The gym lights hummed low at 10 PM, the place nearly empty except for the clank of weights and the faint thump of bass from someone’s headphones. Lila wiped sweat from her brow, her tank top clinging to her full curves as she struggled through her squats. At twenty-three, she’d come here to clear her head after another long day, but tonight her body felt heavy, restless. Her leggings hugged her thick thighs, and every rep made her ass bounce just enough to draw eyes—if anyone was watching.
She was.
He stood across the room, spotting a guy on the bench press. Tall, maybe forty, with arms like steel cables and a chest that stretched his black compression shirt. Silver threaded through his dark hair at the temples, and a short beard framed a jaw that looked carved from stone. Tattoos snaked
