Falling for Tyson Read online

  “Oh…um…both, I guess. Mainly a dull pain that gets sharper,” she finally answered, her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat.

  “I don’t see the scar you mentioned,” he said, looking more closely at her creamy flesh where he’d tugged her skirt down. It was flawless. She was wearing ivory lace panties. Ivory lace was his new favorite thing… Dammit! He pulled himself together.

  “Oh…I…ahh… I had a couple more surgeries after that…after that main one,” she explained. “The last surgeon tidied up the scar tissue. I guess he felt sorry for me.” She gave a strangled little laugh. This clearly wasn’t a subject she liked to discuss. She’d gone stiff as a board, and he realized he hadn’t moved his hand yet. Her skin was silky smooth beneath his fingertips, and he’d been stroking it softly with his thumb. ‘Shit. Stop fondling her, you ass!’ He stood abruptly and went back to his seat.

  “I suspect there’s been some damage to the underlying muscle structure of your left hip, possibly your hip flexor too,” he said briskly, yanking himself back into professional mode. She zipped up her skirt and sat down again. “There’s a muscle that basically runs from your pelvis to your spine, called the psoas,” he said, pronouncing the word ‘so-az’. She looked at him blankly, and he continued. “It’s what you use for walking, running, bending. Yours is incredibly tight on the left. I imagine you also experience tingling or numbness in your left thigh to your knee?” She nodded. “Sounds about right,” he continued. “Your pelvis is also tilted to the left. If you’ve spent a lot of time running or doing high-impact exercise, you’re not doing yourself too many favors.”

  “Okay…so what do I do next?” she asked.

  “Well, first, let’s talk about your training needs so we can work out a program,” he said. She nodded, and he went on. “What’s your primary training goal?” he asked, looking up at her.

  She stared at him for a second, as if he’d asked a stupid question. “Well, weight loss, of course,” she said quickly. “I guess…” she added.

  “Okay, we can look at that,” he said, taking notes. “And how much weight would you like to lose?” He hated questionnaires like this. They were so generic. People didn’t fit onto a form.

  “Umm, I’m not sure? I’ve always wanted to be a size zero, but maybe that’s unrealistic? I guess I…I maybe need to lose about 25...30 pounds?” she said cautiously. “Maybe 40?” she added when he didn’t respond.

  ‘Oh, hell no!’ Tyson’s pen scraped across the notepad so hard it almost tore through the paper. Was she crazy?

  “I’m sorry?” she said, looking alarmed. “Maybe more?”

  ‘Shit,’ thought Tyson, ‘did I say that out loud?’ “I mean, uh, no, that wouldn’t be healthy.” Her face dropped. “Look, here’s the thing. Your BMI is 27, which is a little over the ideal. I’m talking about the rating they use to determine your ideal weight for your height, age, and gender.” He rolled his eyes. “But I think this stuff is a load of crap anyway.” He flicked a hand dismissively over the paper. “If you lost 40 pounds, your whole body shape would change. You’d be gaunt…bony.” He shuddered inwardly. “And, more importantly, it could impact your health negatively.” ‘Mine too. I’d cry myself to sleep every night.’ She didn’t look convinced but didn’t argue.

  “Okay, let’s do this,” he said. “Let’s start by focusing on fitness and toning. I’ll draw up a simple program incorporating low impact cardio alternatives and some light weight training.” She started to say something, but he stopped her. “Not to bulk you up,” he explained. “You’ll do really light workouts. I’d also suggest you consider having a physio or a chiropractor take a look at you. You probably need to get your pelvis realigned.”

  ‘Oh Lord, how I’d love to realign her pelvis,’ his inner hound-dog howled. Tyson put a leash on it and set his mouth in a firm line.

  “Sure, if you think it’s a good idea,” she said. “I’ve never had proper guidance with all this…training stuff.”

  “That’s why you’re here,” he smiled. “Have you ever considered boxing?”

  “Well, no,” she answered, frowning slightly. He couldn’t imagine this woman getting in a boxing ring. Ever. Oh, but it would be so damn sexy if she did.

  “It’s probably the best workout you’ll ever get,” he continued. “And yeah, I’m biased, but I swear by it.” She dropped her eyes to his shoulders and chest, and for a moment, he was pretty sure she was checking him out. He felt himself flexing inadvertently. “Would you consider coming to train at my private gym?” The words were out before he could stop himself. ‘What are you doing?’ His gym was hardcore, nothing like this place with all its fancy equipment and décor. He held his breath, waiting for her reply.

  “Alright, I suppose,” she answered, once again not sounding convinced. He tore a separate sheet of paper from his notepad, scribbled his address on it, and slid it across the desk towards her.

  “Can you start tomorrow?” he asked. ‘Way to take the bull by the horns, Killoran,’ he thought.

  “Yes, that works for me,” she answered. Tyson bit back a grin.

  “Good,” he said, standing. She did the same. “Then, I’ll see you tomorrow. Same time?”

  “Great,” she responded, bending to pick up her bag, then paused. “Could you let me know how much all this will cost?”

  Tyson stopped short. He hadn’t given any thought to that side of things. He’d just hoped to get her to see him again. “Maxwell will sort that out with you,” he said quickly. Poor Maxwell. He was going to think he was mad. “He’s my manager. He handles these things.”

  “Okay. Well…goodbye…” She seemed unsure of what to do next, so he stepped around the desk and opened the door for her. She left as quietly as she’d arrived, and he watched as she walked away.

  He’d see her again in a day.

  ‘Yes!’ he said silently, feeling like he’s just won a round in the ring.

  ✽✽✽

  Cassie left the office and headed for the change-rooms, still hoping to fit in a training session. Her mind felt foggy. The thought of his hands on her skin left her tingling. Her knees had almost buckled when his fingers had slid under her waistband.

  “Oh, my God…” she groaned as she dropped her bag on a bench and rubbed her face with both hands, then shook herself. She looked around for a free cubicle. There were none free. Many of the women who came in were happy to undress in full sight of the others, but Cassie never had the nerve for it.

  She needed a swim. That would cool her down. Unless the water evaporated as soon as it touched her burning skin! It was either that, or dash home and dig out the fun little gadget she’d bought on impulse at her cousin’s hen party… No, that wouldn’t be the same. She gave up on the cubicle and decided to take a chance on quickly getting into her swimsuit. It didn’t seem as if there was anyone around. She changed, locked her bag away, and made for the lap pool.

  Half an hour of steady swimming eventually cleared her head, and she was calmer as she drove home, interrupted halfway by her phone ringing over the car system.

  “Cass?” a voice said. “It’s Emily. How you doing?”

  “Hey, Em, I’m good; how are you?” Cassie spoke too loudly. She’d recently upgraded her sound system, and it now paired with her phone’s Bluetooth, which was great for driving, but she still didn’t quite believe anyone could hear her on the other side.

  “I’m great, thanks!” Emily shouted back, giggling, then stopped. “Listen, Cass, I’ve been wanting to speak to you since yesterday at the beach.” Cassie pulled a face. She’d been trying to forget about that incident.

  “Sure, go ahead,” she answered coolly.

  “I want to apologize,” Emily went on. “What Colin did to you was horrible. Hell, that skank he’s dating is even more horrible. I couldn’t believe the things she was saying.”

  “Don’t sweat it,” Cassie said dismissively, “it’s no big deal.”

  “It is a big deal, Cass,” Emily went on. “I
’ve spoken to some of the others, and we all feel the same. I know I don’t have the same history with you that Nat or Rox have, but we’ve gotten to know each other well in the past couple of years. You’re a really special person, and I value our friendship.” Cassie felt her cheeks go warm, and for a second, her eyes prickled.

  “Ahhh, Em, that’s such a lovely thing to say, thank you,” she answered. “I value our friendship too.”

  “I always thought Colin was really lucky to have you. He was a jerk for dropping you the way he did. But frankly, I’m glad for you – you can do so much better.”

  “Um, thanks,” said Cassie, not sure how to respond. She’d met Emily and her fiancé, Kent, when she and Colin started dating. Kent was one of the partners at the law firm Colin worked at, and they’d attended several functions together. If it hadn’t been for Emily’s light banter, she’d have found the events tedious.

  “Colin has this ridiculous idea of what a partner’s wife is supposed to look like. To tell the truth, he’s getting it completely wrong,” Emily went on. “He took that Farrah girl to the last partners’ dinner – I had to sit next to her. It was horrible. She has nothing nice to say about anyone…unless they have money. I’m pretty sure I saw her checking out some of the guys there too.”

  “Oh, boy,” said Cassie, secretly delighted although she felt a pang of guilt over it.

  “Oh, it gets worse! Or better depending on your point of view,” Emily clearly was itching to give more detail. “Kent went to a bachelor party for a client about a year ago – one of those strip club thingies. And he’s pretty sure he saw Farrah there.”

  “Holy shit!” Cassie laughed out loud. “You’re kidding!”

  “Nope,” Emily assured her. “He spoke about it to some of the other guys who were at the same party. They all agree it was her. Nobody’s said anything about it to Colin, but he’d be a fool not to know.”

  “Wow,” Cassie said. “But that doesn’t mean anything, really. She might be a perfectly nice stripper.” Emily started giggling.

  “Oh, Cass, only you would say that. But you can’t be serious. You met the woman, right? She’s a bitch.” Cassie couldn’t disagree. She’d already been on the receiving end. Emily continued, “If you ask me, she’s latched onto him because she thinks he’s got money. Maybe if he makes partner, he might. But not if he’s using her as his ‘plus one’.”

  “Oh, well, let’s hope things work out for them,” Cassie said, secretly not feeling that way.

  “I don’t know why you feel so charitable, hon,” Emily responded. “If I were in your shoes, I’d be laffin’ and laffin’ and laffin’! Anyhow, what I really wanted you to know was that I’d like for us to stay friends. The others do too. And if I have anything to do with the next gathering, he won’t be on the guest list.”

  Cassie had to bite back her grin as she ended the call, only to be interrupted by another one from Nat.

  “Darling! Why haven’t you called me yet?” Natalie’s clear voice filled the car.

  “I’ve just left the gym, Nat,” Cassie tried to defend herself. “And I had Emily on the phone till now.”

  “Really?” Nat didn’t sound impressed. “So what did she have to say for herself? Called to apologize, I hope.”

  “Well, actually, she did,” said Cassie. “She was upset about the way things went yesterday. She seemed sincere. And she said they don’t like Colin’s new girlfriend.”

  Nat’s laughter tinkled around her. She really loved this darn speakerphone. “Of course not, darling, nobody does.”

  “And she says they think she’s a stripper. Kent saw her at a bachelor party,” Cassie blurted. She couldn’t help herself. It was mean, but there was no way she could keep it in. Nat’s laughter turned to an outright shriek. Cassie waited for her to calm down, hearing muffled voices in the background. A male voice.

  “Nat, is Andy still there,” she asked, grinning.

  “Don’t be silly, sweetie; he left and came back.” Nat was still laughing. Andy had joined in.

  “A stripper?” he said. “I’m not surprised at all.”

  “Yes, yes, but enough about that, darling,” Nat interrupted. “Tell us how it went.” Cassie sighed. She was going to have to give a blow by blow rundown.

  “It was fine,” she said. So fine. He’d touched her. Those hands… “He did the assessment and asked what I want to achieve. He’s going to come up with a training plan for me.”

  “Exactly what kind of assessment?” asked Nat. “Did you have to run laps? Did he make you strip?”

  Cassie choked. “Nat! Of course he didn’t make me strip!” Not much. Just enough. Those hands…

  “Then what? For heaven’s sake, don’t make me drag it out of you, sweetie,” Nat persisted.

  “Took my measurements, asked if I had any health issues, and discussed my goals. That sort of thing.” Health issues. She’d wanted to cringe when he asked about the surgeries. It was a chapter of her life she’d put firmly behind her. A cyst that turned out to be a freak abscess that ruptured when they tried to remove it. The surgeon had acted quickly to save her from peritonitis, but the repercussions had been extreme. She’d lost an ovary and a fallopian tube in the process. In the beginning, she’d made light of it, joking that she had a faulty incubator. The truth was, even the doctors couldn’t assure her that she’d ever be able to have kids without specialist assistance…IVF…she’d locked it all away. She brushed it from her mind again now. Her life was great. She was alive. She didn’t have to think about the rest right now.

  “And then what?” Nat was still pressing for more.

  “Nothing. I told him I want to lose 30 or 40 pounds. He doesn’t think I can do it.” She felt crestfallen. She’d been mortified when they’d spoken about it. He’d stared at her as if she was mad.

  “Well, of course not, darling! You can’t lose 40 pounds! You wouldn’t be…you!” Nat said, sounding horrified.

  “You mean fat?” Cassie said, feeling a bit belligerent. Why did nobody believe she could do it?

  “No, I mean you. You’re gorgeous. I wish you could see that…and I hate it when you run yourself down the way you do,” Nat said firmly. “But I’m not going to harp on about that. When do you start?”

  “Tomorrow,” Cassie said. “I’m going to his gym.”

  “What?” Andy shouted from the background. She’d almost forgotten he was there. “You’re training at Tyson ‘The Killer’ Killoran’s gym?”

  “Yes,” she said simply. “What’s the big deal?”

  “Nobody just gets to train there, Cass!” his voice was animated. “It’s invitation only. If you don’t take me with, I’m dumping Nat.”

  “Excuse me?” squawked Nat. “You’ve just earned yourself ten demerits, buddy!”

  “If it’s invitation-only, I can’t very well take you with, now can I?” Cassie laughed, feeling her mood lighten.

  “Well, at least take some pictures for me, so I can see what it looks like on the inside,” Andy wheedled. She’d never taken him for a fight junkie before.

  “You’re in no position to be making demands, buddy,” Nat said to him. “Chat later, Cass,” she directed her next words to Cassie. “I have to leave now and give this one a spanking.”

  “Oh, no, mistress, please don’t hurt me,” Andy wailed in a falsetto. The line went dead.

  Cassie was still giggling when she got home. Her evening was spent googling fight sites and trying to find out what a boxing gym looked like.

  Chapter 4

  A bright stream of daylight shone into the dimly-lit interior of the gym. Tyson’s head shot up. He’d been watching the door since 5 pm, just in case she arrived early. A figure was silhouetted in the doorway. A softly curved figure. He sighed.

  “What’s up, man?” asked Maxwell. “You been pacing like a panther all afternoon.” Tyson couldn’t deny it. He’d tried to distract himself by setting increasingly challenging sessions for the guys, but it hadn’t helped. He suspected tha
t he’d be the subject of numerous gripe sessions later. He didn’t care.

  She was here now. Dressed for business again. Oh, he was definitely developing a taste for women in suits. Maxwell looked over to where he was staring, turning curious eyes towards him.

  “And now?” he asked. Tyson shrugged at him. He didn’t have to give explanations, dammit. It was his gym as much as Maxwell’s.

  Cassie was holding her tog bag and peering around, clearly feeling out of place. He headed over to her, trying to stifle the surge of excitement he felt as he drew nearer. It was crazy. He wasn’t much of a ladies’ man, but he’d never had trouble with women. He would be lying if he didn’t admit he knew he was attractive to them. But he felt like a teenager around this one. Afraid to make a mistake.

  ‘Fuck it, you got this, Killoran,’ he thought, putting on a swagger.