Riley hunched over the mess and felt her shoulders tighten with anxiety she refused to acknowledge. Sleep had been elusive last night, her mind churning about today's financial consultation. Every time she'd closed her eyes, she'd imagined some polished expert dissecting her failures with clinical precision.
The folders Trent had meticulously created and arranged during their relationship now lay in disarray, their neat labels mocking her attempts at independence. She'd abandoned his system six months ago, convinced she could devise something better. The evidence spread before her suggested otherwise—membership numbers scribbled in three different notebooks, supplier invoices mixed with equipment maintenance receipts, everything present but nothing professional or organized.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she gathered another stack of papers. This gym represented everything she'd built for herself—brick by brick, class by class, fight by fight. The thought of some stranger evaluating her life's work made her stomach clench with protective fury.
From outside her office door came the familiar sounds of her world functioning without her—the rhythmic thud of gloves hitting heavy bags, the encouraging shouts of Lila pushing students, and the low murmur of conversations between sets. Her mother and Lila were covering for her again, handling the front desk and floor supervision so she could prepare for this meeting.
That knowledge twisted something uncomfortable in her chest. She hated needing help. Hated that her fierce independence had crumbled into reliance on others to keep her dream alive.
Riley dropped the final folder onto her desk with more force than necessary, the sound sharp in the confined space. Fifteen minutes. That's all she was giving this Adrian Kael character. Fifteen minutes of polite consultation before she thanked him and showed him the door.
A soft knock interrupted her spiraling thoughts, followed by her mother's familiar voice.
"Riley? Your guests are here."
The word 'guests' made her jaw tighten instantly, as if this were some friendly social visit instead of a necessary evil. She straightened the papers one last time, knowing they'd never look professional enough to impress a financial expert.
"Send them in."
Irritation simmered beneath her skin before the door even opened. She'd already constructed an image in her mind—some smug consultant in an expensive suit ready to explain all the ways she was failing at running her own life.
Let him try.
The door swung open, and the first person to enter completely shattered her grumpy mood. Gerri Wilder swept into the room like warm sunlight made human, her confidence filling the cramped space with easy grace. Her snow-white bob caught the afternoon light, and her designer pantsuit somehow managed to look both professional and approachable.
"Well hello again, darling."
The genuine warmth in Gerri's voice disarmed Riley more than she'd anticipated. For a moment, her defensive walls wavered, and she almost allowed herself to relax.
Then someone stepped in behind Gerri, and the entire atmosphere of the room shifted.
The man who entered looked like he'd stepped off the cover of a fitness magazine—all broad shoulders and controlled power wrapped in a blue button-down shirt that stretched across muscles earned through discipline, not vanity. His dark auburn hair caught the light, and when his gaze found hers, Riley felt the impact like a physical jab.
His eyes were the deepest blue she'd ever seen, flecked with gold that seemed to flicker with an inner fire. The intensity of his stare made her breath catch in her throat, and her carefully constructed composure cracked under the weight of his attention.
For one endless moment, Riley forgot how breathing worked.
Adrian Kael stopped mid-step, his own composure faltering as their eyes locked. Something electric sparked between them, filling the small office with a tension that had nothing to do with business consultations.
The silence stretched with unspoken recognition that she didn't completely understand.
Gerri's amused voice sliced through the charged atmosphere like a blade through silk.
"Well now, if you two are done staring at each other like deer in headlights..." Her smile turned positively mischievous, as if she'd orchestrated this exact moment and was thoroughly pleased with the results. "...perhaps we should start this consultation before the afternoon disappears entirely."
Heat flooded Riley's cheeks as awareness crashed over her. She'd been staring at this man like some starstruck teenager instead of the professional businesswoman she was supposed to be. Mortification warred with an inexplicable attraction that made her want to simultaneously flee the room and step closer to see if he smelled as intoxicating as he looked.
She pushed herself to her feet, her chair rolling backward to hit the wall behind her desk. The sound snapped her back to reality, reminding her why they were here and what was at stake.
"Right." Her voice came out rougher than intended, and she cleared her throat.
Riley forced herself to move around the desk with deliberate composure, each step calculated to project confidence she didn't entirely feel. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she extended her hand toward the imposing man who seemed to fill her cramped office with his presence.
"I'm Riley Vaughn, owner of Core Power and Fitness."
The words emerged steadier than the chaos churning inside her chest. Professional. Controlled. Exactly what this situation demanded.
Adrian stepped forward with fluid grace, his movement economical yet commanding. "Adrian Kael."
