Free The Proposition (The Plus One Chronicles) by Jennifer Lyon

Sloane would work with him too, but his time was limited. John’s full-time job was training fighters.
    “Yeah. No matter what I throw at him, he does it. Even if he has to crawl out of here.”
    Remembering his own bouts with indescribable physical agony at the hands of a trainer, Sloane smiled. “He loves the hot tub at my house.” It sat on his deck overlooking the ocean. He stopped the treadmill and wiped the towel over his face.
    John straightened. “See those chin-ups he’s doing?”
    Sloane checked out Ethan’s excellent control, steady lifts up to his collarbone, and then down without hunching his shoulders. “Yeah.”
    “Go demonstrate how to add weight.”
    Just like that, adrenaline flushed his system. Stepping off the treadmill, he reached behind his head and stripped off his shirt. He walked by the weights, grabbed a fifty pounder and went to show the kid how it’s done.
    Not only would it help the kid, it’d give Sloane the chance to vent his worry over Drake. And best part of all? Maybe he could wear down enough to touch Kat and not lose control.
    He hadn’t been kidding when he’d told her he wasn’t going to be able to put his hands on her and not fuck her. In that bakery kitchen, he’d had a front-row view as she struggled against her personal demons with honest strength. He’d had to make himself turn and walk away.
    She tempted him far more than anyone in a long time. And he hadn’t even kissed her yet.

    ***

    Kat parked her car in the lot and stared at the massive two-story gym. SLAM Fitness and Training Center blazed across the sign.
    She could do this. Sloane had called her minutes after she sent the text to him Thursday night. They’d arranged this time at one of his gyms to train. And negotiate. Sloane liked to have the terms of their arrangement clear so there were no misunderstandings.
    So why were her fingers wrapped around the steering wheel? Knuckles white? Damn it. She hated this in herself, hated being weak and afraid. This was her chance to be something more than the broken woman she was. Forcing her fingers to unclench, she reminded herself that she’d be safe. Hadn’t Sloane already demonstrated his protectiveness? Stopping the carjackers, and later insisting she text him once she was safe in her condo.
    He wasn’t David.
    But even better than relying on him, he was going to teach her how to keep herself safe. Taking her keys, she picked up her bag with her water bottle and towel, and the small square bakery box. She got out and made her way across the parking lot.
    Before she could second-guess herself, she walked into the artificially cool air scented with sharp-smelling cleansers and musky sweat. Music pounded from hidden speakers. The front desk curved around a pretty girl wearing a black shirt emblazoned with the name of the gym across the front. She glanced at the box in Kat’s hand, smiled and said, “Welcome. Are you Ms. Thayne?”
    Clearly she was expected. “Yes. I’m meeting Sloane Michaels.”
    “You’re his guest today.” The girl walked out from behind the desk. “My name is Charity. I’ll show you where he is. Would you like to put your bag in a locker first?”
    “No thanks.” Following the girl, Kat noted the huge floor area filled with gleaming machines.
    “As you can see on the right, there’s the pool and hot tubs. This is the area for the state-of-the-art fitness machines, and over there…” Charity pointed left, “…is our racquetball courts and classrooms. There’s also a basketball court.”
    Kat took it all in.
    “Upstairs is our cardio areas, including spin classes. Down this hallway are the restrooms, lockers, saunas and massage. Our massage therapist leaves at…”
    She stopped listening. Awareness sung through her nerve endings at the sight in the huge free-weight area.
    Sloane.
    In nothing but shorts and shoes.
    Doing pull-ups on a high bar.
    Kat’s mouth dried, and she had the urge to wet her lips. His back was massive,