by Virna DePaul
She tried to hang in there, but an hour later, she was so desperate she considered driving to Iron Maiden, cranking up the A/C, and trying to grab a few hours of sleep on the workout benches, air conditioning bill be damned. Only problem? She could barely move.
When her phone buzzed with an incoming text, she groaned. She swore it took her a full minute just to pick up her phone to see the text was from Murph.
How you survivin' out there, Zoe?
Zoe had to wipe her clammy fingers across the couch just so she could type: Not too bad really.
Immediately, her phone vibrated. Bullshit.
Zoe was in the middle of reassuring Murph that she was fine when another text came in.
Gabe’s out for the night. Why don’t you come over and we can jump in the pool?
At the thought of jumping into cool water, Zoe actually whimpered. She wanted so badly to say yes, but then she remembered how adamant Gabe had been about wanting his privacy after Murph had suggested Zoe move in with them. Zoe would never have accepted the invitation anyway, but she couldn't deny that for a few seconds, she’d been sorely tempted to—because A/C and less driving time but mostly because A/C!!!—but she totally got why Gabe had reacted the way he had. Who wanted to be with his trainer more than he needed to? And if part of her had suspected that Gabe simply didn’t want to deal with the chemistry that made itself known whenever they were close to one another, well, he was just being smart. They had a business relationship and that’s where it had to stay.
She was just about to politely decline Murph’s invitation to come over when the other woman texted again.
Don’t worry about Gabe. I live here, too, you know.
Don't say no.
He'll never find out.
Say yes.
Say yes.
Say yes.
Say yes.
Zoe thought her already boiling phone might start steaming or even catch on fire with the flood of texts. Weakening, she bit her lip. Murph was right—it was her house, too, so why couldn’t she have someone over to swim if she wanted? And if Gabe was gone for the night, did it really matter? A dip in the pool wouldn’t just feel good at the time, but it might help her sleep tonight for once.
Before she could change her mind, she quickly replied: Fine! You win! You win!
As Zoe got up to pack a small bag, she added: Has anyone ever told you that you're stubborn as hell?
Zoe couldn't help but laugh when Murph sent her response.
Nope.
Never.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
When Zoe arrived at Gabe and Murph’s front door, she punched in the code the other woman had sent her, telling Zoe she’d meet her out back at the pool. When the lock disengaged, she slipped inside, trying not to look like a burglar breaking into where she didn’t belong. She couldn't help but feel out of place, dressed in gym sneakers, leggings, and a sweaty tank top, as she walked on marble floors and underneath a glistening chandelier.
As soon as she registered the cool air-conditioned air, Zoe exhaled, a smile on her lips. Adjusting her bag with her swimsuit and towel on her shoulder, she looked for the hallway that Murph had told her led from the foyer to the backyard, but there were three different options. Had she said to take the left, middle, or right? Zoe was pretty sure all she’d said was take the hallway.
She tried the right hallway first and ended up passing a theater room, a hall bathroom, and a bedroom still stuffed with unpacked boxes. Doubling back, she took the left hallway, passing one closed door, then noticing a huge four poster bed through a cracked door.
For a moment, exhaustion threatened to topple her, and she pictured herself diving into that heavenly looking bed, bypassing a cool swim for a solid night’s sleep. She imagined herself swaying toward the bed as if drawn to its—
Zoe’s hand shot out to grab the doorframe.
Holy crap. She actually had been swaying, probably a result of her recent sleeplessness combined with her having skipped dinner. She straightened, intending to find Murph as soon as possible, maybe ask her if she could have some crackers or something, when her phone buzzed.
Zoe, you there yet? I’m so sorry! I had to leave to handle a business emergency. Feel free to still use the pool and stay as long as you want. I’ll try to be back soon.
Wait.
So Murph isn’t even here? Should she—
“Zoe?”
At the male voice, Zoe screeched and twirled around. Her jaw fell open when her sleep-deprived eyes landed on Gabe standing in the now open doorway of the bedroom with the four poster bed. He was almost naked but for a towel slung around his hips.
Beads of water clung to his chiseled chest and upper abs and Zoe wondered why they weren't sizzling and turning immediately to steam: Gabe was just that damn hot. The ends of the towel on his hips just barely met, and it wouldn’t take much to make the material fall, revealing his toned, muscular thighs and his…
Blushing as embarrassment washed over her like a pail of ice cold water, Zoe averted her hungry gaze, and wiped her lips because she was afraid she had been drooling. "Um, I'm so sorry. Murph invited me for a swim, told me to meet her by the pool but…” She lifted her phone feebly, as if he could read Murph’s texts from where he was standing. “She just texted that she had an emergency and left, but I swear, she said you were out for the night and I would never have come here if I’d—”
“Hey, hey, Zoe, it’s fine. I was supposed to be out for the night but I came back early. Murph was already gone when I got here.”
Zoe closed her eyes. “What a calamity of events. I’m sorry.”
When Zoe opened her eyes again, Gabe was suddenly fuzzy. Dizziness swept over her, discombobulating her even more. She needed to get out of here before she passed out and humiliated herself. “Sorry to bother you. Have a good night!” She moved past him, practically running for the front door.
"Zoe, wait!"
Cinderella left a glass slipper, but Zoe left her gym bag where she’d dropped it. Grabbing it, he hustled after her, holding her bag in one hand while trying to keep his towel secured around his waist with the other. At one point, he almost slipped on his still shower-slick feet.
Why was he risking another injury chasing after his trainer? Was he crazy?
"Zoe, Zoe, hold up," Gabe said just as he and Zoe made it to the foyer with the ridiculous chandelier he’d told Murph was pompous as hell but she insisted was elegant. "Hold up, hold up a second." When she didn’t stop, Gabe caught her wrist just as she was about to slip into the chokingly muggy night.
"You left your bag," he said, holding it out for her.
Zoe turned toward him and Gabe’s jaw clenched. The red eyes and pale skin he’d glimpsed during practice earlier had morphed into exhaustion. She looked worn down as hell. Purple bags hung heavy beneath her long bottom lashes and her normally relaxed posture was tense, as if she was barely holding herself together. Her long hair was matted against her forehead, which glistened from the oppressive heat that even now was coming in from the cracked front door. She looked a few moments away from collapsing.
Damn it, he’d felt for himself how hot her house was without air conditioning the night he’d walked her home. And at practice earlier, when Murph had been listing the reasons Zoe should move in with them, she’d mentioned Zoe’s broken A/C, but Gabe had been so focused on shutting down Murph’s invitation that he hadn’t really registered what that meant. Zoe had been living without an air conditioner for days now. He didn’t know if it was because she hadn’t found someone to fix it or because she couldn’t afford it, but either way he was the asshole who’d deprived Zoe of a cool place to stay because he’d been afraid having her around would be too hard on his dick.
Zoe managed an exhausted half-smile as she took her bag from Gabe's grasp and turned to leave again.
"Zoe, you came to swim. Why don’t you go ahead and –”
She immediately shook her head. "No, no, what I rea
lly need is just to get some sleep. I never should have agreed to come here in the fir—"
"Of course you should have. Murph invited you and I don’t mind. And Zoe, you need to get more than some sleep. You look like you’ll fall asleep at the wheel before you get past the gate. Why don’t you sleep here tonight?”
"What? No. I'll be fine," Zoe stubbornly countered. "As you said earlier, it wouldn’t be professional for me to sleep at my client's house."
Gabe crossed his arms over his chest and immediately Zoe’s gaze lowered to his towel before shooting up to his face again. To make her feel better, he once again grasped the towel to make sure it stayed in place. “I was wrong earlier,” he said. “And if you still don't have a working air conditioner…” He cocked a questioning brow.
She bit her lip, then gave a little shake of her head.
“Well, then, it would be far more unprofessional of you to leave at this point then.”
“What do you mean?”
"If you leave and somehow make it home even though you’re clearly in no shape to drive, then there’s a high chance you 1) won’t sleep well or 2) will wind up in the hospital from heat stroke or dehydration. Then I'll suddenly be without a trainer at the start of the season. That seems the definition of unprofessional to me. So you see, if you stay, you’ll be doing a great thing for me, your client. What do you say?”
Zoe studied him hesitantly. It was obvious that she was still going to decline and Gabe couldn't bear that. Zoe needed to stay and get some rest. He just had to figure out a way to make sure that happened.
"Gabe, we can't—"
"Wait, wait," he said, placing a hand over his chest. "Look, I know it will be tough for you to keep your hands off me considering well…” He swept a hand down his body Vanna White style. “But you’re just going to have to control yourself, Zoe. You can do that, can’t you?”
Zoe frowned then shifted from foot to foot. She raised her chin. "Of course I can.”
"Good. Because like I said, my invitation is purely selfish," Gabe told her. "This is just for the security of my career."
Zoe chewed at her lip as she considered this. "Just for the night?"
Gabe nodded.
"No longer." Zoe's fingers fidgeted with the strap of her gym bag. "And I'll sleep on the couch."
Gabe wanted to immediately say, “Hell, no,” but unfortunately they didn’t have a guest bed assembled and made up yet, and more importantly, he could tell by the stubborn expression on Zoe’s face this was something she was going to dig in her heels about. He’d rather have her sleeping on his couch in an air conditioned room than not.
“That’s fine," Gabe said.
"And we're not having breakfast together tomorrow morning."
His mouth quirked up. "Hell, no.”
Zoe shut the front door, took a step toward Gabe, but then stopped, raising a pointed finger to him.
"Don't you dare even make me coffee."
Gabe held up his hands in capitulation. "I presume you know how to type Starbucks into your GPS."
Zoe nodded. "Okay, well then, thank you.”
Gabe nodded as well. "You’re welcome.” He tilted his head in the direction of the living room. “Let me show you where the sofa is and I’ll grab you some blankets and pillows.”
Gabe tossed and turned until the alarm clock on the nightstand next to his bed read 2:04 am. Finally, he flung back the covers, slipped on a pair of boxers from his dresser, and tip-toed down the stairs. As far as he knew, Murph hadn’t come back, and he couldn't sleep because he'd been thinking of one thing and one thing alone: Zoe.
Was she comfortable? The couch wasn’t some designer piece of shit that you sat stick straight on and never dared to eat buffalo wings on because it would stain, but it wasn’t as comfortable as a bed, either. Was she cold? Did she need anything? He’d left her with a glass of water and told her to help herself to the fridge, but had she even eaten last night?
Damn it, he should have asked her, but he hadn’t wanted to push his luck after she’d finally agreed to stay, making it clear she wouldn’t be happy if he so much as made her a damn cup of coffee in the morning.
He made his way as quietly as he could down the hallway toward the living room where he found Zoe bathed in moonlight. She had the pillows, sheet, and blanket he’d given her, and the A/C was blasting comfortably, but her body was curled into a tight ball.
"Zoe," he whispered in the dark. "Hey, Zoe."
When she didn’t respond, Gabe tried to lightly shake her shoulder with no result. Standing awkwardly next to her sleeping form, he considered leaving her there, but after another moment of unsure contemplation, he slipped his arms gently under Zoe's knees and neck, pausing to see if she stirred. When he saw her breathing remain even and calm, he lifted her into his arms. He held her tightly against his chest and moved to carry her upstairs when Zoe mumbled something. Gabe froze, hardly daring to breathe, but Zoe only snuggled her head against him and tucked her hands sweetly beneath her chin. She slept fitfully in his arms as he nudged open the door to his room.
He wasn’t going to sleep in a comfortable bed while she slept on the couch. He just couldn’t do it.
Gabe laid Zoe as gently as he could onto the mattress. He pulled the covers up over her shoulders. He told himself that was fine, that was enough. He should leave.
But he couldn't stop himself from tucking a stray strand of hair that fluttered with her even breath back behind her ear. He couldn't stop from admiring her beauty in the soft light. And he couldn't stop himself from running his thumb against her cheekbone before he left her in his room and parked himself on the couch, breathing in the sweet scent of her that she’d left behind.
Chapter 8
Zoe woke feeling refreshed, comfortable, and surrounded by the most delicious smell. Soft morning sunlight filtered through gauzy curtains and with a contented sigh she nestled back into a cocoon of cool, silk sheets and down pillows fluffier than toasted marshmallows. As her eyelids fluttered shut again, she wondered when her bed got so comfy, when her room got so luxurious, when her A/C got so, so blissfully fixed.
It was then that her eyes shot open. She wasn't at home; she was at Gabe's place. And she was no longer on his comfy couch in his living room, but rather in a bedroom, and by the manly scent and masculine touches around her, it looked like she was in Gabe’s bedroom.
What the hell?
Sitting up, Zoe rubbed at her bleary eyes and glanced around the room until her gaze landed on a note beneath a glass of water with fresh lemon slices floating merrily on top. Zoe picked up the note and read it once, read it twice, read it three times.
Please move in like Murph said. It makes the most sense. – Gabe
PS: Don't shoot me, but I made you coffee and breakfast before heading to practice. It’s in the kitchen. Please help yourself to anything you need.
PPS: If you’re thinking about being stubborn and refusing my offer, please don’t. As you can see, we have more than enough room (I assembled the guest bed and it’s waiting for you, Murph can show you where). You’re going to be here almost every day anyway, and you need A/C, Zoe.
He’d then listed several reasons why the arrangement would be beneficial to him—mainly that they could squeeze in extra training if needed. Essentially, Zoe would be on call, for which Gabe and Murph would pay her a bonus.
Zoe sighed, knowing it was a risk, but also knowing that she had been on the edge last night. If she had to sleep indefinitely without air conditioning, she’d be miserable and that could affect whether she was on the top of her game for Gabe’s training. Plus, because she’d agreed to train Gabe in his home gym, moving in with the Murphys would save her tons of driving time, especially when they decided to double up on sessions. Finally, the amount of the bonus Gabe had detailed was extremely appealing, too.
With everything going on in her life, wouldn’t it be okay for her to accept a little help for once?
Kevin could handle any existing or w
alk-in clients Iron Maiden got. Besides, she wasn’t going to be training Gabe Murphy 24/7 even if she was living here. She could always slide on over to the gym to oversee operations there when needed.
But while that was all true, and a huge motivator, something else prompted Zoe to accept Gabe’s offer.
She wanted to spend more time with Gabe, period. Wanted to see more of the man when he wasn’t focused solely on football. And not just the man with the chiseled body revealed by his slipping towel last night, but the man who in the end hadn’t been able to let her sleep on his couch and had given up his own bed for her.
Later, after she’d met up with an apologetic Murph who showed her the gym and the guest bedroom before having to leave again, Zoe put in a full day at Iron Maiden, then grabbed a few things from her house before returning to Gabe and Murph’s place. Now she looked around at her new albeit temporary bedroom. Walnut hardwood floors spread all around her, a chandelier dangled from a vaulted ceiling, sheer white curtains captured loads of pretty white light, and the rest of the room was decorated in shades of gray and soft white. The bed was topped with lots of bright colors, and that was the only vibrant thing about the otherwise elegant room.
It was gorgeous, and best of all, it had adequate air conditioning. Last night she’d slept extremely well, and she was looking forward to more of that.
Zoe was taking a few photos to send to Pete when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. Suddenly, Gabe appeared in the doorway wearing a pair of beat-up jeans and a T-shirt that emphasized the size of his biceps. He leaned against the wall.
“Settled in?”
“I mean, I only brought my one bag, so yeah.” She figured it was enough for now, she could always go home and grab more if she needed.
“Not fully committed, yet. I get it.” He laughed and tapped the wall. “Murph said she only showed you the gym. Come on, I’ll give you the official tour that you didn’t get last night.