Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
“Oops! Sorry!” Sue smiled at everyone to cover her embarrassment.
A gorgeous man wearing formfitting long shorts and a T-shirt emblazoned with the gym logo greeted her from behind the desk. “Hi! Welcome to Fitness Haven. What’s your name?”
Sue walked forward to speak to the man who had to be Davis Irving. This man had silver fox written all over him. “I’m Sue Taylor. I work at Little Cakes and I thought this might be a convenient place to work out.”
“Ellie’s place. I’ve heard her cupcakes are amazing and she’s as sweet as her creations. I’m glad you came in. I’m Davis. I agree it’s always best to have a close spot to work out. Let me give you a tour and you can decide whether the gym’s a good fit for you.”
Sue relaxed instantly. Davis was friendly without being overtly pushy as he led her around the floor. In the open space, there were sections for a variety of activities. The early evening crowd seemed to be people dropping in after work. They ranged from seasoned bodybuilders to twenty-somethings.
A model-thin woman, scantily clothed and in full makeup, interrupted them. “Davis, I can’t remember how to use this machine correctly. Could you show me again?”
“Of course.” Davis turned toward a trainer wandering around helping others on the floor. “Tom?”
“Oh, I thought you could show me.” The woman smiled a private invitation that seemed to include more than a request for guidance.
“That’s why I’m here, Elizabeth. I’m glad to help,” Tom said as he appeared by her side. “I’ve got this, boss.”
“Thanks, Tom.” Davis motioned Sue toward the front desk, ignoring Elizabeth’s protest of, “But, Davis…”
“You’re welcome to work with her,” Sue suggested, not wishing to interfere with a possible romantic connection.
“Tom will do a great job. All the trainers are thoroughly experienced in helping clients reach their fitness goals while staying safe,” he dismissed her suggestion with a smile. “Besides, I’m focused on you. What questions do you have?”
“Can you just wave a magic wand and make all this melt away?” she joked, waving a hand over her rounded belly and thighs.
“When I built this gym, my goal was to help people feel good and be healthy. I wouldn’t say that you need a magic wand even if it existed.”
Davis paused and his words soaked into Sue’s brain. Did he mean that he thought she looked good as she was? No, that couldn’t be it. Sue forced herself to listen as he continued.
“The most important thing is that you’re happy with yourself and that your body is in shape to do the activities you’d like to do,” he finished.
“Can you tell me about membership? How does it work?” she asked.
“Come into my office and we’ll go over the details. A fitness assessment is required to work out here. I want to make sure everyone is safe. And you’ll want to track your progress.”
“Seventh grade PE class just flashed into my mind,” Sue joked to cover her apprehension. “I’ll warn you I still can’t do chin-ups.”
“I promise. No judgments. And we’ll work on that if it’s a goal,” Davis assured her.
“Not my goal. No one in life has ever asked me to do one,” Sue quipped. She tried not to stare as he laughed. This man was gorgeous. Everything was attractive about him from the humor lines around his mouth and eyes to the silvery black hair styled in a careless, athletic cut. Best of all, he didn’t seem to know that everyone drooled as he walked past—women and men.
Chapter Two
Carrying her bag of workout clothing, Sue walked through the rear entrance of Little Cakes the next day. She stored her stuff in the employee area and grabbed a fresh apron before clocking in. The rattle of pans told her the bakers were already hard at work.
“Hi, Tarson!” Sue greeted the large man completely at home in the kitchen. “Ellie’s not here today?”
“With the oven fixed, we got caught up with the orders. Garrett’s letting her sleep in this morning. She’ll be in later,” he told her.
“I’ll get everything set up out front,” she assured him with a smile.
“Want to try a new flavor? Black Forest is something I’ve been meaning to create. I just finished a second attempt. The last one was too soggy with the filling inside, but I think I’ve got this perfected.” He waved a hand over a beautiful cupcake decorated with a cherry on top.
“I shouldn’t, but I love cherry and chocolate together. Cut me a small taste,” she said as she caved.
Tarson cut the cupcake in half to reveal a preserved cherry backed into the middle of chocolate cake. “Eat as much as you want,” he suggested as he picked up one half.
Lifting the other half to her lips, Sue nibbled at the treat. “Tarson, don’t change a thing. This is amazing!”