“You mean Angel?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“You still had feelings for your real estate agent while you were dating me. I was never the only one. It took me threatening to leave for you to realize you couldn’t keep both of us in your back pocket.”
“That’s not true. You are the only one that I love. It’s just that it was so hard for me to tell a woman to back off, especially one that helped me in the past. It’s always been the other way around, you know, women telling me to back off. Now, don’t get me wrong, I cared about Jessica, but I wasn’t in love with her. When I met you, I knew you were something special.”
“I’m sorry, Sean. We’re not going to just pick up where we left off. The pain you caused me that night is still there. I told you that I’ve been hurt before. You don’t understand how hard it is to... Please, I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Can I come see you? Maybe you will change your mind. I can’t convince you over the phone, Karlina. I need to see you.”
“No, definitely not tonight. I had a long day at the office and I was just getting ready for bed.”
“Tomorrow or Saturday, maybe?”
“I have a hair appointment tomorrow after work and on Saturday I have some other business to take care of.”
“Are you making excuses?”
“No, those aren’t excuses. But I don’t know why you want to see me. I’ve told you that it’s over.”
“It’s over, huh? Do you tell yourself that every night so that you can believe it?” he asked.
“Sean, I don’t want a relationship anymore. Not with you and not with anyone else. You would be better off with someone who shares that interest with you. Someone batshit crazy—”
“Okay. Well, let’s start over. We don’t have to pick up where we left off. I want to be with you and I’ll be with you any way you allow me to.”
When I didn’t say anything in response, he went on. “I have two offers on the Ridgeview Road property. I expect to negotiate a sale by this weekend. Maybe we can celebrate with our profit next week.”
“Sean, I told you that I don’t want your money.”
He sighed heavily into the phone. “Why are you so stubborn?”
“Look, Sean, I have to go. My parents are expecting my call tonight and it’s getting really late.”
“Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow.”
When I got off the phone with him, I took a very hot shower and went to bed.
18
As I pulled up into the parking lot of Jonathan’s gym, I couldn’t believe that I had actually agreed to go with him. Only weeks after I had broken it off with Sean, I was already getting involved with someone else. However, it was so easy for me to accept Jonathan as a friend because I already knew that he wasn’t looking for a commitment. He wasn’t going to tell me he loved me one day and then drop a bombshell on me the next. Jonathan didn’t want a relationship, and neither did I. It was the perfect situation to get my mind off what had happened between Sean and me.
As I began to park my car, I spotted Jonathan by the door, greeting people. He seemed like he was very popular with his customers. Many of them already knew him by name, as I had observed during my latest visits to the gym. I wondered how I hadn’t met him as the owner over the past month. Maybe I hadn’t been paying attention. I grabbed my handbag and got out of the car and started walking towards Jonathan. He saw me right away and met me halfway in the parking area.
“Hi,” he greeted me and then gave me the once over. “You look great! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in jeans before.”
“Just my workout wear and slacks, right? Thanks for the compliment.”
“You looked hot at the nightclub. Or were you too drunk to remember that night?”
I shrugged. “Oh, I remember that whole night.”
“Well, sounds like you can hold your liquor better than I can. Let’s take my car.” He gestured towards an area on the other side of the parking lot. He led me towards a silver Ford Mustang. He held the door for me to let me in then went around the other side, got in, and started up the car.
“Thanks for coming with me. I went last year by myself and discovered that everyone else had a date or came with a group of other people. This year, I’ll have the prettiest woman at my side.”
I smiled. “Thanks for the compliment, but that almost sounds as if you’re using me, you know, kind of like who has the best-looking girl on their arm or something.”
“I’m not using you. I want your company today. But, yes, to tell you the truth, you will be the best-looking girl there.”
“We’ll see. I hope you’re not disappointed when you get there and we have to leave because I don’t live up to your prediction,” I teased.
“That won’t happen.” He shook his head as he backed out of the parking lot.
“So, what do you do, Jonathan, besides manage your gym?”
“I actually own two gyms. The one you go to and another on the south side of Atlanta, so I’m back and forth between them. I’m the owner and the general manager of both. I also work with a small company here in Atlanta as a systems administrator.”
“I see. So, you’re a busy man, huh?”
“Hardly.” He smiled. “What’s your profession?”
“I’m a secretary.”
“Okay.”
“You’re probably thinking how boring that is, but I’ve had a couple setbacks recently. I finally made the decision to get my shit in order and not let anything else stand in the way of my career goals.”
“Well, good,” he said, turning onto the interstate. Then he looked at me and asked, “Do you have to leave at a certain time?”
“Not really. Why?”
“Well, I don’t want to keep you all day. I know you have a man and stuff, so I didn’t want him to get jealous.”
I turned to look at him and said, “You told me that my man wasn’t of any concern to you, so why are you worried about him now?”
“No, I’m not concerned about him, I’m just concerned about you. I don’t want to keep you if you’re ready to go.”
“Oh, well, I’ll let you know.”
I wasn’t going to tell him anytime soon that I was no longer in a relationship. I didn’t want to get his hopes up where he would change his mind about just being friends. I liked it this way.
When we arrived at the convention, it took us twenty minutes to find parking because the parking garages reserved for it were already packed. Jonathan greeted a few people that he knew from somewhere or another, paid the entrance fee, and led me by the waist into the building where the convention was held. There were stations placed strategically throughout the building, and the entire place was buzzing with conversation.
Jonathan squeezed me into his side and whispered into my ear, “Let’s walk over to the fitness area. I’m looking for some new equipment to put in the men’s and ladies’ section of my gyms. You can help me choose.”
We began walking and he led me to the section that he was talking about. Jonathan was right, almost everyone was walking around as a couple or in a group. Only a few were walking around by themselves. Almost everyone I saw was extremely fit, too skinny, or looked like a body builder, both women and men.
As if reading my mind, Jonathan answered my unasked question. “Most of the people who come to these conventions are extreme health and fitness gurus. Some of them own gyms, or fitness and dance studios throughout Georgia, as well as other states. This is their chance to get a hold of a product or concept that hasn’t yet been put on the market to the general public yet.”
Jonathan walked up to a booth and was greeted by a man who was marketing weights and exercise equipment. As the man instructed his assistant to demonstrate to Jonathan how the equipment worked, I kind of tuned out for a moment. I couldn’t help but wonder what Sean was doing right then. Was he at his investment property making a sale? Was he out scouting another property to flip and make a profit on? How lo
ng would it take for him to forget about me and move on? I knew too well that he wouldn’t have any problems finding someone new with his good looks. And to top it off, sex with him was addictive. That was the one thing I wasn’t too happy about giving up.
“Karlina, what do you think about this one?”
I turned to look at the equipment. “Well, it looks as though both men and women could use this easily, so you shouldn’t have any problems with wasting any money. Also, I see that there is a good range of weights to choose from when using it. You’re not limited to two or three sizes, like most other machines like this one.”
Jonathan smiled and looked at the man. “To tell you the truth, we just arrived. Before I make the final decision, I want to see what else is out there.”
“I can understand that. But you won’t find one that does everything that this one does. If you happen to come across any, swing back by here and I’ll see about getting you a better offer.”
“Sounds good.”
Jonathan and I walked to another station where we taste-tested a few energy drinks. Almost two hours later, we were both exhausted and hyper at the same time over all the energy drinks and food supplements that we had tasted along the way. Jonathan had managed to consult with vendors about purchasing three new pieces of fitness equipment for each gym and had an appointment next week with a vendor about adding a section in the gym to offer energy drinks and nutritional smoothies.
When we were outside the door, I said, “My feet are killing me. You better be glad I like you just a little bit.”
“Oh…I’m so sorry,” he said, “I’ll rub your feet when we get in the car. I hope this doesn’t discourage you from going anywhere with me again.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t think I’ll ever agree to go anywhere with you again.”
“Oh, yeah?” He stopped, and before I could protest, he’d picked me up in his arms in one sweep. “Well, I guess I’ll have to carry you around everywhere I want you to go, then.”
I giggled. “Jonathan, put me down before you drop me.”
“I won’t drop you,” he said, continuing to walk towards the parking garage with me in his arms. “I promise.”
“I won’t let you carry me all the way to your car,” I said, kicking my legs.
“It’s not that far,” he said. “Besides, how much do you weigh, ninety pounds?”
“No, silly. I weigh much more than ninety pounds. I would be stick-skinny if I weighed ninety pounds.”
“You smell good, too.” He leaned forward and pressed his nose into my neck.
I giggled in response as his nose lightly touched my skin.
“Ticklish, huh?”
I nodded.
He leaned forward again and moved his nose back and forth across my neck.
I laughed out loud, trying to escape from his arms.
“You’re attracting attention,” he whispered.
I looked up just as we passed a group of people walking in the opposite direction. “You’re the one tickling me.”
We finally made it to the parking garage entrance and he carried me into the elevator.
“Where else are you ticklish?” he whispered into my ear.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Are you gonna let me find out?”
“No.”
“Feet feel better?” We walked out of the elevator towards his Mustang.
“Not really, the arches still hurt. But I’ll be okay,” I said and then I turned to look at him and asked, “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yeah, I’m really hungry.” When we got to his car, he used one hand to open the driver side door while still holding me in his arms. “It’s a little late for lunch, but there are some places we can still have a nice meal, if you want. But first, let’s take care of your feet.”
He pulled up the driver side seat and placed me gently on his back seat.
“Yes, I would like some lunch,” I said. “But, what are you doing?” Surely, he didn’t mean for me to sit in the back seat of his car.
“Can I give you a foot massage?”
“Well…”
“I promise you’ll like it. I’m also a licensed massage therapist. I’m sure you’ll feel better afterward.”
He got in the backseat with me and I scooted so that my back was resting against the other side of his car. He had already reached for my feet and was pulling my shoes off.
“Oh, really? Like at the spa kind of massage?”
“Even better…”
He knelt between my legs and placed both feet on either of his thighs and began massaging my ankles. His hands were really soft and gentle against my skin. It felt so relaxing.
“That feels so good.”
He began gently kneading my heels with the palms of his hands and fingertips. “Relax,” he whispered softly.
I closed my eyes and relaxed just as Jonathan instructed. All of a sudden, I forgot about the pain in my feet and was focused on the relaxing massage he was giving me.
“Your feet are so soft.” He was rubbing the bottom while moving my ankle in small, slow circles. He used his fingers to massage my toes. He stopped, and I could feel him holding my feet up for his inspection. “Your toes are pretty.” He took my right foot in both of his hands and began to knead and massage.
I breathed deeply as he worked.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”
I nodded, my eyes still closed in satisfaction. Next, he took the left foot in his hands and did the same. “Gosh, you look gorgeous with your eyes closed like that,” he whispered.
I opened my eyes and saw him staring at me with those enchanting green eyes. “You’re enjoying this more than I am, aren’t you?”
“This ‘just friends’ idea we both have may not work out quite the way it’s supposed to. You make me have naughty thoughts that I shouldn’t be having, you know that?”
“Or are you just a naughty boy?” I asked, pulling my feet gently away.
“Oh, no, I’m not done with you yet,” he said, pulling my feet back towards him. I watched as he placed one foot on his chest and lifted the other up to his mouth to place small kisses from my heels to my toes.
“Jonathan, what are you doing?” I asked.
“Making sure you don’t feel any more pain,” he mumbled.
“Well, I don’t.”
“You sure?” he asked, licking my toes.
“Jonathan…I—foot massages usually don’t include kissing the feet. Do you do this every time that you—”
“No,” he interrupted me. “Just yours. You seem to be comfortable with your feet. And they just look so good.” He lifted my other foot and licked those toes, as well.
He looked as if he were enjoying every moment of it. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that he was extremely turned on by it.
“Jonathan—”
“I’m sorry. I have a foot fetish.” He smiled, teasingly.
“Are you kidding?”
He shook his head. “I am so not kidding.”
“That’s okay. At least, you’re honest. That was the best massage I’ve ever had.”
He smiled and reached for my heels and placed them back on my feet. “Where do you want to go for lunch?”
“A sandwich shop, maybe. Someplace where I can get something light. Maybe, Mr. Fitness Guru?”
“Okay,” He helped me out of the back of the car and into the passenger seat.
We had a short lunch at the deli at my request. After the light meal, Jonathan pulled up beside my car at the gym. “Thank you for agreeing to come along with me. I had a great time with you.”
“I had a great time, as well.”
“Will you at least give me a call? I’m not that bad as a friend, am I?”
“No, you’re not so bad. See you on Monday?” I had been referring to my regular night at his gym.
“You know I’ll be here.”
Before getting out of the car, I leaned in towards him and k
issed him on the cheek. “Thanks again for the massage.”
As I walked towards my car and got in, I felt happy again for the first time since that dreadful night weeks ago.
19
I put on a pair of diamond earrings that my mother had bought for me for Christmas. It was Friday night, and I was getting ready for my night out. With Jonathan, of course. He’d invited me to a nearby bar to play a few games of pool with him. Even though I wasn’t much of a pool player, I agreed to go out with him anyway. I was getting tired of spending weekends at home by myself. I had called Jonathan once after our outing at the convention. He stayed as busy as I did between his two gyms and his regular part-time job, but finally called me on Friday morning while I was at work to invite me out tonight.
My cell phone rang and I ran over to the living room to grab it from my coffee table. Before looking at the caller id, I answered, “Hello?”
“Hi, Karlina.” It was Sean.
“Hi.”
“How are you?”
“I’m well.” How many times would he call to say sorry? How many dozen roses would he have delivered to my office and my condo before he gave up?
“I haven’t talked to you in almost three weeks. I know you don’t want to hear this again, but I really miss you.” When I didn’t say anything, he continued, “Why won’t you let me see you?”
“I don’t think it’s necessary to see me if we are no longer dating.”
“What about as friends?”
“I don’t have friends who are liars.”
“Karlina, why are you making this so hard on me?”
“Sean, when I met you, all you had to do was tell me that you had just come out of a serious relationship. Instead, you brushed it off as nothing.”
“If you are referring to Jessica and me, then that was not a serious relationship. I told you that we messed around a few times, but she obviously had more love for me than I did for her. It started out as professional between Jessica and me.. At that time, it took me a long while to give in to her sexual advances. Finally, I did. But, that was way before I met you, Karlina.”
Seduced by Sin: Sean (Rugged Riders #3) Page 10