by Nana Prah
She angled her head as she studied him.
Had she discerned that he’d kept something from her? “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She reached up and touched his brow. “How did you get that scar?”
“In a match during my amateur fighting years. I let my guard down for a moment as I strategized, and the crazy fucker charged me with a head butt. I learned a huge lesson that day.”
“Always protect your face?”
“Anticipate the worst and stay ahead of it.”
She nodded. “Painful lesson, but it makes sense.”
“I’ll see you this evening at your session.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good.” He got up, slid on his boxer briefs and then his jeans. His shirt was missing from the tidy room.
Legs drawn to her chest and an arm wrapped around her knees, she pointed toward the door. “It’s kind of hazy, but if memory serves me correctly your shirt is downstairs. With mine. We’ll find a bra along the path.”
She slipped out of bed with the sheet wrapped around her. A stunning Nubian queen he wanted to make whimper with pleasure. He followed her out of the room and down the stairs where their clothes littered the hallway.
She grunted as she bent and picked up his shirt.
“Are you okay?”
She avoided his gaze by grabbing her own top. “I’m a little sore in places you’ve never worked out with me before last night.”
He chuckled as he caught and hugged her. “The next time you won’t feel anything but afterglow the day after.” He didn’t care that he was being presumptuous about wanting to make love to her again.
Her fingers fisted into the shirt he’d slipped on. He savored her warmth as she teased his lips and then pulled away with a sigh.
The next thing he’d say would make him look shady as hell. Even worse than leaving her before the crack of dawn, but he needed to get it out the way. “Can you do me a favor?”
“It depends.” Of course, her pragmatic mind wouldn’t answer with a straight yes.
“I don’t get involved with my clients.”
For once her expression became unreadable. “Is this the first time you’ve slept with someone you work with?”
“No. I mean yes.” He took a deep breath. If he didn’t get this right, she’d dismiss him before they even had a chance. “That was in the past. I’ve learned to stay away since then.”
Her braids swung over her shoulder as she dipped her head and gave him the side eye as if that would allow her to be some sort of lie detector. He must’ve passed because she relaxed her pursed lips.
Now for the hard part. “Let’s keep this between us until your sessions are up.”
She crossed her arms over her stomach and assessed him.
His hands trembled with unexpected nervousness. Even if they never had sex again, he still wanted to be around her, and that scared him. He hadn’t gotten this far in life by allowing fear to rule his actions. He’d just have to work through it.
“Okay.”
Had he heard correctly? He needed to be sure. “My reputation is on the line, so you can’t even tell your sister.”
Her large eyes rolled upward. “I said, okay.”
Now it was his turn to be suspicious. She and Trista were close enough to be one person. Could she keep such a secret to herself? Gia must’ve kept the full experience of being bullied at work from her. Trista would’ve ripped everyone in her office apart if she’d known anybody was messing with her sister to that extent.
“I promise. Now get out of here before you’re late. Have a good day.”
All he could do was believe her. “You, too.”
He gave her a quick peck on the lips.
It shouldn’t be this difficult to leave. He’d walked faster dragging a grown man resisting his every step behind him while training. Finally, he made it out the door and jogged down the stairs.
He had a feeling the day would grind until he got to meet up with her later. Would she be able to keep her promise of silence? Without knowing it, she held the fate of underprivileged youth in her hands.
Chapter 18
In retrospect, where Gia had gone wrong at work was as clear as the ocean in the Bahamas. The first was that she should’ve kept her big mouth shut and not dealt with Harrison bullying her colleague directly, at least until she’d gauged the culture of the department and had a better plan of dealing with him. The second was not discussing it with someone she trusted sooner instead of trying to handle it on her own. Perspectives from the outside of a situation were so much clearer than being emotionally involved.
For the past six and a half months Gia had dreaded coming into work every Monday. Today was different. The talk with Lamar about her fictitious friend’s situation had opened her eyes.
Power.
The key to changing her life. He’d prompted her to realize that she had more of it than she’d thought. So much more.
Things had clicked in place as Lamar’s wise words had soaked in. He was a smart man, so he had to have realized that she was talking about herself the whole time, but he hadn’t called her out on it. Yet another wonderful quality to appreciate about him.
No wonder she’d hauled him into the house when he’d dropped her off. Her legs still quivered after experiencing the most amazing sex of her life. They hadn’t planned to make love. Although she’d hoped. Why else would she have bought condoms?
She’d been in the pharmacy strolling down the aisles when latex condoms of all different shapes, sizes, and colors snagged her attention. Being a curious scientist and an intrigued woman, she’d read every box and wondered which ones Lamar would like.
She’d purchased fruit flavored ones because he was always insisting she add more to her diet. A box of extra-large because what had been pressed against her belly the time in the gym when they’d almost kissed had been impressive. Curiosity alone had her throwing the ones with spikes into the basket. She’d added lubricants because things had been uncomfortably dry with her few former lovers.
When she’d gotten home with her goodies and unpacked them she couldn’t believe what she’d done. Why would an incredible, world travelled champion of his sport have sex with her when he could have any woman he wanted? Sure, they’d laughed a lot and talked like old friends. She’d been attracted to him from the first day they’d met and felt a little of it from his end, but not enough to have sex.
Boy had she been wrong. They’d ignited last night and she wanted more. If what he’d told her that morning was true, then so did he. Three times in one night with positions she had no idea her body could get into. She shifted in her seat as her core throbbed at the delicious erotic memories.
Gia turned her attention to what they’d discussed before he’d left and her spirits dimmed. She could understand needing to keep things professional between them. He took his work seriously. After that idiot had posted a fake video showing Lamar physically abusing him, she could understand the need to replenish his reputation, but something didn’t sit right.
She had one true friend and if she wanted to tell her sister that she’d had the type of sex that would spoil her for all other men, then she should be able to. What would Trista say? Would she be happy, or warn her that he was out of her league?
She hadn’t read deception in his expression, yet chafing that scar above his eyebrow indicated he wasn’t being completely honest. She knew that for a fact from prior direct questions she’d asked that he’d skirted.
What if he had affairs with all the women he trained, past and present? He was famous and handsome with a body that Greek gods would’ve smote him for. Was she playing herself to believe that she’d been the only client in recent times that he’d gotten involved with? Maybe he was in between women and wanted a temporary filler.
She jumped when the alarm on her phone dinged. With a shaky hand she reached out and turned it off. Ten a.m. Time to stop letting everyone get the best of her.
Power. She’d get some today. Or at least try. A visit to Sanjana Rao, one of the highly respected engineers in the company would be a start in the right direction. Sanjana outranked Harrison by several levels. Gia’s request to be a mentee under the strong woman would have Harrison shaking in his cowardly boots.
She shut her laptop, stood, and grabbed her bag to give the impression that she’d be going on her normal break to the snack machine. A habit she’d discontinued last week. Her energy had elevated during the day when she’d replaced the sweets with fruits or veggie snacks. Not to say that a candy bar hadn’t made it into her system a time or two, but at least she’d kept it to one, rather than her usual four to six.
Harrison’s name came up on her desk phone when it rang. Her scalp burned as if her braids had been freshly done by a heavy-handed hairdresser. He had the timing of a seasoned race car driver. For once she had half a mind to ignore her phone. And then she remembered the kind of consequences he could dole out. Even though she was ready to evoke change, her hand still trembled with fear.
“Hel—”
“Get in my office.”
Click.
She should’ve walked away from the phone when she’d had the chance. What could he want? She’d only just started on the new project. The one she’d worked overtime to fix last week had been approved. Once again, no credit had been thrown in her direction even though she had saved Harrison’s ass.
She headed to the office of despair and knocked.
“Come in.”
She entered and closed the door. Her shoulders relaxed a little when she saw Ramesh sitting in the chair closest to the window.
“Have a seat,” Harrison’s voice held the harsh bite reserved for her.
His icy blue eyes pierced as his lip curled into a near imperceivable snarl. For once, she refused to lower her gaze.
His brows squiggled into a state of confusion, but he kept his focus trained on her. “You’ll help Ramesh complete his design.”
With sheer will, Gia kept her mouth from dropping open. She wouldn’t mind helping Ramesh, but didn’t understand why he hadn’t come to her himself like he’d done before. This must be huge.
Harrison’s patient voice, something he had never directed at her before registered. “He’s creating a Wi-Fi coffee machine that makes several types of café style coffees with the order from a smartphone. Our client wants it light and sleek. We’ll be meeting with them on Wednesday. The design must be presentable by then so we need to get a rush on it. You’ve worked with Lansil Technologies on a previous project and they were pleased with your designs.” Harrison tapped his chest. “Of course, that was after I revamped and improved them.”
Lying worm. She’d seen the CAD of the final product and the design she’d submitted hadn’t been touched.
Why hadn’t he just given the assignment directly to her instead of having her work with someone? Sleek and light was not something Ramesh specialized in. Not like her.
“From what I’ve seen of Ramesh’s plans so far, you two will be here late completing it.”
“But, I can’t,” shot out of her mouth. She didn’t regret having spoken the words. Seeing Lamar was more important than work.
Harrison straightened as his shoulders thrust back, giving him the impression of expansion. “What?” His voice had even deepened.
“I have a standing obligation that I can’t miss.”
“Is that so? Ramesh, please excuse us for a minute. Baxter will be with you once we finish our conversation.”
Ramesh didn’t stand up right away. Gia glanced over at him. He opened his mouth to speak, and then changed his mind as he pushed up against the arms of the chair, got to his feet and left.
Harrison stood and came around the desk. Face red and neck veins bulging, he towered over her. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but I don’t like it. You haven’t turned out to be the team player that I was promised. I give you an assignment and you want to decline it?” He clicked his tongue. “Not smart. It looks to me like you want to be fired.”
He hinged forward. “I could make it happen. Do you think you’ll get another position at this level without my recommendation? You’ll probably never work on the East Coast again.”
Her hands clenched into fists as the rage at his audacity rose. Who did he think he was? She’d been a fool for ever thinking that he was more than the bully he presented himself as. He had friends in high places, but soon so would she. She glared at him as he spouted his lies of having her fired.
“You—” He poked a finger into her shoulder and pushed.
Reacting quick as lightning, Gia smacked the hand away as she scrambled out of her chair and to the door before he could get out another word. Her nostrils flared as she sucked in air and rubbed her shoulder. He’d put his hand on her. A first, and definitely a last.
As if realizing his grave error, he scraped fingers through his hair and looked towards the window. He returned his attention to her with his index finger and thumb stroking his chin and a warped grin on his lips. “I was just trying to make a point. I didn’t know you’d be so sensitive to a little touch.”
“Don’t you ever touch me again.” She stared at him knowing he’d lost his goddamn mind.
His lips drooped as if he’d been the one wronged
“Look, Gia.” His tone softened. “Ramesh needs your help on this project. He’s submitted a previous design that wasn’t accepted, and the client is upset with his performance. This may be his last strike. He’s had a string of bad luck since being transferred here, and I don’t want to see him tossed out over this.”
She remained narrow-eyed as her heart beat hard in her chest.
“Once you see how much the project needs before its completion, you’ll understand why I got a little…upset when you said you couldn’t stay late to help finish it. I hope you’ll reconsider. For Ramesh and his family’s sake. It would be hard to take care of those kids if he couldn’t provide a roof over their heads.”
Letting the heaviness of his words linger, he strolled behind the desk. “Will you help him? The company would be grateful.”
For the first time he’d given her a choice. Perhaps her irate reaction to his poke had changed things and he’d start treating her better.
She nodded agreeing to help Ramesh, not Harrison. “I’ll shift my schedule.”
His smile seemed genuine. “Good.”
She turned the knob and left the office, walking with her head raised. He’d actually backed off and treated her with respect when he saw he wasn’t going to get his way with his bullshit attitude. The encounter had confirmed that once she put the gain-power plan into action, his bullying ways would stop.
It had to. She couldn’t take working under these conditions knowing that she was worth more than he would ever let on. If it didn’t, she’d have no choice but to leave the position she’d worked so hard and long to obtain. It dawned clear and true, her self-value and dignity meant more than holding on to a job.
Chapter 19
“Thanks, man. I really needed to vent. My girl’s been putting me through it. I might even take your advice.” Lamar’s client held out a fist.
He met the guy’s knuckles with his own. “No problem. I’ll catch you at next week’s session.”
Proud of himself, Lamar strode to his office. He’d been implementing what he’d learned in the customer service training Suarez had enforced on the crew last month. The skills he’d gained had gotten easier to implement with others once he’d started with Gia.
The people he’d trained over the past few weeks had left him with a smile on their faces. He hadn’t done much but listen to them and guide their workouts rather than barking orders. He made a mental note to hold a meeting to survey his team on their own results.
A grin lingered as he thought of Gia. He hadn’t gotten a moment to call or text, but he’d rectify that during his lunch break. When was the last time he thought of contacting a woman aft
er having sex? The only attempts he’d made since his divorce were late night repeat booty calls.
Gia was different. Special. He’d known it the moment she’d straightened her shoulders and permitted him to take her measurements despite her nervousness on that first day. She had grit. Something he appreciated. He found it especially endearing in her.
Before he could unlock his cell phone, Suarez tailed him into his office.
“Whatever you and the other trainers are doing with the clients keep it up. The requests for personal training has gone up ten percent within the past few weeks. The majority of them from recommendations. Not just here, either. At all of our sites.”
His friend held up a stack of papers. “We asked a few of the clients who’ve just finished their PT contracts to fill out an evaluation. The responses are fantastic. Some compared this month to last month and preferred whatever you’ve been doing with them recently.”
Lamar grinned. Hard work brought results. They were moving in the right direction. Bad press couldn’t hold down PCB Fitness. “Good to hear.”
“And when Trista gives us that glowing review on her vlog, we’ll be set to have customers rushing in, putting us back at number one. Once that’s done we’ll be able to secure more than enough grants and sponsorships to establish the community center. They’ll probably throw the money at us, begging to keep it open once they see how much of an impact it will make on the community. Hell, all of Boston.”
Lamar held back a grimace at the mention of Trista. Why did she have to be so influential? Funding the inner-city gym with his own money had occurred to him, but he knew better. He wanted long term success and he’d go bankrupt if he took on the project alone.
Suarez’s smile disappeared as he stared at Lamar. “What’s up? This is great news. Thanks to you we’re going to help a lot of people. Change lives just like we’ve been talking about for years. Way more than spending a few hours a month with them has done.”
