by Lula Woods
SWEET
BUBBLE RIDE
- DANITA -
Curvy woman romance
By
LULA WOODS
Sweet Bubble Ride - Danita © 2020 by Lula Woods.
All Rights Reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author.
Cover designed by Lula Woods.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
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Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Epilogue
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Chapter One
Danita
Seriously?
I shook my head as I collected the used condoms from the floor of the shower—using gloves, because of damn—in the men’s bathroom. I never knew what I’d find when it was my turn for cleaning duty at the gym, though that was typically in the evenings. Dirty jockstraps, bras, bikini underwear—women’s and men’s—were among the items that were often left behind. Usually, one of the staff members would handle the cleanup at this time of day before the gym opened at five in the morning. But Mel had texted me late last night that she would be late, so I picked up the slack since I had some time before my two-hour flight at noon.
I hated traveling, but it was a necessary part of expanding my gym franchise. It made for long, twelve-hour days, but I loved what I did and wanted Fit for You to thrive. And it was, with five gyms across two cities and three more to open soon. This gym, though? It was the first one I had opened over eight years ago, and it held a special place in my heart for a dream come true.
For me, the idea that a person had to look a certain way, according to magazine covers and Instagram to be considered healthy, attractive and fit was ludicrous, and it was my goal to make sure everyone had access to a gym or fitness system that catered to their needs and what they wanted, rather than what society dictated. I wanted exercise to be enjoyable. The fit version of one person was not the same as another, and accepting the body for what it was and having fun while meeting personal goals was my purpose in life for all gym users. I wanted fitness to be inclusive.
Take me, for example. I was a plus-sized girl who could run five miles comfortably, taught pole dancing and spin classes, and trained clients on occasion. I was proud of that and had even given demonstrations of fitness techniques. By doing this, I hoped I was opening the minds of people who have only ever had one idea of fitness in their minds and giving hope to women and men who were plus-sized and uncertain about how to approach fitness on their terms. The size of someone’s waistline may be the reason someone starts exercising, but if that weight never changed, it should still be about having a healthy lifestyle that suited that person.
I came from a family of big people, going back three generations, and my size was never an issue for them. But I didn’t want the health problems that my mom had suffered, or the stroke my uncle had died from. If weight loss wasn’t in my future, I could still be fit. And that was how this concept was born after college.
I finished cleaning the showers and wiped down the mirrors and sinks before doing the same for the women’s changing rooms. I would sometimes find prophylactics there, too, along with pieces of clothing. But often, it was used tampons and pads. I mean, the trash can was right there! Oh well. I restocked the towels, wiped down the exercise equipment, and generally freshened the gym before turning on the TVs, the music and unlocking the door.
Naturally, the first client to arrive five minutes later was a member who had signed up three months ago and was preparing for an amateur bodybuilding competition. Saul Ramirez was…annoying. He was cheerful, friendly, and wore tank tops and shorts that…made me think of things I hadn’t in a long time, such as how those buff arms would feel wrapped around me, or holding me down in bed. I was way too busy to even consider having a fling with anyone, but Saul…he made it hard not to sigh with longing. Internally, of course.
He was a little bit taller than me, but with his thick, veiny muscular legs and torso, he was stacked and broad and too distracting for my peace of mind. Every time I saw the man, my heart skipped a beat and turned my brain to mush. I hated that he was hot and nice, and I was just pitiful and tongue-tied in his presence. I usually sent men running away with their tails between their legs, but something about Saul made our encounters awkward. Wasn’t I a successful business owner who had given fitness talks to hundreds of people? Why did he affect me so much?
“Morning, Danita,” he said with a flirtatious grin and his perfect teeth and beard shadow. He had a dimple in his chin that just gave him more hot points, damn it. His brown hair was sticking up all over like he’d just rolled out of bed, which was likely. But it didn’t detract from his looks or the twinkle in his light brown eyes one bit. Fucker.
“M-morning, Saul.” See? My powers of speech had left me. Maybe it was because there was just so much…man to go around. He was big everywhere, and I yearned to touch, despite my wishes to the contrary. He scanned his card and hefted his workout bag a little bit higher on his left shoulder, which did wonderful things for his biceps and triceps. Get a grip, girl. Though, actually, I really wanted to grip his—
“Mel not here today?” he asked, still smiling as he cut into my thoughts.
“Coming in later.” I did my best not to stare at the expanse of skin that was beneath the old, threadbare tank top he wore, like always. And those shorts were…um…snug. I licked my lips and coughed. “You, uh, have a nice workout, okay?” I quickly moved from behind the desk and walked toward the changing area to turn the corner and disappear from view so I could breathe again. Except, I miscalculated the angle and ran right into the wall. I lost my balance and landed on my ass. Ow.
“Hey, you alright?” I heard Saul say when he dropped to one knee next to me. My forehead was throbbing. I hoped I wouldn’t have a bump there, but it was likely. I looked up at him, and he stared down at me with concern.
“Uh, yeah. I’m okay.” He held out his hand to help me stand. “Thanks. I…I suppose I wasn’t looking where I was going.” I tried a smile. “Too early, I guess.”
“I can understand that.” He was still holding my hand and staring at me, brows furrowed. “You might have a bruise for a couple of days.”
“Wonderful.” I pulled my hand away and touched the skin on my forehead lightly. It was sore. “Well, I hope I won’t scare away any clients.”
“Not even possible,” he said rather abruptly, then cleared his throat. “Well, if you’re okay, I’m, uh, gonna go get my workout in. I got that competition in a few weeks. Need to be ready.” He studied my face once more, lingering on my lips before focusing on my eyes again. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then shook his head and walked across the gym toward the changing room.
I wondered what he had been about to say and couldn’t help but watch his firm stride as he walked away, that bubble butt bouncing
with each step, and his calves like baseballs. But then, I was overcome with mortification at what had just happened. Had I really just been so flustered that I ran into a frickin’ wall? Oh, Gabriella and Roxanne—my besties—were never going to let me live this down.
Thankfully, more members came into the gym, which kept me busy until Mel finally arrived, and I was able to escape to my office in the back. I got some ice from the small refrigerator next to my desk and wrapped the cubes in a towel to place against my forehead. I had a pole dance class to teach in an hour, and then I would go to my apartment, change, grab my things and head to the airport.
Once again, I had made a fool of myself in front of Saul Ramirez. I, Danita Miller, who typically called all the shots with men, had no idea how to handle this man in particular, and it would only get worse if I didn’t do something about it.
Chapter Two
Saul
If Danita only knew how much I wanted her…
I didn’t think she realized the effect she had on me. I had to wear a cup whenever I was around her. Otherwise, it would be really obvious how I felt. It was embarrassing. I’d seen her blow off lots of men at the gym who I’d overheard trying some tired line to get her number. One guy had even boldly suggested a quickie in the shower, and when she’d said, “hell, no,” he had become belligerent. She’d twisted his arm behind his back and had him on his knees in a few seconds. I hadn’t seen him since. And good riddance because Danita was mine. Or at least, I wanted her to be, if I could only get past saying “good morning” and “how are you” every day.
The first time I’d seen Danita, I’d tried not to trip over my damn tongue. She had been wearing spandex and a T-shirt—her clothing of choice at the gym—both of which emphasized every bit of her ample curves and made me want to dig my fingers into her hips and take her for a ride. She was gorgeous, with warm brown skin, her hair always in a ponytail, and she was proud of her body and fitness. The way she encouraged the members and worked with them said a lot about her character. Danita was the kind of woman I wanted to get to know better. If only.
As I worked with the weights, I watched in the mirror as Danita taught a pole dance class of differently sized women and men. I had almost dropped the dumbbells on my feet the first time I saw her do a sideways split on that pole. Fuck, I’d love to hold her legs apart like that and lick her until she screamed my name. I had finally gotten used to the sight of her on that pole, so my concentration was better with the weights, and I had a lesser chance of an emergency room visit. Still didn’t make my heart beat any slower, however.
I knew I flustered her, but I didn’t know how to change things between us. I wanted to come clean, but I didn’t want to scare her away, either, though I doubted that Danita scared easily. I finished my workout and went to use the elliptical for a time before heading to the showers.
Finally clean, I dressed in the long-sleeved Oxford shirt and slacks I had carried with me, brushed my hair, then grabbed my bag and headed toward the front door. Danita wasn’t anywhere in sight, which was disappointing. But I would be here again in the morning, and maybe inspiration about how to approach her will have struck by then.
An hour later, when I got to my office on the third floor of a business complex downtown, there was a stack of paperwork on my desk that was almost taller than my computer monitor. I enjoyed being an editor, but sometimes the amount of work required was daunting. I turned to look at Audrey, a junior editor, who was looking through the filing cabinet just outside my door. “Didn’t I clean off my desk yesterday?”
“Yes, but that was sooo twelve hours ago, boss,” she said with an innocent grin that I didn’t buy in the least. “How was your workout?”
“Fine,” I said with a sigh as I sat behind my desk and booted up my computer.
“That’s a heavy sound,” she replied. “Problem?”
“Yes and no. I’ll figure it out, though.” I smiled at her. “Thanks for asking.”
“Anytime.” She went back to finishing her task, and, after checking my email and responding to a few authors, I grabbed the first document on the pile, which was an article that discussed myths about weight loss. Maybe distractions were what I needed right now to keep from fretting over what to do about Danita. Did I just tell her how I felt? Or did I need to be more discreet? My mind kept trying different scenarios until it was time for the daily editorial meeting.
I grabbed my notepad—yeah, I was old school—and a pen and headed toward the conference room. I hoped I would eventually come up with a solution because this was driving me nuts.
****
Unfortunately, I was no closer to a resolution by the next morning, and I would have to skip my usual workout time because of an impromptu business day trip. It was after seven in the evening when I finally turned up at the gym, and I was surprised to see the number of people still using the machines. Even the weightlifting area was a bit full.
I went to the changing room to put on my workout clothing and grabbed one of the towels provided by the gym. I chose to do some pushups and pullups before rechecking the weightlifting area. A few people had left, so I was able to focus on my routine until I was satisfied with my progress. Of course, that was the time I saw Danita’s luscious wide hips as she walked by, working with a client doing lunges on the floor behind me. I almost pulled a muscle, craning my neck to watch her until she finally disappeared around a corner.
I hadn’t realized she worked in the evenings, too. Did that woman ever take time off? After a brief cool-down period, I headed for the showers. As I walked past the door to the women’s changing area, someone ran into me, and as we steadied each other, I realized it was Danita. The towels she had been carrying were now all over the floor.
“Sorry,” she said, slightly breathless, and kneeled down to gather up the towels. I tried not to think about the other reasons I’d love to have her on her knees before me, none of which were remotely helpful right now.
“I’m sorry, too. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” I helped her pick up the rest of the towels. “Can I help you carry these?”
Her brow furrowed. “You don’t have to. I…I was just being clumsy.”
“I don’t mind.” I smiled, hoping she’d let me do this one small thing for her.
After studying me for a moment and chewing on her lower lip, she said, “Okay, thank you. Follow me.”
I walked behind her, keeping my eyes above waist level, though it was damned hard to do. I wanted to grip that ass and fuck her through the floor. I thought of decaying human bodies instead, which did the trick. We deposited the towels where she needed them. But when she was about to leave, I stopped her. “By the way, how’s your head?”
She looked startled, then relaxed a little before touching the skin on her forehead where she had run into the wall a day ago. The bruise was visible, but it was slowly fading. Did nothing to detract from her beauty, though, and that perfect, kissable skin. “Not as sore, thankfully.”
I took this as my opening to get to know her better. “I don’t usually see you at any other time of the day than mornings. Do you often work such long hours?”
She nodded. “Yeah. A typical day for me is at least twelve hours, and that doesn’t include business trips, which you understand, I bet.”
“I do.” Think, man. What else can you ask her?
“So, um, you have five of these gyms across the city, right?” The way her eyes lit up made me glad I’d thought to ask that question.
“Yes! This gym is the first one I ever opened, and the concept of fitness for everyone caught on after a few years. I’m opening a few more locations soon. I’ll probably be working even more hours than before until I’m satisfied with their progress, but it will be worth it. I’m almost fanatical about inclusivity, and I feel it especially applies in the area of health and fitness. I want to make a difference.”
I loved her enthusiasm. “Well, congratulations. That’s quite an accomplishment.”
The big smile she gave me was a far cry from the woman who usually could barely hold my gaze or engage me in conversation. “Thank you.” She tugged on her left earlobe. “I’m sorry if I talked your ear off. I’m just really passionate about providing options for everyone, you know? And my friend Roxanne has put me in touch with a guy who makes sneakers for people at all levels of fitness, size, and mobility. We’re going to feature some of his products here, too.”
That gave me an idea. “Hey, I just thought of something. I’m an editor for a couple of magazines, one of them being health-based. I think it would be a wonderful concept to feature your gym concept and talk about the reasons why you started it in the first place. I think this would be of great interest to our readers, and perhaps show them that being healthy and fit is about what works best for them. What do you think?”
Her eyes were as wide as saucers. “You…you want…you would do that?”
I nodded. “Absolutely. I would work with you on the article, and we would discuss approaches and the overall message for the piece. We could meet here, or you could come to my office, or meet on neutral ground if you prefer.”
She actually squealed and gave me an impulsive hug. “I, uh, wow. This is unexpected and means the world to me, Saul.” I loved the way she said my name, and she felt right in my arms, too. Realizing that she was still hanging onto me, she quickly stepped back. “Yes, I think that’s a wonderful idea. Perhaps we can meet at your office to start? How often would we need to meet?” As often as possible, if I had anything to do with this.
“Just as long as is needed to where you’re satisfied with the direction of the article.”
“Okay. I travel a lot, but I can probably make the time in the evenings, perhaps a couple times a week? Unless a phone call or Skype is better? I typically have my laptop with me.”