Chapter One
Kayla
I have to start my day in a sweat. By that I mean I have to get my heart pumping, my muscles aching and my body rewarding me for the extra mile I’ve pushed it. Every day is the same. I blink my eyes open and I can’t wait to hit the gym.
Today is no different. I arrived at seven, when the gym was deserted, the doors open just for me. I hooked the earplugs in, I stretched while walking towards the treadmill and then I started running. What a way to wake myself up!
This one hour when I’m alone in the gym, listening to the same three songs on loop, is the most peaceful time of the day for me.
It’s when I can do some thinking, clear my head and prepare myself for a day in the office. No interruptions, no distractions and no demands.
My body jerks as I run, I keep my eyes focused on the wall length mirror in front of me. This way I can see myself, love myself as I run for thirty minutes without a break.
But what I wasn’t expecting today was an intrusion. About twenty minutes into the run, I heard the gym door open behind me and saw someone walk in. I could feel my brows furrowing with irritation. I told myself that as long as they left me alone, I’d be fine.
A few seconds later he came into view. Walking up behind me, watching me run on the treadmill. A soft smirk creased the side of his face. I could see his eyes were on my butt, and then on my back. He was walking towards me with a towel flung over his shoulder.
He looked familiar, although I couldn’t exactly place him. I was sure he was related to the Connells in some way. He had to be. This was the family’s personal gym after all; very few employees have access to this room.
I’d been working as a receptionist at their financial services firm for the past four years. It’s a medium sized company that trades in stocks and is located in a swanky private office building. The Connells trust me, I live nearby and I’m there at their every beck and call. Working seven days a week if they need me to. The free access to their personal gym is one of the many perks that they’ve provided me with. For that, I’m very grateful.
But who is this guy? I couldn't remember seeing him around the office, and the confidence, the sheer arrogance with which he was walking towards the treadmill next to me…I could tell that he wasn’t just a regular employee.
His blonde hair and baby blue eyes contributed to a boyish look, but everything else about him was purely man. I was annoyed, nonetheless.
The crop top he was wearing clung to his chiseled muscles, the bulges on his thighs stretched the thin nylon material of his shorts.
He was still smirking as he flung himself onto the treadmill next to mine. He was making a point. There were six other empty treadmills around us, an entire empty gym to make use of. But he chose to run on the treadmill next to mine, to look into the mirror in front of us, directly into my eyes as he picked a speed on the machine.
Within seconds he was running, faster than me. I looked back at him in the mirror, narrowing my eyes and maintaining my speed. If this was a battle, I wasn’t just going to give up. I had been here nearly thirty minutes by now, so my body had started to wind down, used to the usual routine. But I was going to push myself now. If he was trying to make a point, I’d make one too.
We were both running to match each other’s speed. The music was loud in my ears, keeping me motivated but I could feel the breath catching in my throat. It wouldn’t be long before I’d start feeling the strain of my muscles.
He was still smirking, watching me, running with ease. His neck was broad, and he had broad shoulders to match. There were sweat patches forming on his shirt now, and sweat dripped from his hair too. None of it seemed to bother him.
I was growing increasingly aware of my senses, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I could feel my ponytail grazing my back, the soles of my shoes hitting the rubber belt of the treadmill, the muscles on my calves beginning to ache with every extra second.
I saw him punch the board, to increase his speed and I was tempted to do the same. I was panting by now but tried to make sure that my face didn’t change. I didn’t want to give away that I was getting tired.
How did this turn into a competition? I didn’t even know the guy. Maybe it was the smirk on his face, the absolute confidence with which he challenged me to a fight, without even asking me to it.
The music in my ears was growing louder, and I had to blink hard to keep my eyes from shutting on their own accord. My body was screaming at me to stop, but I pushed on. I could feel the sweat trickle down my back, the hair from my bangs stuck to the sides of my face. He was running faster now, harder, his muscular torso stretching and contorting with every step. He was enjoying himself, while I was wondering why I was even a part of this.
I saw his lips move in the mirror, and my mind was grateful for the distraction. I continued running but pulled the earplugs out.
“You can give up if you want,” I heard him say, repeat himself. I crossed my brows at him.
“Thank you for the permission, but I’m following my own routine,” I said and stuck the earplugs back into my ears. I saw him smile, a big wide self-indulgent smile.
Then he casually stopped the machine and slowed to a stop himself. I was relieved, even though I didn’t allow my face to show it. Secretly it was a victory for me, that I wasn’t the first one to put an end to it.
I saw him jump off the treadmill and reach for the towel. That’s when I stopped and got off the treadmill myself, feeling a little dizzy. I switched off the music when I picked up my own towel, still annoyed by the disruption to my routine.
“Good run,” I heard him say. I looked at him and threw him a half smile. Common sense was flooding my brain now. No matter how irritated I was, in all likelihood, this guy was a colleague, which meant that I shouldn’t be rude.
“Is that your usual set?” he asked as I undid the cap of my water bottle, still panting.
“Yep,” I said and eagerly drank from the bottle. He was still wiping himself down, looking at me with confidence, unabashedly, no apology in his eyes.
“I like to get an early start at the gym. I didn’t expect to find anyone here,” he continued. I wanted to tell him that was exactly how I operated, but I decided against it. I wasn’t here to make friends.
“Have I offended you in some way?” he asked after a few seconds of silence. I was preparing to leave now. I usually spent another fifteen minutes on the cross trainer, but I didn’t want to get into another competition with him.
“Why do you say that?” I asked him, as I picked up my gym bag.
“You don’t seem too pleased to see me here,” he replied, his eyes flitting over my breasts and back up to my face. I could see what kind of man he was. He thought I was going to be an easy pickup at the gym. He had confidence in himself and his prowess at impressing women. But I wasn’t just going to giggle and accept his advances. He had intruded on my privacy, on my personal space and I was secretly glad he thought I was offended.
“I’m sorry that I’m not more friendly. It’s just that I have to get to work,” I said, starting to walk away from him.
“So you work here,” he said, following me at a distance. I was headed for the shower room and getting more annoyed now that he was following me there.
“Yes,” I said dismissively and heard him chuckle.
“I do too. Starting today,” he said. I couldn’t make sense of it. If he was just a regular employee, why and how was he given access to the family’s personal gym? There were people who had worked for the company for several years and were still not given the privilege. You had to earn the perks.
“Great. Welcome, I guess,” I said instead and he stretched out his hand to me.
“I’m Oscar,” he introduced himself and I had no other choice but to shake his hand. He had me cornered against the wall by the changing rooms’ door now. We shook hands and he took a few more steps towards me.
That’s when his smell entered my nostrils. The smell of his sweat combined with the expensive cologne he had on. The strength of his handshake, and the way he held my hand for just a little longer than strictly necessary. I could see the outline of the six-pack underneath his shirt. He was much taller than me too, towering over me while I had to look up at him.
My confidence was suddenly struck out of me, and I found myself catching my breath, trying to find my voice.
“Kayla,” I said meekly and with my left foot, I pushed back the changing room door. I had to get out of here before I did anything stupid. He registered the movement and raised his eyebrows.
“Are you trying to make a quick escape?” he asked, his face now painfully close to mine.
“I have to get to work. So do you,” I managed to say, before slipping into the changing room.
The door shut behind me and I realized my breathing was loud. It had to be the extra miles I had just run. That was the reason my heart was beating so fast. That my senses were running amok.
I started stripping almost instantly, growing aware of the sweat on my clothes. I needed to get out of them and into the shower as quickly as possible. I needed to get his smell off me. The changing rooms and showers for the men were on the other side of the wall and while I was stepping into the shower, I heard another shower being turned on. It had to be him.
I stood there for a few seconds imaging him on the other side of the wall. Naked, the steaming water coursing down the grooves of his muscles, washing away the sweat from his hair.
I didn’t want to imagine him naked, but he had left very little to the imagination. I bit down on my lip, hard. This was insane. What was wrong with me?!
I, Kayla Edwards, was the last person to fantasize about a colleague in the gym shower. I was strict with my rules of conduct and this went completely against them.
I concentrated on cleaning myself, washing my hair, conditioning it and then patting myself dry. I still had another hour before I had to be at my desk, which gave me enough time to get ready for the day. And enough time to get my senses back in order.