All Layla Foster wants is to launch her own branch off of her parent's fitness company. But how is she supposed to focus on making her one shot a success when her client's brother makes her feel things she swore off a long time ago?
* * * * *
Layla...
Bad at being vulnerable, he corrected himself. Because if asked this and she said no, the sting would be hard to bear.
"You mean stay in Red View," she gathered.
"Kenzie's wedding is less than three months away now, and you're already invited—I mean, you'd have to come back anyways, so why not just stay? You could tell your parents that if this is really the last boot camp, then you're extending it. Then you can stay through the wedding, and... it'll give us more time. It'll give you more time to think about what you want."
"And what you want?"
"I think we've been over that. I know what I want, Layla." He held her gaze, giving her the answer without words.
When she nodded at the suggestion, murmuring that she'd have to check with Kenzie and Marshall just to make sure, relief flooded through him. He sat forward to reach for her hand, but in caressing her fingers he realized something was missing. "Your ring."
She shrugged, flexing her hand as if testing the freedom of her bare finger. "I took it off when I got home last night. It didn't feel right—or fair—to come over here and talk to you about... everything, with it on."
Dawson moved closer, planting a quick kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, he was pleased to see the flush of pleasure on her skin. "You might not be sure of what you want, Layla. But it seems like you're damn sure of what you don't. I'd say that's half the battle."
Her lips curved into a soft smile, eyes looking down at their entwined hands. She'll stay, he thought hopefully, lifting her hand to kiss it. Either that, or I'll lose my mind trying to convince her to.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Even the intense workout and the thumping bass of her curated playlist couldn't get Layla out of her own head.
She slept with him! She slept with the brother of the bride she was working for. It was just about the most unprofessional thing she could have done. And all she could think about was how and when they'd get the chance to do it again. And again, and again, and again.
The shed was extra lively today, thanks to Annie joining in for another session. And now that it was getting close to the end of the two weeks, the workouts were only getting more intense every day. Kenzie and Marshall were getting stronger, though, and weren't quitters. Even on the most difficult moves she threw at them, they did every rep she asked. Annie, who had less on the line, didn't seem to feel to guilty about tapping out when necessary.
There was a pressure in the air that made it hard for Layla to focus—it felt like somehow, everyone knew what she and Dawson did. When she'd passed Jack on her way out the door that morning—after managing to sneak back to her own room—she couldn't help wondering if he somehow, even all the way down the hall, had heard them talking—and then, well, not talking.
When Kenzie had gone inside to refill her water bottle, and Marshall followed her to head to the bathroom, Annie had made small talk about the run and then asked out of the blue if Layla thought Dawson would be willing to be photographed for some of the pictures for the website.
