Parker (Rich & Single #2) (3 page)

The motion of his fingers slowed, gentled, until he was touching her just enough to keep her hanging on the edge, his hips moving just as slowly.

“You know I do,” she groaned. “Always want more with you.”

“Right answer.”

He picked up the pace, pressed his fingers down over her clit, and watched her come apart underneath him with a shuddering moan.

Parker took her through it, slowing but not stopping. His fingers slid away from her clit, stroking over the lips of her sex until she was pressing back against him for more, already asking for it harder. Faster. He gave her exactly what she wanted, moving in her until both of them fell over the edge into ecstasy.

***

The memory of it, sliding together with his memories of her in the guest room at Reid’s, moving over him with her dark hair loose against her back, was enough to have him spilling over his own hand, a groan vibrating in his chest.

He sat for a moment, panting and slumped against the couch.

It had been fun while it lasted, that fling with Gina. He hoped she didn’t get hurt by it. Parker reminded himself to send her a bouquet of apology flowers and maybe a gift card to somewhere nice. Then, with a sigh, heaved himself up off the couch and went to get in the shower.

Parker pushed a hand through his hair, shoving it back out of his eyes, and turned his face up into the spray of the gym’s shower. Other men were moving around the locker room, their voices muffled by the sound of the water, and they were easily ignored. He reached for the bottle of soap he knew was on the little shelf in the corner, pouring some into one hand and then lathering it to rub it over his chest and arms, taking his time and enjoying the easy slide of the soap against his skin. His limbs still felt loose from the rush of the workout, a little heavy. It was good. He bent to finish soaping the rest of his body, then rinsed himself down and turned off the shower.

He had half an hour before his first class, just enough time to bolt down a post-gym snack of tuna and crackers. As he was tidying away the container, the phone range.

“Fitness and Health Sports Club. Parker here.”

“Parker.” The voice on the other end was a woman’s, obviously cheerful despite an hour that would be considered painfully early by a lot of people’s standards. “I was calling to inquire about the private training packages you offer.”

The gym brought in business. They had a regular clientele, and since their name had gotten big they were always picking up new people eager to see what they had to offer. Sometimes they moved on once the novelty had worn off. Most of them stayed. DVD sales and subscriptions to the training videos on their website for those who couldn’t make it to Fitness and Health Sports Club in person weren’t a slouch in the profit department either.

But the real source of their money was their private training packages. A private trainer wasn’t cheap. The really good ones were an accessory of the rich and famous, and paid like it, and Parker was one of the good ones. He smiled into the phone.

“Good morning, ma’am. We offer several private training packages that you can choose from. All of them are detailed on our website, but I’m happy to give you the basics over the phone. May I ask your name?”

“Jenna White. I don’t really want to be a body builder or anything, but I’m a new mother and I’d just like to get back in shape again. I’m sure you understand”.”

“You’re definitely not the only mother who feels that way, Jenna. Our basic trainer package might be the best option for you. It’s one hour with one of our certified personal trainer three days a week, renewable monthly. We also give you a personalized meal plan, and exercise requirements for the days you’re working on your own. Of course, if you would like to add more days to the plan that can definitely be arranged.”

The woman on the other end of the line laughed. “Actually, three days a week sounds great. I’m pretty busy these days with the new little one and all the running around.”

“You can sign up for a plan online, and specify the kind of trainer that you’re looking for, as well as anything else important for us to know. Or, if you’d like to see our gym, you’re welcome to come in and sign up in person. Every personal training package comes with a free gym membership as well. If you come in person, you can meet some of our trainers before you decide who you’d like to work with.”

“That sounds promising. I’ll see what my schedule looks like the next couple of days and then I’ll either sign up online or drop in. Thank you so much for the help.”

“No problem, Mrs. White. Have a great day.”

“You, too.”

She hung up, and Parker set the phone back onto the cradle, breathing out on a sigh. Then he stood and headed out into the main part of the gym.

At this time of day, it was a little less busy than it had been in the earlier hours when he’d done his own workout. Most of their before-work clients had already packed up and headed out to their jobs, and the lunch time rush wasn’t in yet. There were a few people scattered through the room, one or two of them set up with the personal trainers. Parker strolled through the area, past the leg equipment and the racks of weights, and into the room where he was teaching the barbell class. None of his students had arrived yet, and he stood for a moment in the silence, breathing in the clean smell of the pine floor and the metal scent of the weights.

There was something special about standing in an empty room waiting for his students to arrive. He’d told the reporter from
Rich & Single
that he was most satisfied when he was working out, and that was true, but teaching came in a close second. He liked seeing the moment of change on another person’s face, that second when they were sure they were going to give up and then suddenly a new rush of energy pushed them forward, making them feel like they could go on forever.

He liked knowing that he’d given them that.

The door opened, and the first of his students slipped into the room, giving him a little wave as she set her gym bag down in the corner.

“Good morning, Melissa.”

“Morning, Parker.”

Another woman stepped through the door, and then they were trickling in by twos and threes, gathering their bags and chatting as everyone else arrived. Parker stood at the front of the room with his arms crossed over his chest, and watched them. Occasionally, one of the women would glance up at him, like she had suddenly realized his gaze was on her, and her cheeks would flush. They still hadn’t quite gotten over that, even three weeks in. Parker hid a smile.

“You ladies ready?” he asked when the door had closed behind the last woman.

A resounding ‘Yes’ went up from the group. He’d encouraged them to be enthusiastic in their answers.

“Awesome. Let’s get going.”

***

An hour later, Parker watched the women trickle out again, sweat staining their workout clothes and smiles on their faces. They always left smiling. He made sure of that. Feeling good was the whole point of it. It was the reason he did what he did. No one was going to leave his gym feeling like they had failed, if he could help it.

Sure, he was hard on them. Pushed them to do their best. But he never shied away from praise where it was due, and he always gave help when it was asked for. He wiped down the weights and picked up his water bottle, heading back to his office for a brief break before his 10am session.

His cell phone rang.

Parker picked it up, glancing curiously at the Caller ID. Jackson. They’d just had their twice-weekly meeting two days ago. The next one wasn’t until the day after tomorrow. It wasn’t unheard of for Jackson to call him between them, but it was unusual enough that Parker frowned as he swiped his thumb across the screen to accept the call. “Jackson. What’s up?”

“Have you seen the advertisements for this new chick? Jennifer Leandra?”

Parker shook his head, then realized that it wouldn’t do Jackson much good over the phone. “Nothing about her. Why?”

“She’s new in town, I guess, but she’s got a pretty significant social media presence, and she’s picking up hits, and clients, fast. Head of Lioness Home Fitness, and she’s claiming that she can out-train you.”

“She’s what?” Parker stared at his surprised look in the mirror.

“Just look her up. We’re going to have to get on top of this before it becomes too big a media circus. I’m not worried about your reputation. That’s solid. But we don’t need the press crawling all over the place and constantly getting in the way.”

That was true enough. Personally, Parker wasn’t all that fond of the press. They rarely told anything straight. It seemed to him that, for the most part, ratings concerned them more than facts did. At least
Rich & Single
was up front about their spin. It was why he’d chosen to give them an interview in the first place. “Okay. I’ll look at her stuff. I’m sure it’s nothing. She’ll bust in like a wild flame then fade away within the next month. They always do.”

“I don’t know about that, Parker; not when you’re this big. She looks quite capable of holding her own. Any challenger on the scene is going to be the underdog. The media, and America, loves a good underdog story. It’s going to be all over the place faster than you think.”

“Great.”

“We’ll get through it. Check her out, and we’ll discuss strategy at our next face-to-face.”

Jackson hung up, and Parker set his phone back down on the desk. As much as he hated to admit it, his partner was right. America loved an underdog story. It was part of why his own had gotten so popular, and why he’d made sure to mention his humble origins in his last interview. Personally, he wasn’t much for playing the fame game, but he understood the importance of exposure.

He pulled his laptop closer and flicked it open, typing the name Jackson had given him into Google, then clicked on the first site it brought up.

Jennifer Leandra, personal trainer. A banner across the top was emblazoned with the name of her company and, underneath, before and after pictures scrolled past. Parker glanced at them, but his real interest was in Jennifer herself, and there didn’t seem to be a picture of—Oh. There was a picture after all.

The thing was, Parker wasn’t really picky about the women he picked up. Oh, sure, he liked them on the fitter side. Curvy. Beyond that, pretty much anything could catch his eye. But Jennifer Leandra was like something he’d imagined into being. He felt his heart beat a little faster in his chest.

She was smiling out of the screen at him, her hair pulled back into a tail that nearly hit her waistline. And she was fit. Of course she was fit. The woman was a personal trainer. You couldn’t work in this profession and not be built. His eyes traced the smooth curves under her tight workout clothes, and he wondered if she’d be open to a little one-on-one negotiation.

Right. Competition. He was supposed to be sizing her up in case she took a run at his client base, not ogling her and daydreaming about getting her into his bed. Business. Parker took a deep breath and hit the tab for the About section.

Looking for a trainer who can whip your butt into shape in no time? Look no further than Jennifer Leandra. She’s got the experience and know-how to turn flab into fab, and make sure you have fun doing it.

Other trainers might be able to give you results. We’ve all seen the commercials for the big gyms and fitness empires, pushing their product. Some will even give you what they promise. But none of them will give it to you the way Jennifer does!

Under the blurb there was a video clip, and Parker clicked the play button.

It opened on Jennifer, just racking a set of weights, her skin gleaming with a faint sheen of sweat, and Parker had to swallow around a suddenly tight throat. This was not going to be good for his ‘keep it professional’ goal.

“Lioness Home Fitness,” Jennifer said, her voice all silky and smooth, “is all about results. We work you hard, but we work you for a reason: making sure that you reach your goals. Our dedicated team is all about giving you the best of everything. The best workouts. The best meal plan. We set you up for success.” She wiped a towel over her skin and dropped it in a hamper as she left the workout room, and headed into a kitchen that was all gleaming wood and stainless steel. A glass of water was already on the counter, and she picked it up to take a sip before speaking again.

“Other companies make promises they can’t keep. Some are too big to really dedicate themselves to the client. Others just don’t have what it takes. But Lioness Home Fitness is the real deal. I’m confident in myself and my staff, and our ability to keep you moving in the direction you want to go.”

Jennifer set the glass back on the counter and looked directly into the camera, blue eyes steady and intent.

“So confident, in fact, that I’m willing to challenge the head of any other fitness company to a direct competition. So confident that I’m willing to call out Parker, of Fitness and Health Sports Club, by name. He thinks he’s the best in the business. But he’s not as good as I am. And I’m willing to prove it.”

Her smile was full of teeth.

“Call me, Parker.”

The video ended, and Parker sat back in his chair, staring at the screen. What the hell had that been? Why call him out instead of someone else? His company was high on the list of famous fitness clubs, sure, but he wasn’t exactly a coast to coast corporation with no soul. They were still small enough that he knew all of his trainers by name, and had at least interacted with each of their clients long enough that they would remember him doing it. Did he make profits? Sure. But not at the cost of the humans in his business.

Maybe she just thought he would be more on her level.

Mostly, Parker just wanted to chase that wicked little grin off her face. Preferably in bed. He shook his head at himself and stood up. There was a 10am class to take care of. He could worry about Jennifer Leandra and her competition later.