by Regina Cole
“Hey now . . .” His voice faded as she closed her office door behind her.
Dropping her bag onto its usual shelf behind her desk, Stacey turned and sighed. Her office, her palace. Here, she was tough and in charge, on top of the world. The frosted panels of glass that formed the front wall and door gave the place a light, airy feel, while the windows beside and behind her desk let the sunlight in.
Green plants were stationed in the corners of the room, a little feng shui for her mental calm. Sinking into her office chair, Stacey closed her eyes for a moment.
Rob. His words were still ringing in her ears. He believed in her. Of course, it might just be a line he fed to everyone who was ready to quit in order to get them to stick around and pay their monthly fees. Personal training wasn’t cheap. But from the number of people she’d seen coming in and out of the new gym, he couldn’t be that hard up for clients, could he?
She was reading too much into it.
Her fingers curled into the woven padding on the arms of her chair. Of course, it was delicious to dream about what it might be like to have someone like Rob interested in her.
Impossible? Sure. But wasn’t that half the fun of a fantasy life? Imagining the impossible?
* * *
“You have got to be kidding me.” Hannah’s mouth had dropped open, revealing a little too much of her bite of burger.
“Whoa there, chew first, then react.” Stacey laughed as she tossed Hannah a napkin.
“Sorry.” Hannah’s answer was muffled by both napkin and food. She swallowed and took a sip of water before speaking again. “You fell off the treadmill yesterday, right on top of him, and he cornered you in the coffee shop this morning to beg you to come back?”
“I don’t know if beg is the right word.” Stacey frowned at the French fry she was currently poking into a mound of ketchup. “He was just very encouraging.”
“Oh puh-lease. I’ve never quit a gym or a trainer and had them run me down after the fact.”
“That’s because you change gyms like most people change pants.”
Hannah grinned. “Okay, so I have commitment issues. But still, I’ve been around the block a few times. They’ll sometimes send an e-mail, or leave you a voice mail. But if you run into them at the grocery store, or in line at the pharmacy, they’ll just smile that awkward smile you see when you know someone but you don’t know from where.”
A drop of ketchup landed on Stacey’s plate. “Well, you must not have made the same kind of impression on them that I did on Rob.”
Hannah laughed. “Yeah, I never did sprawl across anyone’s lap.”
“Hey,” Stacey growled in mock anger. “Watch it, girlie. I’d remind you that I’m planning the holiday party.”
Hannah splayed a hand over her generous cleavage. “Don’t sit me next to Walter. Or worse, Vance.”
They both shuddered, then laughed. Stacey took another bite of her tuna salad sandwich, pretending not to notice as Hannah studied her.
“So, Rob. Is he hot?”
A piece of lettuce lodged in Stacey’s windpipe and she coughed. Her eyes watered as she took a sip of her iced tea. “Why does that matter?”
“Because you get this really cute, bashful look on your face when you mention him.”
Stacey’s spine went cold. “I do not!”
“You totally do. It’s cute. So, does he flirt with you?”
“God, no. Not at all. I mean, yeah, he’s hot as hell, but he’s totally out of my league. He’s professional. No weirdness. It was just a really good sales pitch, that’s all.”
Hannah spun her straw and leaned forward, pinning Stacey with a mischievous look. It was almost impossible not to squirm in her chair, but Stacey thought she did an okay job. Mostly. Well, at least a fair job.
“That doesn’t stop you from wondering, though, right?”
“I’m out of shape, not dead.”
Hannah laughed again. “Yeah, I know the feeling. We serial dieters have to stick together. But you should have a little fun with him. Flirt.”
Stacey blinked across the table. “You’re insane.”
Flapping a hand in the air, Hannah grabbed her fork. “I’m not saying you’ve got to try to drag him into bed. I’m just saying you should have a little practice. You know, be sassy. Get used to having some fun. If he’s a ten like you say, get some practice on him. Then, flirting with a six down the line will be easy as pie.” Hannah stopped, her fork in midair. “Mmm, pie.”
A vehement head shake accompanied Stacey’s stand. “Nope. No pie. I’ve got to go to the gym tonight, and the last thing I need is another seven hundred calories today. I’m already regretting the fries.”
Hannah whined, but followed Stacey to the register. As the cashier took Stacey’s debit card, Hannah poked her in the side.
“So, you’ll call me if anything happens tonight, right?”
“You are certifiably insane.”
Hannah poked harder. “I’m stuck at home with Allen the emotionally constipated gamer and the kids. I have to get my romance somehow. Promise me.”
“Okay!” Stacey jerked away. “You’re evil. But I’ll call you if the sky falls.”
Satisfied, Hannah nodded and then proceeded to pay her own bill.
As Stacey shouldered her purse, she shook her head at her friend’s insistence.
As if anything would happen between her and Rob. Ever. That was a scenario for the theater of her mind, and nowhere else.
* * *
The afternoon seemed to last forever. Rob tried to stay busy, but even training one of his favorite clients couldn’t totally make him forget about the appointment he had with Stacey tonight.
For some reason, Stacey’s agreement to give training with him another try had acted like a shot of pure adrenaline into his veins. There wasn’t a reason that he could pinpoint, either. It was driving him crazy. It was like his mental video of her wouldn’t stop playing, and it was all his favorite parts.
As the door swung shut behind Rob’s last client of the day, Silvio waved at him from the smoothie bar.
“Your cell phone was buzzing over here a few minutes ago.”
Rob’s shoulders prickled. “Yeah?” Was she canceling? He sure as hell hoped not. He wasn’t sure how long he could stalk that coffee shop in the hopes that she’d come back.
Unlocking the screen on his phone, Rob gave a sigh when he saw the number. Not Stacey. His father had called. A flash of worry gripped him.
“I’ll be a few minutes. You okay out here?”
Silvio nodded as he rinsed out the blender’s pitcher. “You got it.”
Ducking into his office, Rob took a deep, calming breath. It might be nothing, but since his dad’s last stint in the hospital, every phone call made him worry.
Some people were just larger than life, and Richard Liston was one of them. Rob had spent most of his life trying to live up to his dad’s standards. More often than not, he failed. They’d clashed many times since Rob had announced his plans for his career, but lingering deep inside Rob was still the boyish urge to please his father. He doubted he’d ever outgrow that.
But his dad’s recent health scares had been a devastating reminder of his father’s mortality, and the heavy burden wasn’t an easy one to bear.
Waiting wouldn’t make it any easier, though. With a stab of his finger, he punched the CALL button. Only half a ring later, the call connected.
“Dr. Liston.”
It didn’t matter that he’d been retired for fifteen years. Rob’s dad always introduced himself as a “doctor.”
“Hey, Dad, it’s Rob.”
“Robert. Good to hear from you.”
He sounded okay, that brusque tone within normal limits.
“How’s that business coming? You ready to give up and go back to school yet?”
Rob folded his arms and leaned against his desk. Yeah, the good doctor was in fine form today. A little tension eased from his spine despite the probing questi
ons. “No, things are actually going really well. Memberships are up, and we’re getting more and more training clients too. We’re shaping up just fine.”
“Hmmph. Well, I suppose . . .” The dry tone of his dad’s voice indicated that he was anything but pleased, but Rob had learned long ago that arguing got them nowhere.
“How are you? How’s Mom?” It hadn’t been long since he’d seen them. He’d left the gym to Brandi and Silvio back in September when his father had been hospitalized after a fall. They’d done a good job, but a new business needed to be encouraged to grow, and they’d had their hands full just maintaining. Rob had left too quickly, and he regretted it, but he still hadn’t discovered how to be in two places at once. Charlotte was a four-hour drive from Atlanta. It wasn’t like he could run back to see them every weekend. He wasn’t even planning to make it back for Thanksgiving, a fact his mother didn’t like at all.
“We’re doing fine. Your mother’s working on the Christmas play for the church. It’s as terrible as usual.”
“That’s not fair. She does the best she can. But five-year-olds aren’t exactly the best thespians.”
His dad snorted, the noise coming loud into Rob’s ear. “I’ve seen stray cats who could sing better.”
Rob smiled despite himself. His dad might complain about his mom’s involvement with the children’s group at church, but he was always in the front pew cheering them on when they performed on stage.
“How are things going with you? Wasn’t your cardiologist appointment earlier this week?”
“Fine. Everything’s stable.”
Rob ran his thumb across the desk beside him. “When do you go back?”
“Next month.”
Well, that was different. Rob frowned. “I thought you went every six months.”
“He just wants to check something again. Standard procedure for a male of my age. It’s no big deal.”
The urge to call his dad on the bullshit was strong, but if there was a person more stubborn than Rob himself it was Dr. Richard Liston. Rob set his jaw.
“Okay.”
“I’ll let you get back to your business. Just wanted to check in and see how things were going. Your mother misses you.”
“I miss you guys too. I’ll get up there soon, and we can do a makeup holiday meal.”
“Sounds good. See you later.”
“’Bye, Dad.”
Rob ended the call and let the phone drop to his side.
Damn. It was hard to be so far away. But when his dad retired they’d moved up farther north to be closer to his mother’s family. Rob had already started college, so moving wasn’t really in the cards for him then. It hadn’t made that much of a difference before his business had started taking off. Now he was needed here, though, and couldn’t just run back up to see his family every time he got worried about them.
Which was happening much more frequently than it used to.
A quick glance at the clock revealed that he only had a few more minutes before Stacey was scheduled to show up for their session. He had to shake off the worry about his family and get ready to focus. After what had happened yesterday, he had to be completely present and prepared during this session. She deserved no less than his best, and that was what she was going to get.
Laying his phone beside his closed laptop, Rob shoved off the desk and gave a good stretch before he opened the door.
As he exited the hallway and rounded the counter, an interesting sight met his gaze.
Silvio, dark bronze arms exposed by the fitted tank he wore, was leaning over the counter with his chiseled chin resting on his palm. Across from him stood a ponytailed and amused-looking Stacey. Silvio was making gooey eyes at her, and it looked like all Stacey wanted to do was burst out laughing.
Her expression eased his jealousy, and Rob grinned. He’d seen this act before. Silvio loved women. All shapes, sizes, ages, races—none of that mattered to him. He liked the way they responded to him, the way his compliments made them blush and giggle. The outrageous flirtations he engaged in gave him some kind of gratification.
But Stacey wasn’t having any of it.
“You look so familiar. Didn’t we have a class together? I could have sworn we had chemistry.”
Rob snorted aloud as he came closer. Seriously? Silvio only employed the cheesy pickup lines when all his other tricks had failed.
“Nope, don’t think so. Is Rob here?”
Rob was more than happy to act as her white knight. “Here I am. Sorry, Silvio’s usually in heat.”
Dark brows knitted together in irritation as Silvio straightened abruptly. “That’s unfair, and not completely true.”
“So the sky was gray today because all the blue was in my eyes?” Stacey deadpanned.
The laugh clogged Rob’s throat so hard he had to cough to keep from choking. His eyes watered. Stacey helpfully thwacked his back as he straightened.
“I can see that you’re busy now,” Silvio said. “But, beauty, if you ever find yourself feeling lonely, come speak to me. I don’t believe in love at first sight, but I’d make an exception in your case.”
Stacey bit her lip, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, but nodded.
As Silvio wandered off to lick his wounds, Stacey turned to Rob with the pained look of someone who had just been through the most exquisitely awkward experience but had no one to share it with.
“I’m—so, so sorry.” Rob could barely get the words out from laughing.
“How—what was that? Was he for real? Is he practicing for some kind of soap opera?” Stacey’s giggles were like a blast of fresh air, and they both laughed for a long moment before Rob answered.
“No, no, that’s just how he is. A lot of women like that.”
“That’s insane. How can anyone take him seriously? He compared me to an angel. Seriously, who does that?” Wiping tears from her eyes, Stacey took a deep, steadying breath.
“He’s a character. Anyway, laughing burns calories, but lifting weights burns more. Are you ready?”
“Pffft. I was born ready. The question is, are you ready?” Stacey shoved her sleeve up a bit and flexed her bicep. “For this gun show, that is?”
God, she was cute. Rob clutched his chest as if he’d been shot.
“Damn, girl, warn a man before you wield deadly weapons like that.”
Stacey laughed again, and the sound warmed Rob all the way down to the toes of his sneakers. She had no clue how attractive she was to him, and that made her all the more irresistible.
“Okay, I’m ready. Hurt me.”
And as Rob led her to the free weight section, he couldn’t help but replay her laugh again in his mind. Such a light, musical sound.
He’d like to hear it often.
Chapter 6
Stacey’s face was flushed, her eyes focused straight upward. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple, but she ignored it. Rob stood by her side, coaching her through. Her muscles trembled as her arms locked, her body straining to meet his demands.
God, he loved his job.
“Great,” he said, helping her put the bar on the cradle. “Breathe, then one more set of reps.”
“Whew.” Stacey took the towel he offered, and wiped her face. “That’s tough.”
“But you’re killing it.”
“That’s because I’ve got a good coach,” she said. And then she winked at him.
The expression wrapped around his midsection and yanked. Good God. Blood rushing, he busied himself wiping down the bar. Damn. This playful, confident attitude of hers was downright magnetic.
He’d have to watch himself. She was making it difficult to focus on the job at hand. He’d love to do some very different kinds of presses with her tonight.
“Come on, let’s get to work. You can’t just stare at me all night.” Stacey lay back on the weight bench and reached for the bar.
“Why not?” He didn’t regret the question, even though it was unplanned. She paused in her motion, her back
arched, as she looked at him with one blond brow cocked.
“Hmm,” she said, a slightly embarrassed smile lifting her reddened cheeks. “No reason, I guess.”
He nodded toward the bar, and she lifted it with him spotting.
It was insane to hit on her, right? The gym’s business wasn’t solid yet. He was the one who’d insisted on the “no dating clients” rule, for crap’s sake. She might be the first woman to tempt him since his ex-girlfriend had shown him that their relationship wasn’t as strong as he’d imagined, but that didn’t mean he should throw caution to the wind, did it?
Stacey groaned in exertion, the sensual sound doing all sorts of things to his too-eager body.
Jesus, he needed to get laid.
“Ten,” he said, helping her rest the bar on its ledge. “Great work.”
“Thanks,” she said, sitting up on the bench and lacing her fingers together to stretch toward the sky. She arched her back, forcing her breasts tight against the material of her T-shirt. His cock twitched as he noticed her taut nipples.
Distraction—he needed a distraction. Ah, thank Christ. Silvio was waving to him from the front counter.
“Take a quick breather, I’ll be right back.”
Stacey nodded and sipped her water, and Rob trotted over to Silvio.
“Everyone else has gone, boss, and it’s after nine. Want me to wait for you?”
Rob glanced at the clock. Wow, the time had really gotten away from them. Stacey had been late because of a problem at work, and then they’d talked for nearly an hour about Stacey’s workout plan. The conversation had wandered into friendly chatting for quite a while, before Rob mentioned they still had a workout to do.
“No, you go ahead. I’ll lock up.”
Silvio nodded toward Stacey, who was bent over the bench she’d been using and wiping it down. The sight of her ass did beautiful, terrible things to Rob’s already aching cock.
“She’s really cute.”
Rob shot a glare at Silvio. “Cute? No, she’s not cute.” Cute was for toddlers, puppies, and grandmas. Stacey Hough was hot, curvy, beautiful, fuckable, many different things. None of them “cute.”
