They got their routine of jazzercise, dance moves, step-aerobics and kickboxing pretty much down. They still had to come up with a warm-up and cool-down, but they would work on that later. In the meantime, Tyanna would consider possible musical selections so they could use them the next time they practiced.
After Wendy left, Tyanna didn’t have a moment’s rest until just after nine
P.M
., when she finally took her lunch. She left the gym, went to a nearby sub shop and ordered a turkey submarine and a root beer. She brought the sub and soda back to her office, where she wanted to go through some files as she ate.
“Tyanna Calhoun, pick up line three. Tyanna Calhoun, line three.’’
Tyanna quickly wrapped up the half of the sub she hadn’t finished eating and reached for
the receiver, depressing the button for line three.
“This is Tyanna.” There was no answer. “Hello?’’
She heard a soft click, indicating that there was no longer anyone on the line.
Frowning, she replaced the receiver. Once again she reached for her sub. But just as she was about to unwrap it, she sensed someone behind her and turned.
Her heart slammed against her ribcage when she saw Sheldon standing there.
“Sheldon.” Tyanna spoke his name almost reverently, which irked her. She didn’t want him to think he had any chance of worming his way back into her life.
His lips curled in a smile. “Hey.’’
“Are you the one who just called me?” she asked, but her tone was accusing.
“No. Why?’’
“I was paged and told that someone was on the line for me, but when I picked up, no one was there.” He looked at her blankly, and she said, “No big deal.” She paused. “What are you doing here?’’
“I needed to see you,” he said simply.
“I saw you on Sunday,” she pointed out.
“That was five days ago. And since I hadn’t heard from you, I wanted to make sure you were okay.’’
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?’’
He shrugged. “I don’t know.’’
She gave him an odd look. “There’s nothing else going on, is there?’’
“No, nothing.” He walked around her desk and took a seat opposite her. “But I guess I’m always going to worry about you. I just figured I’d come by, for my own peace of mind.’’
His words unnerved her. She wasn’t sure how much of this she could deal with. His sudden appearance made a lie of what she’d told herself over the past five days—that if she never saw him again, it wouldn’t matter.
She frowned at him. “I’m not sure what I’m to make of you coming to see me like this. You telling me you’ll always worry about me.’’
He shrugged again, as if that gave all the answers.
Disappointment tickled her stomach. But what had she truly expected him to say? That he was in love with her? “I appreciate your concern, but as you can see, I’m perfectly fine.’’
“I guess you are.’’
“And I don’t mean to be rude, but I think you should really let me be the one to call you the next time. When I’m ready to take that friendship step. Right now, I’m just not sure I’m ready for it. I’ve got a ton of things going on in my life.’’
“And when you see me here, will you ignore me, or will you at least say hi?’’
“Here? Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said?’’
“Don’t get all bent out of shape,” Sheldon told
her, smiling to soften the words. “I’m trying to tell you that I’ve joined this gym.’’
Her mouth fell open, but she couldn’t find any words to say to him. Finally, what came out was, “Sheldon, what are you doing?’’
Hell if he knew. He only knew that he wanted to be around her. See her. Today, after not hearing from her for the week, he had almost gone crazy with worry.
There was something in his gut that told him something bad could happen. It wasn’t logical, and Tyanna would call him crazy, but he wanted to be around to keep an eye on her to make sure she was safe.
“I just got a job at a youth center not too far from here,” he explained.
“You did?” Her voice was deadpan.
“Yeah. I’ll be counseling teens, supervising their sports programs. Stuff like that. And you know I like to work out. This gym is close to where I’m now working, and of course, it’s one of the best facilities in Miami.’’
Tyanna eyed him warily. “I’m trying to figure this out. You stay away for a year, now you come back and you
need
to be near me. To make sure I’m okay?’’
“I explained that.’’
“I know what you told me. The point is, we ended a year ago. You made that choice, Sheldon. Whatever the circumstances, we can’t turn back the clock and change things.” She took a deep
breath before continuing. “So am I going to be thrilled to see you here all the time? Not particularly.”
“I’m not going to hound you.’’
“No?”
“Of course not. I’m not a stalker.’’
“Could have fooled me,” she muttered.
“I heard that,” Sheldon said. He wore a playful grin. “Don’t go having a hissy fit. I’ll see you here from time to time. We don’t have to be buddies, but we certainly don’t have to be enemies.’’
Her eyes bulged as she stared at him. “
Hissy
fit? When have you ever known me to have a hissy fit?’’
“Good,” Sheldon said. “So there won’t be a problem.’’
Oh, he was too much. Entirely too smooth. But she sure as hell didn’t want him to think that he was rattling her in any way. “I don’t have a problem with seeing you around here. It’s a free country.’’
“Good.” Sheldon paused. “Maybe we can make this official. Have a drink later and toast our friendship. Hmm?’’
“Tonight?”
“Why not?’’
Tyanna actually chuckled. Lord, the man was hardheaded. “A drink?’’
“Sure. You’re over me. We’re friends. No big deal, right?’’
“You got that straight.”
“Then why do you still feel awkward around me?’’
Tyanna opened her mouth, about to lie to him, then decided against it. She leaned across her desk. “Okay, Sheldon. You want the truth? I
am
a bit uncomfortable around you.’’
Finally she was coming clean. Which meant she felt it too. The spark that still lived between them. He couldn’t have been the only one going crazy since last Sunday, remembering how they had been when they were together.
Suddenly his stomach fluttered as he waited for her to say the words he now longed to hear.
There’s still chemistry between us, Sheldon. I dream about you being in my bed….
“I wonder where you get your nerve.’’
The fantasy promptly died. “W—what?”
“You told me you’d give me space. This isn’t space. And quite frankly, I’m not impressed. If you must know, the way you’re acting now is making me inclined to think there’s no way we can be friends. You are totally not respecting me and how I feel.’’
Sheldon felt a hole growing in his stomach. He had hoped to come across as jovial and non-pressuring, but it hadn’t worked. She was threatened by him.
He stood. He pondered what to say for a long moment, then said the only thing that came to his heart. “You’re right. And I’m sorry.’’
Then he turned and walked out of Tyanna’s office.
She watched him go, a bit surprised. Then she sat back in her chair, her shoulders drooping.
She should be happy. This is what she was telling him she wanted—some space.
So why did she feel a weird sense of frustration?
“Hey, Shirley,” Tyanna said, approaching the main desk. It was Saturday afternoon, and Jaguar Fitness was filled with people.
“Hi, Tyanna. How are you?’’
“Pretty good today. You?’’
“Oh, today’s looking to be a pretty good day.’’
Tyanna followed Shirley’s gaze to the gym’s floor. There were half a dozen muscle men working out.
She smiled to herself. Everyone knew how much Shirley loved coming in to work so she could check out the men.
“Do you have the aerobics schedule on hand for the coming week?” Tyanna asked her. She was hoping there was a time when she and Wendy could use the room.
“Yep.” Shirley lifted a clipboard and passed it to Tyanna.
Tyanna perused the schedule. Great. Sunday afternoon was available for a good hour. She and Wendy both had the day off, and they could come
in here before Tyanna headed off to her parents’ place for dinner.
Other than Sunday, late in the afternoon on the following Tuesday or Thursday also looked good. She would be here anyway, and could probably squeeze in a half hour with Wendy after her first personal training session.
Yeah, this was doable.
“Thanks, Shirley.’’
“Uh-huh.”
Shirley didn’t even look Tyanna’s way as she reached for the clipboard, and Tyanna chuckled softly. “You’re too much, Shirley. I don’t know how you keep up with who comes and goes when your head is always facing the back of the gym.’’
“Oh, I keep up with those who are worthy of being noticed. Mmm. Look at those thighs. Have you ever seen anything so powerful?”
Tyanna gave in. “All right. I’ll bite. Which stud are you checking out today?’’
“He’s on the far side. Using the leg press. The brother with the golden brown skin.’’
Tyanna looked in that direction, smirking at Shirley’s brazen ogling. But the smile instantly went flat when she realized exactly who Shirley had been checking out.
“Hey, Tyanna. Isn’t that the guy who came here asking for you a week or so ago?’’
“Oh.” Tyanna did her best to pretend she hadn’t realized that. “Maybe. Yeah, probably.”
Shirley scowled at her. “You had that man up
close and personal and you don’t remember him?’’
Tyanna shrugged nonchalantly. “I see a lot of hard bodies. After a while, they’re all the same.’’
“Whatever, girl. Not that one.” Shirley’s gaze wandered back to Sheldon. “That body definitely stands out above the rest.’’
“Yeah, he’s cute.” Tyanna tapped the desk lightly, then headed toward her office.
God
, her mind screamed.
Sheldon’s here!
And dressed in an outfit that showed off his magnificent body.
What was she going to do? Work the gym floor with her clients and pretend he didn’t exist? Last night, she thought she was game for this, but now she wasn’t so sure.
She didn’t care about saving face at this point. She knew she’d just feel better if he wasn’t constantly around.
Tyanna settled behind her desk and looked over her schedule for the evening. But she hardly saw the words. The image of Sheldon in his athletic shorts and tank top kept interrupting her thoughts.
A long breath oozed out of her. She had a feeling this was going to be a long night.
Tyanna left the office area, rounded the corner and stopped cold. Her heart felt as if it was suddenly struggling to pump blood—as if someone had taken it out of her chest and flattened it with a steamroller.
Sheldon was practically draped across the gym’s check-in desk, smiling like some kind of idiot, while Shirley had both hands under her chin and was laughing.
Tyanna had always hated that laugh.
Shirley threw her head back, giggling like a schoolgirl—not the twenty-something woman she actually was. Goodness, would the gym’s manager continue to put up with Shirley so blatantly slacking off? The woman was here to do a job, not entertain select members.
And when had Sheldon come back? It was now close to midnight, and Tyanna’s shift was practically over. Sheldon had left hours earlier, so what was he doing here again?
Gritting her teeth, Tyanna forced herself to start walking. She wasn’t going to let Sheldon get to her. Her plan had been to head to the eucalyptus steam room to work out some of the kinks in her body, and she was going to go ahead with it. She had worked hard today, and she deserved this. She rarely treated herself to the sauna or steam room, even though she could use the facilities whenever she wanted.
As she headed toward the changing room, she once again heard the high pitch of Shirley’s laughter. It suddenly seemed like a cackle.
“Oh, stop it,” Tyanna told herself. If Shirley wanted to hang on Sheldon’s every word, good for her.
She had better things to do.
Inside the changing room, Tyanna dug a towel out of her bag and headed for the shower. She stood under the cool spray for a long while. Afterward, she dressed in the black bikini she’d brought with her. It was a sexy number she’d picked up on St. Thomas while working on the cruise ship. She liked that it was simple, yet shimmered beneath the light. She’d gotten many compliments on it the few times she’d worn it.
Her belongings secured in a locker, Tyanna took her towel and made her way out to the eucalyptus steam room. She would hit the dry sauna after that.
Let Sheldon stay out there and talk to Shirley. Tyanna was going to enjoy a good forty minutes of pure relaxation.
Tyanna sat with her back pressed against the ceramic-tile wall of the steam room, her eyes closed, her legs crossed in front of her. She inhaled and exhaled slow and easy breaths, which made it much easier to deal with the heat.
As she had hoped, she was completely relaxed, and it felt wonderful.
A drop of moisture fell from the ceiling and splashed on her thigh. A moment later, she felt another drop trickle down her other leg. It was light and feathery, almost like—
Tyanna’s eyes flew open. A cold shiver of shock ran through her entire body, despite the heat.
“Sorry, sweetie.” Sheldon’s voice was as
smooth as melted chocolate. “I couldn’t help touching.”
“Sheldon!” In a flash, Tyanna uncrossed her legs and sat up straight. She automatically reached for her towel, but remembered that she’d left it hanging outside the steam room door. Suddenly, she felt very naked.
“No need to be modest with me, sweetheart.”
Even in the dimly lit room, Tyanna could see the heat in Sheldon’s eyes. She knew, just knew, that he was seeing right through her skimpy bikini to all the areas he’d once been so familiar with.
Unnerved, she quickly looked away.
Sheldon climbed onto the high bench, sitting beside her. “You don’t mind if I join you?’’
“Actually.” Tyanna stood. “I was just about to head out. I’ve been in here a while.’’
“Pretty hot, huh.’’
She looked at him then. Yeah, she was hot—and it wasn’t because of the temperature in here. The smug look on Sheldon’s face said he knew that.
“Yeah, it’s hot. Too hot for me.’’
Sheldon reached for her and snaked a hand around her wrist. “You don’t want to rush off. It’s pretty slippery in here. You don’t want to fall.’’
“I’ll be careful.’’
“You do that.’’
But he didn’t release her wrist.
The heat at the level where she stood was getting to her head. Reluctantly, she sat back down.
“Is Shirley coming in to join you?” Tyanna asked. She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.
“Shirley. She’s a doll.’’
“Oh, yeah. A real charmer.’’
“No, she’s not joining me. Why would she?’’
“Well, you two seemed to be hitting it off.” She hated it that she sounded jealous, but she’d opened this can of worms.
“She’s a funny girl.’’
“That she is. Pretty easy, too.’’
“Pardon me?’’
“Nothing.” Tyanna was suddenly aware that her heart was pounding. Definitely not good in this heat. “I—I should head out.” And right into a cold shower…
“All right,” Sheldon said, not fighting her decision. “I guess I’ll see you here again sometime.”
Tyanna carefully stepped down to the floor. “Maybe. But don’t count on it.’’
Tyanna didn’t bother with the sauna. She was too hot from the steam room, and what she needed was a quick cold shower.
Though she tried to tell herself he couldn’t affect her anymore, that was clearly untrue. Her meeting with Sheldon in that hot and steamy room…it had left her frazzled. Like she’d suffered a small electric shock and her nerves were burnt at the ends.
It was simply that he’d scared her.
She thought of that first moment she’d opened her eyes and realized he was in the steam room with her. All six-foot-two inches of him covered in a sheen of sweat, a cloud of smoke partially obscuring his features. But those eyes. Lord, those eyes. His gaze had burned her with its intensity, despite the heat.
“Oh, great,” Tyanna mumbled. Her body was actually starting to throb.
Tyanna pulled off her suit and stepped into the shower. She squeezed a liberal amount of liquid soap into her palm and lathered up her body. What was wrong with her? Her brain knew it, kept in perspective that Sheldon was the one man who had hurt her more than any other—all of his good intentions aside. If she were smart, she wouldn’t forget that.
Yet there was still something about him….
Tyanna let the cool spray hit her face, determined to make her body relax. The throbbing had stopped, thank God, but she’d had to force the image of a near-naked Sheldon from her mind.
Oh, hell. There it went again. Such a small part of her body, yet when it demanded attention, it took control of all of her.
In the past year, she hadn’t met another man who made her libido come alive, yet her body was suddenly turned on by thoughts of her ex-boyfriend.
Either she was just plain crazy for thinking of Sheldon in any sexual capacity at all, or she had
to admit that what she heard some people talk about was true. Maybe there really
was
something to all that scientific talk about body chemistry and how it made you want someone with an almost animal passion—that certain something that had women creeping out on husbands they loved to steal a few moments with a man they couldn’t resist.
Yeah, that was it. Tyanna now felt a lot better. She turned off the shower and reached for her towel outside the stall. Whatever body-chemistry thing was happening between her and Sheldon was completely normal, even if she wished she could control it. For some reason, Sheldon’s body still spoke to hers—regardless of what her brain had to say about the matter.
Maybe this was more support for the argument for separation of sex and love. Yes, she had loved Sheldon, and their intimacy had been heightened because of that love. But he had also been the first man to bring out such a high level of sexual desire in her, so while her head and heart were over him, her body had a hard time forgetting it.
It all seemed so simple—now that she’d put things in perspective.
Dried and dressed, Tyanna headed out of the changing room. Even at this late hour, the gym had a large number of people. This was South Florida, and people here wanted to look good—no matter the cost.
“See you tomorrow, Max.” Tyanna gave a quick
wave to the gym’s manager before she headed out the door.
Tonight was cooler than the last few. The ground looked wet. It must have rained. Those summer showers were a godsend in terms of cooling things down.
Tyanna started for the right, where she’d parked her car. But after a few steps, a weird feeling came over her.
She whirled around, Sheldon’s name on the tip of her tongue.
She saw no one.
Slowly she turned and continued walking. The weird feeling was still there. Like she wasn’t alone, even though she saw no one else out there with her.
She quickened her pace and was at her car in several seconds. Like Sheldon had told her, she looked all around before reaching for her keys. Satisfied that no one was there, she dug her keys out of her purse, then quickly got in the car. She locked her door immediately.
Then sat for a moment as she once again scanned the darkened parking lot.
She was being stupid, she realized.
Yet as she backed out of her space and started off, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone, somewhere, was watching her.
Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea if she slept with him.
For the millionth time that night, Tyanna rolled onto her other side. The air-conditioning was working, but she was still hot.
Still restless.
The memory of her encounter with Sheldon in the steam room continued to haunt her. She had tried to play it cool, but she hadn’t been able to keep her eyes off his strong legs. Shirley certainly had been right about his body.
The problem was, being so close to him in a hot, steamy room, with both of them nearly naked—Tyanna was back to remembering all the hot nights they’d spent together at her place.
Every time she’d drifted off to sleep, she had dreamed of him.
She could no longer deny it. Her body felt like it would spontaneously combust if she didn’t get some relief. And soon.
She wanted a man in her bed with her.
And not just any man. She wanted Sheldon. At the very least, Sheldon was familiar, and Tyanna knew he would not disappoint her.
But it was way too late to call him. Especially since he was at his mother’s. And even if it weren’t too late, she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to pick up the phone. What was she going to say?
Hi, I’m horny. Wanna come over?
Considering she had practically laughed in his face when he’d suggested that they become sexually reacquainted, a call to him now would seem…crazy.
No, if it was going to happen, it would have to be at a time when they saw each other again. She would be friendlier next time, not push him away. Maybe they’d even go for that drink he had suggested.
And if after a drink, Sheldon made any hints at getting together, she wouldn’t turn him down.
But in the meantime…
In the meantime, she would just have to dream.