He didn’t want Melanie to ever believe he wasn’t interested in what was going on with their child. He just didn’t know how to compartmentalize his fears. Getting too attached at this point would be a mistake that could potentially lead to disaster. He would be there, he would be supportive and anything else Melanie needed. But he couldn’t allow himself to feel.
Melanie deserved someone who would open up and love her for the amazing woman she was. For reasons he didn’t want to address, the idea of her finding a man to settle down with only sent rage through him. Tanner didn’t want another man to help raise his child. He tried to tell himself that was the only reason, but thinking of Melanie and how passionate yet shy she’d been with him . . . hell.
He couldn’t have it both ways and he damn well knew it. He either had to go full on with her or pretend to just be friends and support her with the baby.
Fisting his hands at his sides, Tanner set off to the free weights and refocused on the potential threat to Cash’s gym. Thinking of Melanie and how damn perfect they’d been together wasn’t helping. Thinking of her with another man sure as hell wasn’t doing anything to calm him.
Tanner grabbed a set of weights and stepped away from the racks. He headed to the corner, hoping to work his shoulders and triceps, and hopefully overhear whatever those two guys were discussing.
With each rep and burn in his muscles, Tanner tried to hone in on the conversation about ten feet away. Never before had a woman interfered with his thought process while he was working. Technically he wasn’t working, but in a sense he was.
Melanie kept shoving her way into the forefront of his mind. He replayed their intimate, heated night over and over. They’d d
anced around each other for months. He’d told himself taking her home would be wrong on so many levels. But when it came right down to it, he hadn’t been strong enough to say no.
“He better bring the right amount this time.”
Tanner nearly missed the quiet statement from one of the guys across the way. One was down on a bench while the other stood at his head spotting each press. The man standing was talking, but not loud and definitely not saying anything that would perk up most people’s ears. Tanner wasn’t most people.
“If he tries to cheat me again—”
“Shut up,” the guy lying on the bench demanded. “He knows what will happen if he can’t pay up.”
Things were definitely getting more interesting. Tanner changed out his weights for heavier ones and did another set of reps. The guys didn’t say much else, at least nothing of interest to him as they switched positions and started chattering about a woman on the elliptical across the way. Tanner purposely kept his side to them so he wasn’t directly staring.
In the wall of mirrors, he spotted Cash talking to some redhead. Tanner did a double take. Not just any redhead. Jade. Cash crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, then said something that had Jade propping her hands on her hips as if she were annoyed. Cash leaned closer to Jade and said something else, to which Jade turned her head as if she didn’t want to hear it.
Was Cash flirting with Jade? Damn it. Their close group was getting even smaller. Though Tanner couldn’t see Jade and Cash together. That woman was feisty and independent. She’d been secretive about why she wasn’t in a hurry to get back to Atlanta. Rumor was she’d had a seven figure career and had walked away without even giving notice. Why wasn’t she rushing back to that cushy life, and what had driven her away?
Cash might be flirting, as Cash often did with women, but Jade was his total opposite. Cash preferred his ladies falling all over him and batting false lashes his way. Besides, he rarely dated anyone from the gym.
Just as Tanner started to rack his weights, Jade hauled off and slapped Cash. The few people in the gym turned and stared. Tanner stilled, wondering what Cash would do. Obviously not hit her back; Cash had never laid a hand on a woman.
Tanner couldn’t help but wonder what had transpired between them for Jade to get so angry. Those two, though, they pressed each other’s buttons.
Cash simply dropped his arms at his sides. Jade did the same and they looked as if they were at some sort of standoff. Finally, Cash said something else and turned and walked away.
Tanner shook out his tired arms and crossed to the pull-up bar. He wasn’t stupid enough to interject himself between Jade and Cash. They were adults and could work out whatever issues they had. He had other reasons for being here right now.
He’d gotten in ten pull-ups when a young man came in. Instinct told Tanner this was the guy the others had been waiting on. Mid-twenties, ripped muscles, glancing around as if looking for someone.
Casual as you please, Tanner made his way to the locker room. If anything was going to happen, it wasn’t going to be out in the public area for everyone to see.
He wanted to already be set in the locker room so he didn’t appear to be following. That room would be the key to catching any criminal activity, if there was indeed something going on. Those guys would know exactly where the cameras were located and would use that to their advantage.
Tanner grabbed a gym-issued towel on his way to the back. Swiping at his forehead and neck, he pushed through the doors and headed to his locker. He rolled the towel and draped it around his neck, then typed in his locker code. His arms and shoulders burned from the workout, but he wasn’t complaining. He needed to stay strong and fit for his job.
After pulling out his duffel bag, Tanner checked his phone once again. Disappointment surged through him that Melanie hadn’t responded. What would she have said, though? And why the hell was he looking for a text like some love-struck teen?
Damn it. He needed to get a grip. Melanie had done something to him when they’d slept together. She’d gotten under his skin and he damn well didn’t like it.
Why couldn’t sex just be sex? There had been a time, not so long ago, that he could have sex and move on. He made no promises and women knew exactly where he stood.
Melanie had been different from the beginning, though. The steel exterior wrapped around vulnerability dug deep into his soul and gave him little choice but to be drawn to her.
He hadn’t come out and asked, but she’d confirmed his suspicions when she’d said she hadn’t been with anyone in the two years since her divorce.
That in itself made him want her all over again. The fact that she’d chosen him to move on with—