Page 29 of Tame Me

His eyes lit up. “Here, jump on.” Xavier was the epitome of what a fitness instructor should look like, from his perfectly toned bulging muscles to his tanned flesh to his pearly white teeth.

“Oh, okay.” Grateful that I’d worn my flat shoes today, I stepped onto the machine and had to clench my stomach muscles and center my balance to stay upright.

“Hang onto my shoulder.”

If you insist. I did as he instructed and felt the corded muscle beneath his flesh as I clutched his shoulder.

“Did you notice that you needed to engage your core muscles?” He glided his hand over his tight-fitting T-shirt and nestled it over his non-existent belly.

“Yes, I did.”

He grinned as he pressed a button on a remote control he’d removed from his pocket. The skateboard vibrated, and giggling at the new sensation, I clutched his shoulder tighter.

“Now try to let go.” His smile was extraordinary, worthy of any toothbrush commercial.

I raised my hands and needed to engage my core muscles to keep upright.

“See how it works?”

“Yes, it’s great.” I giggled at the vibrations rattling through me, teasing all the nerves in my body.

“Ready for more?” He wriggled his neat eyebrows.

“Sure.”

He dialed it up. The vibrations hit a new tempo, and I squealed and held onto his shoulder again.

“Let go, you cheater.”

Giggling, I let go and grabbed him again. Over and over, I tried it, each time letting go for just that little bit longer until soon I was able to stand upright unassisted.

“See? You’re a natural.” He seemed as proud of me as I was.

I laughed at his encouragement. “Okay, I’ve had enough now.”

Xavier jabbed the remote. The machine stilled, however my body continued to sizzle. “You’re still feeling it, aren’t you?”

“Uh-huh.”

“That’s the beauty of it. Ten minutes on this machine, and you’ll feel it working for another ten minutes after you step off. It’s brilliant.” His smile dazzled, and if I wasn’t careful, I’d be handing over my credit card. With the way I was feeling, in addition to the way he was looking at me, I had no doubt Xavier was in for a very successful weekend.

I had to escape, and quickly before I’d need to find room in my apartment to fit this wonderful device.

I took a brochure, to which he’d stapled his card, and I thanked him for his excellent demonstration. He exaggerated a sad face as I said goodbye, and I giggled as I carried on strolling through the stalls.

At the supplement stand, a woman with boobs perky enough to rival Lolita’s encouraged me to sample the protein shake and power bars. They were so good I promised to come back and buy some tomorrow, and I meant it.

At one of the clothing stalls, I eyed off a lime green Lycra top and matching shorts set that was just to die for. I asked the young man with the tribal tattoo adorning his bulging bicep to put it aside for me.

He obliged with a smile, and I carried on. At this rate, I was going to spend my night’s pay before the conference had even started.

Laughter at the back of the hall caught my attention, and I headed in that direction. An elaborate stand had somehow been created to replicate an old-fashioned curved caravan. Out the front were picnic chairs and tables nestled on fake grass, and everyone around the caravan held a clear plastic cup with amber liquid inside. Smiling, I made my way through the crowd to see what the fuss was about.

The man behind the counter was unlike any other man in the room. He was a tad scruffy, with honey-colored hair that met his shoulders and blended in with his full beard.

“Hi, I’m Jane Nichols, the night manager of the hotel. How’s everything going?”

“Hello, Jane. Let me guess—you’re a wine drinker, right?”

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