Fit for Love

What happened in Fit for Love?

I slept with my trainer. And as it turns out, I’m not the only one. Apparently, he sleeps with all his clients. So I block him—the last thing I need is another a-hole in my life. Especially one as irresistibly charming and handsome as Ashton Vancroft. The catch? Three years later, our best friends, Emma and Marcus, get engaged, and we are both forced to play nice at their destination wedding in Florida. Is he really the self-centered playboy I’ve made him out to be? Or is there something more to this fitness-obsessed now-billionaire that I missed the first time around? Well, after getting stranded on a secret island together and being forced to hunker down in the same cabin, I guess I have no choice but to find out…

What tropes are in Fit for Love?

• billionaire-romance
• Enemies to Lovers
• Forced Proximity
• Grumpy Sunshine
• Mistaken Identity
• one-night-stand-returns
• only-one-bed
• Romantic Comedy
• second-chance-romance
• secret-side-business
• Sports
• stranded-together
• trainer-client-forbidden-attraction

What should I read next?

Grumpy Puck by Misha Bell.

Chapters

• Kendall

  Kendall, a new assistant on a high-fashion set, is reeling from a breakup after discovering her boyfriend was seeing three other women. When she’s scolded by her boss, the temperamental designer Tierre, for looking “mopey,” his current wife—known only as Wife Number Five—pulls her aside to offer sympathy and a lifeline: a complimentary session at Essence, an exclusive social club disguised as a gym, where she should ask for a trainer named Ash. After venting to her best friend Emma about her vow to swear off men, Kendall arrives at Essence, changes into designer activewear, and hops on a treadmill to outrun her heartbreak. But when she trips over her own feet while fumbling with the safety clip, she’s launched into the air, setting up a potentially disastrous—or meet-cute—encounter with Ash.

• Ashton

  Ashton, a fiercely disciplined personal trainer, pushes his client Megan through a grueling video workout before learning he must cover a shift for a sick colleague at Essence gym. Sent to assist Kendall, a stunning client on the third treadmill, Ashton is immediately overwhelmed by her beauty and scent. When Kendall forgets her safety tether and launches off the machine, Ashton’s martial arts reflexes trigger, and he catches her in a breathtaking embrace that ignites intense physical chemistry between them. Though he releases her quickly, the moment leaves him seething with both protective anger at her carelessness and primal desire. He scolds her for the danger, but Kendall challenges him with a teasing blink, leaving the tension charged and unresolved as the chapter ends.

• Kendall

  Kendall is mid-workout when a treadmill mishap sends her tumbling—until her fitness trainer, Ash, catches her in a bone-jarring embrace that leaves her breathless and acutely aware of his strength. Though she’s sworn off men, the sizzling chemistry between them is undeniable, turning a simple gym session into a charged battleground of wills. Ash, stern and protective, scolds her for removing the safety key, but his concern masks a deeper fascination with the fiery client. When she refuses to back down from his challenge, he escorts her to an alternative machine, their banter crackling with unspoken desire. As Kendall grapples with her attraction and her vow to avoid romantic entanglements, the chapter ends on a tantalizing impasse: she needs his expertise, but can she resist the pull of the man who makes her heart race?

• Ashton

  Personal trainer Ashton is struggling to maintain professionalism during a complimentary session with Kendall, a woman he finds irresistibly attractive. Despite his internal battle with arousal, he masks his feelings with flirtatious banter, challenging her assumptions about his loyalty and commitment. When she reveals she cannot afford his services, he sees an opportunity to keep her close by offering free at-home workouts, though his true motive is to pursue a romantic connection he knows he shouldn't. After dismissing her politely but coldly, he waits outside for her, already planning their next encounter, while juggling a rescheduled sparring session with his wealthy friend Marcus. The chapter crackles with unspoken desire and the tension between Ashton's professional ethics and his personal longing.

• Kendall

  Kendall leaves the gym nursing her bruised ego after Ash walks away without asking her out, only to collide with him moments later on the street. Their chance encounter quickly evolves into an impromptu stroll to the subway and then a French bistro, where flirtatious banter over chamomile tea and crêpes blurs the line between friendship and romance. Kendall’s resolve to keep things casual frays as Ash’s easy charm and shared love of dogs—his corgi Sir Ems and her friend Emma, both nicknamed Ems—spark an undeniable chemistry. When she feeds him a bite of food, the moment turns charged, awakening a hunger she tries to deny with tea. By chapter’s end, Kendall realizes she’s stumbled into a date she didn’t plan, leaving her torn between her rule about not sleeping with someone she barely knows and the growing certainty that she might end the night in his bed.

• Ashton

  Ashton, a personal trainer hiding a dropped MBA, finally coaxes his striking client Kendall to dinner, only to watch a waiter spill cold vichyssoise across her outfit. Seizing the moment, he invites the soaked fashion student to his apartment across the street to change, masking his desire for a second chance with her. Inside, his corgi Sir Ems provides charming distraction while Ashton grapples with conflicting urges: he craves Kendall fiercely yet fears the commitment his wealthy parents would demand, especially after his messy breakup with Gwyneth. As he takes the dog for a walk to give her privacy, the chapter closes on delicious uncertainty—will this accident spark a real connection, or dissolve into another impulsive fling?

• Kendall

  Kendall cleans up after a soup spill in Ash’s spartan bachelor pad, battling intense arousal in his shower while determined to maintain her self-imposed celibacy following a recent heartbreak. When Ash returns home with his excitable short-legged dog, Sir Ems, the tension between them shifts from flirtatious banter to palpable desire as they tentatively plan a next date. Despite Kendall’s internal resistance—fearing another romantic disaster—she finds herself unable to refuse when Ash asks for a kiss at the door. The chapter closes on the breathless moment when she finally surrenders to the kiss, leaving the future of their connection hanging in the balance.

• Ashton

  Ashton loses himself in an intense encounter with a woman wearing his hoodie. Their charged chemistry escalates from passionate kissing to urgent intimacy in his bedroom, where she teases him about his size before they connect physically. When she whispers a different name—Ash—mid-act, Ashton realizes he is merely a substitute for the trainer she expected, yet the revelation does nothing to dim their explosive connection. After she reaches multiple climaxes and they share tender afterglow, Ashton pulls her close, breathing in her apple-and-hibiscus scent, already aching to repeat the experience despite the complication of her mistaken identity.

• Kendall

  Kendall wakes from an intimate encounter with Ash, only to receive an urgent summons from her boss Tierre about a crisis at their South Florida shoot: his white tiger Tony has eaten Milk, their albino iguana star. Sneaking out without waking Ash, Kendall arrives to find chaos and proposes digital or cosmetic solutions to replace the missing reptile. When Tierre’s wife Catherine reveals that Ash is actually a gigolo who sleeps with his female clients, Kendall’s heart shatters. She attends the mock funeral for Milk, processes her betrayal, and blocks Ash’s number, beginning her path toward moving on despite the lingering emotional bruises.

• Ashton

  Ashton wakes to an empty bed and an empty apartment: Kendall, the woman he shared an explosive night with, has vanished without a note, a text, or even her borrowed clothes. As his confusion curdles into obsession, he bombards her phone with messages and calls, only to hit silence. Desperate for perspective, he confides in his sister Jordan, who bluntly labels the situation ghosting and urges him to delete her number and move on. Though Ashton outwardly complies—erasing Kendall’s contact—the chapter closes on the raw ache of being dismissed by someone he barely knew, leaving him questioning whether the connection was ever real or merely a fantasy he projected onto a stranger.

• Kendall

  Kendall Bryce accompanies her best friend Emma to an exclusive Manhattan brunch celebrating Emma's new billionaire boyfriend, Marcus Carelli, only to discover that Marcus's companion is Ashton Vancroft—the man Kendall had a humiliating one-night stand with three years prior. While Kendall struggles to maintain composure, Ashton smirks through the meal, forcing her to relive the memory of being treated as one of many conquests. When the men argue over the check, Kendall refuses to let Ashton pay, slamming down her credit card to assert independence before fleeing the restaurant. At home, she investigates and learns Ashton has built the viral ThriveFit fitness empire, his wealth and arrogance undiminished. The chapter closes on Kendall's simmering resentment and the unspoken pressure that Ashton has reentered her carefully guarded life, leaving Emma still ignorant of their shared history.

• Ashton

  Ashton’s sparring session with best friend Marcus turns hostile when Marcus confronts him about a wedding joke, forcing Ashton to dodge punches and the subject of Kendall—a woman they both know. Afterward, Marcus reveals Kendall’s last name, inadvertently giving Ashton the key to find her. Flashing back to a recent brunch where Ashton pretended not to recognize Kendall, the woman he shared a passionate night with three years ago before she vanished, Ashton wrestles with resentment and lingering desire. Now a wealthy entrepreneur rather than a personal trainer, he regrets not tracking her down sooner after a virus at his old gym erased her file. A call from his sister Jordan, his CTO, confirms that Marcus and Kendall’s best friend Emma are growing serious, guaranteeing an inevitable reunion. Though he tells Jordan he won’t see Kendall again, Ashton admits he’s looking forward to it.

• Kendall

  Kendall learns her best friend Emma is throwing a stripped-down destination wedding in Florida for her fiancé Marcus—and that Marcus’s best friend Ashton, Kendall’s personal antagonist, will be breathing the same air at the ceremony and on the private plane. As Tierre’s overworked assistant, Kendall spends her days filing her boss’s nails and enduring his demeaning antics, dreaming of launching her own design career. When she asks for time off to attend the wedding, Tierre reluctantly grants permission after she hints she’s ready to walk away from the job entirely. The chapter pivots from excitement about the nuptials to dread at the prospect of forced proximity with Ashton, closing on Kendall’s quiet resolve to face the wedding—and her toxic workplace—on her own terms.

• Kendall

  Kendall endures a cramped commercial flight to Florida for her friend Emma's wedding after Ashton abandons the group trip. Trapped in a middle seat between a screaming infant and a pungent stranger, she learns from Emma that Ashton bailed, sparking suspicion that he is avoiding her. When she ventures into first class to use the restroom, she confronts Ashton directly, their barbed exchange escalating into accusations about past behavior and a humiliating social incident. Despite his repeated attempts to offer a limo ride and share silence, Kendall refuses his proximity, opting instead for an armed Uber driver whose handgun is named Betty. The chapter closes with her arrival at a gated beachside mansion, the unresolved tension with Ashton and the threat of spoiling the upcoming nuptials still hanging in the air.

• Ashton

  Ashton arrives at the mansion Marcus rented for his wedding, already seething after Kendall Bryce refused his offer of a ride and declared on the flight that she hates him. Haunted by their hookup from three years ago and her accusation that he fits a “player” type, Ashton vents to his sister Jordan via video call, who suggests he simply prove her wrong. With Kendall now on the property, Ashton’s irritation curdles into a stubborn resolve: he’ll change into a fresh shirt and offer to help her with her bags, determined to confront the misunderstanding before it derails his best friend’s big day. The chapter simmers with unresolved tension and charged glances rather than physical intimacy, setting up a volatile reunion at the wedding festivities.

• Kendall

  Kendall arrives at a beachfront Florida mansion for Emma and Marcus's wedding, only to discover her former lover Ashton is also on the guest list. Their charged history—a single passionate night—hangs between them as she struggles to maintain civility while avoiding him. When her college friend Janie insists she can't bail, Kendall resigns herself to four days of tension, booking a remote swamp safari to escape the wedding festivities. But Ashton's presence proves inescapable; he orders takeout alongside her, joins the dinner table with studied indifference, and haunts her dreams that night, leaving Kendall to confront the lingering pull between them as the celebration looms.

• Kendall

  Kendall navigates her friend Emma's billionaire beach wedding as a bridesmaid, wrestling with intense attraction to groomsman Ashton. After a makeup session and a limo ride with fellow bridesmaid Janie, she arrives at a lavish pier decorated with red carpets and cat food jars—a nod to the groom's first gift to Emma. The ceremony features a cat as ring bearer and a passionate kiss between the newlyweds. At the mansion reception, photographer Gala forces Kendall and Ashton into close proximity for photos and a dance, triggering overwhelming physical chemistry despite Kendall's protests. She retreats to her seat, battling arousal and temptation while the newlyweds depart to their suite, leaving the tension between her and Ashton unresolved.

• Ashton

  Ashton lingers at the mansion after the wedding reception winds down, nursing a painful attraction to Kendall—the woman who despises him yet shares his roof. When Gala, the vivacious photographer, propositions him for a post-event tryst, Ashton shocks them both by citing a girlfriend, though his three-year dry spell makes the lie transparent. Retreating to his room in frustration, he wrestles with his desire before greeting dawn with a rigorous workout. Determined to avoid Kendall, he books the last two coveted spots on a Swamp Sparkle Safari tour, seeking refuge in the swamp's murk. There, he meets Bubba, a swamp captain with alligator teeth woven into his dreadlocks, and Alligator Dottie, an Australian guide in a beekeeper mask. As he signs a waiver warning of alligators and parasites, Ashton wonders if the wilderness will be escape enough—or if Kendall's presence under the same roof has already won.

• Kendall

  Kendall endures a sweltering, mosquito-ridden swamp tour on a remote secret island in Florida, desperate to find inspiration for her designs. Her exhaustion turns to shock when she discovers Ashton—her acerbic acquaintance—waiting at her cabin, equally stranded. When their guide Dottie and boyfriend Bubba sail away on a romantic errand, the walkie-talkie dies and both phones show zero bars, leaving them trapped. With the boat requiring a key they don't have and dark storm clouds gathering overhead, Kendall's irritation at Ashton's calm demeanor shifts into reluctant forced proximity, unresolved as they await rescue in the bioluminescent dark.

• Ashton

  Ashton seethes in his swamp-island cabin after Kendall crashes his solitary retreat, blaming her for letting their friend Bubba escape with a secret proposal plan. When a violent thunderstorm unleashes a flash flood that threatens Kendall’s neighboring cabin, Ashton abandons his anger to rescue her from the rising waters. Trapped together in his cabin as the storm rages, they negotiate a fragile truce, trading barbs for tentative touch. As Kendall changes into a delicate slip dress, the charged atmosphere between them ignites; despite the mortal danger outside, they agree to use intimacy as a distraction from their fear, sealing the truce with a passionate promise that threatens to drown them both in desire before the waters ever reach them.

• Kendall

  After a violent thunderstorm at Swamp Sparkle Safari, Kendall and Ashton shelter in a rustic cabin where years of tension erupts into passionate intimacy. Once the storm passes, they inventory their dwindling supplies—trail mix and bottled water—calculating they have roughly four to five days until rescue. A walk through the bioluminescent swamp briefly soothes their nerves, but Kendall refuses to share Ashton's single bed, wary of repeating their past. When Ashton finally confronts her about vanishing from his life three years ago, the chapter ends on the unresolved question of why she abandoned their relationship, leaving Kendall to confront the weight of that history amid their fragile survival.

• Ashton

  Ashton and Kendall are trapped together in a water-damaged cabin, their reunion souring into a bitter argument about his past romantic history and her own undisclosed intimate work with a client. Accusations of hypocrisy and class resentment—old money versus self-made wealth—escalate until Kendall flees to her own stinking quarters, only to sprint back in terror at the sight of a monstrous toad. Forced to share Ashton’s bed to escape the creature, their truce collapses when Kendall wakes from a dream and initiates sex despite their “no sex” agreement, citing practicality over passion. The encounter ends with both questioning whether their lingering chemistry can survive the day’s revelations, leaving Ashton awake and aroused, uncertain if he can trust her complete honesty.

• Kendall

  Kendall wakes entangled with Ashton after their third sexual encounter, her soreness confirming the night was real as she privately questions his claim of three years' celibacy. When a piercing scream shatters the darkness, the couple discovers it is merely a limpkin's call, not violence—but tour guide Bubba and friend Dottie remain missing on their remote, mapless island with no cell signal. Forced into survival mode, Ashton concocts meals from trail mix and apple snails while Kendall pitches her VersaWear athleisure concept, sealing a deal for promotion. Their banter shifts from survival logistics to embarrassing confessions about marching bands and puppy yoga, the tension peaking as they share a sunrise kiss that threatens to derail their search for escape—leaving Kendall to wonder if they can survive both the swamp and the growing intimacy between them.

• Ashton

  Ashton and Kendall bask in post-intimacy bliss within their confined sanctuary, trading banter about the sweltering heat and rationing their meager supplies of trail mix and cold water. When conversation lags, they turn to rock-paper-scissors, betting physical services on the outcome. Kendall wins the first round, commanding a full hour of hands-only massage that leaves Ashton painfully aroused yet obedient to the terms. After she reaches her own release, she reciprocates with a sensual body-to-body massage that pushes Ashton to his limit. Though the scene crackles with mutual desire and playful dominance, the chapter closes on the underlying tension of their precarious survival situation—limited food, rising temperatures, and an attraction that shows no signs of cooling.

• Kendall

  Kendall and Ashton, stranded together on a deserted island, have evolved from survival partners to intimate companions as they share lazy afternoons playing flirtatious games and deepening their connection. When their tour guides Bubba and Dottie finally arrive to rescue them, Ashton's protective fury erupts, cementing their bond against the guides' negligence. Back in civilization, Kendall faces a devastating professional blow when her boss Tierre fires her over the phone, but Ashton reframes the loss as freedom, proposing they launch her fashion app VersaWear immediately using his client network. As they board Marcus's private plane for the journey home, professional ambition collides with simmering attraction; with two hours of private flight time ahead, Kendall and Ashton face the temptation to finally consummate their charged connection, leaving their relationship status and future hanging in the balance.

• Ashton

  Ashton is reeling from his new intensity with Kendall after joining the Mile High Club on their flight, but their post-coital conversation quickly turns to trust issues when she questions his claim of three years' abstinence. Determined to prove their connection is serious, he agrees to meet her entire family—including her brother Cameron, who wants to discuss AI—at his birthday party in two days, bringing his CTO Jordan along. Their banter shifts from booty call to proper date as they plan dinner and a massage, culminating in a deeply intimate encounter at her apartment before Ashton must leave to relieve the dog sitter. A phone call with Jordan then delivers alarming news: she was bitten by a tick during a hike and awaits Lyme disease test results, adding a note of vulnerability to Ashton's evening as he returns home to Sir Ems.

• Kendall

  Kendall wakes to a flirtatious text from Ashton, her complicated not-quite-boyfriend, and spends the day juggling her secret design project, VersaWear, with an unexpected visit from him and his corgi, Sir Ems. After a domestic evening of gourmet tacos, design critiques, and passionate intimacy, she faces a tense call from her former boss Tierre rejecting a job offer. The chapter pivots to her brother Cameron's birthday at the Global Grub Grotto, where Ashton arrives with his sister Jordan—initially sparking jealousy—only for the family to bond over outrageous dishes and business talk. The evening ends with Kendall and Ashton sharing a cab home, their unresolved chemistry igniting into a heated farewell.

• Ashton

  Ashton and Kendall settle into an intense two-week rhythm of daily visits, escalating intimacy, and shared meals that makes him increasingly convinced their connection is serious. He consults his sister Jordan about moving in, but her advice—wait a year, meet the parents—clashes with his fear that his wealthy family will complicate matters, so he keeps the possible Boston trip secret from Kendall. After a steamy celebration of her VersaWear prototype, a chance encounter with Catherine, a woman from Kendall’s past, exposes a painful misunderstanding: Kendall ghosted Ashton three years ago because she confused him with Asher Diggle (“Ash”), a trainer notorious for sleeping with clients, and she still doubts his claim of a three-year abstinence. Their argument deepens the trust rift just as Ashton’s phone rings with his father’s rare call—Jordan has been rushed to the hospital.

• Kendall

  Kendall watches Ashton race from a phone call to an emergency flight when his sister Jordan suffers a life-threatening allergic reaction in Boston. Despite their unresolved 'Ash' tension, Kendall impulsively joins him through a reckless cab ride to JFK and a frantic sprint to the gate, their forced proximity charged with unspoken guilt and worry. At Boston Medical Center, Ashton collides with his controlling parents and his ex-girlfriend Gwyneth—whom they still want him to marry—who has illegally accessed hospital records. When they finally reach Jordan's bedside, the diagnosis lands: alpha-gal syndrome from a tick bite, meaning she can never again eat mammal meat. The chapter closes on the fragile reunion of the siblings, Ashton's raw regret over not being there, and Kendall's simmering rage at the family's interference, leaving the central conflict between her and Ashton dangerously unresolved.

• Ashton

  Ashton visits his sister Jordan in the hospital following her health scare, where their parents interrogate his girlfriend Kendall and initially warm to her credentials—until his ex Gwyneth ambushes him with evidence that Kendall secretly runs an adult content business under the alias Candy Berlin, selling intimate photos and used items. Stung by the betrayal and his own possessive jealousy, Ashton confronts Kendall, but the wound deepens when he discovers her brother Cameron is present and overhears Kendall dismiss their relationship as meaningless. Enraged by her words and the revelation of her hidden life, Ashton ends things immediately, banishing her from the hospital and leaving their future suspended in the sterile hallway air.

• Kendall

  Kendall wakes up devastated after a rupture with Ashton, convinced she has ruined whatever they had. When best friend Emma calls, their conversation slowly peels back the misunderstanding: Ashton had called his friend Marcus to announce he and Kendall were a couple—until yesterday—and had planned to move in with her. The revelation that Ashton saw their arrangement as a serious relationship, complete with cohabitation, transforms Kendall’s grief into determined hope. She admits she wants him back, and Emma offers a scheme to win him back, leaving Kendall facing a choice that could either restore their romance or end in physical disaster.

• Ashton

  Ashton arrives at a private gym expecting to spar with his friend Marcus, only to find Kendall waiting in full fighting gear instead. Their confrontation quickly melts into an apology—Kendall admits she feared his reaction to her side business at Candy Berlin and never truly saw them as a couple. Ashton forgives her immediately, and their tense words dissolve into passionate intimacy on the gym mat. Afterward, Ashton confesses he has fallen in love with her since the day she first fell into his arms, and Kendall reciprocates, agreeing to officially date him and move in together. She also promises to shut down Candy Berlin, trading her secret life for their future together—a sacrifice she jokes will require her to wear Crocs instead of open-toed shoes.

• Epilogue

  Kendall hosts the chaotic VersaWear 2.0 fashion show, where fitness celebrities in squeaky sneakers turn a domino-effect stumble into an accidental avant-garde spectacle that the audience wildly applauds. After publicly thanking her fitness-mogul boyfriend Ashton Vancroft, she stages a surprise proposal on the runway, only to be one-upped when Ashton reveals his own ring and proposes back. The mutual engagement seals their future amid deafening applause, shifting the chapter from professional stress to romantic triumph and closing on the unresolved anticipation of their epic wedding and shared life together.

Editions

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