Two Hearts: Beyond Control (Two Hearts Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  Chapter Seven

  Fit for Love

  “It’s a gym, Will. People go there to exercise.”

  He could be so unreasonable sometimes, and I was not in the mood to deal with his attitude this morning. If he’d taken a different approach—been reasonable—or just shown some kind of interest in me over the past few days, I would have agreed to cancel on Kendra.

  I pushed past him and slipped into the bathroom. “You’re acting like I’m going to singles’ night at some sleazy bar.”

  I flicked aside the open tube of toothpaste lying by the sink instead of cleaning up after him like I usually did. Every. Single. Day.

  He followed and leaned against the counter, crowding me. The resulting lack of elbow room made it difficult to brush my hair and pull it into a ponytail.

  “They’re practically the same thing.” Will bit out the words as he snatched up the toothpaste, closed the cap, and tossed it into the cabinet.

  “Wow, you do know how to do that.”

  He moved behind me, arms crossed over his chest, and scowled at my reflection. “Don’t try to change the subject.”

  “Fine. Guys go to the grocery store to pick up women, but it doesn’t seem to bother you when I go there to get your food every week.” I traded my brush for the can of hairspray to glue down any loose ends.

  “Dammit, Danielle, take it easy with that shit!” He choked out the words, fanning the air with both hands.

  Whoever invented this stuff was a genius in my book. I bit back a grin and gave another long, unnecessary spray.

  Instead of taking the hint and leaving me alone, Will stepped closer. He caught my wrist and confiscated the can, holding it at bay. His jaw tensed as he stared into my eyes. “I doubt you’re bending over and sticking your ass in the air at the grocery store.”

  “I don’t plan on sticking it in the air at the gym either. Kendra said—” I shook my head. “Never mind.” Her ambiguous explanation about how a few trips to the gym would improve my sex life was hard enough for me to believe. There was no way Will would buy it. “She’s just trying to help.”

  “Yeah. I just bet she is.” His voice oozed sarcasm.

  I yanked free and ducked under his outstretched arm, escaping to the other side of the bathroom. One. . . . two. . . . three . . . screw it.

  “You know, I’m not even going to ask what that’s supposed to mean.” I scooped up his wet towel from the floor, rolled it in a ball, and tossed it at him on my way out of the room. “This gets folded in half and draped over the bar on the wall. It’s pretty simple. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

  It was one thing for Will not to trust Kendra’s motives, but he sure as hell should trust me.

  “You should be thanking her.” I gathered a change of clothes and shoved them into my gym bag. “Who do you think convinced me to get the lingerie and wax job you enjoyed so much on New Year’s Eve?”

  She’d joked that her New Year’s resolution would be to get me fixed up.

  Maybe Will didn’t hear my mumbled comment when he sulked back into the bedroom. More likely he just chose to ignore it. He glanced at the bag then glared at me. “So you’re still going?” His voice mirrored his incredulous expression.

  I pressed my fingers to my temples, a futile effort to release the tension building there. Arguing with Will over something stupid wasn’t fixing anything or moving our relationship in the right direction. Eyes closed, I took a few calming breaths. “Look, I’m sure I’ll hate it and never want to go back. Okay?” I opened my eyes and waited.

  He stood stock-still with his arms folded and a stern look on his face.

  After zipping my bag shut, I walked to where Will stood and rubbed his arms. “I don’t have time to argue with you. Kendra will be here soon. And I’m going with her.” I pried his arms open and wiggled closer, clinging to him. “I’ll be fine. You know you can trust me.”

  Will pressed his lips against my hair. His body relaxed slightly as he let out a heavy sigh and wrapped me in his embrace. Neither of us moved for what felt like minutes.

  “I know, babe,” he said, his words a whispered conviction.

  “So.” I backed away and turned in a circle. “How do I look?”

  He smacked my bottom when I stuck it in the air. “Adorable.”

  I grabbed the collar of Will’s polo and pulled him to me. “Since you’re clearly hitting on me, mister, maybe you’d like to take me out tonight. Or, even better”—I traced my fingers down his chest—“we could have a romantic evening in?” My pulse skipped in anticipation, hoping for an encore of my birthday celebration.

  He caught my hands and lifted one palm to his lips. “Sorry, babe, I brought home some files that I need to work on tonight.”

  “On a Saturday night.” I leaned back to glare at him, making no effort to hide my skepticism. “Really? You never work weekends.”

  The doorbell rang as if signaling the end of round one. I turned and headed for my corner—the walk-in closet. “I’ll be ready in a minute. Can you get the door?”

  I pulled on my gym shoes then hurried down the stairs. Will hovered in the foyer, avoiding the door and my friend on the other side.

  “Will . . . the door?” I shouted out my reminder and raced toward the mud room to grab my coat.

  By the time he finally turned the latch, I was coming back down the hall. I let out a frustrated groan. Could have done it myself by now.

  “Hey, Wet Willie. Sorry, I would have invited you to join us, but . . .” Kendra slapped her hand on Will’s chest and laughed. “Oh hell, who am I kidding? I didn’t invite you ’cause I don’t want you to come.” She pushed past him and moved into the living room. “Danni? Where you hiding, girl?”

  Will shook his head. “Always a pleasure to see you too, Kendra.”

  “Play nice, you two.” I entered the room, carrying my coat and gym bag.

  Kendra held up her hands, frantically waving as I approached her. “Stop. Right. There. What the hell are you wearing?”

  I skimmed a hand down my outfit and bent forward to examine myself. It looked fine to me. I shrugged. “A T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts . . . we are going to your gym, right?”

  “Not with you dressed like that. Jeeze, Danni, it looks like you’re wearing Will’s clothes.” She dropped her bag on the couch and rooted through it. “Lucky for both of us, I came prepared.” Kendra pulled out a small piece of rolled up black fabric and pushed it into my hands. “Here. Go put this on. And hurry, or we’ll miss the ten o’clock Zumba class.”

  I set my coat and bag next to hers on the couch. “I really don’t see the point—”

  “You can thank me later, sweetie.” She turned me around and nudged me toward the stairs.

  I kind of liked the idea of wearing something more feminine to the gym and didn’t bother arguing. Not that Kendra would give in anyway. And Will would get over it. Eventually.

  I hustled up the stairs to my room and tossed the outfit on the bed—a bright pink-and-white tie-dyed sports bra, black spandex crop pants with a pink stripe down each side, and a white racer-back tank. My eyes grew wide. She can’t be serious. I picked up the tiny scraps and closely examined them, stretching the fabric that couldn’t possibly fit me.

  “Kendra?” I shouted. “I think you grabbed Callie’s clothes by mistake.” I poked my head out of the room to listen for her to answer. Honestly, these had to be even too small for Kendra’s teenage daughter. Maybe they got into the dryer by mistake.

  “Danni, they’re fine. Just get moving and put them on.”

  “Okay?” I drew out the word and gave the waistband another tug. “I’ll . . . um . . . give it a shot.” Even though you've clearly lost your mind.

  “I can’t believe you told her it was okay to wear your clothes in public.” Kendra’s voice dripped with disdain as she reprimanded Will.

  Their muffled conversation continued to drift up the stairs, but I couldn’t make out Will’s response. Leaving those two wit
hout a referee for more than a few minutes was never a good idea. I moved closer to the door and strained to listen while attempting to squeeze into my new exercise outfit.

  “Did you give her a pair of your boxers too?”

  By now, Will would be standing with his arms crossed, drilling Kendra with a condescending stare. Which would only irritate her further.

  I stumbled, catching my feet in the tight pant legs as I tried to hurry.

  “I don’t like the idea of your slimy gym rats drooling all over my wife. She was safer wearing that.”

  “Danni is going to draw attention no matter what you put on her, which you should already know. Besides, that outfit would have scared those sexy gym rats away from me. My divorce is final next week, so I’m officially back on the market.”

  I needed to get downstairs before those two wound up in a full-out brawl. One deep breath for courage, then I forced myself to take a quick glance in the mirror.

  “Wow.” The word slipped out. I turned, taking in every angle and sliding my hands over my body. I never imagined getting dressed for the gym could make me look or feel so good.

  “Okay, let’s go,” I called as I ran down the stairs, surprised that I was actually excited about going now.

  Will’s eyes looked like they were about to pop when he saw me, and his reaction made my smile grow even wider.

  “Damn, babe, you—”

  “Gotta run.” Kendra stepped in front of him and shoved my bag and coat at me.

  Struggling to get past her, I stretched up to give Will a quick kiss. “I promise I’ll be fine.”

  He looped an arm around my waist and pulled me tight. His other hand held my head in place while he prolonged the kiss. I wasn’t sure what his point was, but I wasn’t complaining.

  “You’re not supposed to break a sweat before you get to the gym, sweetie.” Kendra grabbed my arm and tugged me toward the door. “Keep it in your pants, Will.” She paused to glare at him, her icy expression delivering an unspoken challenge.

  The cold January air cut through me the moment we stepped outside. I pulled my coat tighter around my neck then tucked my hands in my pockets. The door closed behind us.

  “What was that about?” I said when we were far enough from the house to avoid being overheard.

  “Hm? Oh, just screwing with him.” She waved it off and gave a small shake of her head. “I don’t know why you put up with that asshole.”

  I bumped my shoulder against hers. “It’s easy. We love each other.”

  Kendra and I entered The Next Level, a state-of-the-art gym filled with far more intimidating machines than I had any intention of using. Ever. Large windows covered most of the wall space, letting in an ample amount of natural light. Small clusters of scantily clothed men and women scattered throughout appeared to be socializing more than exercising.

  To the left of the entrance, wide metal stairs led to classrooms on the second floor. The glass front wall of each room put the participants inside on clear display—would put me on clear display in a few minutes.

  What was I thinking?

  “Un-huh. I know that look.” Kendra grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward a door just beyond the stairs. “We’re not leaving.”

  After depositing our coats and bags in the locker room, she towed me up the dreaded steps. We slipped into a classroom right as the music started. I broke free and worked my way to the back corner where I hoped no one—in here or out there—would see me. Coordination was not one of my strong points.

  A grueling hour later, I dragged myself from the room and collapsed on the floor, the cool tile a refreshing contrast to my overheated body. A weak groan escaped me. “I’m dead. And it’s your fault.” I lifted my fifty-pound head to look at her. “I hope you’re happy.”

  Kendra stepped over me to reach the vending machine, pushed money into the slot, and collected the two bottles that dropped out. She laughed and dripped cold water on my face before settling beside me. “Sit up, drama queen. You’re not dead. Yet. We still need to hit the weights.”

  “You’re evil.” I pulled myself up to sit against the wall and grabbed a water bottle from her lap. “I hate you,” I said, bumping my arm against hers before chugging half of my water.

  “You love me.” She returned my bump. “And you’re going to love me even more when you see the incredible display of hot male bodies downstairs.”

  I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Kendra was always horny, especially since Nate cut her off after she told him “the whole marriage thing” wasn’t working for her anymore.

  “Don’t laugh,” Kendra said. “I’ve got some shopping to do.” She stood and pulled me to my feet.

  My legs were like rubber when I tried to stand. I stumbled, struggling to regain control of them.

  “Holy hell, Danni. I thought you said you’ve been exercising with your video.” She grabbed my shoulders and helped me to stabilize. “You’re moving like you just lost your virginity in an all-nighter with some well-hung sex god!”

  Typical Kendra. I shook off the mental image of Sex-God Nico as quickly as it appeared. “At home I have enough common sense to press Pause so I can stop and take a break when I get tired, but that instructor . . . he’s a sadist!”

  “There was a time when you were the sadist pushing me to run faster, run farther.”

  “Yeah, well, I stopped running a long time ago.” I took another long drink before collecting my towel from the floor. “I’m, um . . . I’m gonna go check out the equipment downstairs.”

  Kendra reached for me as I started to walk away. “Danni, wait.”

  I turned and held up my hand. “It’s alright. I just need a few minutes alone.” My voice faded as I spoke.

  I eased my way down the steps, keeping a tight grip on the handrail, and ducked into the locker room. Anxious to hide from my memories, I retrieved my iPod from my bag and curled up on a bench. The door opened as I fumbled with my earbuds.

  Kendra approached. “You okay, sweetie?” She sat next to me and pushed back the hair that had worked free from my ponytail.

  I nodded. Kendra knew what I’d been through. She didn’t need me to explain anything.

  “He was forty, wasn’t he? So, coming up on twenty-five years this spring? ”

  “Yeah.” I stared at my hands in my lap and mindlessly twisted the cord to my earbuds.

  Kendra hooked one finger under my chin, tugging until I looked at her. “You’re not him. You know that.”

  She was right—I did know that. But sometimes it was hard to be rational.

  Dad had always been perfectly healthy and fit. Right up until the moment he'd collapsed in the park during our Saturday-morning run. The doctors had said it was an anomaly, some heart condition he’d had his whole life and never known about.

  All I knew was that one moment we were joking and having fun, and the next he was gone. Forever.

  “Just because you’re forty, it doesn’t mean the same thing’s gonna happen to you. They tested you?”

  “Yes. You know that.”

  Kendra smiled. “Yeah, I just wanted you to remember. Sweetie, you can’t be afraid to live, or life’s just gonna pass you by.”

  We sat in silence for a few minutes. Dad’s life had ended at forty. For me, forty marked the death of a dream. It meant giving up on the life and family I’d always imagined. I couldn't explain—or didn’t want to explain—that I wasn't afraid to live; I just didn't feel vibrant. Full of life. And I was afraid I never would. Which is why saving my marriage is my last hope.

  “So you ready to go out there?”

  What I really wanted to do was go home to Will.

  “Yeah, I think I am.” I pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you,” I whispered, squeezing tighter. “Now what about that promise you made earlier about hot male bodies? You may need a second opinion. And I could use a little distraction.”

  Kendra’s eyes sparkled. “You are gonna love it!” She took my hand and led me toward the door.

/>   Something about the tone of her voice gave me the impression she was enjoying a joke, and I had missed the punch line.

  We wandered past rows of cardio equipment. When we finally reached the weights, my feet stopped moving. The finest examples of masculine perfection I’d ever seen were all gathered in one place, ripped muscles bulging. No wonder Kendra put herself through the torture of exercising so often.

  “You’ve got a sappy, dreamy look on your face.” Kendra laughed, poking me in the ribs. She leaned close to my ear. “And you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Her voice had the same devious tone it had in the locker room. She rubbed her hands together as she scanned the room. “Now, let’s find you a good machine.”

  Kendra gave a quick briefing on what muscles the different machines worked then headed toward one that she said would give her a sexier butt.

  I turned on my iPod and tucked it in my waistband. “Happy,” my new favorite song to lift my spirits, soon filled my ears making me feel . . . well, happy. I picked a machine in the area she’d suggested, relieved to find instructions printed on it. It was one Kendra had said would work on my chest.

  After adjusting the seat to a comfortable height, I set the weight pin to forty pounds. One for each year? It sounded good to me. I rolled my shoulders and shook out my arms. Okay, I can do this.

  Head bopping to the music, I sat down and grabbed the bars, pushing forward as shown in the picture.

  The weights didn’t budge. I took a quick peek around to make sure no one was watching, got up and moved the pin to thirty pounds, then settled back into position. “Okay. Take two.”

  This time the bars moved forward, and the weight stack—all two bricks of it—lifted. Woohoo! I finished a set of fifteen reps, guessing at how many to do, then dropped my heavy arms to take a break. This is a lot harder than it looks.

  My head pressed into the padded backrest. My eyes fell closed, allowing me to escape into my own little world where nothing existed but my music and me. I tapped my hands against my legs, silently clapping along with Pharell, and fought the urge to dance in my seat.