Sweat (Sweetbriar Lake #1)

by Rebecca Jenshak

  “I’m certain he doesn’t like me,” she said, stuffing the rest of her bagel in her mouth. She thought about this new information, wondering if it changed anything about last night. He had acted like he was interested, but the way he had left things, running off after they kissed… No. She was certain Ryan had realized his mistake mid-makeout. She considered telling her friend the whole story but didn’t want to relive the embarrassment.

  Claire interrupted her thoughts. “I wouldn’t be so certain. I think you and Ryan would be good together. He hasn’t dated anyone seriously in quite some time.”

  Elle pressed, curious about Ryan and who he was. “What’s the deal with him anyway? You guys went to high school together, and then he went away to college to come back and be a trainer in Sweetbriar? I know that sounds snobby and, don’t get me wrong, he’s a great trainer, but do you need a degree to be a trainer? I thought you just took some test online or something?” She realized she was rambling, but she had so many questions.

  “Elle, Ryan owns Fit Club. The abbreviated version is that he went to college on a full-ride football scholarship. After his first year, he was in a motorcycle accident that took him out of the sport. He stayed and finished his degree, and then he came back to Sweetbriar.” Claire spoke about Ryan with pride in her voice.

  Wow, talk about being an idiot. How many wrong turns could she take when it came to making assumptions about Ryan?

  “Ryan was in a motorcycle accident? I so can’t picture him on a motorcycle.”

  Claire nodded, a glint of excitement in her eye as if she was remembering a young, carefree Ryan. “Uh-huh, you didn’t know Ryan then. He was wild and cocky. Nothing and no one was going to stop him from conquering the world.”

  “He seems so reserved and serious now,” Elle said, thinking about his professional, composed side.

  Claire nodded. “Yeah, well, he changed. The accident changed him. Listen, it’s his story to tell. I probably told you more than he’d be comfortable with already. Just ask him. Ryan’s a good guy.”

  Elle mulled over the new information. She would have to dedicate some time later to figuring it all out.

  “Can you help me find a dress for a formal work event?” Elle asked, hoping to change the subject. “I think the last time I bought a fancy dress was for my senior prom, and that one came from JC Penney,” she added, thinking about the pastel and ruffle dresses in the back of her closet.

  Claire gaped, a look of horror on her face. “That is the saddest thing I have ever heard! Sure. I need to go to Caroll next weekend. Are you free on Saturday? I’m covering a salon there for the blog. We can dress shop afterward. I know some great stores,” she said, rubbing her hands together like an evil villain.

  “I have a feeling I may regret this,” Elle said, giving Claire the side eye. “But thank you. It means a lot.” She hadn’t had a friend like Claire since high school and had nearly forgotten how good it felt having someone to chat with over coffee.

  Claire shrugged. “No problem. Meet me at my apartment at 6:00 a.m. I’ll provide mass amounts of coffee and good tunes along the way.”

  Elle nodded. “I’m really glad I met you. You’re the best,” she said, giving her friend a warm smile.

  “Ditto!” Claire said, finishing her bagel and picking up her coffee. “I’m sorry to eat and run, but I left a very sexy man at home in bed. I promised to return with coffee.” Claire stood and grabbed her purse. “See ya at barre class this week!”

  Elle watched her new friend run off and wondered who had stayed with her last night. She tried to think back to all the men who were at the party but found she only remembered one.

  SUNDAY AFTERNOON, ELLE headed to her parents’ house on the edge of town. Although her Mom loved to socialize, Elle’s dad, Roger, had demanded a little bit of land for tinkering. The ranch-style home sat on three acres accessed by a long driveway lined with large pine trees. The effect was stunning and always had Elle feeling like she was driving into a private oasis.

  As she reached the end of the driveway, she spotted her father raking leaves in the front yard. He was tall and broadly built. His brown hair had thinned and grayed over the years, but decades of playing golf and tennis had kept him looking young and strong.

  “Hey, shortcake,” he said, leaning on the rake as she approached the house.

  Elle beamed at the nickname, even if she was too old for her dad to keep calling her that. “Hey, Dad. Looks like you’re working hard out here. Where’s Mom?”

  He tilted his head toward the door. “She’s inside. She’s been cooking all morning. She made your favorite — fettuccine. She even made some brownies”. He patted his stomach.

  Elle strolled up the stone path to the brick home. The familiar smells of her mother’s cooking greeted her as she entered. Mom was seated at the dining room table flipping through an Italian dictionary. Her parents were leaving for Italy next week for a three-week dream vacation, and her mother had been teaching herself some of the common phrases.

  “It smells great in here,” Elle said, inhaling deeply.

  “Grazie! I had to send your father outside before he ate every bite. I suppose I don’t cook as much anymore since it’s just the two of us.”

  Elle smiled. “Thanks for saving me some.”

  She filled her plate with a small portion of fettuccine and the smallest brownie.

  “Of course, dear. I’ll wrap up the extras for you to take home tonight,” Mom said, standing and opening the Tupperware cabinet.

  “Actually, let Dad have the extras. I joined Fit Club and have been working out with a trainer. I don’t want to spoil all my hard work.”

  “That’s great, honey. The owner teaches a water aerobics class once a week at the country club. I’ve heard he’s a very nice young man,” she said, placing the leftovers in containers and the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

  Even she knows Ryan? Elle gaped at her mother. “Ryan teaches a water aerobics class? I can’t picture that.”

  Elle tried and failed to picture Ryan shirtless leading a group of retired women in aerobics. The shirtless part wasn’t so hard to picture. She had visions of that constantly. Especially after feeling the hard muscles of his body. But he seemed far too serious and uptight to do something like teach aerobics.

  Her mother turned to look at her. “Oh, you’ve met Ryan?”

  Elle looked down at her plate. Oh, she’d met him all right. “Yes, he’s my trainer. Julia from work referred me to him.”

  “Oh… lucky you,” Mom crooned. Apparently, even her mother wasn’t immune to the gym god. “Yes, the ladies love his class. I’ve never been, but the session is quite popular.”

  “I bet it is,” Elle muttered under her breath.

  Elle’s mom turned back to the sink before she continued. “I believe your father was in the same class as his mother, Sue, in high school. I can’t remember for sure. We see them around from time to time. Good family. I hear the daughter is a bit of a wild child. She’s right around your age, I believe.”

  “Tori. I met her too. She teaches some classes at Fit Club.” Elle finished her food in silence while her mother cleaned the kitchen.

  It was a comforting feeling being at her parents’ house while they did everyday tasks. She spent a lazy afternoon curled up on the couch in the living room, watching a sappy romantic comedy and avoiding her own lonely place.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ELLE SIPPED HER third coffee while she drafted a trust document for a new client. The office was quiet except for the sound of the keyboard clicking. She had arrived at the office hours earlier than anyone else and thrown herself into her work. She was thankful for the distraction. She had spent all night tossing and turning, replaying the car ride with Ryan and thinking through all the things she had learned about him since then from her mother and Claire.

  Her eyes strayed to her phone, and despite the fact that Ryan had made no further attempt to contact her since the single text that night, she c
hecked it anyway. Nothing. Hopefully, sometime in the next nine hours, she’d figure out what she was going to say when she saw him.

  The chime of the office’s front door rang out, and Elle leaned back in her chair and waved at Julia, who was just getting to the office. She set her purse down on her desk and shrugged off her coat before joining Elle in her office.

  “You’re here early,” Julia noted, sitting down in a chair in front of Elle’s desk.

  Elle nodded. “Just catching up on a few things. How was your weekend?” she asked, hoping to turn the focus off herself.

  Julia’s eyes grew large, and she let out a squeal before diving into all the fabulous things she’d done over the weekend. She left nothing to the imagination, giving Elle every detail of her most recent date, where they went, who was there, what they ate — and more. Her mind started wandering somewhere during Julia’s monologue, and Elle’s thoughts drifted back to Ryan.

  Snapping her fingers in front of Elle’s face, Julia brought her back to the moment. “Earth to Elle.”

  “Sorry,” she smiled apologetically, “I’m a little tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

  Seemingly uninterested in why Elle was tired, Julia didn’t pry. At least not on that topic.

  “I saw Ryan yesterday at Fit Club. Good Lord, he just gets better looking.” Julia gazed upward dreamily and then looked to Elle. “How are the workouts? Is he making you sweat?” she asked in a seductive voice and batted her lashes.

  Warmth spread across her face, and Elle was certain she was the color of a tomato as she responded. “What? No.” She waved a hand dismissively. “I mean, yes, the workouts are great.” Shaking her head, she rambled on. “He’s a really good trainer. I’m glad you talked me into going.”

  “Good morning, ladies.” Clive’s voice traveled across the office, and Elle greeted him, happy when Julia did the same, and then stood to follow him.

  The rest of the day went by in a blur, and Elle was entering Fit Club sooner than she wanted. Her hands shook as she walked out of the locker room. She was fifteen minutes early but couldn’t find Ryan anywhere. She wandered around, checking his office and all the other rooms upstairs before heading back downstairs. Maybe he had forgotten about their meeting. She was ready to give up and head back up to the cardio machines when she finally spotted him.

  He was shirtless — holy crap! — and in the boxing ring with Chris, the man she had talked to at Claire’s party. Ryan’s blond hair was matted down and, even from afar, she could tell his whole body glistened with sweat. He moved with a quickness and agility that was so impressive, combined with the fact he was shirtless, making her stop in her tracks.

  After several people said, “Excuse me,” Elle realized she was holding up traffic on the stairs and found herself mindlessly traversing from the bottom of the stairway and across the gym. Her body gravitated to him without making any decision to do so. Tori and a few others were gathered around watching the two in the ring. Elle stood next to Tori, completely awestruck.

  Tori turned to her and smiled before quickly focusing back on the action.

  Elle smiled briefly but didn’t take her eyes off the two men. They were quite a sight. Chris was tall — several inches taller than Ryan’s six-foot build — and was built like a tank. He was bigger than Ryan in every way, but Ryan was quicker. As the two men danced around each other, jabbing then bouncing back, Elle found herself mesmerized.

  The sound of a cell-phone alarm went off, and the fight ended abruptly as the boxers moved apart, and Ryan jumped out of the ring. He grabbed his phone and shirt, and with a nod to Chris, he headed straight toward her.

  Elle watched as he pulled the shirt over his head. It was a shame to cover up a single inch. She wanted to lick the sweat right off him.

  Ryan stalked past her, talking as he went. “Let’s go to my office before we start the workout.” His voice was gruff and breathy as he turned slightly to make eye contact.

  Elle nodded and followed him. At the foot of the stairway, he stopped and motioned for her to go ahead. He placed a hand on her lower back as he followed. The light touch sent her mind and pulse racing.

  She entered his office first, running through her prepared speech in her head. She was ready to move forward and pretend as if the kiss in her car had meant nothing. Indifference was her friend. As she turned to break the silence, he backed her into the corner behind the door and closed it from behind with his foot.

  “Please tell me I’m not alone in this—” He waved a hand between them. “—whatever this is. I can’t stop thinking about you and about doing this again.”

  Before she could respond, Ryan pressed her up against the wall, his face inches from hers. He had one hand in her hair and the other beside her head, trapping her, not that she minded. Her heart raced, and her chest rose and fell as her breathing quickened. He was deliciously sweaty and warm. She smiled into his mouth and reached out to explore his body, but just like that… he was gone.

  He’d stepped away, leaving her breathless and wanting more. Standing behind his desk, he watched her every movement through dark, hooded eyes. She hadn’t answered him, Elle realized, and he looked like he was doing his best to restrain himself. The look of anticipation in his eyes and the way he stood clenching his hands into fists made him appear intimidating and seriously hot.

  She found her voice, not recognizing the breathy sounds that came out as she answered. “No, definitely not alone. But I thought you weren’t interested? You took off from my place so fast the other night.”

  He leaned forward, placing his hands on his desk, hanging his head down. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Elle. Kissing clients isn’t good for business. It’s not something I’ve done… ever.” He lifted his head and looked straight into her eyes.

  “On the contrary. I think it would be very good for business,” she said with a smirk and advanced a few steps.

  “No way, woman. Stay over there!” Ryan said, straightening and moving farther behind the desk practically hugging the wall.

  “Are you serious?” she said with a laugh.

  His eyes went wide. “Dead serious. I can’t control myself if you get any closer, and I still owe you a training session.”

  “And how do you suppose you’re going to train me without getting any closer?” Elle realized she was goading him, but she couldn’t help it. She was ecstatic to have a chance to flirt and kiss with this man and would take that however she could get it.

  “I think I have an idea.” Ryan grinned. “Let’s go.”

  She followed him out the front door of Fit Club where he flashed a devilish smile and then took off at a jog away from the building.

  “Are you serious?” she mumbled and fell in behind him.

  She managed to keep his pace for the first few blocks, either from pure stubbornness or the adrenaline high from their kiss that was still coursing through her body. They ran through the town passing women pushing strollers, groups of teenagers skateboarding, and older couples sitting on benches.

  By the time the lake was in view, she gave up all pretenses of keeping up and dropped back. He circled around and they fell into an easy jog until they reached the water’s edge.

  Elle stopped, holding up one hand for mercy and clutching her side with the other as she gasped, panting and cursing her smart mouth. It had gotten her in over her head many times before, but this was the first time she had suffered physical trauma because of it.

  Ryan stopped and peered out over the lake. “Let’s stop here and stretch before we run back.”

  Elle tumbled to the ground. “No way,” she said, fighting for air. “I’m staying right here forever. My legs can’t go any farther.”

  Ryan stood over her, smiling down. “You did great. That was nearly two miles.” He offered her a hand. “Stand up. You stop now, and it’ll hurt worse once we head back. We can walk back slowly. I’ll carry you, if needed.” He winked.

  “I may take you up on that.” She truly wasn’t
sure she had it in her to even walk. “What made you want to become a trainer?”

  Ryan looked at the ground for a moment, kicking a rock and watching it sail toward the water.

  “I was in a motorcycle accident in college,” he said quietly then cleared his throat and continued. “I had always been involved in sports — the son of a football coach. I started going with him to practice around the time I could walk. Sports came easy to me. It was who I was. Ryan, the football player.” He held his hands up in the air like she imagined he had when he’d thrown a touchdown pass and flashed her a big smile that made him look young and carefree. “Then after the accident, I sort of lost myself. I didn’t know who I was. I came home for the summer and did physical therapy and worked out with Chris, my buddy you met at Claire’s party, every chance I had. What had been my obsession with sports became an obsession with the body. I wanted to help people become stronger, faster, whatever their goal.”

  “That’s really admirable. I always had it in my mind that trainers were mostly people who wanted to get paid for working out or staring at girls in yoga pants,” she said, looking up at him sheepishly. “You have a real gift.”

  “Thanks. It’s not as fancy as being a lawyer, but it fulfills me.”

  “And football? You never thought about playing again?”

  He shook his head. “Nah. If I’m honest, I think I got wrapped up in the hype of being a football player. Once I saw how quickly those people turned away when I got hurt, I had no desire to go back.”

  She saw the pain in his eyes and wanted to personally beat the shit out of everyone who had let him down when he’d needed it. “That sucks. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It all worked out for the best.” He grabbed her hand.

  His touch made her giddy. He cupped her fingers, loose and casual, but there was nothing casual about how the rough callouses rubbing against her smooth skin made her feel. “Fit Club is amazing. You should be proud of what you’ve built. It’s impressive,” Elle said, swinging his arm lightly.