her competitive side wanted to know if she was worse, average, or better than other people on day one. She got to her feet and stared the obstacle down, irritated with it for existing. “I want to try again.”
Lucas’s lips twitched at the corners, but he didn’t look up from his clipboard. He shrugged. “Go for it.”
Taryn backed up and took a breath. She tried to channel the frustration she was feeling into energy to help her get farther up the wall. One, two, three… She took off in a sprint, her arms pumping. Two steps up the wall and gravity laughed at her again, yanking her backward with even less grace than the first time. She slid down, losing her balance and planting onto her ass. She hit the mat with a gasp. “Ugh! This wall sucks.”
Lucas snorted. “Patience not a virtue of yours, songbird?”
“I have a doctorate,” she said grumpily. “I spent almost a decade in college and graduate school. I’m familiar with patience.”
“I can tell.”
“Hush.” She stood and dusted herself off like she’d fallen into mud instead of onto a mat. “Can you make it up the wall?”
“Yep,” he said without hesitation. “But I couldn’t
on the first day.”
She straightened her crooked top, trying to find some of her dignity. “Show me.”
He looked her way, unmoved. “This is your training session, not a competition. What does it matter to you if I can make it up the wall?”
She crossed her arms. “Because I’m not convinced anyone can do it. Maybe this is a marketing ploy to keep people coming back and trying.”
He huffed a laugh. “A marketing ploy?”
“Yes.” She nodded resolutely.
Lucas gave her a patient look, tossed aside the clipboard, and strode past her. Before she could even track his technique, he took off in a run and scaled the monster wall in a few strides. Instead of grabbing the rope, he gripped the top edge of the wall and hung from it. The muscles in his arms flexed in full relief, and his track pants hung low on his hips, exposing a tan strip of lower back. Taryn had to stop herself from gawking because hell, it wasn’t fair for anyone to look that good doing something as ridiculous as hanging from a wall.
Then, instead of dropping back down, Lucas pulled himself all the way up to the platform at the top, turned around, and sat on the edge of the wall. He looked down at her, hands gripping the edge and feet dangling. “Satisfied, professor?”
Taryn harrumphed. “Show-off.”
He stood and climbed down the ladder on the side of the wall and then hopped down, skipping the last few rungs. “You asked me to show off.”
“Well, you didn’t have to do such a good job of it,” she said petulantly.
He laughed and handed her the bottle of water she’d set down earlier. “I have high hopes for you. This is a good sign.”
“That I fell on my ass?”
“No.” He picked her towel off the floor and looped it around her neck, not touching her exactly, but getting in her space enough to call her body to attention. “That you’re pissed about it.” He released the towel and stepped back, his eyes meeting hers. “It means you’ll keep trying. It means you have fight.”