One day his mentor failed to show up for a meeting. Familiar with the deal, he closed the contract personally with a higher margin of profit.
The company fired the executive and hired him immediately. Logan never looked back.
Until now.
He set the snifter on the coaster and got up from the easy chair. No need to start questioning himself. He achieved his goals and finally proved his worth. Just like his mother always wanted.
He grabbed the poker and stirred the fire. Hissing logs popped in the silence. He must be tired. He certainly wasn’t lonely. His life was too busy to waste precious time exploring the strange emotions bubbling up inside of him. By morning, he’d be back in control and start on his plan to get Chandler into his bed.
“May I have your attention, please?”
Chandler gazed at a dozen pair of eyes, all filled with doubt and curiosity. Shorts and t-shirts replaced the business suits. The excess office furniture had been moved into storage and in its place exercise mats were spread out on the floor.
The late afternoon sun cast relaxing patterns about the spacious room. Chandler immediately surmised that her students, which mostly consisted of males, were not too keen on the idea of dealing with stress. Brows lowered in confused frowns. Low murmurs rose and fell through the air. She guessed their distress was caused by the noticeable absence of their esteemed leader, who had yet to show. She fought back a surge of anger and decided to start the class. If the other night caused a change of heart in Logan Grant, so be it. She’d make her workshop a success without him.
“My name is Chandler Santell and I’ll be the instructor working with you over the next few months.” Her gaze swept the room. “I regret we have to start without Mr. Grant, but I’m sure he’ll join us later. As we all know in the business world, sometimes we get caught up in pressing schedules which demand most of our time.”
“Ah, but as someone once told me, we must always allow time for certain pleasures.”
Chandler turned at the masculine voice behind her. Her gaze collided with amused gray eyes. She felt her cheeks burn as she remembered their prior conversation. Keeping her voice neutral, she said. “Please join us, Mr. Grant. I’m glad you could make it.”
His eyes swept over her figure as he closed the distance between them. He smiled lazily. “Please call me Logan. I prefer to be on a first name basis with people I work closely with.”
She fought the next blush threatening to overcome her, and nodded her agreement, not trusting herself to speak. Logan lowered himself to the mat and stretched his long, powerful legs in front of him. He propped his hands up behind his back and exchanged easy banter with his employees. Grudgingly, she admitted he looked as much at ease in his gray sweatshirt and jogging shorts as he did in his expensive tailored suits. His forearms and legs were sprinkled with dark hair, his lightly tanned skin gave him a healthy glow. His pose made his sweatshirt stretch and cling to his broad chest, reminding her of how his muscles had jumped under her touch. Chandler cleared her throat and forced her thoughts away from the man who’d haunted her dreams last night. She refused to let him bully her with his deep, rich voice or his sexual innuendoes. She pulled herself back to reality and turned to face her class.
“Most of you don’t know what to expect from this workshop so I’d like to give you an overview. First, I want to assure you I won’t make everyone sit in Lotus position while we chant to relieve ourselves of stress. At least not the first week.” Everyone laughed.
“We all want to learn how to be more productive on our jobs by taking care of ourselves and our needs. This encompasses not only dealing with stress, but also being aware of our diet, personal habits, and bodies. We’ll talk about nutrition, exercise, stress, and awareness. I’ll show you some easy breathing techniques and stretches to loosen some of the tension.”
She lowered herself to one of the mats and sat in a comfortable, cross-legged position. “I’ve been involved in the corporate culture,” she continued easily, “so I know first hand the pressures involved on a day to day basis. It seems easier to keep continuing to skip meals, drink more coffee, and close one more deal. But if we continue the behavior, all of us are going to burn out. Then we’ll be nowhere, except maybe a hospital.
“What does this have to do with your current job? Let’s say you’re in an important meeting and the client is ready to close the deal. You’ve been up all night poring over the contracts and you’re tired. There’s been no time for breakfast so you gulp down some coffee to get started. You’ve done all the research, wined and dined the client over lunch or dinner, and it’s time to sign them on the dotted line.” She paused. “Let’s say the client balks. Asks for more time. Wants a better deal.”
A combined groan rose from her group.
“What are you going to do? If you’ve been up all night on a diet of caffeine, stressed to the limit, couldn’t your temper snap? Or what if you’re not thinking clearly, so you offer him what he wants, no matter what the price?” A burst of laughter rang out as Logan frowned and shook his head.
Chandler smiled. “At that moment, anything can happen because you’ve lost control of your mind and body. In a stressful situation, our adrenaline takes over and we act on instinct. In a business meeting you only want to rely on your wits. So, if you’ve been taking care of yourself and the client balks, you can clearly see options. You can catalogue his weaknesses and strengths; decide whether to bluff or walk away from the deal; make a judgment if he needs more finessing or his mind is made up.
“That’s what we want to learn. This class may not cause miracles to happen, but it will teach you to become aware, and with awareness comes control. Mr. Grant hopes this seminar will give you a fuller, healthier lifestyle which will be reflected in your work and keep you here for years to come.”
Chandler knew she had their interest. The women nodded as if in agreement, and the men looked less skeptical about the entire program. Even Logan seemed to watch her with approval. She ignored the warm rush of pleasure and decided not to probe her feelings too deeply. “I’m going to teach you some breathing techniques and then we’ll discuss various causes of stress. I’d like everyone to get comfortable with me at this point.”
The rest of the time flew by. From the corner of her eye, she noticed one of the women inch her way toward Logan. She’d never seen a breathing pattern that made a woman’s breasts lift so high, nor strain against the material of a t-shirt so tightly—all in perfect view of Logan’s eyes.
When the class ended Chandler noticed them laughing together quite intimately. The woman touched his shoulder in a familiar gesture. Chandler determinedly ignored them as she went about folding mats and chatting with the employees on their way out. It was no business of hers that the boss was on such friendly terms with his workers.
“Do you need some help?”
She turned to face Richard Thorne. “Thank you. Let’s put them over there in the corner.” They finished clearing the mats and stacked them on top of one another. “It’s good to see you in class. What did you think?”
He smiled. “I loved it. My days are so stressful, I find if I don’t do something to come down at night, I’m wired. Yoga is a great way to relax.”
“I agree. When I first started my practices, I realized how I’d been mistreating my body. Now, I know exactly when I’ve been pushing too hard.”
“Same here. I can’t even eat a jumbo burger anymore.”