by KB Winters
Nicholas chuckled and I shivered again at how good it sounded. How the heck was I going to survive being alone with the man if I was reacting to him laughing? I jerked when I looked up and saw him looking intently at me.
“Sorry. Did you say something?” I asked, feeling my face slowly turn to a blaze.
“I was just asking how much weight you’re looking to lose.”
I shrugged. “I don’t really have a goal weight in mind. I just want my clothes to fit better. Wearing yoga pants and sweatshirts made it hard to realize that I’d gained weight. I actually don’t even own a scale.”
Nicholas’ eyebrows rose in what I assumed to be surprise. “Really?”
“Yeah,” I replied simply shrugging again. “Is that really hard to believe?”
He tilted his head. “Somewhat, considering my line of work.” His hands reached out and curled around my feet. He pulled and I let my legs go limp as he pulled them until they were straight out. “Lean over and try to get as close to your toes as possible. This will help you stretch and I can check your flexibility.”
I nodded in understanding and did what he asked, moaning when I felt neglected muscles pulled tight. I was pleasantly surprised to see I could still touch my toes, albeit barely. I wasn’t, however, impressed by the way my stomach rubbed against the tops of my thighs. I’d never been a hard-body, but my stomach was definitely much bigger and softer than how I liked it to be. Being face to face with the knowledge that I’d let myself go wasn’t fun. Something must have shown in my expression prompting him to reassure me.
“Don’t look so upset. Everyone has moments when they let themselves go a bit. It’s totally natural to neglect certain things in favor of just trying to survive.” He tapped my shoulder motioning for me to straighten. I followed his prompting and let my legs go limp again.
“Really?” I asked before my brain could stop me. “What about you?”
Nicholas’ movements didn’t stop, but I knew my question surprised him. His muscles tightened and released so quickly that I wasn’t sure if my mind really caught anything. His hands didn’t falter, though, as he wrapped his fingers around my ankles turning me slightly.
“Like I said, everyone has a time where they’re in survival mode.” He pushed softly and I let my legs go wide. Although it wasn’t exactly an answer to my question, I didn’t ask again. I was thankful enough he didn’t seem upset at my asking about his personal life, so I decided to count that as a win and focus back on the moves I was doing. Thankfully, the new position was innocent enough in the context of working out, but I couldn’t help thinking about it being a little suggestive. “So what do you do?”
Thankful for the change of subject, I tried to push out the thoughts and just go with my motions. “I’m a writer, freelance mostly.”
Nicholas nodded before standing up and walking behind me. I could feel his body heat like a brand against my back. I tried not to gasp when his hands came down on my shoulders and prompted me to lean over. I felt a brush of air flow past my ear and I blinked quickly when I realized his face was closer than I thought. I didn’t lift my head, but I peeked up at one of the mirrors from beneath my eyelashes. Nicholas’ expression was focused and serious, but it seemed as if he was closer than what was needed. Then again, it was the first time I’d ever had a personal trainer. Maybe the normal rules of personal space didn’t apply? I brushed off my thoughts and focused back on stretching.
“So, what do you write about?”
“Um…” I trailed off with a groan as my inner thigh muscles stretched. It wasn’t painful but still made me gasp. “Lifestyle and food for freelance. Other times I just work on my novel and hope my agent likes it.”
We were silent for a while as he led me in more stretches. A few of them were almost painful, but he was attentive and cautioned me against trying to go too far.
“You shouldn’t feel pain when you’re doing these stretches. If you do, that means you’re trying to stretch too far and you could risk a tear.”
I nodded. “I always thought the motto was no pain, no gain,” I said with a grin.
He returned my grin with a small one of his own. “That may be true, but pain could also signify an injury that would have you down for weeks. It’s better to exercise caution, especially when you’re just trying to get back into working out and creating a normal routine.”
“Oh…that makes sense.”
“Of course it does,” he said. I felt his heat move away. “Now stand up and let’s get started. It’s time for you to start sweating.”
I stood up with a slightly nervous giggle. “I thought I already was sweating.” I straightened up expecting him to joke back at me, but when I looked up at him—his expression was strangely serious and locked onto me. I’d never before been looked at that intensely and the weight of it made my breath catch. I licked my lips.
Nicholas’ gaze flicked down to my small motion before he spoke again. “Trust me,” he said looking back into my eyes. “You have no idea how much harder I’ll get you to sweat.”
My breathing picked up a little, and though I tried to fight it, I let out a small gasp. Immediately, Nicholas leaned away and it was like I could breathe again. I didn’t understand what had just happened and I didn’t even know how to ask. Was he flirting? With me? Instead, I nodded and gave him a weak smile and vowed to put the strange behavior out of my mind.
Chapter Two
I groaned as I slid into the steaming water of my much needed bath. Everything hurt. My entire body was one big ball of pain and soreness, and I needed it to go away as soon as possible.
“No pain no gain my ass,” I mumbled to myself. I let out a gasp as the rest of my body slid fully underneath the steaming water not caring when some of it splashed me in the face. I was suddenly thankful that I’d let Kayla talk me into getting a deeper soaking tub when I remodeled my bathroom. A hot shower just wouldn’t be the same.
“Bliss. This is complete and utter bliss.”
I leaned my head back against the bath pillow I’d bought just for this occasion. The lavender scented oil I’d dripped into the water was heavenly, and I could feel my muscles finally starting to loosen as I relaxed into the revitalizing heat. It had already been a week since I began personal training with Nicholas and while it wasn’t any easier than when I started, I found myself starting to get used to the routine.
Thanks to my flexible schedule, I was able to meet with him every morning and had found the workouts energizing. I even cut back the number of cups of coffee I drank to only two instead of my customary three by noon. I hadn’t yet noticed any weight loss, but I had to admit—I did feel more relaxed. Or maybe it was the fact I was working with Nicholas.
The man was some serous eye candy to look at with his dark hair that seemed to fall in little waves above his kaleidoscope-hued eyes. Every time I looked at them, it seemed they had changed from grey to blue or blue to green. It was maddeningly attractive and made me wonder how many of his clients had tried to hit on him. Not me, of course. After coming in early and seeing the perfectly trim and radiantly blonde woman who he trained before me—I was sure if I tried to flirt with him I’d be laughed right out of the gym. Girls like me didn’t get hot guys like him.
I sighed and let my hands brush over my thighs. I knew my looks wouldn’t stand a chance against any of the women there, but a girl could dream. It had been six months since the last time I had sex, and I was more than ready to go cruising for something that didn’t involve silicone and batteries. If I closed my eyes, I could almost picture Nicholas in the bath with me. I wondered if he would be soft and soothing like he was when he was leading me in stretches. I knew from experience the palms of his hand were surprisingly soft. I thought guys who lifted weights would have rough and cracked hands from the bars, but his were almost softer than mine. I’d been meaning to ask him where he got his lotion.
My lips parted on a sigh as I brought my other hand up skimming along my belly until I brushed
softly against my right nipple. The sensation sent a little bolt of pleasure skirting through my body, and I once again fantasized that the hand belonged to Nicholas.
My fantasy was easy to imagine once I got it going. The hand at my breast flicked over my nipples first gently and then again with more pressure. My other hand curled until my nails were pressing gently against my inner thigh, and I imagined him drawing his hand up following the same path that my hands were taking.
I let my hand travel up until it brushed against the sparse hairs that framed my cunt. I shivered as my focus was drawn back to my breasts. I switched the hand from my right breast to my left making sure to pay equal attention to my already hardened nipples—even in the steamy water. The fingers at my cunt spasmed, and I moved them closer until my fingertips were grazing the lips of my wanting pussy.
“What would Nicholas do,” I whispered to myself. I imagined he would be rough and sure in his motions the way he was when I saw him lifting weights. I hadn’t drawn attention to myself, especially with him already having had a crowd of attractive onlookers. The way he’d pumped his muscular arms as he did one set after another got me a bit flustered, and I’d beat a hasty retreat before he caught me watching him. Now I imagined the strength of his thick fingers and before I could rethink it, I plunged one of my own fingers forward into my heated cunt.
The feeling was exquisite. It had been a while since I’d allowed my fingers to do the work, and I resolved to make sure I let them out to play again. “Yes,” I groaned aloud, cheeks flushing at the sound of my own husky voice. I pumped my finger twice before drawing it out slowly. This time, I let two fingers caress the folds of my cunt enjoying how slippery the water and my own natural lubricant was.
Undoubtedly, Nicholas wouldn’t have any difficulty sliding inside of me. I pushed two fingers in this time imagining it was him opening me up. The temperature of the water felt almost cool against my over-heated skin, and I shivered as sensations spread throughout my body. With how the liquid swirled around me, I could almost imagine being caught fast beneath him surrounded by his musk.
If I pushed my mind hard enough, I could imagine his scent—spicy and deep. I wondered what type of cologne he used as it wasn’t something I had ever remembered smelling before, but the reminder of it pushed my body into overdrive as if it called to me in some primal way. My lips parted on a sharp intake of breath as my pussy clenched hard around my two fingers. A quick almost unconscious swipe of my thumb across my clit was all my body needed to close its circuit, and I sighed as my back arched and I climaxed. The feeling spread through me until my limbs fell heavily as if gravity were somehow doubled. I shuddered at the dragging feel of my two fingers slipping from my cunt, and I was thankful I’d decided to do this in the bathtub where I could at least clean myself up.
I lifted a hand out of the water and dried it off on the towel I laid behind my head. I reached further and hit the button on my phone waiting for it to make a familiar chirp.
“Siri, call Kayla.” I let my hand fall back into the water when I heard a familiar ringing tone. Hopefully, she didn’t have plans tonight. Because after that little appetizer—I needed to go out.
“Hey, River!”
I smiled at Kayla’s always bubbly tone. “Hey. Are you busy tonight?”
“No, not really. Benjamin is going to meet with some of his college buddies, so I was just going to watch another episode of Scandal and veg out on the sofa. Did you want to join?”
I hummed as I thought about it. It did sound tempting, but another memory of Nicholas’ muscled back as he did push-ups pushed me firmly into the realm of needing some loving or at least a nice make-out session. “Tempting, but I was thinking more of hitting the town.”
I could almost hear Kayla perk up at my words. “You want to go clubbing?” Her incredulousness was understandable. Going dancing had never been something I was big on and had only become more so after my break-up. “Seriously?”
“Yes seriously. I’m lonely—and horny,” I replied crassly. Kayla giggled and I smiled. “It’s been six months so I figured I should at least get out there and try, you know? It’s not like I’m going to meet anyone at my job.”
“River, you’re a writer who works from home.”
“Exactly. Making out with the walls would probably be a bad idea. I need to get out more, starting tonight.” I could hear her moving in the background probably going through her massive closet to find something to wear. I mentally went through the outfits I had. I wasn’t sure if I had anything that would fit me now, depending on where we went. “Where should we go?”
Kayla hummed. “We should probably avoid going anywhere where your ex might be.”
“Absolutely.”
“We could just go to a bar or something casual. I know there’s a new one that just opened up over by your gym. It’s casual but still a bit swanky so at least our shoes won’t stick to the floor.”
I nodded, even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “That sounds like a good place to go. And it’s not my gym. It’s your gym and you just roped me into going for a month.”
“Mmhmm, keep telling yourself that, River,” she replied and I could tell by her tone that she had to be smiling. “I’m going to shower quickly and then I’ll come to your place so we can Uber over together. Think you can be ready in an hour?”
I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling. My body still hurt, but my desire to get out and possibly meet someone overrode it. “Definitely.”
“Perfect. I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Cool,” I replied before the call disconnected. I leaned forward to grab my loofa and the scented bodywash I only used for special occasions. I wasn’t naïve to think that I’d meet my soul mate this evening, but I still wanted to be ready if I met someone I wouldn’t mind having in my bed for the evening at least. “Better shave too,” I said aloud before starting to scrub.
Chapter Three
“Well, don’t you look shiny,” Kayla joked after I opened my front door to let her in. I shook my head at her but moved back so she could walk through the doorway. She looked as gorgeous as ever with a sequined tank top that was loosely tucked into acid washed jeans. Her hair was piled high on her head in a messy bun and her makeup looked as natural and airbrushed as ever. By comparison, I felt downright frumpy in my loose and sleeveless button top and tights. I hadn’t bothered to try on any of my old jeans. I was too nervous that not being able to zip them up would push me into staying in bed for the night. It wasn’t that none of my clothes fit—it was that the ones that did weren’t that flattering.
“So I already got an Uber, and it should be here in about fifteen minutes,” she continued. I shook my head slightly and closed the front door.
“Sounds good,” I replied following her into my small, but cozy living room. She sank gracefully into the cushions of my old recliner, the one thing that had traveled with me from my old shitty apartment into my new home. “Do you want a shot for pre-gaming?”
“Of course! What kind of question is that, I mean really?”
I chuckled. “Oh, forgive me for even thinking not to offer.” I walked into the kitchen and opened my freezer where I’d put my unopened bottle of fireball to chill. I placed it on the counter and reached up opening the cabinet that housed my wine and shot glasses. “Do you want a single or a double?” I called out to her.
“Make it a double. I’m refusing to even think about work tomorrow anyway, so we might as well make this good.”
I smiled and grabbed two long shot glasses before shutting the cupboard. I picked up the bottle as well and walked back into the living room.
“The new case giving you trouble?” I asked. I sat down on my small sofa and placed the glasses on the glass coffee table in front of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kayla rub a hand across her face. I gave her a sympathetic look before pouring a double shot of the whisky into both of our glasses.
“God, you have no idea. This man cheat
ed on his wife with the maid while his wife was in the hospital being treated for cancer. Now he wants to divorce her and is shacking up with the maid who is barely even legal, and he doesn’t want to give his wife anything.”
I winced. “Which one are you representing?”
“The wife, thank God,” she replied leaning forward towards the table. “Thank you.” She took the glass that I gave her gripping it tightly. “Dominic knows I have a rule against representing people of poor moral standing. Besides, it’s pretty much known that if the client is a slime ball then Doug the douchebag should be the one representing them.”
I wrinkled my nose up at the mention of one of the other associates at Kayla’s law firm. The guy was a grade-A creep who had tried to hit on me more than once even after telling him that I was happily taken. “I don’t understand how he still works there.”
She waved a hand in front of her face. “He brings in a lot of money by representing those slime ball clients, so I doubt he’s going anywhere anytime soon.” She held her glass out. “Anyway, forget about work. Tonight is about going out and getting you laid.”
I laughed, but didn’t correct her. That was exactly what I was hoping for after all. I clinked my glass with hers before opening my mouth and swallowing the shot in one go. I coughed hard as the liquid burned a path down my throat. “Holy fuck,” I choked out. “I forgot how much that shit burns.”
Kayla looked at me with a smile seemingly unbothered by the cinnamon liquid. “It’s not so bad once you’re used to it.” She looked down at her glass. “If I’m working after hours, I tend to sneak out the bottle I keep hidden in my bottom drawer.”
I choked out a harsh laugh. “You hide alcohol at work?”
She looked up at me with a wry grin. “River, I’m a divorce lawyer. If I could, I’d have the whole freakin’ distillery in my office.”
“Point taken.” I looked up at her with a sly grin. “Want another?”
