love her very much and will always protect her and take care of her. She’s just…a little stubborn sometimes.”
Her father blew out a breath. “She certainly is.”
“Honey, your father and I are going to take the first plane out and head back home,” her mother said. “I’m sure you need some time to work everything out with Slade. Once everything’s all settled, call us and we’ll come visit a little longer. Okay?”
“Okay, Mom. Thank you. Oh, wait—I won’t have a house after next week because I broke my lease. I’ll call you with the new address once I find a new place.”
“Babe, can you hand me that notepad and pen over there by the table?” Slade asked. Jessica, not knowing what he was up to, obliged. Slade wrote something on it, then handed it to Jessica’s father. “Mr. and Mrs. Cross, that is my address and phone number. From now on, that’s where Jessica will be.”
“She will?” Mrs. Cross sounded bewildered.
“I will?” Jessica asked, sounding equally confused.
“You will. I want you by my side. We’re all in, remember?”
Jessica smiled and leaned down to give Slade a kiss on the lips. “I love you too, Slade. Definitely all in.”
Epilogue
A MONTH LATER…
“Listen up, guys!” Slade yelled at the ten men who were either clients or trainers.
“What’s up, boss?” Travis replied.
“For those who don’t know her yet, this is Jessica Cross. She’s going to be holding yoga classes here a few times a week.”
There were a few catcalls, cheers, and whistles.
“Relax, guys. There will be no fraternizing with the women who come to yoga. You got it?” A few expletives were yelled. “I don’t want to catch any of you assholes fucking around with any of her girls. And if anyone looks at Jessica with anything other than respect, I’ll personally KO you.”
“Yeah, right, old man,” one of the newer fighters yelled.
“We’re the same age, asshole!” Slade said as Jessica chuckled.
Jessica addressed the group next. “I’d love it if you guys sat in on some of the yoga classes too.”
There was a roar of laughter.
“Hey, don’t laugh until you try it,” Tony added.
“That’s pussy-shit. We ain’t trying that!” one of the guys yelled.
“I bet there isn’t one man in this room who can do an entire hour of my class,” Jess challenged them.
“Come on, lady. We fight men who weigh three times what you weigh. We can chant ‘om’ all day.”
“I bet you can’t.” Jessica winked at Francesca, who was standing to the side. She’d told Jessica to goad the guys with a wager. That woman sure knew how to handle men.
“I’ll bet a date with you that I can,” Travis teased.
“No way!” Slade snarled.
“With me.” In a formfitting red suit and her trademark heels, Francesca pushed herself off the counter where she’d been leaning. “Make it through one hour and you get a date with me. Easy peasy. Tony, you can’t participate—you’ve been taking her class for a while now.”
“Wait. What? No fair.” Tony looked crestfallen.
Jessica surveyed the men. “Okay, so whichever one of you can make it through an entire class—the entire thing, one hour, no bitching or complaining—will go out on a date with the lovely Ms. Silva.”
“Nice!”
“Can’t wait to see what’s under those tight-ass—”
“Shut the fuck up, Thompson,” Tony yelled.
“I hate how yoga pants look on women,” Travis hollered. The entire class fell silent in shock. “Said no man…ever!” he finished. The entire group burst into laughter.
Tony grabbed Francesca’s wrist and pulled her aside. In a low voice he asked, “What the hell are you doing?”
“None of these guys will be able to do twenty minutes of this class, forget an hour. You know I’m right.”
“Absolutely not. You’re not going to whore yourself—”
“Whore? Who said anything about whore?”
“I’m not allowing—”
“Excuse me? Who the fuck do you think you are? Reel it in, macho man. I’m not your responsibility. We don’t even get along.”
Tony said something under his breath in Spanish.
“Tomorrow. Ten in the morning,” Slade reminded the guys. “One entire hour. No bitching. You stick it out, she goes on a date.”
“Get ready to date us all, honey!” another new guy yelled.
Francesca and Jessica laughed. Tony rubbed his face in frustration.
—
The next morning, Jessica was sitting in the front of the gym, stretching, when twelve guys strolled in. It was a sight to behold. Twelve huge, mostly tattooed, mostly gorgeous, mostly domineering men. Not one stood less than six feet tall, and all were as wide as Slade, if not wider.
“Good morning, linda,” Tony said, grabbing her hand and