Chapter Three

“Forty Nine... One more Cooper, come on!”

“God, I hate you!” She grunted curling her fingers around the bar until her nails dug into the bottom of her hand. She closed her eyes and hauled up her whole body until she was above the level of the bar. “God!” She heaved herself up one final time before letting go and landing back, hard, flat on her feet.

“And fifty! Good job, now drop and give me twenty.” Josh pointed to the floor, a devious smirk kicking up at the corners of his mouth. He stood, arms folded and waited. He was the damn devil incarnate, if he wasn’t trained and twice the size of her she would of pinned him to the ground and told him where to shove his press-ups. But no, she stupidly paid him to torture her like this, oh and three times a week.

“Asshole,” she muttered collapsing in a pile of limbs. Why in god’s name she did this to herself she had no idea. Personal training with one of her friends ex-marine turned gym-nazi, it always fun and he made her work. She liked to stay in shape, and she liked to eat - alot. So here was the penance for a heathly appetite that her colleagues and friends teased was similar to a nineteen year old boy.

Sweat splashed down onto her knuckles and dotted the gym mat as she clenched her jaw riding each one through. Least he wasn’t sitting on her this time. Jesus Christ.

“And... twenty! Great job Mac, now let’s stretch you out huh?” She could hear the smart ass smile in his voice as she lay flat on her tummy fighting for breath. She rolled over so he could pin her leg right over stretching out the tight tendons in her thighs. Her shoulders ached, and her calves burned, she never expected anything less when it came to Josh.

“All done for the day Super Sleuth?” He asked her changing the legs over, and leaning against her streching her out across her other leg.

“Almost, one more stop to make on the way home to a client.” She groaned closing her eyes and finding herself again. She’d finished the research for Jon, after a few nights of following around the kid and checking up with a few people in his neighbourhood. She'd called to let Jon know she would pop in on her way home from work tonight with the info he required.

“Another heartbreak?” Josh asked raising his eyebrow.

“No not today, just some business interest he needed checking out.” She sat up and rolled back her shoulders, and he was right to ask her to look into it. His worst nightmare, had been confirmed.

"Ok Mac, I've got another client in five so I gotta jet, be good, go forth and kick ass!” He winked before striding off across the gym.

MacKenzie chuckled watching him stride across the gym towards his next victim. He was hot, and so was his wife, she thought ruefully as she popped herself off the ground. Time to go and see Jon, this time she would make a point of not being so flustered around him. His raw sexual appeal had hit her a little hard, with his leather and soap scent all up in her face. She couldn't afford to act all ridiculous around him again.

She'd had a pretty awful day, some tough clients and never ending damn paperwork that she hated to drown in. It would be a lie to suggest she saved Jon's visit until the end of the day because she drove home that way. Yeah right. However, there was to be minimal goggling this time at that spectacular ass.

She showered, polished her body down with ginger scrub, and slathered on the matching body butter. She slid into her jeans and tugged on a snug fitting v-neck tee. She shrugged into her jacked and stuffed everything back into her oversized gym back before tying her hair up in a loose pony tail. She started to apply a little makeup but started laughing and shaking her head. She never usually bothered with it after the gym. “Oh you’re something else Mac, seriously.” She slipped her lip gloss back into her makeup bag and tugged the zipper shut.

The drive to Jon’s Soho residence was curbed by an accident which had her running fifteen minutes late by the time she’d parked. Cranking the hand brake on she grabbed her leather folder with her files and scrambled out of the car. She hated being late if she could avoid it. Her boots clicked though the foyer and she waved down the doorman, and slipped into the elevator nearly tipping the contents of her folders to the floor. “Shit!” She jammed the button to his floor and reshuffled everything in her arms. She positioned herself at his door, flicked her hair back and rapped her knuckles on his door. Pull yourself together Cooper. She rubbed her belly as it growled, reminding her that breakfast was over seven hours again, double shit.

Jon answered the door, smiling politely as he motioned her in. "I know what I said, Jerry. Just make it happen. Hey, if you want Coach on your ass--"

"Hello no. I just have a bad feeling."

Jon walked to the kitchen and poured them both an iced tea, tucking the phone into his shoulder. "Yeah, I thought so. I'll call you tomorrow with the details."

"I need time to work on the contract if--"

"Look, Jerry...MacKenzie just got here with the files, I won't know what else to tell you until she gives me the goods. I'll call you first thing in the morning. Go home, kiss your wife for fuck's sake."

Jerry laughed. "I forgot I had one of those man."

"They don't let you forget," Jon said and smiled at MacKenzie handing her a glass. "All right, talk to you later, man."

Jon flipped the phone closed and clipped it to his hip. "Sorry about that." His eyes wanted to flick down to the little v-neck she had going on over some seriously nice tits, but he kept his eyes on hers. "Jerry's been texting me and calling me for updates every other hour."

She took a healthy gulp of the tea, "Not a problem so sorry I'm late and thaks for this, so good." On her second sip she did a scan across his body, his darkwash jeans couldn't really have fitted more perfectly. Set off by a crisp white shirt, a few buttons popped open and curved in, un all the right places. He padded back into the apartment giving her time to mentally smack herself. She wasn't supposed to be looking, again.

"That's okay, I just got out of the shower myself. I hit some ridiculous traffic in midtown. I was going to get some dinner at the Deli around the corner. Interested?"

She sighed, "After the day I've had, that sounds perfect. Evidently, I've forgotton to eat since mid morning." She tucked her folder under her arm and tipped the glass back to finish the drink. Freshly showered indeed, his hair was all mussed and wet and the house had an aroma of male and soap.

"I haven't had time to staff the apartment since I moved in permanently." He patted his belly. "I had to ramp up the workout to combat The Deli. It's far too convenient, and I like carbs." He jogged to the back of the room and grabbed his boots and socks from his bedroom.


She laughed, "I love carbs, and they love my ass."

He cocked his brow and sat down, tugging on his socks. As far as he could tell, there was nothing wrong with her ass. "What'd you come up with?" He tried not to notice the lean line of her midsection flaring to hips as she fussed with her belt. Christ, Jon. He looked back down at his scuffed boots, chugging his own tea as he jammed a foot in.

She flinched as arm muscle quivered as she placed the glass back on the table. When he leaned down to fuss with his boots her eyes strayed right down the v in his shirt to a fine splattering of silvery chest hair. Damn it. "You're not going to like it I'm afraid." She flipped her folder open and fanned through the pages looking for the pictures she'd taken.

"Your boy..." She held out the photos to him, "happens to be tied up in the Bloods gang. He's been seen with a guy with name Black Watch, the head honcho." She stood back when he took it from her. "I had some guys I know in the NYPD run a few reports for me and this guy is under suspicion of a couple of murders and some other petty crimes, but there's not enough evidence to nail him."

He sat back on the couch, his knees falling open and his hand dangling on the edge of the tailored arm. "Aww, fuck." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sorry," he muttered automatically for swearing and stood up slowly. Right then he felt every inch of his forty-six years. "We had our suspicions on the Bloods, but I'd hoped I was wrong."

The sad thing was, the kid was pretty promising. He should of damn known, and he didn't need this complication in his already complicated life. He looked out the to the stack of buildings glinting in the late sun, the scent of her in his apartment was buzzing around his head. He was to used to not looking at woman past business these days, but there was something different and alluring about her. Something he shouldn't even want to go and find out, she was working for him for god's sake.

Since Dot his private life had been quiet, a couple of woman here and there, but it was never anything serious. he just didn't have time between his kids and the demands of his life right now. Nothing was about to happen with MacKenzie, so what was the harm in enjoying a light dinner?

"I wish it was better news, sounds like he was a hopeful." She tucked her papers back into the folder and her eyes popped when her belly growled. Oh jesus.

Jon threw his head back and laughed, "hell we better get you fed."

She stood, and patted her belly. "Told you, I love food too much." Could she be more embarrasing? No, don't tempt fate MacKenzie.

"Come on then, you can tell me more on the way."