“Stop, Hank!” she cried, laughing.
Her words didn’t stop him, but the sound of her bubbling laughter did. It was like flowers bursting open in the springtime. Warm and refreshing. He looked at her and saw a sparkle and shine in her eyes that made his heart skip a beat. That wasn’t good. He needed to get a grip. Fun was fun, but…He wasn’t in the habit of falling too hard for women, but just because it hadn’t happened before, didn’t mean it wouldn’t. Considering the circumstances, this was the wrong woman to be the first.
She was the first to regain her composure. “I—I think I’ll leave those to you, if that’s all right.”
“Yeah,” he said, still stunned. “I think I can handle it myself.”
She slipped from his grasp and took a few steps away from him, then turned back. “When you’re finished, we’ll take care of the purchases.”
He started for the dressing room, only to see his reflection in the mirror, surprised that he looked like the same old Hank, only…different. Behind him, Lizzie stood watching. Their gazes met, and once again his heart skipped. Damn!
Before he had a chance to think of something to say to lighten the moment, she spun on her heel and found the nearest clerk. “We’ll take what we’ve already chosen and everything in the dressing room,” he heard her say.
The clerk glanced from her to Hank, then hesitated before ringing up the assortment of items. Letting out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, Hank returned to the dressing room and quickly changed back into his familiar jeans and shirt.
When he had finished, he met Lizzie at the counter and gave the purchases to the clerk. While the young man tallied their total, Hank reached for the pen Lizzie held poised to sign the receipt and slipped it from her fingers.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“They’re my clothes, I’ll pay for them.”
“It’s part of the agreement,” she replied and attempted to retrieve the pen.
“I’m taking care of it anyway.” He placed the pen on the counter far enough away so Lizzie couldn’t reach it. Digging in his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet and slipped out his credit card.
“Hank—”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it covered. If we’re going to argue about every penny, then you’ll have to find another guy.”
Pearly teeth scraped her lower lip, her eyes narrowed and frown lines appeared between them. “All right,” she relented. “This time. But really, Hank—”
He gave her a look that silenced her, then signed the receipt the clerk slid across the counter. “There,” he said, grabbing the bags in one hand and taking her arm with the other. “That’s all settled. Now we can get those jeans.”
Lizzie glanced at her watch. “We’ll have to do it tomorrow. You have a date at the fitness center.”
“Fitness center? You’re kidding.”
She swept past him to the door. “You’ll need to keep fit,” she said as she stepped outside. “And the gym is the perfect place to meet people. You’re new in town. You’ll want to make some friends you can—”
“Hang out with?” he finished for her.
“Exactly.”
He caught up with her on the sidewalk and Bailey took the packages from him. “Wait just a minute, Lizzie. I’ve played a little pickup basketball in my life and lifted some barbells, but I doubt I’ve ever stepped foot in the kind of place you’re talking about. I’ll be a real fish out of water.”
She slid him a glance he couldn’t read, then slipped into the open door of the limo. He followed her, but couldn’t help glancing at the curve of her thigh as he settled across from her. It was getting to be a bad habit. One that needed breaking as soon as possible. Lizzie was far too tempting for his peace of mind. If this kept up, he wouldn’t last two weeks.
They rode a few blocks in silence before she spoke again. “You need to understand that being a member of this particular center is important,” she said, stubbornly refusing to budge on the subject. “Your membership at the fitness center and at other places throughout the city are key to becoming a part of the Kansas City business world. Even more importantly, it gets you into the heart of Kansas City society.”
“Kansas City society doesn’t interest me, and I’m taking the foreman’s job, not CEO’s. I’m a simple guy, Lizzie. I want to improve myself, but not that much. That’s not where I’m headed.” Besides, the idea of a gym was to help a person get fit. He was fit. He didn’t need any of those newfangled machines to keep him that way. Hard, physical labor was what kept a man in top condition. And he told her so.
“Not everyone has the opportunity to do that kind of work. Most successful businessmen spend the majority of their time behind a desk. I’m sure you’ll find that a visit to the center several times a week will be a big help.”
He considered it. True, his job wouldn’t be physical, like the work he had done for most of his life. He would spend most of his time behind a desk dealing with subcontractors and suppliers and only overseeing the work on the site. The lack of physical labor could have a bad effect on him. But just the thought of working out in a gym left him cold.
“Do you go to a gym?” he asked.
“Not this particular one. But, yes, I do visit a fitness center at least once a week. And I try to run or walk when I can.”
Hank shook his head and grinned. “All that and assisting me. Where will you find the time?”
She gave him a stern look. “I’ll find the time to work out. I like to stay in shape.”
He made himself comfortable and looked her up and down. “I’d say you’ve managed to do that. Very well. Now, about that gym…”
She leaned forward, her frown marring her pretty features. “You agreed to put yourself in my hands. You paid good money to hire me. Why don’t you let me do my job?”
He had a feeling he was going to be trying her patience to the extreme. But she was right. He had hired her to do a job. He might as well let her do it and get his money’s worth. “Tell you what. I’ll go to this gym on one condition.”
She leaned back in the seat again, hesitancy and a glimmer of distrust in her eyes. “And what might that be?”
He was ready to bounce the ball in her court to see how far she was willing to go to do her job. “I’ll climb on every last one of those machines, I’ll even have one of those massages if they give them there, but I want you right beside me. Is it a deal?”
“I…Hank, that isn’t fair. I’m not accustomed to some of the exercise equipment.”
“And I’ve never used any of it.” He let a slow smile spread over his face. “It’s the only way you’re going to get me in the door,” he challenged her.
She turned to gaze out the window, and he could almost hear the wheels in her mind churning. Just when he thought he’d won, she turned back, her eyes bright and her smile wicked. “I don’t have my exercise clothes with me.”
This time, his smile was sincere. “I don’t have any, either.”
“We’ll buy them—” Her mouth snapped shut.
Hank crossed his arms on his chest, leaned back against the plush leather of the interior of the limo and chuckled. Now that the notion to share the experience with her had struck, he liked the idea of seeing her in a set of exercise clothes. “I think my bank account can accommodate some for you, too.”
Lizzie instantly forgot about how uncomfortable she was in a leotard when she saw Hank in a T-shirt bearing the gym insignia and a pair of way-too-snug-for-her-sanity