Within This Frame Read Online Free Page A

against his chest.
    He looked down. “If you want excuses to fondle me, I could think of better ways to go about it.”
    She snatched her hand back. “You’re not staying here, you’re not working for me. And if you don’t leave now, I’m calling the police.”
    His eyes narrowed. “You would do that?”
    Maggie’s resolution wavered. “Yes.”
    “What about the scandal it would cause?”
    “No one would have to find out.” They could find out, easily.
    “Well, they would, with me telling them and all.”
    “Are you . . . are you . . . blackmailing me?” Anger had her sputtering.
    “Of course not. Not unless I have to,” he added.
    “Why are you so adamant about this?”
    “You need a trainer, I need a job. I don’t see the problem.”
    “Except we used to date and I would rather scratch out my own eyes than have you as a personal trainer.”
    “Such harsh words, Maggie.” Lance’s expression turned serious. “Okay, look at it this way—do you want me to help you or do you want your sister? Because there isn’t anyone else. I’m it. She was ready to call you and tell you when I got back to her and said I’d take the job. I know you two don’t get along,” he continued. “I remember.”
    “That was years ago,” she hissed. “She’s changed. I’ve changed.” Lies. All of it.
    “Sure.” Lance didn’t sound convinced.
    Maggie thought of her food and exercise obsessed, self-absorbed, judgmental sister, and then she turned her gaze to Lance Denton. The man who had once been the boy who had her heart and didn’t want it enough. Neither was ideal. He was slightly better—very slightly.
    She eyed him. “Why do you have to stay here?”
    “You have the space, and I am temporarily without a permanent residence.”
    “Why?”
    “Why what?”
    “Why do you not have a home?”
    Shadows shifted through his eyes. “It’s personal. Besides, hands-on is always better. Less cheating that way.”
    “You would know about that.”
    “About hands-on?” The curve of his lips was sensual.
    “About cheating,” she corrected.
    He placed a hand to his heart, even as his eyes flashed dangerously. “You got me, right here.”
    “How long will it take to get me in shape?”
    “That depends on you. Your eating habits, your exercise routine, your dedication. I always say it takes three weeks to notice a change, and three months to make it stick.”
    He actually sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Probably read that in a book.
    “If you stay here, you get paid less.” She raised her eyebrows as she waited for his response. Maggie hoped he’d refuse. The thought of being within such close proximity to him for months had her palms sweaty and her stomach swirling.
    Lance hesitated, then nodded. “Deal.”
    “What do you usually charge?”
    “One hundred dollars an hour.”
    “And how often do you see your clients?”
    “Three to five times a week, one to two hours each time.”
    Maggie’s mouth dropped open. “You’re insane.”
    He shrugged. “I’m worth it.”
    His tone lacked its usual arrogance, which told her he wasn’t exaggerating.
    Eyeing him, she said, “I’ll pay you half what you usually make, and you get to stay here and eat my food. We’ll have a two-week trial run. If I can’t stand you, you’re gone.”
    “At least make it fair to me.”
    “Fine,” Maggie ground out. “If I can find a single good thing about you being here, you can stay.”
    Lance grinned. “That I can do.”
    “We’ll see,” she muttered. “How are you able to devote the next three months to me? Don’t you have other clients you need to be working with?”
    “I do, but for now, Maggie, I’m yours,” Lance said, his eyes dark and smoldering.
    Apparently her body liked his tone, jerking at his words as though brought back to life from a somber reality. She slowly inhaled. “I need to put on clothes.”
    He didn’t move.
    “Leave.”
    “You’re no fun.”
    “I know. Wasn’t