Jake grinned as J.T. fired off a rocket to second base and caught the runner stealing for the final out of the game. For a few seconds, he watched the Blaze players perform the customary congratulatory handshakes on the infield and then turned off the TV. After washing a few dishes and leaving them on the dish rack to dry, he grabbed the leash hanging from a peg by the front door and clipped it to Max’s collar. As he was every evening, Max was enthusiastic about his evening walk to nearby William Land Park. His whole body wriggled with excitement—which just proved that despite his age, he was still a puppy at heart.
A half hour later, as he and Max came upon the duck pond, Jake’s cell phone vibrated. Halting at water’s edge, he fished it from the front pocket of his khakis and glanced at the screen.
Melissa.
“What’s up?” he asked as he put the phone to his ear.
“I’ve been thinking about your idea.”
“And?”
“I’m not sure having you pose as my date is such a good idea.”
“I’m a better candidate than some random guy from an escort service.”
“Oh my God, when you say it like that, it sounds so cheap. And desperate.”
Jake tightened his grip on Max’s leash as a large flock of ducks paddled furiously toward shore. A few feet away, a couple and their young daughter were poised near the edge of the pond with a bag of bread. Feeding the ducks was a popular pastime in the park and the ducks had no fear of approaching humans. Although Max wanted to investigate, he nonetheless obediently sank to his haunches and silently watched the ducks as they enthusiastically squawked and fought for the best position near the shore.
“You’re neither cheap nor desperate.”
“Well, thanks. But I’ve decided to go to the wedding by myself.”
“Are you sure?” Jake asked.
After several silent seconds, Melissa finally spoke. “Yes.” Her tentative tone didn’t convince him but he wasn’t going to twist her arm. The weird thing was he was a bit disappointed—he’d actually been looking forward to spending the weekend in Monterey. With Melissa.
“If you change your mind, let me know.”
“I will,” she said. “So I’ll see you Wednesday night?”
“Yep.” Jake tugged at Max’s leash and together, they moved away from the ducks and their loud quacks of hungry excitement. He retraced his steps to the walking path and headed toward the park exit with Max by his side. “I’ve decided to change things up a bit. We’re going to have some fun with kettlebells.”
“Kettlebells?” she asked, her tone dubious. “What are those? And how can they possibly be any fun?”
“You’ll see.”
Melissa’s groan made him smile. “I hate it when you say that. It usually means I’m going to be sore the next day.”
Jake laughed. “You’ll thank me later.”
“I’m not sure if I’ll be thanking you or cursing you,” Melissa said, with amusement. “I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“See you then,” he said, almost reluctant to end the call. “And remember what I said. If you need a date for the wedding, I’m your man.”
* * *
I’m your man.
Now wouldn’t that be something? Melissa set her phone on the arm of the sofa and turned her attention to the post-game media session on the sports channel. Questions were currently being fielded by Trey Gentry, the Blaze’s number two pitcher behind two-time Cy Young award-winner Dave Rizzo. Currently in his second season, Gentry was a hot property, on and off the field.
But instead of ogling Gentry’s obvious physical attributes, her thoughts were elsewhere. Was she crazy, or what? She’d just given up the perfect opportunity to spend time with Jake outside of the confines of their training sessions. Oh, they’d met a number of times at Starbucks, but that was to discuss her training schedule. Granted, once they’d taken care of business, they lingered over coffee and discussed a variety of topics. But that didn’t mean anything. Jake was friendly and personable with everyone. He probably met with all of his personal training clients outside of the gym from time to time. He cared about his clients’ health and took time outside of the training sessions to check in with them and encourage them.
It wasn’t just Jake’s good looks that affected her. After all, she saw her share of hunky guys almost every day. Working in the administration office at the fire department did have its perks. But none of the firemen she’d come into contact with were as gorgeous as Jake, nor did they treat her as anything other than the employee who handled their payroll issues. Most of them usually stared straight through her like she was invisible. Not Jake. When they were in a training session, his attention was wholly focused on her and if another member approached him during the session, Jake would politely tell them he’d speak with them later and send them on their way. And during the few times they’d had coffee it was as if no one else existed except her. After years of being ignored by the majority of men it was a heady feeling.
There were many times that she’d had to remind herself that he treated every client the same way, and she was afraid if she allowed him to be her escort to the wedding it might raise her hopes for something that—for a variety of reasons—just couldn’t happen. He had a policy of not dating his gym members or his clients. He hadn’t told her that himself, she’d overheard a group of women in the locker room discussing it. Evidently, a few of them had tried—and failed—to get him to go out with them. If he wouldn’t break his rule for those beautiful and athletic women, he sure wouldn’t be tempted to break it with her.
The musical ringtone of her phone jerked her out of her thoughts. Next to her, Chester lifted his head and stared at her with a look that said, “Answer the phone, bitch. It’s disturbing my nap.” With a smile, Melissa picked up the phone, read the name on the small screen and just as quickly, her humor evaporated. Why is Shauna calling me?
“Hello.”
“Melissa, Mother tells me she still doesn’t have your RSVP for the wedding. It’s poor form to wait so long to respond.” Shauna’s voice dripped with annoyance. Good God. She was sounding more like Aunt Beverly with each passing day. Not for the first time, Melissa wondered what had happened to the cousin she’d goofed around with at slumber parties when they were nine. She missed that Shauna. This Shauna she didn’t even recognize.
“It’s been on the kitchen counter for a few days. I forgot to mail it.”
“There’s no time left to wait for snail mail. Just tell me if you’re coming or not. I’ll make sure Mother knows so she can inform the caterer.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Was that so hard?” Shauna asked, in a haughty tone. “Since Paige is staying in Pebble Beach with the rest of the bridal party, you’ll have your own room at the Hyatt Regency. Kurt’s cousin, Wendy—the poor thing—is also attending the wedding alone. Perhaps you can share a room with her? You two have a lot in common.”
“Really? Like what?”
“Well, she’s...she’s big-boned.”
Melissa stifled a snort. That was a new one. “Big-boned? Why don’t you say what you really mean, Shauna? She’s fat, like me.”
“Not exactly like you. You, at least, have dropped a few pounds. She’s quite large.”
“So she’d make a perfect roommate for me?”
“Exactly,” Shauna said, missing the sarcasm. “And like you, she doesn’t have a date.”
Anger simmered in Melissa’s blood. Was Shauna lacking a sensitivity chip or just being deliberately cruel? Oh wait. This was Shauna—it was both.
“I have a date,” she shot back without thinking, and was met with total silence.
“You do?” Shauna asked after several seconds.
Oh crap. What have I done?
“Yes. And I’ll be sharing my room with him, not Kurt’s cousin.”
After another taut silence, Shauna cleared her throat. “I assumed you weren’t dating anyone.”
“You assumed wrong. I’v
e been seeing someone for six months,” Melissa said, and shrugged at Chester, whose yellow eyes seemed oddly dubious. Even he knew she was lying through her teeth.
“Then I’ll inform Mother you have a plus-one.” Shauna’s cool tone returned. “Please tell Paige I meant what I said about the tattoos. When I spoke to her at the shower she said she was thinking about getting one.”
This was news to Melissa. She smiled. Paige was notorious for messing with Shauna. Why not continue the tradition? “Yeah, I think she’s getting a sleeve.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s when you get a tattoo on your entire arm. It covers your skin like the sleeve of a shirt.”
“Why would anyone do that to themselves?” Shauna asked in a horrified tone.
“Some consider it art.”
“I consider it ugly. I hope she waits until after the wedding.”
“Don’t count on it. You know Paige. When she makes up her mind to do something, she usually does it. You know what? I think she’s at the tattoo place right now. Don’t worry, though. You can always Photoshop her out of the picture.”
“I would never do that.” Shauna’s tone was filled with outrage.
“Right. You’d never do that.” Melissa rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you in two weeks.”
After she’d disconnected from Shauna, Melissa scrolled through her contacts and hit the call button when she came to Jake’s number. He would think she was a lunatic, but now that she’d lied to her cousin she couldn’t very well turn up without a date. And Jake did say to call if she changed her mind.
“Two calls in one night. How did I get so lucky?” The warmth in Jake’s voice caused her pulse to heighten.
“I’ve changed my mind.” She gnawed on her thumbnail and glanced at Chester, who was still staring at her with his shrewd eyes. She wrinkled her nose at him and continued, “Are you still willing to take me to the wedding?”
“Of course. What made you reconsider?”
“Shauna. She just called and made some crack about me not having a date.”
“Then we’ll have to show her you do.”
“There’s just one thing.” She bit her lip and hoped that Jake would be okay with the room situation. “We’ll have to share a room.”
“I see,” he said, after a short silence.
“I’m sure there’re two beds in the room. There usually are. It’s just that Shauna wanted to pair up me and Kurt’s cousin Wendy in the same room because we both didn’t have dates. That’s when I got pissed and told her I did have a date and that’s who I’d be sharing a room with.” She paused. “Are you okay with that?”
“That depends. Do you snore?”
“Not that I’m aware of. Do you?”
“Only when I have a cold and can’t breathe through my nose.” He paused. “Too much information?”
Melissa chuckled. “No. So are you really okay with sharing a room? It won’t be weird or anything since I’m your client?”
“You’re also my friend and I want to help. Sharing a room is not a problem. I had roommates in college...it’s not a big deal.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be a big deal to Jake. He didn’t think of her as a woman, she was just his client. But Shauna wouldn’t know that, would she? Melissa couldn’t help but imagine the look on her cousin’s face when she discovered Jake was her date. Maybe Paige would be nearby with her trusty smartphone. The pictures would be priceless.
“Thank you so much for doing this, Jake. I really appreciate it.”
“You won’t be appreciating me much longer. I can guarantee you on Thursday morning your muscles are going to be so sore you’ll wish you’d never met me.”
Melissa smiled. Wish she’d never met him? That would never happen.
Chapter Three
Ignoring the tiny beads of sweat clinging to her forehead, Melissa gripped the handle of the kettlebell and with both hands, hoisted it from between her spread feet to her chest. As she exhaled, she focused on Jake’s no-nonsense expression and bit back a groan. J.T. Sawyer had been right all those months ago when she’d signed up for personal training with his brother: if she was looking for torture, then Jake was her man. But despite the intensity of his workouts, he always changed them up to make them interesting, and never once had she been injured. He took great care to ensure proper form.
“This is the last one.” Her benevolent torturer gave her a nod of encouragement. “Lift it over your head and then we’re done for the night.”
Done for the night? Yeah, right. More like done for the decade after the strenuous workout she’d just endured. As rivulets of moisture trickled down the nape of her neck, she pushed the ten-pound bell up and over her head. Her arms, not used to the new routine, trembled, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to hold them steady.
“Okay. Lower it.” As she obeyed his command, Jake moved forward and, mercifully, took the kettlebell from her grasp. “Great job, Melissa. Your physical conditioning has improved tremendously since we first started.”
Melissa backed up and sank down on the padded weight bench behind her. “Isn’t that the truth? I could barely walk a mile on the treadmill without getting winded. Now I can run almost three miles without stopping.” She reached for her towel, mopped her brow and watched Jake return the kettlebell to a rack in the nearby corner. She checked out his backside and then quickly averted her eyes and wiped the back of her neck as he turned around and returned to stand in front of her. “I guess that’s why you were voted the top personal trainer in Sacramento last year.” She looked up at him. “You work us hard, but you get results.”
“I get results when I have clients who take changing their lifestyle seriously. Not everyone is as motivated as you are.” He glanced at his watch. “I have another appointment in five minutes. Are you going straight home?”
“No. I thought I’d soak in the hot tub for a bit. Why?”
“I want to talk to you about a couple of things. One of which is the wedding.” He scanned the weight room, then lowered his voice even though there were no other members within earshot. “I’ll be done with my consultation in about an hour. Can we talk then?”
“Sure.” She nodded. Was he was having second thoughts about escorting her to Shauna’s wedding?
“Great. I’ll meet you in my office at eight-thirty.”
Almost an hour later, after a relaxing soak in the large spa tub in the women’s locker room followed by a quick shower, Melissa approached Jake’s office not far from the entrance of the gym and hesitated near the threshold when she heard the sound of his voice. She glanced at her sports watch and confirmed she was early. Not a problem. That gave her time to go to the juice bar for a protein smoothie. Her stomach would appreciate it—she’d worked late and missed dinner before her training session.
“Are you sure you can’t bend that rule a tiny bit?”
Melissa froze and for some strange reason her heart started to pound. After her last bout with eavesdropping one would think she’d have learned her lesson but, au contraire, curiosity won out and instead of heading to the juice bar, she inched closer to the half-open door. Call her crazy, but she had a feeling the woman who’d just posed that question to Jake wasn’t talking about the gym’s safety or courtesy rules.
“I’m sorry, Valerie.” Jake’s tone was firm but apologetic. “I’m flattered, but in my position it’s not wise for me to date members. That’s not the kind of reputation I want to foster.”
“Are you sure you can’t be tempted?” Valerie asked in a low, throaty voice that held the promise of sin and seduction. “No one would have to know.”
“I’d know. And eventually someone else would too. I’m sorry but I can’t risk it.” There was a pause, then Jake continued, “I hope you understand.”
Valerie sighed heavily. “You can’t blame a girl for trying.”
The sound of a chair scraping the floor galvanized Melissa into action. She bolted like a world champion sprinter reacting
to the starter’s gun and race-walked to the juice bar just in time to see a gorgeous redhead leave Jake’s office. Holy hell. Valerie had a body that matched her sexy voice...and then some. Melissa couldn’t help but stare—like the way she did whenever she drove past a car accident. She didn’t want to look but found it virtually impossible not to. Behind the counter, a teenage boy was having the same reaction, only for a completely different reason. As Valerie sauntered past the juice bar in her midriff-baring bra top and tight spandex shorts, and headed for the cardio area, he was almost salivating on the bib apron he wore over his Jake’s Joint white polo shirt.
Annoyed, Melissa cleared her throat. “I’d like a berry protein smoothie.” The kid’s admiring stare didn’t waver. “Hello?” She raised her voice. “Customer here.”
“What?” He jerked his head toward her and frowned. She’d interrupted him mid-leer and he wasn’t a bit happy about it. “Did you say something?”
“Yes. I’d like a berry protein smoothie.” Jeez, she sounded harsh. It wasn’t the kid’s fault she was irritated. After all, he was acting like any other teenage boy who liked to ogle girls. “Please,” she added, in a softer tone.
As he mixed her smoothie and glanced furtively toward the cardio room, envy twisted like a knife in Melissa’s gut. Never in her life had any man looked at her like that. Like she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. Just once she’d kill to have someone look at her with such admiration and—yes—lust.
Not this dude, though. He was seventeen at the most. But someone—someone like Jake. No. No. No. She couldn’t think like that. Even if, by some bizarre twist of fate, he was attracted to her, nothing could ever happen between them. He had his no-fraternization rule, and if there was one thing she’d learned about Jake Sawyer, he was a man of integrity.
Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat #4) Page 3