Man of Strength: An older alpha male and younger woman short romance (Filthy Rich Love Book 5) Read online

  Man of Strength

  Filthy Rich Love - Book 5

  Sadie King

  Man of Strength

  Tyler

  We’re losing money at the fitness club, and I’ve gone undercover to find out what’s going on. Then I meet Zoe. From the moment she walks in on me in the gym showers, I know I need to have this woman. She’s gorgeous, she’s defiant, and I’m pretty sure she’s hiding something.

  Zoe

  There’s a reason I work out every day, a reason I’ve learned to defend myself and run fast, and a reason why I never stay in one place for long. Then I meet the hot new personal trainer at the gym, and suddenly I don’t want to run anymore. But will he still want me when he learns the truth?

  Man of Strength is a short and steamy romance featuring an older alpha male and younger woman.

  Book five in the Filthy Rich Love series. Each book in the series is a standalone. No cliff-hangers!

  Copyright © 2019 by Sadie King.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover designed by Designrans.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, companies, locales or persons living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

  www.authorsadieking.com

  Contents

  1. Tyler

  2. Zoe

  3. Tyler

  4. Zoe

  5. Tyler

  6. Zoe

  7. Tyler

  8. Zoe

  9. Tyler

  Epilogue

  Get your insta-love fix!

  1

  Tyler

  The muscles in my back twitch as the hot water hits them. I’m pumped from my workout, I pushed myself hard, and I know I’ll be hurting tomorrow.

  I pump soap from the dispenser into my palm, and the smell of lavender hits my nostrils. I frown. It’s nice but not appropriate for a men’s shower, especially at a gym. All fired up after a workout, you don’t want to get into the shower and be reminded of your granny.

  I sigh inwardly. Another thing I need to speak to someone about when all this is over.

  I lather myself in soap, giving each muscle a vigorous rub ‘til I’m covered in foamy suds. I dip my head under the shower and close my eyes, enjoying the feeling of the water running over me. I turn around slowly to wash my back off and open my eyes.

  Holy shit. There’s a woman standing by the door staring at me, and she’s gorgeous.

  She’s in figure-hugging Lycra that shows off her toned body. Her tanned skin glistens with sweat, and there are dark patches on her top between her breasts. Her dark hair is pulled back into a ponytail and slicked back with sweat. It looks like she just finished a workout and she pushed herself as hard as I have.

  The blood rushes to my dick, and it rises out of the soap suds to say hello. It’s lucky there’s a low wall separating the shower area so she can’t see the instant effect she’s having on me.

  I lift my arms and run my hands through my hair. Her eyes widen as she watches the muscles ripple in my torso. Goddamn, she’s enjoying the show! And I’m enjoying her watching.

  “This is the men’s,” I say.

  “I can see that.” Her chin tilts up slightly, defiant.

  “Women’s is the other side.” I indicate the door on the other side of the room. She could go out the door she came in and walk around, but I want to see her cross the room so I can check her out.

  “It’s my first day here,” she says. “I got lost.”

  She sticks her chin out even more as if daring me to challenge her. I love a challenge.

  “What’s your name?” I ask.

  She pulls her eyes away from my abs and looks up at my face. God, she’s beautiful.

  “What’s it to you?” she says.

  I let out a chuckle, and she frowns at me. I wonder what’s gotten her so wary. She’s young, can’t be more than twenty years old, and she’s got an attitude on her like she’s seen too much of the world.

  “I’m Tyler,” I say. “I’m new here too.”

  She lowers her chin slightly but doesn’t take her eyes off me.

  “I’m a personal trainer here.” The lie comes easily, yet she pulls her eyebrows together and squints at me.

  Damn, she didn’t believe me. Everyone else I’ve spun my story to has accepted it without question. Who is this girl, and why is she so distrustful?

  She starts across the room.

  “Wait.”

  I’m not sure what I’m going to say, but I know I can’t let her walk away.

  She stops and turns, but she’s across the room now and at a different angle. I realize too late that when she looks back at me there’s no wall to shield my goods.

  Her eyes go wide when she sees me standing to attention. She looks up at my face, and there’s a hint of a smile on her lips. For one glorious moment, I think she’s going to walk over here.

  Then she turns abruptly, pushes through the door, and she’s gone.

  “Fuck.”

  I stride out of the shower area and across the changing room. I pull the door open. It’s only been a matter of seconds, but the corridor’s empty. The door to the women’s changing room is opposite, but the door is firmly closed. If she’d gone through it would still be swinging shut. She must have gone down to reception.

  I duck back into the men’s and grab my towel. It barely covers the goods. Who the hell made these towels so small?

  I stride over to my gym bag and pull on my shorts, and my personal trainer t-shirt, and head out to reception. She’s nowhere to be seen. Damn.

  “You see a woman come through here?” I ask the girl on reception. “Dark hair in a ponytail, this high—” I indicate her height with my hand, “—wearing black Lycra and carrying a gym bag.”

  She smiles at me, twisting a strand of blond hair around her fingers.

  “We see a lot of women come through here in their gym clothes,” she says with a smile. I scowl at her. I’m not in the mood to be flirted with.

  “Did you see her or not?”

  The smile drops from her face. “No need to be rude about it,” she says with a sulk. “She left in a hurry about a minute ago.”

  There’s a low gate where members have to swipe their cards to be let through. I leap over it and stride through the door and out to the parking lot.

  The cold air hits my still wet skin, making me shiver. It’s pretty quiet at this time of the morning, not a lot of people around. There’s a car moving at the end of the parking lot. It must be her.

  I set off at a jog, my bare feet slapping the pavement. I reach the car as it gets to the barrier arm and bang on the window. A startled-looking man squints at me in surprise from the driver’s seat.

  “Sorry,” I mouth through the glass. “Thought you were someone else.”

  I scan the parking lot, but there’s no other movement. She must have left on foot and fast.

  The gym is at the end of an industrial estate with light factories on the road ahead and open parkland to the right. On the left is a footbridge that runs over a railway line. She could have gone anywhere.

  I climb the bridge hoping the height will give me a better view, but there’s no sign of her. I turn in all directions, focusing on any movement that catches my
eye. But the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen in my life has vanished.

  I walk casually back into reception, jump the barrier again, and lean on the reception desk. The receptionist scowls at me, and I curse myself for not being nicer to her earlier. I lean forward and flash her my biggest smile.

  “Did you find her?” she asks.

  “She’d already gone,” I say. “Left her phone behind. I was hoping to catch her.”

  “We have a lost property box,” she suggests.

  “It’s a hell of a thing to be without though, isn’t it...?” I glance down at her name badge, and she thinks I’m looking at her breasts, “...Melanie?”

  She picks up the strand of hair again and smiles at me.

  “If you have her information, I can drop it off to her.”

  “You personal trainers.” She mock rolls her eyes. “Always wanting personal information for members.”

  I wonder which hot-headed beefcake has been harassing the gym members, and then I remember that that’s exactly what I’m doing.

  “I can’t give out personal information,” she says. “But I’m going out to the storeroom for a minute, and my computer’s open.”

  She smiles at me conspiratorially, and I tighten inside at how easy that was. She scoots away and I lean over to her computer, pulling the screen around towards me.

  I pull up the info from the exit barriers and find the last one to swipe out. Zoe Canning. From there, it’s easy to click into her information. 18 High Street, right in the center of town. Challenge accepted.

  2

  Zoe

  I run over the footbridge and into the park, taking a small path that leads into the trees. My heart is racing and not just because I’m running. I’ve just met the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. And I saw him naked!

  My cheeks are flushed and I’m not sure if it’s from running or from my close encounter.

  I don’t know how the hell I managed to walk into the wrong changing rooms, but I’m so glad I did. He was ripped. Muscles everywhere. I’ve seen some muscular guys at the different gyms I’ve been to, but he was something else. I think he had an eight pack.

  I don’t know why I ran. I was suddenly embarrassed that I’d been literally staring at his body, and I couldn’t trust myself not to go over there and wash the soap suds off him. Or maybe it was the lie.

  I’ve become pretty good at reading people, and if he’s a personal trainer then I’m the pope. He’s hiding something. But maybe we all are.

  So I ran. And now I’ll have to use the shitty shower at home and probably be late for work for my first week on the job.

  I pick up the pace, and ten minutes later I’m turning the key in the rusty lock to the tiny apartment above Carl’s Diner.

  I dump my gym bag and am already pulling my clothes off as I head to the bathroom. The shower sputters to life and settles into a cold trickle. I was hoping I could shower at the gym most mornings and avoid my temperamental shower.

  It was a good workout today and good to get a run in too. I feel strong and fast, and hopefully that’s enough to give me a head start if I ever need one.

  The shower’s starting to warm up by the time I turn it off. I throw on the pale green blouse and black skirt that is my waitress uniform and head down the stairs.

  It’s five past eight when I push open the door to Carl’s Diner.

  Carl is a burly man with a messy beard and a bald head. His off-white t-shirt is covered in grease stains, and it stretches too tight over his round belly. He lifts his arm up and looks at his watch in an exaggerated way.

  “What time do you call this?”

  “Sorry,” I say. “The showers at the gym were broken.”

  He snorts. “There’s your problem right there. Messing around at the gym.” For all his gruff appearance, I’m beginning to learn there’s a soft heart in there somewhere.

  He shakes his head in mock disapproval. “Too busy eyeing the men, I bet.”

  I turn away to grab an apron, so he doesn’t see my face go red. It’s a bit too close to the truth today.

  “Get those tables cleared,” he says. “You’ll have ten minutes less for your lunch break.”

  I’m only five minutes late, but I don’t argue. I need the job. Carl’s Diner is not the nicest place in town. It’s cheap, greasy food mostly cooked in the deep fryer. But it was the only place with a “help wanted, board available” sign, so here I am. For as long as I can stay, which is usually a few months or sometimes only a few weeks before I get the prickles on the back of my neck, the paranoia sets in, and I move on.

  The morning passes quickly; clearing tables, taking orders, and delivering plates of greasy omelets and fried breakfasts. The breakfast rush has ended, and I’m wiping down a table when I hear the tinkle of the doorbell signaling another customer.

  “Take a seat and I’ll be with you in a moment,” I call over my shoulder. I finish clearing the table and turn to the customer. It’s him. Tyler, the hot man from the gym, sitting in my diner and studying a menu.

  My breath catches at the sight of him. He’s as gorgeous clothed as her was naked. He’s wearing his green personal trainer t-shirt, and it’s too tight for his big arms. The muscles press against the fabric, straining to be let out. It must feel glorious to have those big arms wrapped around you. He looks up at me. His eyes are bright green. They almost match the t-shirt.

  “How many calories in the fried breakfast?” he asks with an innocent smile.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to see you again.”

  My heart leaps in my chest.

  “How did you find me?”

  “I have my ways?” He means it as a joke, but it scares the life out of me. If he can find me, anyone can. Shit. I’ve only been here a few days, and I’m going to have to move on again. He must see the panic on my face, because his expression turns from jokey to concerned.

  “I got your information from the gym’s database.” If this explanation is meant to sooth me, it doesn’t. Shit. I’ll have to switch gyms, which is going to be expensive. This is the only one that offers access to every branch in the state, and I love these gyms.

  He must see my scowl, because he reaches out and grasps my hand in his meaty one. His touch is electric. Heat travels right up my arm.

  It’s also comforting. I feel safe, like nothing could hurt me with him around.

  “It’s okay,” he reassures me. “Not all staff have access.”

  He rubs his thumb against my hand, and the movement sends tingles up my spine.

  “What time do you finish?” he asks.

  “I’m doing a double shift. I’ll finish at about ten.”

  “Ten.” He nods as if considering something. My heart skips a beat; I’m sure he’s going to ask me out. “Make sure you go straight home afterwards.”

  I pull my hand away and take my notepad out of my pocket, trying to hide my disappointment.

  “You’ll need to get up early in the morning,” he says. “Meet me at the gym at six.”

  “Tomorrow’s Saturday. It doesn’t open ‘til seven.”

  “It’s a private session,” he says.

  “I can’t afford a personal trainer.”

  “It’s not a training session,” he says. “It’s a date.”

  My stomach is doing double flips. Did he just ask me out on a gym date? This perfectly sculpted man with the arms that could pin a girl down and the easy smile.

  “I thought we could work out together.” He takes my hand again, and the heat coming off him sends those shock waves through my body. He runs his hand up my arm to the elbow, and the shock waves multiply. This man feels too good to the touch.

  “You ordering something or just flirting with my waitress?” Carl calls from behind the counter. I snatch my hand away and flip open my notebook.

  Tyler glances at the menu. “I’ll have the omelet and a coffee.”

  “Coming right up.”

  I hand the order to Carl
and continue clearing the tables. I’m aware of Tyler’s eyes on me, and the heat between my legs doesn’t cool until he’s finished his meal and left.

  I stand by the window and watch him cross the street. A group of women at a nearby cafe turn to watch him pass. He seems oblivious to the attention he’s getting, and it makes me smile.

  My smile freezes when I see a black Chevy pick-up with tinted windows parked across the road. It’s the same model as the one the Harrison brothers drive.

  They were extorting money from my mom. Charging her high rents that a vulnerable sick woman couldn’t pay, then loaning her the money at high interest rates.

  When she passed away nine months ago, they demanded I come work for them to settle her debt. I know what girls who work for the Harrison brothers end up doing.

  I refused and said I’d pay the money off my own way. One of them, Darren, tried to get physical with me, and I fought him off and ran.

  I’ve been running ever since. I hope I’m too much of a small fry for them to worry about, but I keep myself fit and strong and ready just in case.

  The car’s probably a coincidence. There must be hundreds of black Chevys with dark windows in the state. But I still spend the rest of the shift glancing out the window, an uneasy knot building in my stomach.

  Sometime in the busy dinner rush the car disappears, because when I take the trash out at ten, it’s gone.

  3

  Tyler

  I’m pacing the length of my hotel room thinking about this girl. Zoe is the name I got from the gym database.

  She’s got me on fire so bad I can’t concentrate on anything else. Her tight body in her gym clothes this morning, that defiant chin, the heat of her arm when I touched her. An image of her keeps running through my brain, making me restless.