Page 19 of Ashley & the A-Listers

“Dylan beat you here,” she said, nodding to said alpha, who’d dutifully waited.

“Go wait with him and start stretching. I’ll be there in a moment.”

Cameron nodded absently, looking a little starstruck himself, and padded across the gym. She had been charming and awkward the day they’d met—she’d been out of her depth, talking to a movie star.

Now she was his trainer, and she was going to act like it.

The two of them immediately started whispering in hushed tones, and she ignored them as she gathered her tablet and followed after him.

“Alright,” she said in her trainer voice. “There’s a lot on this schedule to learn in just eight weeks, but I’m hoping that you’re as capable as you were the day before yesterday.”

“Y-yes,” Cameron said, eyes wide as she tapped at her tablet.

It felt good to be a little intimidating. To be taken seriously. Ah, the perks of being an alpha.

“Show me how you usually stretch,” she told him. “I might have to switch it up.”

Cameron and Dylan shared a look and Ashley hid her smirk.

That’s right, I’m no-nonsense Ashley. I’m Trainer Ashley.

If Cameron had asked Nic to be on her schedule because he thought it would be a breeze, he had another thing coming.

“You aren’t gonna ask what happened to my other trainer?” Cameron asked as he began with arm and leg swings.

“Well, I’m assuming it fell through for whatever reason. It’s not really my business,” she said, eying him. “I’m here to train you. Nothing more.” Her gaze landed on Dylan when she added the last bit, and she watched his cheek dimple as he must have bit it from the inside.

“Riiight,” Cameron said, frowning. “You were more fun the other day. Is it Dylan? He can leave.” Cameron shot Dylan a pointed glance.

Before Dylan could respond, Ashley arched a brow. “He’s your bodyguard. Hard to guard you if he’s not here.”

Cameron sighed, and Ashley bit down on her own smile. Antagonizing him was too fun.

“Let’s get a good baseline of where you are physically, and I’ll be able to organize the training program for efficiency.”

He grumbled, but let her direct him through a set of stretches. He knew most of the stretches by name, including the standing straddle stretch, which was basically a wide-legged forward fold. It targeted the inner thighs and would help an athlete kick higher and harder.

Ashley only checked out his ass once.

It definitely fit his action-star physique.

“You’re pretty limber,” she noted eventually, and figured many of the basics were probably already covered.

“Well, I’m not useless,” Cameron muttered. “I actually do know some stuff. I’ve been paying attention over the years.”

“Good, because we’re gonna put it all to the test today,” she told him.

It turned out Cameron wasn’t wrong. He didknow some stuff,as he’d put it. He only required a bit of correction on his placements. “Keep your elbows in tighter,” she told him, tucking her arms back into a cross. Usually she was touchier with clients, or at least maybe didn’t think so much about it, but she was overly conscious. She didn’t want to scent mark him by accident.

He listened anyway, and actuallylistened.He adjusted based on her critiques and with his brow furrowed in focus, he was… well. Hot.

She was a total professional though, watching Cam front kick at a stand bag over and over again.

A total professional, who found herself leaning a little closer, his scent drawing her in. “Extend—reachupwith your foot,” she told him, clearing her throat.

A professional, who got so lost in watching her client she forgot about… bystanders.

“Why is he kicking with the ball of his foot? Wouldn’t it make more sense for him to land with the heel?” Dylan interjected.

---