the website, regardless of the fact that it’s in code. Had I asked, I have the feeling she would’ve followed all this up with a business plan of some sort.” Dick huffed out a laugh.
“Don’t let her pay a dime. She’ll probably email you with a demand to pay her fair share, but ignore her. Not a dime. I’ll pay your percentage on the full amount, out of pocket.”
“Message received.”
Without anything else to say, Colton slunk past the divider, his gut still churning. She thought he’d spent the night with her in a professional capacity. She felt obligated to pay for his services.
No wonder she hadn’t called him.
He nodded at Dave as he set his stuff down. Noah, another of the guys in the Big Dick camp, finished a bicep curl before putting down his weight and nodding his hello.
“Heard your gig from Saturday is giving Dick hell,” Dave said as he wiped off his face. “Do we need to blacklist her?”
Colton hesitated in preparing for his workout. “What did Dick say?”
Dave shrugged and stood next to the bench press. “That she was too smart for her own good and giving him hell. He said you sure know how to pick ’em. You piss her off, or what? I didn’t see any scathing comments on the website.”
Dick knew the score, not that it surprised Colton. He knew Colton had broken his rules not because Madison was hot or sexy, but because there was more there. She had him hooked. Dick had also chosen to keep his secret. He was a good man. Insightful.
Colton hesitated in answering. He didn’t want to share his notes on this one, because none of these guys would ever touch her. He’d make sure of that.
“She’s a high-powered exec and works with contracts all the time—she probably reviewed the agreement and didn’t like the wording or something. Not my job.” Colton pointed at the bench. “Do you need a spot, or what?”
Dave analyzed him for a moment. Noah did, too, both of them staring for a silent beat. Finally, Dave shrugged and, without a word, added weight to the bar. Noah turned away silently.
As Colton started his workout, Madison’s face popped into his mind. Her expression of wonder after he’d kissed her. Her complete satisfaction after they’d made love.
Cold shivers shook him. This was the first time he’d ever thought of sex as making love. One night with Madison had changed his definition.
An hour and a half later, Colton toweled off his face and wiped down his arms. Blood flowed through his muscles. He thought about hitting the locker room for a quick shower, since he was supposed to go for beers with Dave and Noah, but he found himself grabbing his duffel from the open locker beside the weights and heading to the front. He wasn’t in the mood to go out.
He needed to think about how he was going to attack the Madison problem. Not seeing her again wasn’t an option. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Throughout the workout, he’d caught himself pausing randomly to chuckle at something she’d said. Dave and Noah asked what was up the first few times, but his continued lack of response had finally quieted them.
As he made his way to the front, the sweetest sound drifted across the divider separating the check-in desk from the rest of the gym.
Madison. It was like his memories had miraculously fleshed out.
“I need to speak with the owner of the…” She cleared her throat. “I realize this is a gym, but this address is also listed for a company called— Um. A sort of dating service. I need to speak to the owner of that.”
Adrenaline flooded him.
Colton grinned in disbelief as he stopped on the far side of the divider. He could hear her embarrassment and uncertainty. He fought the impulse to walk out toward her. To wrap his arm around her shoulder until she felt confident again.
He needed to figure out where she stood on all this. She was probably there about the refunded payment, clearly not above leaving work in the middle of the day to force the issue, but he had to acknowledge a possibility he’d been trying to discount. It was possible she wasn’t as hooked as he was. That maybe it had all been sexual for her, and the event was what had put her in the mood, not him.
“How’d you get this address?” Dick asked.
Noah came into view, towel in hand, and leaned on the