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  The mortification slapped her like a bucket of ice water in the face. Trying desperately not to let the asshole get to her, she lifted her chin and tried to shake it off. So many times in her life during moments where she found herself trying to be strong—brave—needing to overcome an uncomfortable situation, she asked herself the very question running through her mind now. What would Lila do?

  Her older sister was the epitome of strength and self-assuredness. Of course, she had every right to be. She’d soon be a superstar boxer. Yet she was beautiful enough to be a fitness model as well, for crying out loud. Still, over the years, her sister’s strong will and ability to shake off any kind of insecurity had begun to rub off on Allison. She may not have the looks and athletic abilities her sister possessed, but she was not about to get down on herself over one nasty sneer.

  Fuck him! was exactly what Lila would say. Allison had heard stories of strangers fat-shaming heavy people they saw enjoying a large meal at a restaurant or something sinful like her donut. Even online where fat-shaming was rampant, she’d always thought it incredibly rude and intrusive. No matter how fat anyone was, no one had a right to take it upon himself to shame them. And while Allison was aware she could stand to lose some weight, her sister and best friend Jen were forever insisting she wasn’t fat. She’d never actually said she was, but she could do without some of the extra junk in her trunk. Regardless, no one, and especially not some jerk she didn’t even know, had any right to make her feel bad about it.

  With a quick spin of her heels, she went the opposite way because she refused to walk by the guy. Just because he was clearly in the shape of his life and still working out didn’t make him any better than she was. He was probably what her sister so often referred to as an idiot meathead who thought being in shape gave him the right to be a dick with anyone who wasn’t.

  Despite the little rant going on in her head, her face still felt flushed. She tossed the rest of the calorie-bursting donut in the trash and made her way to the front desk. That was it. She was renewing her membership, and she’d set a workout schedule as soon as she could.

  Getting her membership renewed took a little longer than she expected. Apparently, they’d made changes, and she now had choices on the type of membership she wanted. By the time she was done, she’d almost forgotten about the idiot from earlier. She was almost out of there when, in her haste, she rushed away from the front desk absentmindedly and collided right into what felt like a human wall, a very muscular and tall and blurry wall she reached out to hold onto. It happened so fast she didn’t even realize her glasses had fallen. The blur in front of her put her glasses back on gently. As if running into someone hadn’t been mortifying enough, it was him.

  The guy who’d been so disgusted with her earlier was peering at her now in the strangest way. Taking her hand off his unbelievably hard arm, she felt her heart thudding and her eyes going even wider. For a moment, they were both rendered speechless as his eyes went from hers down to her lips. They remained on her lips a little longer until, to her utter surprise, he brought a finger up and touched the corner of them.

  “You missed some.”

  They both glanced at his finger with the smidge of raspberry jelly still on it, and for a moment, she thought she might die. The expression he wore suddenly was such an odd one Allison braced herself for him to either wipe the jelly off on her shirt, disgusted, or lick it clean. But he did neither.

  Being that close to such a huge and daunting presence, along with the even deeper mortification now, she was still so thunderstruck she had no words. Otherwise, she might’ve said something in response to what felt like continued distaste in his near glare. It bore deep into her with a purpose, searching her eyes almost as if he might say something, but he didn’t.

  Before she could gather her wits, he muttered what sounded like curse words under his breath followed by a near growl. Allison couldn’t make it out, but given the tone, she was sure it wasn’t very favorable. Then just like that, he and the guy with him walked around her without so much as another word.

  Just like back in high school, it wasn’t even until she was out the door and at her car that the zingers she should’ve shot back in response to his nasty glare and rudeness started coming to her. “Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to run into you and your fuck buddy there.” She brought her hand to her mouth, feigning exaggerated embarrassment as she tossed her backpack onto the passenger seat. “Sorry, I meant jailbird buddy.” She plopped into the driver’s side with a huff. “Sorry I wasn’t born with enough middle fingers to let you know how I feel about what you think of me!”

  She started up the car then worked on plugging her ear piece to her phone. She absolutely refused to give any more thought to how infuriatingly hot the guy was—therefore likely full of himself.

  “God, I should’ve said something to him!” she said, banging her steering wheel as she pulled out of the parking space. “I should’ve slapped his hand away from my face.”

  Not stand there in a complete trance.

  Thankfully, before she could start reciting anymore lame comebacks she knew full well she’d never have the nerve to say anyway, her phone rang. She hit the answer button, pushing the earpiece farther in as she drove through the parking lot.

  “Oh, my God, you’re not gonna believe what just happened to me.” Jen groaned; though Allison could tell it was a playful groan. “This is why I don’t date white country boys or rather why they don’t date me.” She laughed so much it snapped Allison right out of her irritable mood. “OMG, I’m an idiot. I still can’t get used to his southern accent, so I keep messing up. I had a missed call from Jaxson, so I called him back, and he answers but says, ‘Hold on. I have a piece of ass in my mouth.’ Then the phone gets all muffled, and I’m like what the fuck? So, the second he comes back on the line, I start going off on him. ‘Don’t let me interrupt you and your piece of ass.’ Halfway through my rant, he interrupts me to emphasize it was a piece of ass, which only riles me more”—she squealed with another giggle— “until I realize he’s saying ice. I felt so stupid I hung up and called you. What do I do?”

  Allison was laughing so hard she was glad she was at a red light.

  “Shit, that’s him calling again,” Jen said, sounding panicked.

  “Just answer it and tell him what you told me—that you’re an idiot,” Allison said, still laughing. “I’m sure he’s laughing too.

  Grudgingly, her friend agreed, and they were off the phone. Allison thought about her own embarrassing incident today again after hanging up with Jen. Despite the fact just thinking about it gave her the chills, she decided her bestie’s was way worse than hers. She wouldn’t give it another thought.

  Two

  Not since Allison had mentioned the look she’d gotten from the work-release meathead to her sister had she thought about it again. By then, she’d been so over the mortification she’d been able to see the humor in it. She admitted to and teased her sister that she thought the tattooed bad boy was kind of sexy. Of course, she left the part out about him being such an asshole he just had to point out she was still drooling the donut jelly. She hadn’t even mentioned the second run-in. Even so, Lila still didn’t think the incident was funny.

  Not at all.

  As usual, her sister had been instantly annoyed by what little Allison had told her about the guy putting his hand on her face to further humiliate her. When Allison tried to explain to her that she’d been practically making love to the jelly donut while this guy with a perfectly sculpted body was working out, Lila wasn’t having it. She’d immediately jumped all over Allison for her constant self-depreciation, so Allison was done talking about it—at least to her sister.

  In addition to Lila’s annoyance with the guy’s rudeness, she’d been adamant that Allison not get any funny ideas when it came to doing more than just interviewing these dangerous men. Even now, weeks after the embarrassing incident, as Allison stared at her new and improved self in the mir
ror, she had to scoff at Lila’s unnecessary worry. Regardless of how little respect her sister seemed to have for meatheads, fact was they clearly took staying fit very seriously. The discipline alone had to count for something. It also meant no one with that kind of mentality, when it came to keeping his body in tip-top shape, would be impressed by a little makeup and a new hairdo when her out-of-shape body was still seriously lacking.

  Though Allison had to admit finally stripping away those god-awful bottle-cap glasses was a huge improvement to her overall appearance. That alone would’ve been gift enough, but her sister had not only gotten her a newish car last week for her birthday, she’d also surprised her with an entire makeover—including those contacts she’d been promising her for years.

  Turning sideways, Allison examined her outfit in the full-length mirror. She was grateful that at least her belly was flat enough. It wasn’t nearly as tight as Lila’s six pack, but at least it was one part of her body she had under control. If she were taller, she might appreciate the near D cups she thought made her look heavier. But unless she had a breast reduction, she couldn’t do anything about that. Turning around to look at her bubble butt again, she frowned. That she could do something about, and she had every intention to.

  “Holy shit!”

  The gasped exclamation had Allison jerking her eyes away from the mirror and at Drew, who’d just walked into the ladies’ room at the gym. Drew brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes practically bulging out as she took Allison in from top to bottom.

  “Charlee told me about the makeover, but . . . whoa.” She shook her head, smiling big. “I didn’t expect all this.”

  Allison felt her face warm, but she smiled. Drew was Charlee’s best friend. Charlee’s husband was Hector, the youngest co-owner of 5th Street. Allison had met Drew a handful of times and had since decided she really liked Drew. Unlike the other wives who were a lot older than Allison, Charlee wasn’t that much older. Hector was the youngest owner, and his wife and Drew were his age. So, it was much easier to relate to her than the other women.

  “It’s just a little makeup and new hairdo.”

  “Are you kidding? You look amazing! So much older too.” Drew took her in from top to bottom as she circled around Allison. “You went from this meek little girl with such a baby face anyone would mistake you for a high-school kid to sexy and sophisticated.” She shrugged. “You could probably still pass for a high-school student if you wanted. That baby face is still under the new makeup and sexy arched brows, only I’d hardly refer to you as meek now.”

  Allison knew meek was Drew’s nice way of saying mousy. Allison knew exactly how she came across with those glasses so thick she could fry a grasshopper with them. But Drew was right. The new look had given her a little pep in her step she’d never had before. Even that pompous editor in her journalism class had been nicer to her lately.

  Drew wasn’t heavy but often complained about being out of shape. Ever since she’d had a baby a few years ago then fell into a deep depression when her baby daddy admitted he was in love with another man, she let herself go. But she was in a new relationship now with a guy she said was perfect, and she was determined to get back into shape. So, their diet woes had bonded the two girls.

  Needing to hurry to her CrossFit training, Drew promised to give Allison a call and tell her about it since it was her first day. Allison walked out into the gym and to the area where Gio said he’d be meeting her. His earlier text letting her know he’d have two guys for her to interview had inevitably reminded her of the guy who’d made no qualms of showing his distaste for her weeks ago. Gio had wanted to know if she needed more than two guys to interview.

  God no. She’d said two was fine. Just thinking about it made her heart speed up, but she was glad she hadn’t seen him anywhere in the gym when she’d first walked in today. And she’d made it a point to look out for him. As big and daunting as he was, she didn’t think she could miss him. At least he hadn’t been in the same area where he’d been working out the last time.

  She walked over and stood just outside one of the training rooms. Drew was in there doing her CrossFit, and it did not look like fun. But Allison was determined to at least try and get into better shape. She glanced around as Gio walked around the corner and out of sight, not sure what to do with herself.

  Fortunately, her awkward alone time was fleeting because, within moments, both Lila and her major-league-baseball-star boyfriend, Sonny Sabian, arrived from different directions. Allison smiled as Sonny pecked her sister. The man was truly a heartthrob the way all the articles referred to him online and on TV. Allison was just glad Lila had gotten past her initial apprehension that, as big a celebrity as Sonny was, he could genuinely be interested in her.

  “You look different,” Sonny said, taking her in just as Drew had—completely astounded by the change.

  Lila told him more about who had done the makeover. She was a friend of Bianca, Gio’s wife, named Toni and was the same lady who had given Lila a makeover just weeks ago. Though of course, unlike Allison, her sister didn’t really need one. She’d just gotten done up for some ritzy charity event she’d attended with Sonny.

  Sonny commented on how womanly Allison seemed now with the new look, while Lila gushed about how she seemed to be glowing. Then she made the other comment Allison hadn’t been expecting: about having seen heads turn when Allison had walked in. That had Allison laughing nervously and waving off the nonsense. But she did admit to being beyond glad to be rid of the glasses finally.

  “Best damn birthday gift ever, but . . .” She eyed Lila suspiciously because it suddenly dawned on her why her sister would be there when her shift as a youth coordinator was over. “I know why you’re here, and you need to be gone. I don’t want you anywhere around, threatening these guys I’m interviewing with your evil eye. I’m already nervous enough as it is.”

  She clarified that she was nervous not scared the way she knew her sister thought she should be of the big bad work-release guys. But Allison made it clear she was only nervous about botching the interview and how she needed to get it right. She’d leave out what else had her insides roiling now, the more she thought of it.

  Lila assured Allison she had this and then had the nerve to say her days of snapping were long behind her. Neither Allison nor Sonny, who knew Lila too well, even attempted to keep a straight face.

  Just then Gio got there. He, too, did a double take when he saw Allison. “Wow, you look different.” Allison had to giggle now as she glanced at Lila, who smiled proudly. “Bianca said the makeover had made a big difference, but I didn’t think she meant this much.”

  “It’s the bottle-cap lenses being gone that make the biggest difference,” Allison said, knowing her sister was probably already annoyed at her response. “It’s what feels most different to me anyway.” She smirked before adding, “My head feels lighter.”

  “They weren’t that bad. I thought you looked cute in them,” Lila shot back quickly.

  “Yeah, if you’re into nerdy little bookworms with glasses so thick they could see into the future.”

  Again, her sister was quick to give her a disapproving look but then turned her attention to Gio, who began explaining about the guys Allison would be interviewing. “As I explained to Allison when she interviewed me, it might be hard to get past the hardened exteriors of some of these guys, but trust me. I wouldn’t allow them around my friends and family if I couldn’t vouch for them being respectable guys just trying to change their lives.”

  Allison’s insides were just beginning to knot up when she heard the cheery voice behind her. “Ready when you are, chief.”

  The cheery voice gave her hope. Somehow, she just couldn’t imagine Mr. Disgusted sounding this friendly. Gio and Allison turned around to face what Lila and Sonny were already looking at, the two guys she’d be interviewing. She’d been right. It wasn’t the guy from that day who did the talking. But to her horror, Mr. Disgusted stood next to him. Allison ha
d to refrain from gasping, especially because, up close, he was incredible. Sure, she’d give Lila he was intimidating looking as all hell, but the softer expression he wore now gave him a much less menacing appearance than that first day. Then again, he wasn’t looking at Allison this time. Of course he didn’t appear disgusted. His eyes were on her gorgeous sister instead. He hadn’t even noticed Allison.

  “Hey,” Gio said, smiling. “Right on time. Here she is.”

  He motioned to Allison, only before he could do any introductions, Noah, one of the other owners of the gym, rushed by on his phone, distracting Gio. “Give me a sec, guys. I gotta tell him something before he leaves.”

  Gio rushed off after Noah, leaving them all standing there as both guys peered at Allison curiously. Then it happened. She saw the corner of his lip twitch, and he sized her up from top to bottom, stopping at her lips for a moment before their eyes locked.

  “Jelly?”

  The obvious emotion Allison should’ve felt over this was embarrassment. Except she wasn’t even sure if what hearing that deep resonant voice addressing her again did to her was an emotion. But what his eyes did to her as they bore into her had to be. She breathed in so deep her sister was already reacting to it.

  Just as fast as she’d begun to quiver emotionally, her brain switched back to reality. As the heat of utter mortification rose from the back of her spine to her neck, Allison did her best to not react. She knew too well her hotheaded sister was probably already feeling a heat of a different kind scorch through her veins. As expected, Lila was first to break the uncomfortable silence. “Excuse me?”

  “Yeah, it is Jelly,” the guy said, ignoring Lila yet continuing to peer at Allison.

  She wasn’t sure what to make of the odd expression. It was too hard to be playful yet nowhere near the revolted one she’d been treated two weeks ago.