~Claressa's POV~
I remember the first time I walked into that gym like it was yesterday. It was a humid evening in the city, the kind where the air sticks to your skin and makes you crave a cold shower. I'd been meaning to get back into shape after a lazy winter, so I signed up for a trial at this spot called Iron Pulse, tucked away in a converted warehouse downtown. The place wasn't fancy...no neon lights or celebrity endorsements, but it had that raw, no-bullshit vibe I liked. And then there was him.
The gym owner.
I caught sight of him behind the front desk as I pushed through the glass doors, my gym duffel bag slung over my shoulder. He was wiping down the counter, his broad back flexing under a tight black tank top that hugged every ridge of muscle. When he turned around, f**k, m
