Out of the Blue, page 9
Besides, he couldn’t make the workout too easy. What kind of trainer would he be if he didn’t push his clients to their limits and show them their true potential? Not a good one, for sure. But he didn’t want to push her too much. Yet.
He hadn’t brought up the viral video again or encouraged her to vlog her first day because he wanted them to get a feel for each other first. She needed to be comfortable with him, and he wanted to see what she could handle. And vlogging would’ve only gotten in the way of that.
It was best to ease Preslee into the workouts—and the vlogging—rather than go for the gold on the first day. Otherwise, she might injure herself, which would be a needless setback. She had motivation at this point, and he wanted to use that to keep the forward momentum. But once he got her into the gym, he was going to have to bring it up and encourage her to make those videos. The gym needed the promotion.
Adam rose to his feet. “You did great today. Ready to hit the showers?”
“Definitely. I can’t wait to get out of these sweaty clothes.”
At the mention of her taking off her clothes, a mental image flashed through his mind of her in the shower with soapy hands trailing all over her voluptuous body. Only it wasn’t her hands roaming over that shapely figure. They were his. His eyes closed to preserve the erotic vision flashing so vividly in his mind, and he nearly groaned out loud.
Wait. What the…?
Adam’s eyes flew open, and his gaze landed on a fully clothed Preslee lifting herself from the ground. Why did this keep happening to him? It was as if his subconscious wanted her naked…and apparently soaking wet.
His dick twitched at the thought, and he glanced down with a frown. Nope. Not happening, buddy. She’s a client, and you know we never…Oh dear God. Now he was trying to reason with his penis. Had he lost his mind?
She was his client, damn it. That meant hands off. Period. He wasn’t allowed to make flirty passes or ask her out, no matter how pretty and funny and likable she was. And she was all of those things. But maybe his attraction to her was just a side effect of not having been laid in a while. It’d been too long, and any guy would be attracted to a desirable woman like Preslee.
“I didn’t see a vehicle in the parking lot when I pulled up earlier,” she told him. “How did you get here?”
He picked up his shirt from the ground. “I was at the gym early this morning so I jogged over.”
Her eyes widened. “B-but the gym’s two miles away.”
He shrugged. “So?”
“My apartment is closer, and I didn’t even consider doing anything other than driving. Guess that shows the difference in our mentalities when it comes to exercise. You seek it out, whereas I avoid it at all costs.”
He pulled his shirt over his head and shoved his arms through. “Not true. You just spent your Saturday morning working out with a trainer. You’re no longer in that category of people who avoid exercise.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully. “You’re in my world now, baby.”
She laughed. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far after only one day. Maybe give me a few weeks to see if I stick to it first.”
Adam’s insides twisted. He didn’t like that she thought she didn’t belong in his world. Nor did he like the idea of any of his clients quitting on him. But for some reason, it bothered him more to picture her doing so. Why? He wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because of the bet he had with Kurt. After all, Adam hated to lose. But he wasn’t about to let her quit. He’d just have to keep her motivated and working toward her goal.
He glanced at his watch and cringed. “I didn’t mean to be here this long. I’m going to have to run, literally, or I’m going to be late. I have to meet another client in fifteen minutes.”
“Want a ride? I’m heading into town. I’m going to the post office to check the store’s mailbox.”
“That’d be great.”
“I’m parked over there,” she said, gesturing across the open field to the green Honda Accord in the parking lot.
Adam nodded. “All right. Wanna race?”
Preslee didn’t hesitate. Hell, she didn’t even wait around long enough to answer him. She just lit out for her car. The unexpected move caught him by surprise, and he stood there blinking at her backside for several seconds before a smile cracked his face in two and laughter rumbled from his chest. He’d only said it in a joking manner. He hadn’t expected her to take him up on it.
But since she did…
Adam gave chase by launching into a full-tilt run. He had to. He’d accidentally given her one hell of a head start, and it was the only way he was going to catch up, much less beat her. For someone who claimed not to be in good shape, Preslee was much quicker on her feet than she gave herself credit for. He was in great physical condition, and it still took him a good distance to catch up and pass her. Even then, he only made it to the car a few seconds before she did.
“You won,” she said, panting heavily as she headed for the driver’s-side door.
He scowled at her over the hood, breathing only a little harder than normal. “And you cheated.”
She laughed as she opened the door. “No, I didn’t. You didn’t say when to go.”
“Exactly. You’re supposed to wait for that part.”
One shoulder raised nonchalantly. “Well, you should’ve been clear about the rules.” She blew out another hard breath as she slid behind the wheel. “When you ask someone to race, you should be ready. It isn’t my fault you weren’t prepared.”
Adam slid into the passenger seat and grinned. The woman was so full of it. “Just to be clear, I’m never playing poker with you. You’d probably have aces up both sleeves.”
She started the car as she turned to face him, blinking in mock surprise. She placed a hand to her chest and batted her lashes. “I can’t believe you’d accuse me of that.”
His eyes narrowed playfully. “Yeah, right. You probably don’t play fair on board games either. You can’t be trusted. In fact, I was going to ask you how you’ve done on your new diet, but you probably cheated on that too.”
She laughed as she pulled out of the parking lot. “Actually, I didn’t. I considered it though. Multiple times. My healthy dinner had the texture of wicker furniture and the taste of cardboard. I now know why people lose weight by eating ‘healthy’ food. It’s not because it’s better for you. It’s because they starve to death.”
Adam chuckled. “It’s about finding the right foods that work for you. Anytime you make a big change to your diet, it’s going to take some getting used to.”
She nodded. “I know. I’m giving it time. I’m not planning on cheating on my diet any time soon.”
He glanced down and caught sight of something nestled between two receipts in the center console. His brow rose. “You sure about that?”
“Yep.”
He cocked his head toward her. “Really?”
She nodded solemnly. “Of course.”
He gave her a yeah, right look. “You’re sure?”
Her brows drew together. “Yes. Why do you keep asking that?”
He reached for the golden snack cake and held it up. “Because of this.”
She smiled meekly. “Oh. Um, I can explain.”
He grinned and shook his head. “It’s okay. No need.”
“I bought that the other day before I joined the gym. I’d tossed it into my console, and I forgot it was there.”
He held up a hand. “Preslee, you don’t have to explain. I was kidding.”
“I know, but you probably think I planned to eat it. I wasn’t going to, I swear.”
He tore open the clear plastic wrapper. “Too bad. I was going to share. Guess I’ll have to eat it myself.”
Her head jerked toward him with disbelieving eyes. “You’re eating my Twinkie?” A quick but heated look exchanged between them before she blushed beet red and turned her gaze back to the road. “My snack cake, I mean.”
He shrugged. “Why not? You said you didn’t want it.” He broke off a piece of the sponge cake with some of the cream filling and popped it into his mouth, humming in appreciation.
She blinked in shock, as if he’d eaten a dog turd. “But…you…y-you can’t eat that.”
Adam swallowed and tossed another piece of the soft golden cake into his mouth, mumbling around it, “Why? Because it’s yours?”
“No, because you’re a trainer,” she stated, completely dumbfounded. “You’re supposed to be all about fitness and health food. You can’t just eat…snack cakes.”
“Really? Hmm. Guess I missed that memo,” he said, licking vanilla cream filling from his lips. “You should try it. It’s really good.” He held a piece up to her lips.
“No, I—”
When she opened her mouth to protest, Adam tucked the small piece of sponge cake between her parted lips. For a moment, she seemed to panic. Her eyes bulged, and her mouth opened wider. As if she didn’t know what to do with the bite of cake and considered spitting it out. But the sugary filling must’ve melted on her tongue because she finally closed her lips around it, and her eyes drifted shut on a small, satisfying moan. One that sent electricity shooting straight down his spine and directly into his groin.
But he didn’t have time to contemplate his visceral reaction to her because there was a more pressing issue. “Preslee, open your eyes before you drive us into the ditch.”
Her eyes shot open, and her hands tightened on the wheel, keeping the car in its lane. “Oh. Sorry.”
Well, he wasn’t. He liked watching her lose herself completely when it came to something pleasurable. The thought alone had him shifting in his seat, wondering when his shorts had become so tight. He subtly reached down and adjusted himself, hoping she wouldn’t notice.
Preslee glared him. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
Uh-oh, had she caught him rearranging his—
No, wait. She was referring to the cake. “Why? What’s wrong?”
That only seemed to make her madder. “I’m on a diet, Adam. Or did you forget that?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Of course it does. How am I going to lose weight if you’re feeding me cake? God. You’re the worst personal trainer I’ve ever had.”
He chuckled. “I’m the only trainer you’ve ever had, aren’t I?”
“Yes, but don’t let that comfort you,” she said, pulling into the gym’s parking lot. “I have zero experience whatsoever with other trainers, and I still think you’re the worst. That should tell you something.” She parked the car and turned to him. “If I were paying you, I’d ask for a refund.”
He grinned. “Good thing you aren’t paying me then.”
She squinted at him. “And why is that again? I still can’t figure out why you would offer your services to me for free.”
“I told you. I want to help.”
She snorted. “Oh, right. By feeding me cream-filled cake. Trust me, I don’t need you for that.”
He sighed. “Look, you seem hung up on that so let me explain. When it comes to your diet, you don’t want to deprive yourself. It’s okay to splurge occasionally as long as you do so in moderation. You can have anything you want, healthy or not, as long as you do it the smart way. Allow yourself to have a little and don’t overindulge. That’s the key.”
“So you aren’t going to be upset with me if I veer off my diet a little from time to time?”
“No. You’re an adult, Preslee. I’m not going to tell you that you can’t have something you want. Everyone gets cravings. Even if it’s for chocolate, then eat it. I would probably just advise you to go for dark chocolate for the added benefits of the antioxidants. But even if you ignored my suggestion, it’s not like I’m going to bend you over my knee and spank you.”
A mental image of her bending over that bench earlier materialized out of nowhere like a submarine surfacing in the middle of a lake. His palm itched relentlessly as he thought of how he’d like to smack it lightly across her bare butt.
Preslee. Nudity. And water.
Damn it. Not again.
Chapter Six
Preslee strolled through the doors of the Body Shop and glanced around warily.
Here she was. Again.
What was she thinking? Even though she’d spent the entire weekend working out with Adam in the park and had even started to gain a little confidence in her abilities, she still felt like a loser walking back into the gym after quitting the first day. Who does that?
Well, besides her.
At least Adam would be there to guide her this time and she wouldn’t be working out alone. That made her feel infinitely better about showing up and giving it another go. Then again, that also meant she would be followed around from one machine to the next by a hot guy who resembled a rock-hard bodybuilder.
She sighed. This was such a bad idea.
But unfortunately, it was too late to back out. Adam stood at the check-in counter with Kurt, and they had both glanced up as she’d entered the building. Ah, well, at least she could take comfort in the fact that Adam was the only one, besides her, who knew she’d quit that night.
She moved toward them.
“Right on time,” Adam said, glancing at his watch. “I’m just finishing up with something. Why don’t you get scanned in while you’re waiting?”
Oh crap. She’d forgotten all about the membership card that she’d thrown into the trash on the way out the door last week. “I, um, seem to have lost my card. Is it possible to get a new one?”
A slow grin lifted the corners of Adam’s mouth. “Sure,” he said, turning to Kurt. “Could you set Preslee up with another card? Hers is apparently”—he used two fingers on each hand to gesture air quotes—“missing.”
“No problem,” Kurt replied, chuckling under his breath.
They gazed at her with the same amused grins.
She fisted her hands on her hips. “All right, which one of you saw me toss it?”
They both laughed.
“Kurt did,” Adam admitted, his smile widening. “I didn’t find out until later.”
Later? How much later?
If she weren’t already embarrassed and eager to avoid the conversation, she would’ve asked him right then. Because she still found it odd that Adam had shown up at the antique shop a few days after she’d quit and volunteered to be her trainer. For some reason, she couldn’t let it go. Call her overly suspicious, but something about it seemed way too coincidental.
But why would he lie? What would he have to gain by helping her work out? She’d pondered that question all weekend long and hadn’t been able to come up with a single answer that made sense. If anything, Adam was losing valuable time and money by spending his training time with her.
But guilt twisted in her stomach. The guy was going out of his way to help her, and instead of just accepting it with gratitude, she was trying to figure out an ulterior motive. Jeez. How ungrateful could she be?
Kurt grinned as he slid a card across the counter. “I pulled it out of the trash for you in case you came back. For the record, I’m glad you did,” he said, sincerity filling his tone. “Most people who quit don’t.”
Heat crept up her neck. “Thanks for saving it for me. It was a rash decision in the moment. I was frustrated.”
“Yeah, I figured,” Kurt answered. “No worries. I quit my job and throw my card away at least once a week. It keeps Adam on his toes.” He winked.
She smiled. It was kind of Kurt to make her feel better. Obviously, he was as bad as Adam at letting someone off the hook. No wonder they were best friends. “Well, I won’t do it again. I’ll hang on to it this time.”
“You’d better,” Adam replied. “We have work to do.”
Kurt nodded toward Adam. “I heard you were working out with this clown,” he said, keeping his gaze on Preslee. “Don’t let him ride roughshod over you. Trust me, he’s known to do it.”
Adam snorted. “Only when I trained you, maybe. But that’s because you don’t know how to follow instructions.”
“That’s because you suck at giving them,” Kurt jabbed back. “My three-year-old nephew could’ve trained me better…and in less time than it took you to do so.”
She grinned at their exchange. They sounded more like brothers rather than best friends. “Don’t worry. I can handle Adam. He acts like a drill sergeant, but he doesn’t scare me.” Much.
Adam lifted one eyebrow, as if he were about to rise to a challenge, and Kurt chuckled. “I love your bravery, Preslee. But you probably shouldn’t say stuff like that in front of Adam. It turns him on…and not in a good way.”
Preslee smiled wider and gave a nonchalant shrug.
Adam grabbed a clipboard and rounded the counter, stopping in front of her. “You can handle me, huh?” He smirked. “You know I can make you eat your words, right?” He cocked his head, as if he was waiting to see if she would take the bait.
Preslee stiffened, and heat flashed in her cheeks. God, did he have to say things like that to her? Or challenge her so? Not that she was stupid. Deep down, she rolled her eyes at Adam’s empty threat, but she wasn’t about to poke the sleeping beast within him to see if she could rouse him. She believed in a little thing called self-preservation.
Her eyes raked over his broad shoulders, toned biceps, and muscular chest. Through his thin cotton T-shirt, she could make out all the firm bulges and hard planes of his strong body. Her mouth watered.
Yeah, she was hot for him. But she would never admit it, to him or anyone else. That would be disastrous and serve no other purpose than to make things weird between them. So instead she shrugged and gave him an innocent smile. “Of course.”
Kurt laughed. “Man, she’s got your number.”
Adam grinned. “We’ll see about that.”
Her pulse sped up. Okay, so maybe she wasn’t as totally at ease with him as she thought. But he didn’t need to know that. Adam had gone out of his way to make her feel as comfortable with him as possible. She appreciated the effort, even if it hadn’t quite worked out the way he’d meant for it to.
