“Yes, that’s probably right. But I still worry about her.” The concern in her tone made that very apparent to Kieran.
He came to his feet again. “Look, softball is one of the safer sports as long as the proper equipment is used. My sister played for years and never suffered more than a few scrapes from sliding into second base. And I can help Stormy practice, maybe play some catch with her to see how she does.”
“I’m sure you’re much too busy to worry about that.”
In a way, she was right. But for some reason, he felt he had to do this for her daughter, especially now that he knew what she’d been through. “I can schedule some time for her. I could pick her up from school, take her to the batting cages and then meet you at the club.”
She sighed. “Kieran, I honestly do appreciate it, but I can’t afford to pay you anything right now. I still owe you for the sneakers.”
“You can pay me with a massage.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re serious about that?”
Oh, yeah. “I told you yesterday I could use a good one. Is a hundred dollars for an hour of your time about right?”
“That’s what I charge, but that’s not what I make. The spa takes forty percent of my earnings as commission.”
That royally sucked for her. Something occurred to Kieran—an alternative plan that would save them both time. “You wouldn’t have to pay the commission if we didn’t do it at the spa, correct?”
She frowned. “Where do you propose we do it?”
“I have a place at the club you can use. Just bring your oil and your candles and your magic hands.”
“You mean we’ll do it under the table?” Her smile and dimples came out of hiding. “No pun intended.”
“Under the table, on the table, it doesn’t matter to me.”
The innuendo suspended the conversation for a few seconds before Kieran turned the topic back to business, something he should’ve never strayed from in the first place. “Meet me at the club around six-thirty tonight and be prepared to work your butt off. We’ll work out the massage details sometime next week.”
She braced her hands on the back of the chair, her cheeks slightly red from the blush that he’d obviously put there. “That’s my plan, to work my butt off. Literally.”
Kieran’s plan entailed keeping his hands to himself unless it involved personal fitness, not personal pleasure. He worried those plans could go awry.
No denying it—something about Erica had him not only wanting to confess his sins, but wanting to engage in a few with her. Maybe it was her sense of humor, her vulnerability. Her killer red hair, innocent dimples and big blue eyes. Maybe it was more about her concern for her daughter’s health, the burden she’d borne since the loss of her husband. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t deny the attraction was stronger than it should be.
After ten years as a personal trainer, Kieran O’Brien could count on one hand the female clients that had interested him enough to forget his code of ethics—one. Erica Stevens. And he’d be damned if he let that happen.
Chapter Four
Erica had endured stalled traffic due to two fender benders, construction on the freeway and crazy drivers with aversions to blinkers just to get to the club on time. Since her arrival in Kieran’s office, she’d suffered huge calipers pinching her skin in places that shouldn’t be pinched all in the name of body-fat calculation. She’d stepped on a state-of-the art digital scale…with her eyes closed. Now the real torture was about to commence—her measurements.
“Raise your arms,” Kieran said as he stood behind her, close enough to create a bit of discomfort for Erica on several levels.
She quelled the urge to say something snide, like how she hadn’t had so much fun since she’d had her wisdom teeth extracted. Instead, she remained still and silent while Kieran worked the measuring tape around her breasts. He only lingered briefly before going back to his desk to record the numbers on the dreaded clipboard that now held every last one of her intimate secrets. Okay, maybe not all of them. He still didn’t know the size of her feet, the smallest things on her entire body.
When Kieran came back and lifted her T-shirt to measure her waist, Erica had a very conspicuous reaction—a frank covering of gooseflesh all over her body. She wondered if he’d noticed. She hoped not.
“Are you cold, Erica?”
Great. He’d noticed. She faked an innocent look over her shoulder. “Maybe a little.” A lie. In reality, she was rather toasty. Both hot and cold, like a malfunctioning kitchen faucet.
“You won’t be cold when you start working out,” he said.
“I have no doubt about that.”
Erica had no doubt that the next measurement would be the most challenging. She held her breath when she felt the tape tighten around her butt, praying it was long enough to span her hips. When she felt it release, she experienced an overwhelming sense of relief.
Kieran went back to jotting down the results and after he tossed the pen aside, looked up at her and grinned. “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Easy for him to say. “Can I see the results?” As much as she dreaded seeing the information, the suspense was nearly killing her.
“Sure.”
After drawing in another fortifying breath, Erica took the few steps to view the verdict. Her weight wasn’t as bad as she’d thought—it was worse. And heaven help her, she’d need a tent to fit her blossoming butt if she didn’t do something, and soon.
She spun around and nearly bumped into Kieran, who’d clearly been looking over her shoulder. “I want to lose thirty pounds by the first of December.”
He moved to her side and leaned back against the desk. “Ten to twelve pounds would be a reasonable goal in a month’s time.”
“By Christmas?”
“Twenty pounds is possible, as long as you stick to a healthy diet.”
Which meant the end of her favorite comfort food—brownies and ice cream. “I understand that’s part of it, and I’m willing to adjust my diet.”
He folded his arms across his broad chest, bringing his bulging biceps clearly into view. “I’ll set you up an appointment with our staff nutritionist.”
She shook her head. “Not necessary. I know what to eat and when to eat it. I was in training once upon a time, remember?”
He pushed away from the desk. “Okay, but if you change your mind, let me know. Now it’s time to go to work.” He pointed at the double doors on the opposite side of the glass-and-chrome-appointed office. An office that rivaled any corporate raider’s workplace. “Let’s go.”
Erica had a difficult time getting her feet to move. “Is that where you keep the whips and chains?”
“Nope, just my own private facility. The whips are chains are upstairs in my apartment.” He topped off the comment with a grin.
“You actually live here?”
“Yeah. I decided it was easier that way. No fighting the traffic any more than necessary. It’s convenient, and has a great view of the city. I’ll give you the grand tour at some point in time.”
“You could give me the tour now.” Not necessarily advisable, being alone with Kieran in his home even though she trusted he’d behave. She wasn’t certain she trusted herself.
“We’ve done enough procrastinating already,” he said, his tone slightly scolding.