Free Too Far Gone by Debra Webb, Regan Black Page B

have to stay there. She had been right there in his life while he did whatever the hell it was he’d done. She felt an obligation to help uncover it.
    It was apparently arm day for Mike, because he moved to triceps dips while she entered her cool down phase on the treadmill. She doubled her efforts not to stare at him. The man really was... gorgeous. She groaned and forced her attention back on the screen just as her face popped up in upper right hand corner. She watched as the same bulletin was repeated about her being wanted for questioning, blah, blah, blah. Frustrated, she turned it off.
    “Do you want music?” The quiet she’d enjoyed when she’d been in here alone seemed too loud now that he’d joined her.
    “You already asked me,” Mike replied. “Just find something if you need it.”
    She blotted the sweat from her neck as she tuned the radio to a pop station and turned it up just enough to block the sound of his breathing. “This place is nicely equipped,” she said, moving to the Pilates reformer. She felt his gaze on her as she began the first of a leg series and felt marginally better she wasn’t the only one ogling today.
    “Yep,” he agreed, shifting his gaze away from her.
    “I always feel like a ballerina when—” She froze mid-motion, her leg in the middle of a full arc. “That’s it.” She sat up as quickly as possible. “The woman from the office was a ballerina. Sort of. Vanya... Vanya Something. Desmond probably never told me her last name.”
    Mike gave up on his triceps and walked over to sit next to her. “What else?”
    “I accused him of cheating again when he told me he was working with her as a teacher.”
    “He wanted to study ballet?”
    “Not quite.” She shook her head, remembering the conversation. “No, he wanted her to teach certain new clients. He gave me some line about starting a finishing school for prospective clients with the right look but too many rough edges.”
    “Where did this Vanya person teach?”
    “I have no idea. I never gave it another thought. To me, it was just Desmond finding another way to cheat on me and to use the potential clients dumb enough to fall for his lines the way I did. He never mentioned it again.”
    “You’re not dumb.”
    His immediate defense of her was a surprise. She tapped her chest. “Please. All this happened right under my nose. I should’ve noticed something before the bullets started flying.”
    “Thinking the best of someone isn’t a crime. We all make mistakes, the key is learning from them. From where I’m sitting you’re a quick learner.”
    “Thanks.” She realized he was sitting very close to her and she wanted to be closer still. Not smart to latch onto the man trying to help her, no matter how much he intrigued her. It wasn’t fair to either of them.
    As if he suddenly felt the same or had read her mind, he stood. “I’m glad you remembered more about her.”
    “Will it help?” she asked, appreciating the view of his broad shoulders tapering to trim hips and powerful legs.
A swimmer’s build
, she thought, which made perfect sense since he’d been a Navy SEAL.
    “It’s progress. I need to get this information to Claudia.”
    She sighed as he walked away, alone again with her thoughts that seemed to bounce like a pinball between her predicament and the sexy hunk willing to help her get out of it. She finished her routine and took a shower, only to have him knocking at the bathroom door the minute she turned off the water.
    “It’s urgent,” he said. “Meet me in the office.”
    “Fine.” She hurried, hopeful the news was good. She refused to consider that it could be worse. “No borrowing trouble,” she grumbled to herself.
    Dressed and braced for the news as best she could, she tapped on the open office door. “I’m here.”
    He was still in workout gear as he popped out of the chair. “Claudia found an informant willing to give us a lead. Apparently, Trinity was eye-ball deep