Parker (Rich & Single #2) (2 page)

Interview with Fitness Trainer, PARKER

It’s everyone’s favorite New Year’s resolution, and at the same time everyone’s least accomplished. In the early weeks of January, gyms are full of people trying to transform their bodies. Then life calls us away, and by February we’re back to Netflix nights and chips. Most of us would prefer the effect without the effort, but those looking for real change need look no further than Fitness and Health Sports Club, and the towering man who runs it.

Parker, the head trainer, gives the effort – and gets it.

His slogan claims that he can get anyone fit. Results so far have proven the truth of that claim, and his business is booming. In the last three years, he’s gone from a relative nobody to the owner of a fitness empire that rivals the holdings of veteran kings and queens of healthy living. I sat down with him to discuss his business – and his love life.

The man I meet at Fitness and Health Sports Club is tall and tattooed, muscled like an Olympian. It certainly boosts my confidence in his ability to push people to new physical heights (and I mean that in every possible sense of the phrase). He engulfs my hand in his own huge palm, and shakes it with a firm grip. I’m not ashamed to admit my knees are a little weak when I take my chair. He introduces himself only as Parker.

When I ask him about the mononym, he flashes a grin full of straight white teeth.

“Plenty of famous people go by a single name. I thought I’d get ahead of the curve.”

Planning ahead is always good strategy. Is that a big part of your work philosophy?

“For sure. You don’t make any progress without planning. I’d say, really, that planning is half your battle. You know exactly what you’re up against and what it takes to get past that, and you’re well on your way to victory. If you don’t have a map, how are you supposed to know where you’re going?”

What takes you the rest of the way?

Dark eyes lock on mine.

“Hard work. Those sayings about inspiration and perspiration? Totally right. Motivation can only take you so far. Eventually you run out of it.”

I know that I do.

“It’s habit that keeps you going when you hit that stage, and unless your habit is hard work, you’re not going to keep pushing forward. That’s why most of those New Year’s resolution people don’t last. They want the easy way; all the benefits without the work. It’s the same reason you’re constantly seeing all those thirty-day diets and two-week miracles. They never work, but people keep trying them anyway because they’re more attractive than the truth, which is that you’ve got to get your hands dirty if you want to grow something.”

Sounds like you don’t go easy on people.

“If I went easy on them, I wouldn’t be the man they want coaching them. There’s a reason people hire me.”

I could think of a few reasons to hire you.

His laugh is loud. It fills the room, booming off the walls and the ceiling.

“You’re not the first person to say that.”

Be honest, you have women falling all over you.

“Women, and a few men, too,” he answers, grinning again. “I’m universally popular.”

Do you ever worry that people only hire you for your looks?

The eyebrow he raises in my direction answers the question pretty thoroughly.

“No way,” he says anyway. “I’m sure you’ve seen the before and after pictures coming out of our studio. There’s no question that we do exactly what we say we do, and my clients – both former and current – will be more than happy to tell you just how effective we are. And trust me, we’re effective. My looks are just good advertising.”

I’ll second that. Can you tell me a little bit about how your company got started?

“It’s actually a pretty simple story. When I was younger, I worked construction. It wasn’t a bad job, but it wasn’t really what I wanted to do with my life, and by the time I was out of high school I’d decided that there had to be better options. So when I was looking at college, I decided on Kinesiology.

“From there, it was really just working. You can’t have fitness without effort, and you can’t have a business without effort. I picked a partner – Jackson – with a good head for business and advertising, and we started out of my studio apartment, offering house calls. I knew from the start that I didn’t want to work at a big gym, with someone else telling me what to do. I’d done that for a summer and it just wasn’t my thing. I don’t really describe myself as a control freak, but I’m not the follow the leader type either. That’s why I jumped into my own personal training business right from the start, and as you can see it’s paid off big time. I really believe that the people who have the courage to step outside the lines and go their own way are the people you’re going to hear about.

Although, to give credit where credit is due, Jackson was a big part of why I rose so quickly, and he’s still a huge part of my success. In the technology age, where everyone is constantly plugged in to their smartphones and they can watch a thousand workout videos at home for free, you can’t just be good at what you do. You have to be good at it in a way that makes other people sit up and pay attention to what you’re doing, because a thousand other people are doing it, too, and they’re all out there clamoring and shouting for attention just as much as you are. You could be the best fitness instructor on the planet, but unless you’ve got a genuinely unique social media presence you’re only going to find business in your own little corner of the country.”

So you’re pretty big on the internet?

“
I let Jackson take care of most of that, but, yeah. We’ve got a website, a Facebook page, an Instagram. Loads of social media. I don’t even know what else off the top of my head, although I’m sure he would. All that social media stuff? Fitness and Sports Health Club is the name attached to all of it, so make sure to look us up and check us out if you want to see what we do and find a trainer who’s going to take you all the way to the top.”

When have you been the most satisfied in your life?

“Honestly? I’m sure that you’re expecting me to name some big moment, but I’d say that where I’m the most satisfied is in the gym. Endorphins, you know? That’s powerful stuff. Even I have days where I don’t want to get up and work out, but once you push past that reluctance and you hit the point where you really start flying? That’s the best thing in the world.” He grins at me. “Well, almost the best thing in the world. The bedroom is a pretty satisfying place to be. Lots of endorphins going around in there, too.”

I hope you’re not the only one satisfied there?

“Oh, trust me, babe. My lovers don’t leave my bedroom anything less than euphoric.”

That’s quite the claim. I’d ask for details, but I don’t think my editors would appreciate it, so I’ll get back to the script. What three words would you say describe you best?

For a moment, I don’t get an answer. Parker pauses for the first time to think. “Competent. I know my stuff, because I pushed myself to know it well. And hardcore. I’m pretty hardcore about it and everything. There might be a better word to put there, but I’m a fitness instructor, not an English teacher. Bottom line is, I don’t believe in doing anything by half measures. Do it all the way or don’t do it at all, right?”

And the third word?

“Well, some people have described me as intimidating, but honestly I’m pretty nice once you get to know me, though most of my clients don’t really get to see that side of me. Can’t be too sweet in this business, you know?”

You’ve mentioned that. What about your family? What do they think of your work?

“My family has been very supportive, and I’m more than grateful to them for that. My parents helped put me through college even though they really had pretty limited means, and they’ve always believed that I would go the distance. They’re the ones who taught me the importance of hard work, and I’ll always be grateful to them for that. Without their lessons, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

I imagine they’re pretty glad they helped you through.

He laughs. “I’ve paid them back for it, for sure. They’re living a little higher on the hog these days, and pretty content there. I’ve got a little sister who’s going to Yale this year. She’s a genius. You asked me earlier when I was most satisfied, and I kind of answered with a joke, but being able to help Em pay for college is something that I’m really proud of. Even if that was been the only thing I managed to do through this, I’d consider myself pretty accomplished.”

So you really do have a soft center under that muscle? What do you do with the money that you don’t give to your family?

“I’m a man of many layers. As for the money, I’ve kept some of it myself. Obviously. I have a nice house in the city, and one outside it on some land, for when I get tired of the hustle and bustle and noise and all the people constantly milling everywhere. I don’t know how common knowledge this is, but I grew up in the country and I’ve never really left it behind. Somewhere down deep I’ll always be a bit of a farm boy.” He scoffs, as if embarrassed to have admitted it. He adds, “In addition to the houses, I have a couple of cars. I like to travel.”

You’ve donated some of your money as well, I know.

“About five million, all told, although I don’t like to brag. Some of it has gone to cancer research. Some to animal sanctuaries. Homeless shelters. Environmental protection groups. I believe that we all have a responsibility to help make the world a better place and to help the less fortunate, especially those who can’t help themselves.”

A noble belief. Do you have any other tips for our readers?

“Don’t give up. Progress takes time, and real progress never comes easily. Even if you have talent, you’ve got to cultivate it if you want it to take you anywhere. So keep pushing forward until you get what you want; every time you have to start over, it gets harder. Think of how you’ll feel once you reach your goal, and just go for it.”

Solid advice. One more question, and we’re done.

“I’m pretty sure I can guess the question, but I’ll let you ask it anyway.”

I’m sure you can. Are you single?

“Absolutely and totally single. Readers looking for something permanent might be disappointed, because that’s not really what I’m about, but if all you want is a good time, feel free to look me up. I’ll give you that and more.”

Parker cranked the key in his ignition and pulled out of the long drive, then onto the street in front of Alex Reid’s mansion with a crunch and spin of tires against gravel. It hadn’t exactly been the night he’d hoped for.

Scratch that.

It wasn’t remotely the night he’d been hoping for, thanks to a certain billionaire with a stick up his ass. Reid wasn’t supposed to be home yet; Gina had assured him that her boss would be out until at least eleven, if not midnight or later. Parker really hoped the poor girl hadn’t been fired for that mess. She didn’t deserve it.

The whole thing was way overblown, and Reid needed to learn to chill. It wasn’t like they’d caused any property damage or cost him any of his precious money. Even if they had, Parker would have been more than capable of paying for it. Reid wasn’t the only rich guy around.

He’d met Gina one day when she’d dropped by Reid’s mansion to leave him some files during the work day. She’d stepped out of the house, and Parker had stopped to stare, because yes, sir, that was the kind of woman you stared at. Dark-haired and dark-eyed and built leggy. New York Italian at a glance and man, did he like the fiery ones. No way he was going to turn down a chance at that.

So he’d approached her. Chatted her up. The conversation hardly had to start before there were sparks flying between them.

--

“Parker,” she said, reaching out to take the hand he was offering her. “Gina Leandra. I’m Mr. Reid’s secretary. It’s very nice to meet you.”

The words were professional, but the way she was looking up at him through her dark eyelashes was definitely flirtatious. Parker wasn’t complaining in the least. He leaned back against the sun-warmed metal of his truck and crossed his arms over his chest, watching her gaze follow the ripple of muscle. He grinned. “So, Gina, what’s your opinion of the guy?”

“Of Mr. Reid?” She looked surprised out of her staring for a moment. “He’s a good man. I’ve been working for him since he started the company, and I really can’t say that I’d rather be anywhere else. Why do you ask?”

Parker personally thought the man seemed kind of uptight, but maybe some women liked that. He lifted one shoulder in a shrug and let it fall. “Just seemed like the kind of small talk you’re supposed to make. I guess I’m not so great at it.”

She laughed. “What kind of small talk are you good at, then?”

“Oh, you know. What are our macros? How much do you lift?” He grinned again. “I guess I’m a little too wrapped up in my job.”

“Well, your dedication has paid off.”

She was looking at him again like she wanted to eat him, and Parker shifted a little, his pants feeling tighter than they had a moment before. “I work hard for what I have. And for what I want.” He met her gaze directly as he said it, and he watched understanding spark in her eyes an instant later.

Her smile widened. “And what is it you want?”

That was permission enough to take it the next step, and Parker let the grin stretch into something a little hungrier. “Maybe I want you.”

Her eyebrows lifted, but she looked more arch than surprised. Teasing little minx. “What makes you think you’re going to get that?”

Parker uncrossed his arms and took a step forward, reaching out and catching her suddenly around the waist to pull her body against his own. She was pressed to his chest, then, her hands on his shoulders and her head tipped back so that she could look up at his face. For an instant, she was stiff enough against him that he wondered if he had misinterpreted after all, but then she relaxed, melting into his chest and sliding her arms up around his neck. He let his hand fall to the small of her back.

“This,” he said simply. “Can you take a lunch break?”

“I think I can push it a little longer.”

The other guys were out still, having their own lunches, and Parker intended to take full advantage of that. It was tempting to just open the door of the car and lay her down in the backseat, but there was always a chance that the rest of the crew would come back early and if they found him wrapped up in some chick, they were never going to let him hear the end of it. So he caught her by the hand and pulled her toward the house.

“Oh,” she said, suddenly stopping. “I don’t think we should… Mr. Reid really wouldn’t be happy if we had sex in his house.”

Parker stopped, too, turning to look back at her over his shoulder. “There’s no reason Mr. Reid has to know.”

Gina shook her head, and he let out his breath on a sigh. So much for a lunch-break quickie.

“You have any other suggestions?” He saw her look at her vehicle, then his, speculation in the tilt of her head. “There’s a good chance the rest of my guys will be back before we finish.”

“What time are they due here?”

He might have stared at her. She looked back at him, and he laughed. “Okay. Fine.” He glanced at his watch. “Twenty minutes, maybe. Probably not too much earlier than that. They don’t make a habit of being late, but I’m not all that strict on exact time limits for the lunch hour.”

Her smile made her intentions clear even before she tugged him back toward her and the truck.

“We can make it happen in twenty minutes.”

***

The red light Parker was sitting behind turned, and he hit the gas, pulling past it and then switching lanes to hit the highway ramp.

Thinking about Gina’s mouth while driving was proving to be frustrating. He hadn’t exactly gotten to finish back at Reid’s, and while the argument had certainly cured him of any desire to do so in that moment, it hadn’t taken long for the memories of his first meeting with Gina to bring it back. He growled a little and punched the accelerator as he merged into traffic.

What had Reid come home early for anyway? Tomorrow, he needed to call Gina and apologize to her. Probably send some flowers. It wasn’t really the kind of thing he usually did when he was sure the relationship was over, but she’d had a rough night and could probably use a bit of a pick-me-up, and a talk with a guy who wasn’t a dick. Although if she had actually been fired, she probably wouldn’t be all that interested in talking.

But then, she hadn’t been all that interested in talking most of the other times they’d met either.

***

Gina pushed him back onto the seat of the truck and climbed up to straddle him, her long legs set either side of his own. Parker curled his hands around her hips and leaned up into the press of her mouth as she kissed him. His tongue teased at the curve of her lip, and she laughed and opened to let him in, her fingers tangling in his hair and curling around his shoulder as her hips rolled against his, quickly waking a very firm interest.

“See?” she said against his mouth. “I told you we could make it good and fast.”

Her hips rocked again, dragging the warmth of her body against his own, and Parker tangled a hand in her hair and pulled her closer, growling into the kiss. She dropped her hands down to scramble at the fastenings of his jeans, coaxing him free of his underwear. It didn’t take much coaxing.

When he was free, she leaned up and back for a moment to work her panties down her legs and off one, leaving them around the ankle of the other while she curled a hand around him to hold him in place.

“Oh yeah... You’re as big as I hoped.” She sounded a little smug about that fact.

An instant later, she was sliding down him, and the hand around her hip was curling tighter. He hoped she wouldn’t mind a little reminder of their tryst, because he had a strong grip. She sure as hell didn’t seem to be complaining about it in the moment.

The kiss broke, both of them panting, and he dropped his forehead to her shoulder, only to lift it a moment later as she began working herself up and down on his length. Her hair fell into her eyes, shadowing her face, and she dropped her free hand to his other shoulder for leverage. The dig of her nails against his skin would leave him a few souvenirs of his own.

“Fuck,” Parker hissed. “Yeah. Harder.”

He used the hand on her hip to help her lift and she picked up the pace, rolling her hips with each thrust to make sure he stroked against everything she wanted stroked. His eyes flicked to the windshield of the truck, but there were no other cars coming up the drive. Parker dipped his head enough to bite at her throat, careful not to leave any marks.

She slowed. He growled. Gina answered the sound with laughter, low and a little breathless.

“You want it, big boy, come and take it.”

Both hands wrapped around her hips, and he lifted her slight weight over his, pulling her up until she almost slid off of him and then dragging her slowly back down. She moaned, fingers curling harder around his shoulders and nails digging a little more sharply into his skin. Another, and then he wasn’t slow anymore. Fast and hard and both of them were panting, spilling moans across each other’s skin on hot breath.

***

A car pulled out in front of him without checking to see if he was there first, and Parker hit the brakes, bringing the heal of his hand down on his horn. Fucking New York City drivers! He merged into the next lane and moved around the man who had almost been run over by his truck, not even bothering to look in the guy’s direction. Flipping people off didn’t even have any meaning anymore in a city like this. At least he was almost home.

Another minute, and he slipped into the far right lane to take the exit, moving down into residential streets. When he’d first moved to the city, he’d thought about getting an apartment in Manhattan, but after a few weeks in the insanity of downtown he’d decided a little farther out was better. It was quieter, for one. He pulled into the parking complex and took his usual spot, turning the key in the ignition as he put the truck into park.

The night air was just cool enough to be pleasant when he stepped out of the truck. It brushed against his skin, carrying the scent of oil and metal and the bushes arranged along the apartment complex’s edges. It was a nice building. Definitely not the kind of place he would have been able to afford before his rise to the top, but exactly on the same scale as Reid’s multimillion-dollar mansion. Which was fine with him.

Parker stepped into the elevator that would take him up to his floor, leaning back against the wall of it, and ran a hand across his face, dropping it back to his side with a sigh. Some kind of night. He shook his head.

Honestly, he knew why Reid had been angry. His secretary fucking his construction guy in one of his guest beds probably hadn’t been what he expected to come home to. Parker wasn’t particularly perturbed by employee fraternization; he employed a lot of hot, fit people. They were going to sleep together whether he liked it or not. His rules were just to remove as much of the drama from the situation as possible when the breakup and the fallout inevitably occurred. But people in office buildings didn’t think the way he did, even the men who ran the office building. Especially the men who ran the office building.

Still, if he’d found two of his employees going at it in his house… Parker grinned. Actually, he’d probably ask about joining.

The elevator dinged as it hit his floor, and he pushed off the wall to stride into the hall and down to his own door. He dropped his work bag on the nearest chair as he moved through the kitchen and pulled a beer out of the fridge, popping the top with the edge of one of his keys. Those he dropped onto the counter.

After a quick flip through a few of his favorite channels, he discovered there was nothing on TV. He lifted his beer to his lips and took a sip, then set it back on the side table and dropped his head back against the back of the sofa. Images of Gina slid across the dark space behind his closed eyelids. He really should pick some different material now that they weren’t fucking anymore, but she was a good-looking girl and he had been interrupted in the middle of a very good time with her. He sighed, running his palm over his jeans.

Damn, she’d looked good riding him like that. She’d looked good every which way.

Another long swallow of beer, and Parker reached down to unfasten his jeans, freeing himself from his underwear and wrapping a hand around his length. It wasn’t quite a substitute physically, but the slide of skin on skin felt good, and he let his mind drift back to Gina and the way she’d looked on his bed last week, lips bruised with kisses and pupils blown wide.

***

“Harder, come on,” Gina begged, looking back at Parker over her shoulder as he rocked into her, his hands on her hips, dragging her back to meet the friction. “Come on, Parker, really give it to me. Fill me up good.”

Parker growled, fingers tightening over the fading marks left from their last encounter. Italian women. They never shut up. He took her harder, deeper, and then she wasn’t talking anymore because she was too busy moaning. That, Parker could work with.

He uncurled one hand from its place on her hip, sliding it down around the curve of her waist to slip between her thighs and stroke over her clit. Her hips rocked into the touch, then back into the stroke of him inside her, caught between the two sensations.

“Enough for you?” he demanded, grinning as her fingers curled in the sheets and her thighs shuddered. “Still want more, babe?”