3. Savannah

THREE

SAVANNAH

As I drove to the gym for my first training session with Daxton, my mind was a complete jumble of feelings. I'd been on edge all day waiting for this. Sure, my nerves were buzzing because this was new, but another sensation, something hard to pin down, crept through me too. Whatever it was, it was all because of him.

I knew that much.

Ever since we'd met yesterday, there hadn't been a single moment where thoughts of him didn't sneakily make their way into my head. And boy, did they linger, taking up more space than I thought should be possible.

It made work interesting.

I'd found myself zoning out between the stacks of books at the library all day, his image popping into my head every time I shelved a romance novel or glanced at the clock. It was wild how much he'd invaded my thoughts, especially after having just met him. I mean, there was no doubt he was drop-dead gorgeous, but that wasn't the only reason he continued to fill my head. Whatever this was, it went beyond his good looks.

As I parked my car and prepared to step inside the gym for my session, I wondered if there was something wrong with me.

Was it normal to feel such an intense attraction to someone so quickly?

The logical part of me screamed it was just a crush, and that it had been awhile since I'd had one, but another part of me felt it went deeper than that. After all, I'd spent the day lost in thought, absentmindedly misplacing books, and earning some teasing from my coworker, Adara, because of it.

Stepping out of my car, anticipation built inside me. I hadn't felt like this in a long time, not about anything.

Honestly, it scared me as much as it excited me.

"Excuse me, dear," came a voice from behind, causing me to jump as I reached for my gym bag in the backseat of my car.

I spun to face the old woman. She stood closer than I'd thought she would be, and I wondered where she'd come from. It was as though she'd appeared out of thin air. Her attire was eccentric, and her purse was an odd shape, but it was the peculiar intensity of her eyes that caught me off guard most.

"Hi," I said. "Can I help you?"

The woman rummaged through her strange tortoise-shell shaped purse but didn't speak. I couldn't help wondering where she'd found a bag like that. As I continued to stare at her, I realized I'd seen her around town, but had never spoken to her before.

"I have something for you," she insisted, still rummaging through her purse.

I blinked. "Something for me? I'm sorry. You must have confused me with someone else."

She couldn't possibly have something for me. She didn't even know me.

"I haven't confused you with anyone, dear," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand before she pulled out a small canister of pepper spray from her purse. She held it out to me, her intense eyes locking with mine. "Take it."

I hesitated. "Oh, no thank you."

"You'll need it," she stated with an oddly certain tone. "I don't know when or why. All I know is that you'll need it soon."

My stomach somersaulted. The logical part of me questioned accepting anything from this woman. It also questioned her sanity. But something in her demeanor and tone had me wondering if she was right.

I smiled as I took it from her. "Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere else to be," she said before walking away, clutching her tortoise shell purse tight.

I stared after her until she disappeared from view, then my gaze dipped to the canister of pepper spray in my hand. It felt heavier than it looked. On impulse, I shoved it into my purse, feeling as though that was the best place for it.

You'll need it soon , the woman's words echoed through my head, causing a shiver to slide through me. I hoped she was wrong.

Attempting to shake off the strange encounter, I locked my car and headed for the entrance to the gym. As I entered the brightly lit place, my eyes immediately found Daxton. He was with another client, guiding them through a weightlifting routine with easy professionalism. Our eyes locked, and a spark of something tingled through me.

Daxton finished up with his current client and then made his way to me. A warm smile was on his face, which sent butterflies flapping through my lower stomach.

"Hey, Savannah," he greeted me, his smile reaching his eyes. "Ready for our first session?"

I nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Yeah, I think so. I'm a bit out of my element here, but I'm looking forward to it," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

"Don't worry. You're in good hands, remember?" he assured me, reminding me of what Brennan had said about him yesterday. "We'll start with some basics, get a feel for where you're at, and go from there. Just let me know if anything feels uncomfortable or if you have any questions. Sound good?"

"Yeah. Thanks." I smiled.

"Great, let's move over here." He nodded to an area behind him.

We walked over to the area where we'd be working out, and I felt my nerves fade away. Something about him put me at ease.

"So, what made you decide to become a personal trainer?" I asked, curious about this aspect of his life. Mainly, because he seemed so good at it. After all, he'd calmed me down in seconds.

He cast a quick glance at me while setting up our area. "Well, I've always been into fitness, and I like helping people achieve their goals. So, becoming a personal trainer seemed to fit the bill. Besides, it's rewarding to see someone's progress and know you played a part in their journey."

"I can imagine how good that must feel," I said, genuinely impressed with his answer. "I bet you meet a lot of interesting people here, too."

He nodded, a wide smile stretching onto his face, showcasing his perfect teeth. "You have no idea. I haven't worked here long, but there have been some interesting characters I've crossed paths with." He locked eyes with me. "But I enjoy working here. Honestly, I can't imagine myself doing anything else."

"I love that for you," I said, meaning it.

"Do you enjoy working at the library?" he asked, genuine curiosity sparking in his eyes.

Surprise slid through me that he'd remembered.

"I love being a librarian," I said, wondering if he'd poke fun at me the way Alex did.

"That's great. I love to read."

He surprised me again.

"You do?" I asked.

A sexy grin twisted his lips. "Yeah. Why does that surprise you?"

"You just …" I paused, unsure of the right words. I didn't want to offend him. "You don't look like the type to sit around reading."

"What type would that be?" he asked, amusement shifting through his eyes.

I swallowed hard, knowing where this was going. I'd dug myself a hole, and there wasn't a way to dig myself out. So, I went with the truth. "The puny, nerdy type—which you're definitely not."

His muscles were massive.

"Well, thank you. I'll take that as a compliment," he said. "How about we start with some light stretching?"

"Okay."

As I followed his lead, I couldn't get the fact that he enjoyed reading out of my head.

"What type of books do you read?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

"Mostly books on nutrition and diet, some about fitness, but I've also been known to read a few thriller books from time to time," he said, surprising me yet again.

The books on fitness, nutrition, and diet were a given, but for fun, I'd assumed he read sports books, not thrillers.

"I love a good thriller," I said. "Especially a psychological thriller."

Daxton showed me the next stretch, and then watched me as I replicated it. "Me, too. What else do you read? I imagine no one becomes a librarian unless they're an avid reader."

"True." I smiled. "I read a little of everything, but I really like paranormal romances. Actually, one of my favorite authors lives here in town. Addie Douglas. She's married to one of the guys who works at Dark Moon Automotive."

"I didn't know that. That's cool. A Crescent Creek fun fact, huh?"

"Yeah, I met her once at The Caffeinated Fox, but she works at the bookstore on Main Street—Book Stack. She's super sweet," I said as I copied the next stretch he did. "She wrote this great series about wolf shifters that I devoured."

"Wolf shifters, huh? That's interesting."

Was he making fun of me or was he being serious? I couldn't tell.

"Yeah, she's talented," I said.

"Sounds like it."

As the session progressed, I relaxed even more. Daxton was a great trainer, encouraging and supportive. He pushed me without overwhelming me, which was a plus.

"Doing awesome, Savannah," he encouraged as I completed another set of exercises. "How are you feeling?"

I took a deep breath, feeling my muscles burn pleasantly. "Surprisingly good," I admitted. "This is actually kind of fun."

"That's what I like to hear. I told you, you're in good hands," he said. "And we're just getting started." He winked.

Over the next thirty minutes, he amped things up. He had me on machines I'd never had the confidence to use, and doing more reps than I thought I could. By the end of the session, a sense of accomplishment pulsed through me and an appreciation for what my body could do. Sweat poured off me, and my breathing was labored, but an undeniable rush of energy coursed through me, too.

Daxton handed me a towel while giving me an approving nod.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, a smirk twisting his lips.

"I enjoyed that a lot more than I thought I would," I said, out of breath but smiling.

I wiped my face, feeling a little self-conscious about how sweaty I was, but also proud. I felt good. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I'd had such a good workout.

"Happy to hear that," he replied. "Grab some water."

I reached for my water bottle. "That one move though…" I trailed off, taking a sip of my water. "I struggled with it. Even though I didn't do many reps, I swear they made me nauseous."

"The Bulgarians?" he guessed. I nodded while taking another swig of my water. "Yeah, those can be tricky at first. That's normal. We just need to work on your breathing technique and make sure you hydrate enough. Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it."

"I hope so. I felt like a newborn deer trying to stand up after those—all shaky and nauseous."

"It'll get easier." He chuckled and then took a swig from his water. "Ready to book your next session?" he asked.

"Definitely," I said, feeling a surge of excitement at the thought of coming back. "How about tomorrow evening at seven again?"

"Sounds perfect. I'll add you to the time slot." He tapped around on his phone. "Remember to drink plenty of water. It'll help with those Bulgarians." He winked.

"Got it." I grinned. "See you then. And thanks again."

"No problem."

I grabbed my bag and headed for the exit.

As I left the gym, the cool evening air felt great against my flushed skin. While I walked to my car, all I could think about was how sore I would be tomorrow. I was okay with it, though. It would be a reminder of the hard work I'd put in during our first session.

Excitement flowed through me at the thought of coming back.

It wasn't just about the workout—I'd be lying to myself if I thought that was the sole reason for my excitement—it was about seeing Daxton again.

There was something about his easy demeanor, something about him, I couldn't get enough of. There had been moments during our session where I'd sworn there was a spark between us, but he was hard to read.

Was he into me, or was I just another client to him? Was I even ready for someone to be interested in me?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized the risk of getting too close, too fast. After all, it hadn't been that long ago I'd broken things off with Alex. Even so, I couldn't ignore the pull to Daxton, no matter how hard I tried.