Working_Out (2 page)

Maggie whipped her hand away, looking so appealing he had half a mind to throw her over his shoulder and take her somewhere private for the rest of the night. Hell, make that, the rest of the month.

“You are such a Neanderthal.”

“Flatterer.” Mac winked.

She sighed. “I didn’t need your help. I was talking to Brent when that jerk Wilson showed up. I recognized them from the gym, so I didn’t think anything about it. They would have walked away if you hadn’t—”

“Bent his hand back like a pretzel?” he offered. “Showed him how to behave around women?”

“Stuck your big fat head where it didn’t belong.” She seethed. Her blond hair fluttered like a halo around her face when she shook her head. “I know you thought you were helping, but I had it all under control.”

“Yeah? How? By playing the part of a bone between two hungry dogs? Brent’s not so bad, but Wilson is definitely an asshole.”

She blew out a breath. “Well, yeah. But you didn’t have to be so—”

“Forceful? Manly? Impressive?”

“Intrusive. Domineering. Aggressive,” she countered.

“Don’t forget obnoxious and brutal,” Shane had to add.

Mac flipped him the finger, which only made his best friend laugh.

Maggie groaned. “Is it too much to ask that I have a relaxing night away from Jameson’s Gym? Just one.”

She had been putting a lot of hours in at work, but only because so many patrons wanted to take her class. Ever since Maggie had started working for him four months ago, she’d steadily grown her aerobics following from one class once a week to two classes five days a week. And people wanted more.

“Sorry, baby. Want me to rub your shoulders to relax you?” Before she could protest, he put his hands on her, the way he’d been wanting to since he’d seen her appear in the bar. He kept his touch firm but not punishing, and her moan turned him instantly hard.

“Get off me, and don’t call me
baby
.” Yet she made no move to leave his touch.

“Why not see Shelby for a massage? You look tense,” Shane noted.

Mac could vouch for Shane’s girlfriend. Shelby continued to work on his knee, and her deep tissue work had actually improved his flexibility. “Yeah, Shelby would help if you asked.”

“I’m fine. I know Shelby would help if I asked. I’m her best friend, remember?” Maggie tugged her shoulder away, and Mac grudgingly let her go.

Man, I need to get laid. Any more time near Maggie Doran and I might explode.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to concentrate on willing away his erection. “Hey, if this is because I’m working you too hard, I can always cut back on your hours.” He liked her around, but he didn’t want to work her to death.

“No. Actually, I need the workouts, and the extra money helps.” She rolled her shoulders. “But that wasn’t bad, Jameson.”

She never called him Mac, and that distance bothered him. “No problem,
Doran
.”

“You’re good. You should think about going into massage therapy. Especially given your wonderful way with people.”

Shane snorted. “Yeah, like he could really give Shelby a run for her money.”

“Ha ha.” Mac sneered at Shane before turning his attention back to Maggie. “Don’t worry, sweetcakes. I’m not giving up my day job.”

“About that,” Shane said. “So is your uncle really quitting the gym and leaving it all you or what? He’s been saying that for two years.”

“Who the hell knows? Ian Jameson is as big a pain in my ass as you are.”

“I strive to please.”

Maggie snickered and said to Shane, “You are a pain, but a cute one. I’ve never seen Shelby happier than she’s been with you.”

Shelby—Maggie’s best friend. Yet another reason Mac should end his fascination with the woman. Bad enough Maggie worked for him. She was also best friends with Shane’s girlfriend. Too many close ties would turn their relationship to shit when a fling between them ended.

No fling. No relationship. No sex. The woman is trouble.
How sad he had to remind himself of that fact daily.

Mac tuned back in to the conversation and heard something about a Christmas party. Feeling less than celebratory after realizing he’d spend another lonely night without female companionship, he got up to order another beer.

The women at the end of the bar waved at him. He nodded back but made no move to engage. Since the day he’d first laid eyes on her, Mac’s desire burned for one woman and one woman only.

Freakin’ Maggie Doran.

He was doomed.

Chapter Two

Maggie spent the next week doing her best to avoid Mac. For the past four and a half months, she’d been on a no-man diet. Though celibacy wasn’t fun, it also wasn’t as annoying as the many losers she seemed to attract. Except her boss had been keeping her awake at night. Fantasies about the man tempted her to cave in to her desires and try him on for size. Talk about a colossal mistake.

In an effort to stop thinking about him and return to her fun-loving self, she’d arranged a date with her best friend. Tonight, she finally had Shelby to herself again. Though Maggie loved that her friend was finally dating a decent guy, she missed their Friday night movies.

She smiled at Shelby over Shelby’s kitchen counter, bemused to see her friend so carefree and happy. “Shane is good for you.”

Shelby’s brown eyes glowed with humor. “I thought we were doing a girls’ night. No boys or boy-talk allowed.”

“Right.”

“Yet you bring up he-who-must-not-be-named.” Shelby’s grin turned sly. “Oh wait, that’s not Shane. That’s studly Mac Jameson, your secret crush.”

Maggie made a face.

“Oh yeah. I’ve seen the way you look at him. The same way he looks at you. You
like
him.”  

“Girls’ night. Quit breaking the rules.” Maggie reached for her margarita and took a sip. “Oh man, I needed that.”

“You need more than a drink, I’m thinking. You poor born-again virgin. Go out and get laid, isn’t that what you told me before? You know, when I was all pathetic and sad?”

“Don’t pity me. We had a deal to be cat ladies
together
. The pain of your betrayal wounds. Truly.”

Shelby laughed. “Dream on. Before Shane, I was going to be happily alone forever. No cats, dogs, kids, men, nothing but my mother and Ron to nag me into an early grave.”

“At least you would have had Mimi and Ron. I just have Trevor, and I can’t keep track of him.” Maggie’s brother spent as much time abroad as he did stateside. Like she really believed his bull about working for a shipping company when the government signed his paychecks.

“And speaking of Trevor, is he coming home for Christmas? Because I thought you were spending the day with us.” Us meant Shelby, Shane, Shelby’s mother and Ron. Shelby’s mother put the E in eccentricity, but she had a heart made of gold. Mimi and Shelby’s surrogate father, Ron, made an unstoppable team. The odd pair had pseudo-adopted Maggie years ago, for which she’d always be grateful.

Maggie sighed. “The last time I spoke to big brother, he planned to come home by mid-March. Nope. You’re stuck with me for Christmas.” Maggie glanced past her and gaped in horror at the calendar on the wall. “Hell. That’s in just three more weeks.”

“Yeah. Better get moving, slacker.” Shelby smirked. “I’m already done
my
shopping.”

“That’s because you’re anal retentive. And your boyfriend is as big a planner as you are. You two are so annoying together, it’s sickening.”

Shelby sighed. “It is, isn’t it?”

Maggie guzzled her margarita. “We need little umbrellas to be more festive. And we’re done talking about men.”

“Fine by me. Oh, here are the mozzarella sticks.” Shelby turned off the oven and took the tray out. She stared from them to Maggie and frowned. “I’ll have to run an extra mile or two this weekend because of tonight. Sometimes I hate that you’re blond, gorgeous, and eat like a horse. You should be as big as a house but look like a perpetual size two.”

“I work out or I would be a house.” Maggie popped a nearby chip and sighed with pleasure. “These are so bad for me.” She turned to grab a mozzarella stick and bobbled the hot treat onto her plate.

“Chips and deep fried cheese. That rung on the food pyramid no one wants to talk about. Between this crap and the sugar content in our margaritas, we’re batting a thousand.” Shelby groaned. “But it all tastes so good. Now let’s go watch
Avatar
.”

“For the sixth time,” Maggie complained under her breath.

“I heard that. And it’s the fifth time.”

“I thought we were back on horror movies.”

“Nope. Sci-Fi. So shut up, sit back, and be enthralled by blue people with tails.”

Maggie tried, but halfway through the film she found her thoughts continually straying toward to Mac and staying there. She’d been so turned on been when he’d mauled Wilson last week. He’d been so forceful and sexy while protecting
her
. Of course she’d gotten a rush seeing him in action. Any woman would, and Maggie happened to like muscles on a man.

The practical side of Maggie reared its head, reminding her that she courted stupidity to work for a man like Mac when she didn’t actually need to. She had her fulltime job at the gallery. On top of that, her old gym missed her and continually asked when she might return. They had better hours and were closer to her home. So why didn’t she stop working her
temporary
job for Mac and focus more on her real career? How had she gotten in so deep with the aggravating man she wanted to punch as much as she wanted to kiss?

She glanced at Shelby.

Four months ago, she’d tried to help her idiotic best friend. Out to protect Shelby from making another mistake when it came to men, Maggie had taken a job at Mac’s gym. While trying to spy on Shane, she and Mac had conspired to get Shelby and Shane together.

Over the course of Maggie’s time spent plotting, she’d started to actually like the man that put the word
testosterone
to shame. Mac stood a few inches over six feet, making him a giant next to her. He swore like the Marine he’d once been, yet he’d also charmed the ugly out of the nastiest woman at the gym with little effort. He had his share of fan-girls in leotards and short shorts. Big-breasted, slutty Megan thought Mac could do no wrong. And according to gossip, Mac definitely knew what to do between the sheets.

Apparently he couldn’t hold down a relationship though, much to the chagrin of several female gym-goers who liked to stare at Mac and speculate. As much as she wanted to, Maggie couldn’t blame their interest. Mac fit every one of her ideal physical traits in a male. Tall, broad shouldered and thickly muscled, he had looks and charm—when he chose to use it. His square jaw framed an even grin that made her heart race whenever he flashed it. Bright blue eyes against tan skin contrasted with his thick black hair. He kept it short, and she had a constant urge to brush his bangs off his forehead, to touch him and see if—

“I love this part.” Shelby knocked her in the arm, and Maggie watched as the end fight broke out in earnest.

Oh, hell. I have to stop mooning over Mac Jameson.
She got up to pour herself another drink as the credits rolled. Shelby joined her, and they argued the finer points of science fiction versus horror movies.

Before she knew it, she and Shelby had finished off the pitcher of margaritas and started talking about men. Again.

“And when I wanted to do something different, he met me halfway.” Shelby nodded happily and under her shirt, muscled out of her bra. “Sorry. But it’s been a long day, and I’ve earned it. I’m free-boobing.”

A good idea. Maggie wanted to take hers off as well, except Shane would at some point return. Despite her supposed appeal to the opposite sex, Maggie had a hard time bearing her assets to the world.

Shelby tossed her bra and sighed. “Much better. Oh man, Maggie, I am so gone for him. I have to remind myself to play hard to get, because I don’t want him to get bored. Sometimes I have a hard time believing I’m in a real relationship. We’re actually dating. I mean, I love him. Isn’t that weird?”

Maggie snorted. “And we’re back to talking about Shane. Wait a minute. You said you have to remind yourself to play hard to get? You? The man smiles at you and you drop your pants like Pavlov’s dog.”

“Huh? Dogs wear pants?”

“I meant…never mind.” She wasn’t exactly sure what she meant. The margaritas were finally kicking in. “So what do you really think about Mac?”

“Ha! I knew you were still thinking about him.” Shelby sounded a bit too rational, and Maggie realized she’d imbibed much more than her friend.

She retrieved a half full bottle of wine from the refrigerator and two cups then rejoined Shelby in the living room. She poured them both wine and handed a cup to Shelby. “Drink up, schoolgirl.”

Shelby accepted the glass. “Mac’s in major lust with you.”

Which made it so difficult to keep her distance. Maggie called him Jameson. She frowned and glared, keeping a tight watch on his many ex-girlfriends to remind herself she didn’t want to join their ranks.