บท 37: The Seductress

Who the hell was this woman? And why did it feel like she'd flipped his entire world upside down in less than an hour of meeting?

Parker frowned, his mind spinning as he headed to the locker room. 'This is the first time I've been affected a woman since Ms. Scarlett Draven,' he thought to himself, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

He shook the memory off quickly and pushed the door open.

Inside, five other guys lounged around the Elite section changing area, flexing their egos just as much as their muscles.

All of them were in their late twenties or early thirties, rich as hell, and carried that I own the fucking world vibe like a badge of honor. Parker barely glanced at them. Guys like that weren't worth the energy.

They were like the kinds of Julian, with the latter only being younger, he won't even glance at them.

He went straight to his locker, changed quickly, and hit the showers. The water was cold at first—sharp enough to jolt him back to the present—and by the time he stepped out and pulled his shirt over his head, he felt a little more grounded.

'Fresh start,' he thought.

But as he walked out, his ears caught snippets of conversation from the guys still lingering.

"Did you see her, bro?" one of them said, his voice dripping with exaggerated awe. "The new trainer? Holy fuck."

"Yeah, I heard she just started this morning," another chimed in. "And guess what? The guy over there got to be her first trainee."

Parker paused for half a second, his hand on the door, but didn't go out.

"I know man. I couldn't believe it either, I mean man," a third guy cut in, his tone half-jealous, half-shocked. "I literally offered to pay an extra million just to have her as my trainer. Management shrugged me off like it was nothing."

"Maybe she's got special privileges," someone else suggested. "I mean, trainers don't get to pick and choose who they work with. Highest bidder wins, right?"

"Unless," another voice added, low and snarky, "you're just another desperate perv she didn't want to deal with."

The group broke out into laughter, but one of the guys spoke up again.

"Hold up, though. Did you guys notice something else?"

"What now?"

"That was Tessa Wilder chick and she came in with guy, too."

The room went silent for a second.

"Holy shit. Now that you mention it..."

"Man, this dude's stealing all the spotlight, isn't he?"

The comments rolled off Parker's back as he pushed through the door and stepped outside. He wasn't about to waste time entertaining their bullshit. 'The less I talk to people, the less who will want to mess with me. And the longer the population survives,' he muttered under his breath with a wry smile.

As he walked back toward the gym floor, he spotted Tessa and his trainer talking near the front desk. Tessa looked fresh out of her workout, still in her training gear, while the trainer had changed into casual clothes—She wore a fitted beige mini-dress covered in newspaper print, hugging her curves with a bold confidence that was hard to ignore.

Over it, she had thrown on a cropped olive-brown jacket that added a touch of structure to her otherwise playful attire.

The dress, with its unique design and flattering cut, highlighted her hourglass figure, and the asymmetrical strap across her shoulder only drew more attention to her neckline. Paired with sleek white boots that accentuated her long legs, she looked like a walking statement piece. She exuded the kind of style that made you double-take—not overly flashy, but so confident and put together that you couldn't look away.

Even her accessories seemed purposeful. A delicate necklace sat around her neck, and her nails, perfectly manicured, completed the look.

Parker watched her as she laughed at something Tessa said, the sound soft but vibrant, her Egyptian accent adding a unique charm.

For a moment, he wondered how someone could blend elegance and allure so seamlessly. It wasn't just the outfit—it was the way she carried herself, like she owned the room even when she wasn't trying.

'She's leaving already?' Parker wondered, narrowing his eyes as he approached. Maybe she had special privileges after all and can come and go as she pleased.

Tessa spotted him first. "You're done? Took you long enough," she teased, running off to the locker room before he could respond. "Be back in a sec!"

And just like that, Parker was left alone with her.

The trainer turned to him, her gaze sharp but playful. "You live around here?" she asked, her voice casual but laced with curiosity.

"Not far," Parker replied. He kept his tone even, not giving much away.

She nodded, firing off a few more questions—where he worked, why he joined the gym, how long he'd been training. Parker answered most of them with short, clipped responses, shrugging off the ones he didn't feel like answering.

Eventually, she tilted her head, giving him a sly smile. "What's your number?"

He blinked, caught off guard for a second. "Why?"

"So I can let you know what we're working on next time, or when I will be available or not." she said smoothly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Parker hesitated for a moment, then rattled off his number. She punched it into her phone, called it, and smirked as his phone buzzed.

"Saved," she said.

She watched as Parker typed "TRAINER" into his phone, adding a woman-in-red emoji before locking it. Her eyebrow lifted, a smirk tugging at her lips. Most guys would've jumped at the chance to ask, "What should I save you as?" or used the whole what's-your-name-again? shtick as an excuse to get closer. But Parker? Nah, dude wasn't playing those cheap games.

"Bold move, Mr. Black," she muttered under her breath, her voice low but tinged with amusement.

Parker glanced up, catching the faint sound. "Sorry, what was that?" he asked, his tone casual, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.

She shook her head, her smirk widening. "Nothing. Just talking to myself," she replied smoothly, brushing it off.

"Right…" He let it go, leaning back a little, arms crossed loosely.

"Well, I guess I'll be heading out," she said, her voice turning light, almost indifferent. But as she turned, her gaze lingered on him just a moment longer than necessary.

Parker gave her a small measured smile, one of those I'm not falling for this smiles, and said nothing.

As she walked away, her heels clicking softly against the floor, Parker exhaled, shaking his head. "She's good," he muttered to himself. "But I'm not about to end up wrapped around her finger."

Parker wasn't exactly a pro when it came to women, but when it came to reading people? That was his game. He'd spent years watching, learning, studying how people moved, talked, and what they really were like, thanks to his job that made it easy for him to meet even so many celebrities. His trainer? Yeah, she was on another level—a straight-up seductress.

Experienced, sharp, and deadly in the way she carried herself. She didn't just turn heads; she made sure they stayed turned.

But Parker wasn't stupid. He could see the traps she was laying out, subtle but there, and he dodged them all without breaking a sweat. That's just who he was. He didn't play by anyone else's rules. He led—always. No way he'd be the guy falling for some pretty face, no matter how hypnotizing she was.

The wheels were already turning after their encounter. History was about to be rewritten.

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