Toria

I was on a high, and I mean a high high. An adrenaline rush. Since meeting Cam, my life just kept getting better and better. Or maybe I should say since signing up as a member of Pair Us' matchmaking service and meeting Ashley Harte. I could kiss her feet for matching me with Cam. And Cam for putting in a word with Lazer.

In my book, the mark of a true friend is someone who will go out of their way to help you out. And Cam certainly had. A man of his word. A man of action. My heart fluttered.

I was still in shock. I couldn't believe Lazer Grayson called at all, let alone so soon. I had a meeting with a real-life billionaire.

Unfortunately, I had no time to prepare for that all-important meeting. He wanted to meet in an hour. Maybe that was to keep me off balance. Maybe that was the only time he had available for weeks and weeks. Good thing I was used to pressure and had my five-minute makeup routine down pat. And had already showered. It was Saturday. That wasn't always a given this early in the day.

But talk about regretting eating so much the night before. Looking at the food baby I had, I was already wincing at the thought of Cam seeing me in my spandex exercise pants. Now I had to hurriedly dress in something professional—and hope I zipped my zipper—grab what I could of my financials, and race to meet Lazer Grayson.

I met him at his office. Fortunately, traffic was light. Could you imagine being late?

Since it was Saturday, the offices were mostly empty. Lazer himself met me at the door, showed me in, and offered me coffee, tea, or bottled water. I accepted a bottle of water. My mouth was already dry and my jaw was trying not to hit the floor.

Lazer, as he asked me to call him, was every bit as hot and handsome as the glossies I'd seen of him in magazines, or in his pictures online, or his appearances on TV. He was dressed casually in jeans and sweater in the height of style.

He was as charming and charismatic as I'd heard and read, as well.

He immediately put me at ease. "Cam spoke very highly of you. But he seems in the dark about exactly what you do."

He listened intently as I talked, interjecting intelligent questions. He was shrewd and savvy, very business savvy. When I finished my pitch, he grilled me expertly, but politely. He was sympathetic to my mission and my plight of trying to get office space and the uses I had for the capital. He offered a few suggestions.

He was also extremely professional, but he looked amused at times. I felt like I was on a private version of Shark Tank. But at least there were no other sharks to tease me.

"All right," he said at last. "You've impressed me. I'll bite."

"Thank you." I was beside myself with happiness.

"Don't thank me. Make me my money back. Add to my billions. And believe in yourself. I have a nose for failure and for success. I don't back losers. I think you're onto something big. Something noble. I like cause-based businesses with a higher purpose. These are my terms."

His terms were very generous. I got what I asked for and a mentor thrown into the bargain. You can judge a man by his friends. I was already impressed with at least one of Cam's. Two if you counted Ashley. And by impressed, I meant on a personal level, not on wealth. Yes, I was grateful to be the beneficiary of Lazer's wealth, but that wasn't what I liked most about him.

He wrote me a check on the spot and coached me on how to approach and negotiate with the landlord and property management company. "Don't let them intimidate you. Hold your ground. Let them know who they're dealing with. Send me a copy of your lease agreement. I'll have my lawyers look it over."

I told him my agent's lawyers had already taken a look.

"My lawyers are better. I have the best in the city. If there's nothing there? Fine. But let's let them have a look. And let's set up a follow-up meeting to talk growth strategy." He gave me his office assistant's number and told me to contact her on Monday to schedule our next meeting.

I left our meeting ecstatic and raced home to change into gym clothes. Before I left for my date, I called my real estate agent and gave him Lazer's instructions on how to make our next offer. Then I punched the air in victory and headed to the gym to meet Cam.

---

Cam

Between breakfast and my workout date, I met with some of the high school kids I was mentoring, trying to keep my mind off how the meeting between Lazer and Toria was going. I usually met the kids at one of the high school computer labs or a library, anywhere we could find space. But since today was Saturday and the libraries were booked, I took the group out for lunch and brainstormed the equipment they wanted for the new space.

The kids were full of questions. Especially the newest kid, Miles. He'd come out of his shell since joining. He was a kid who was going to go far if he was mentored and encouraged properly. All the kids wanted to know when we'd have a lab set up for them to start incubating. They were smart, and cute throwing around their tech language like the big guys. But I didn't let their eager cuteness snow me. They were sharp, too. And if they decided to turn their skills to the dark side, they could cause a fair amount of trouble, and get into it themselves.

I told them I was working on it, that I had a line on a fine suite of space in the heart of the high-tech industry downtown. I was just hammering out the final details. I felt confident in what I told them. I was feeling good all around.

I was at the gym, early, getting ready for my date with Toria, when Dave called, and he didn't sound happy. As we talked, I made my way from the locker room to the lobby to wait for Toria.

"The tenant is playing hardball. She has the landlord and the property management company suddenly rattled. It's like she's grown a pair overnight. She upped her offer again, and whatever she said, she has them backtracking on their desire to lease to us. What do you want to do? How badly do you want the space? We can keep looking."

I swore beneath my breath. I didn't like losing. If this tenant was going to play the bitch and try to ace me out of that prime space, she'd better think twice.

I discussed options with Dave, including whether there was anything else even remotely suitable on the market.

"Not right now, Cam," he said. "This is our best bet for what you want. Even for what you don't want. Vacancy rates are way down. There's nothing else available right now in the area you specified." He tried to sell me on mall space in the suburbs again.

I refused. Much as I hated to admit it, negotiating and playing hardball was out of my area of expertise. I was a tech guy, not a business genius. I hated this kind of game playing. It was time to call in the big gun for advice. We got Lazer in on the conversation.

He agreed with me. "If this spot is as good as you say, you'd be a fool to give up so easily. You're going to run into this kind of competition with any decent space. You need to get them to take you seriously."

With his help, we laid out a counterstrategy. All the while, I was dying to know whether Lazer had given Toria the money she needed. He had too much ethical sense to tell me. But he could hint. He sounded in good spirits and pleased with himself. From which I inferred things had gone well. Lazer was hardly ever happier than when he'd made a good investment.

We gave Dave a detailed battle plan, complete with exact wording to use in his discussions. He hung up to go do our bidding.

I'd been pacing the lobby, full of energy and nervous anticipation. I took a seat. With Dave off the call, I couldn't resist asking Lazer the question that was on my mind. "Are you going to tell me how it went with Toria or leave me hanging?"

"The thought of you hanging isn't pretty, my friend. Even so, you know I can't share the contents of a private business conversation." He laughed. "I can say that I was impressed with her personally. She's beautiful, smart, funny. You have good taste."

"Ashley picked her out," I said. "She has good taste for me. But I told you all that about Toria. You didn't believe me? Stop trying to flatter me and divert my attention. You don't have to give me details. A simple yeah, it went great or alternately a long, pregnant pause of hesitation will do to send the message. Are you going to give me a hint?"

"Absolutely not. What would be the fun in that?" He sounded jovial enough. That was enough of a hint in itself.

Just then, Toria walked past outside on the sidewalk in front of the windows of the gym, heading for the entrance.

"Never mind." My heart raced. "I'll find out soon enough. She's here."

"Good luck, my man." Lazer hung up just as Toria strolled in the door. I slipped my phone into my shorts.

Her face lit up when she spotted me. Even with a ponytail—called that one right—she was as beautiful as I remembered her being from last night. The austerity of the ponytail let her striking eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips take center stage. The caipirinhas hadn't distorted my vision. And maybe I was part Brazilian, too. Her tight exercise pants emphasized her pert, shapely butt, threatening to turn me into a butt man, like a true Brazilian.

"Cam!" She waved.

I stood and hugged her, wishing I could hold her closer for longer. We chatted about inconsequential things as I signed her in as a guest. I was dying as I waited for an opportunity to ask about her meeting with Lazer, then wondered whether I was even supposed to know about it.

She looked around at the gym with wide eyes. "This place is amazing."

It was the nicest gym in the city—high tech, modern in design, the most up-to-date equipment, and a smoothie bar and café that was unrivaled.

"And so are you!" She touched my arm. "I had a meeting with Lazer Grayson this morning. He's going to back me! And mentor me." She hugged me again just as Stryker walked out wearing tight exercise pants and a tank top that showed off his perfect triangle build.

Yeah. Lazer was probably right. Next to Stryker, almost any guy, even a guy in reasonably good shape like I was, was going to look scrawny. And here I'd chosen to wear my modest exercise shorts.

He spotted me. "Cam!"

"Stryker. This is my guest today." I introduced him to Toria, relieved that her eyes weren't popping out of her head at the sight of him and his bulging biceps.

"What are we doing today?" Stryker's gaze bounced between us. He pointed at me and shook his finger. "I know what you need." He laughed and turned to Toria. "What is it you want to accomplish today—strength training, cardio, a bit of both?"

"Both sounds good to me." She patted her abs. "I need to work off that same dinner from last night. I believe I out-ate Cam." She winked at me.

"In that case, I'll bust both your asses," Stryker said. "What's your preference? Do you like kickboxing?"

Toria nodded. "Love it."

"All right, then. We'll start with cardio in our private workout room and move to the main gym for strength training. We'll take it as we go."

I looked at Toria and sighed. "He means his private room of torture."

Stryker laughed and led the way.

The private room was mirrored on all walls so you could see your form. Unfortunately, I was all too aware of Toria's form.

Stryker ran Toria through a brief questionnaire, taking notes about her level of fitness, before putting on the music and beginning the workout. I'd been working with Stryker for over a year now. I knew how hard even his deceptively simple workouts could be. He knew all the secrets to working even muscles you had no idea you owned.

I was pleased Toria had chosen kickboxing. It was one of my favorites.

Stryker began the workout. "Let's warm up. March in place. Swing the arms. Faster now." He called out the commands in time to the beat. "Guard up. Fists in front of your face." Still marching, he gently corrected Toria's form, lifting her elbows. "Good. That's it."

To my eye, Toria moved beautifully and gracefully. I was used to exercising with the guys and occasionally Blair or one of the other ladies in the group. I knew better than to ogle them, but I was having a hard time keeping my eyes to myself. Toria's body in motion was a thing of beauty.

"Jab, jab, jab. Punch it out. Punch it hard. You're going for a KO." He pointed at me. "Stop slacking, Cam. You're moving like you have lead in your ass."

He walked to Toria and gave her a few pointers, pausing to demonstrate the technique himself and explaining the muscles we were working. He bounded back in front of us. "Cross-body jab. Hook it left. Hook right…"

He nodded his approval. "Now bob and weave. Bob and weave. Good. Good. Keep it up. Keep it going. Moving from the warmup into the cardio portion we'll add a kick."

Damn that Stryker. He could kick to the ceiling. And when he kicked, every muscle in his leg flexed. As much as I work on them, my kicks have never been spectacular. Suddenly, though, I found the will to match Stryker. I'd never kicked higher.

Toria kicked like a Rockette. She was competitive, too, matching Stryker for height and intensity. Once again, he had to handle the woman I was trying to impress. "Hips forward. Arms up. Jab. That's it."

Is trainer envy a thing? Because I sure as hell had it as I watched Stryker dominate Toria's attention and gently correct her already-to-my-eyes great form. When he put his hands on her waist and gently showed her how to work each muscle more efficiently, I was green with envy. My hands itched to touch her. Maybe I should take up training.

To make up for my lack of contact with her, I had to show off my moves. Flex just a little more. Kick a little higher. Jab the air with more intensity. Peacock at every opportunity. Pretend to throw punches at Stryker and fake hammer his head when he wasn't looking for punishing us with this grueling routine.

She grinned and upped her game.

Stryker caught on to my antics. "If you have time to clown around, I'm not working you hard enough, Cam." He raised an eyebrow.

He, of course, hadn't broken into a sweat yet. This was a figurative stroll to him. But the guy worked out eight hours a day. He exercised for a living.

Soon we were both glistening with sweat. I admire a woman who isn't afraid to sweat, really sweat, in front of her date. I like women who aren't afraid to get dirty.

"Getting your appetite back yet, Cam?" Stryker said through a particularly quick and vicious bit of the boxer shuffle with a speedbag move thrown in for good measure.

Now he was just baiting me.

"You told me that was the point of this workout, no?" he said.

I finally found enough breath to speak. "I'm about ready to lose that dinner, if that's what you mean."

During the height of the workout, Toria and I were both exercising too hard to do more than concentrate. During the cooldown, I couldn't help myself. I turned the wrong direction on purpose so that I faced her as I jabbed.

"You want a piece of me, soldier?" She jabbed back.

Yeah. I wanted a piece of her. That was one way of putting it.

I shuffled toward her. She stepped into me.

"Uppercut!" Stryker yelled.

She took a swing at me, throwing a playful uppercut to my jaw. I shuffled backward.

"Coward." Her eyes sparkled beneath the gym lights.

"Coward? Is that a dare?"

She laughed and shuffled toward me.

"Lunge and jab, Toria," Stryker said. "Bob and weave, Cam. Bob and weave."

"He's egging us on." I leaned back, out of reach of her moves.

We were suddenly play-boxing, with Stryker calling the shots, both of us laughing harder the longer the choreographed action lasted. When she laughed, her ponytail bobbed, and she was breathtakingly beautiful.

I held her gaze as we sparred, forgetting the exertion, just having fun. Finally, I lost myself to the playful move. As she lunged for me, I grabbed her hands, spun her around, took her around the waist, and pulled her against my sweaty chest, effectively silencing her punching moves. "What now, boxer girl?"

She laughed and leaned her head back against me, looking up at me with her lovely chocolate eyes as I bent my head and grinned at her. Her mascara and eye shadow had smudged during our workout, giving her an unintentionally sultry look. It was sexy as hell.

Catching me by surprise, she went up on her toes and kissed me quickly. I forgot myself. Forgot Stryker was in the room, still calling out instructions. While I was too surprised to react, Toria broke free from my grip.

"I have to call that match for Toria." Stryker slapped me on the back. "Let's lift some weights."

Damn. It suddenly hit me—Stryker wasn't the enemy. He was wingmanning for me. I could hardly wait to see how he'd show me off during the weight training circuit. When Toria wasn't looking, I flashed him a thumbs-up. He grinned and winked back at me.