by Kora Knight
Tad grunted. “Would need one to begin with in order to upgrade.”
“That you would.” Scott paused and wagged his brows. “In the market?”
“Maybe,” Tad chuckled, sauntering over. “Funds are tight, though. He’d have to be worth his weight in gold.” His grin turned wry. “Not sure one like that exists around here.”
Scott nodded with a smirk. “The good ones are definitely hard to find.”
Tad straddled the bench and waited for him to finish. “Got any recommendations?”
Scott shrugged, visibly fighting back a smile. “Well, there’s this one guy,” he noted, teasing in his voice. “Friendly enough. Ridiculously hot.” His chocolate gaze pointedly locked with Tad’s. “But he works his clients pretty hard. Likes to push them to their limits.” A wicked grin curved his lips. “Hell, if I didn’t know better, I’d say he gets off making them sweat. Hearing all their breathless pants and straining, restless grunts.”
Tad’s smile faded as he stared at the guy, his cock slowly rousing to life. Did Scott just—Was the guy trying to—Wait. What were they talking about? Suddenly all he seemed capable of comprehending was hard bodies, gripping hands… and dick. Specifically Scott’s and his. But not necessarily in that order. His heart did a shuddery jig in his chest.
“You okay, there?” Scott laughed, locking a plate into place.
A wash of heat doused Tad’s cheeks. “Uh, yeah,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Guess that trainer you know kinda took me off guard.”
Scott’s playful smile faltered, his hands pausing atop the bar. “Hmm. Well, I’m pretty sure you did the same to him.”
Again, Tad stilled, not sure how to reply. Was Scott just messing with him or being serious? The latter seemed just a bit too optimistic. Seriously, the guy was a fucking Adonis. Gorgeous and confident, smart as shit and driven. But Tad? Well… to say Scott was out of his league would be an understatement. So, ultimately all he managed at all was a low and unconvinced, “Really.”
Scott’s smile returned, but it was smaller this time, and oddly, kind of boyish. “Really.” He diverted his gaze to a nearby rack of dumbbells. “Anyway,” he sighed. “Guess it’s time to warm up.”
Tad nodded, joining him to kick things off with a couple dozen shoulder shrugs. Neither one really said much at first. Tad was still reeling from what the dude had said. Obviously, Scott had been talking about himself when he’d mentioned that physical trainer. And obviously his admission about Tad had held a double meaning. If he’d really meant it. Considering some of the past things he’d said, Tad could almost believe it. Unless it’d just been the dude’s dick talking. Which was entirely possible. After all, nearly all of Scott’s sentiments had been divulged during sex. And God knows not much lucidity is going on upstairs when the party’s in full swing below.
Truth be told, this wasn’t the first time he’d wondered about the guy’s sincerity. More times than not, he’d laid in bed contemplating these very things. But ultimately he’d always written them off as weightless, unanchored notions tossed about on a sea of lust. Impassioned pillow talk and nothing more.
But now… Tad wasn’t so sure. Thing was, if a strange mutual attraction really was going on, it meant something more than physical was starting to take shape. And that shit was a serious game changer. Hell, he was still trying to come to terms with how bad he loved getting it on with the guy. He wasn’t sure he could handle much more.
“Air jabs,” Scott prompted, pulling him from his musings.
Which was exactly what Tad needed to refocus. For the next couple minutes, they ducked and dodged, swapping playful punches. And geez, was Scott one fast motherfucker. If they’d been in the ring taking real hits, Tad would’ve been down for the count. He had a feeling Scott didn’t do TKO’s. He just seemed like an all-or-nothing kind of guy. Which made Tad wonder how formidable he’d be if they took their shit to the mats. Had Scott ever wrestled for sport like Tad? God, how he’d love to pin that fucker down.
Trying to dodge another jab, Tad misjudged and ended up turning into it instead. “Shit,” he laughed, cradling his side. “Is that the Rocky anthem I hear in the background?”
Scott laughed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Nope, but if you don’t start paying attention it’ll be me you hear… ringing your bell.”
Tad’s brows shot up. “I do believe those are fighting words.”
Scott grinned wickedly, then rushed him, yanking him into a chokehold before Tad knew what happened. “Just keeping it real,” he chuckled against Tad’s ear.
Laughing, Tad flipped him off. “Asshole.”
Scott snickered and shoved him away. “Push up time. I’ll race you to twenty.”
And just like that, they were down on the ground, battling it out for first. Surprisingly, Tad nearly tied the guy. Which, what do you know, earned him another killer smile. Not a bad prize for second.
Back on their feet, Scott motioned to the bench. “Time to earn that meal.”
Tad shot him an amused look, then headed to stand at the head of the press. Not that he’d be needed right away. Most likely Scott would start off light and work his way to heavier. But Tad didn’t care. It was too good an opportunity for one hell of a view.
Fluidly, Scott eased down onto his back, his big body shifting atop the bench. “Gonna do a set of one eighty,” he stated, his strong hands situating their grip around the bar. “Then two sets of two-fifty. So, hang tight until I get to my max.”
“Sounds good,” Tad murmured, gazing down Scott’s tan body. God damn. The guy was a flesh and muscle wonderland. So many swells and dips and valleys. His eyes roamed over his thick pectorals, lingering to appreciate their tiny nippled-peaks. The color of cherries mixed with chocolate. He doubted they tasted as good, but suddenly had the urge to check.
What. The. Fuck.
Bracing to begin, Scott paused to look up at him. Their gazes locked and held rock steady, neither one looking away. God, it felt like Scott was trying to tell him something, speaking with his eyes, though, instead ofwords.
Tad’s insides turned all restless and hot. Fuck, how could one man’s stare do that? Swallowing, he crossed his arms and took step back.
Scott exhaled and looked away, as if mentally shifting gears. Without a word, he got to work. And didn’t he make one-eighty look like a walk in the park. The next round didn’t seem much harder. Tad groaned, less than anxious to follow in the wake of Superman’s shadow.
Scott clanked the barbell onto its rack, breathing deep and hard. “Alright, Tad. Set me up.”
Tad shook his head in awe, loading the bar to three-twenty. “Damn, dude,” he chuckled. “Are you even human? Seriously. Make me feel better and say you’re from Krypton.”
Scott barked out a laugh, then quickly sobered and sternly pointed up at him. “Do not say shit like that when I’m trying to lift. You’ll end up killing my ass.” Tad lifted an impish brow and grinned. Scott laughed again. “And don’t look at me like that, either.” He diverted his eyes and shook his head. “Come to think of it, I’m just gonna block you out.”
Lips twitching, Tad secured the plates. “Alright, Kal-El. Tear it up.”
Scott’s big hands clamped back into place. Breathing in a lungful, he exhaled hard. “Okay. Give me a lift off, spotter boy.”
Tad grunted, helping him heft the heavy load up onto locked elbows. Captivated, he watched the dude go, muscles and tendons straining. With this massive charge, Scott would only be tackling two sets of eight.
And just as he’d said he would, Scott kept his eyes off Tad. Which, yeah, was probably smart. The dude didn’t need to get distracted in the event Tad’s gaze started wandering. Wandering to places like Scott’s smooth, bulging chest, or his sick stretch of washboard abs. Tad suddenly wanted to palm the things, feel them dancing beneath his hand.
His eyes roamed further to another bulging mound. Even concealed beneath Scott’s shorts, its size was still impressive. Envy worthy and shit
. Tad inwardly shook his head. Twice he’d had sex with the guy and still hadn’t seen his dick. One thing he knew, though, without a doubt was that the fucker was freaking huge. Tad’s ass could totally attest to that, had “attested” to it for a week the last time they’d gotten together.
“Eight,” Scott grit out, finishing the set.
Tad blinked away his thoughts and helped set the heavy burden back on its rack. Scott chest was heaving, his face flushed from exertion. Tad smirked down at him. “You look kinda winded. You sure you’re up for another round? ‘Cause if you’re just trying to show off—”
Scott laughed. “Seriously, Tad. Don’t fucking speak.”
Tad grinned with a shrug, giving him a chance to catch his breath. Sixty seconds later and he was motioning the thing back. Tad handed it over, forcing himself to be more alert. His boy was counting on him to keep him safe.
But holy hell, the sounds… the sounds Scott started to make. Tad’s jaw went slack even as he willed his mind to stay connected. They were just so… incredibly hot. Why had he never noticed that shit at the gym? Surely other dudes groaned and grunted while they lifted. Shit, he knew for a fact that Jay was one noisy fucker. But never did his best friend ever sound like this. Then again, he had no idea how Jay sounded during sex. But he did with Scott. And the noises the guy was making now sounded way too similar. Hell, if Tad were to close his eyes, he bet he could—
“Seven,” Scott bit out, making him jerk.
Fuck, he hadn’t meant to get distracted, again. The dude’s feet shifted restlessly as he made one last go. He was at critical, his body just a heartbeat away from defeat. Veins protruded as the tendons in his neck stood out like stark reliefs. Tad marveled at every straining masculine inch of him. The man was gorgeous, so fierce in his element. Which was inspiring as shit… and arousing as hell. Tad’s half-hard dick stiffened even more.
Perfect fucking timing.
After all, it was nearly his turn to be spread out on that bench—at this rate, with a boner on display. He scowled, adjusting his junk, just as Scott’s arms started viciously trembling. Tad gripped the barbell, ready if needed. But as the guy let out a shout and gave that final push, Tad knew he had it covered.
Chest heaving, Scott groaned and slowly sat up. Tad watched him silently, taking in the guy’s broad back. He’d never seen a guy bench that much in person.
Scott leaned forward and braced his hands on his knees. “Shit,” he panted. “That felt… fucking great.”
“Masochist,” Tad drawled, walking out from behind the bench.
Scott met his eyes and chuckled. “You have no idea.”
Again, Tad lifted a brow. “Do I even wanna know?”
“Probably not.” Standing, he gave Tad a halfhearted shove. “You’re turn.”
Tad smirked, even as he inwardly willed his cock into submission. Thankfully it complied. As it were, he was already facing one serious hit to his ego. Because up until now, he’d always been pretty evenly matched with those he worked out with. Hell, out of all his friends, only Breck could bench more than him. Scott, however, put Tad to shame. But, like the gentleman the guy was, he kept his teasing to a minimum. Mainly he just offered advice.
“Squeeze your lats when you lift. Don’t make your shoulders do so much work.”
Tad grunted, shoving his shoulder blades together. Sure enough, it helped direct the job back to his pecs.
“Keep a slight arch to your lower back.”
Complying, the bulk of Tad’s load once again returned to his chest. All the while, he could feel Scott’s lazy gaze, moving like a heat wave along his body. It was unnerving as hell, but also fucking hot, making his cock purr happily beneath his shorts. Thank God he was almost done. Much longer under Scott’s sultry stare and he’d be sporting a serious tent.
Down to his final rep, Tad let out a snarl, every muscle in his upper body screaming for reprieve. His arms trembled and his jaw clenched tight.
Above him, Scott grinned. “Go big or go home, baby.”
Tad growled, then ground out a strenuous curse, shoving two-fifty back onto wobbly locked elbows. Scott grabbed the bar to steady it, his warm hands brushing Tad’s as they eased the thing back onto its rack. And thank fuck for his help, because the second their fingers touched, Tad’s focus completely derailed. Evidently, “contact tingles” racing up one’s arms will do that to a guy.
Panting hard, he stared up at his tormentor. “I should kick your ass… for making me do those… two extra sets.”
Scott snickered down at him. “Did you really expect anything less?”
Tad’s lips twitched. “A guy can dream.”
“Not around me, he can’t,” Scott chuckled. “Pushing is what I do.”
Yeah, Tad couldn’t argue that one. Hell, he’d just as soon celebrate the fact. The last time they’d hung out, when Scott had “pushed” him to his limits, Tad had experienced one serious mind-out-of-body experience. No, seriously. He’d come so hard he’d nearly blown his brains out.
As Tad joined the punkass for some dumbbell presses, neither guy really said much at first. Maybe Scott was thinking about their last throw down, too. Or contemplating another way to “test Tad’s endurance.” Again, a guy could dream.
Shaking his head, Tad switched to dumbbell pull-overs. Scott piped up a few minutes later with more random weightlifting pointers. The guy’s endless insight and outside-the-box thinking was seriously impressive. Clearly, he was packing as much brains as brawn. And surprisingly, Tad found that sexier than fuck.
That and the big guy’s impromptu wit. Shifting to bicep curls, they bantered like champs, at times laughing so hard they nearly dropped their weights. Which meant shit was getting dangerous. Someone could break a toe. So, they wised up and chilled out and got back to business, which gave Tad a chance to ask Scott some questions.
“So,” he asked with a lift of his chin, “how’d you wind up a personal trainer?”
Scott paused, then shrugged, his smile swiftly fading. “Um… a few years back Max convinced me to take some courses.” His gaze dropped down to his dumbbell. “I liked it, so I decided to get certified. After, I landed a job training at the gym.” He inhaled deep. “And since working there gave me free access to the facility, I spent a lot of my down time lifting weights. Before long I’d nearly doubled my size. My strength.” His lips curved back up. “The self-confidence was… God… like a drug.” He seemed to get a bit lost in thought, his smile fading a second time.
Tad watched him curiously. “So like any dutiful drug user,” he prompted, “you moved on to more hard core shit. I’m assuming that’s where kick boxing came into play?”
Scott glanced up at him. “Yeah,” he nodded, chuckling. “The gym offered a bunch of martial arts classes, and from the get go, they’d always fascinated me. Self-defense to that extreme? What an incredible ability to have.” He looked back down at the weights in his hand, curling them up to his bulging bicep.
Tad regarded him quietly. Something about what he’d said wasn’t sitting right. Or maybe it was how he’d said it.
“Anyway,” Scott continued, clearing his throat. “I decided to give it a try. And man, was it liberating.” He smiled almost wistfully. “Needless to say, I fell in love, especially with kickboxing. So, I decided to try my hand at teaching that, too.” He stood up and started a set of squats, shooting a smile Tad’s way. “You should come to one of my classes.”
“What, so you can kick my ass in public?” Tad laughed. “Sounds like a blast.”
Scott’s expression turned utterly smug. “I’d be kicking a lot more than just your ass.”
“Sweetening the pot again, I see. How could I possibly resist.”
“It’s okay if you could,” Scott smirked with a shrug. “A little bit of resistance is always fun.”
Tad coughed out a laugh. “Says the one not doing the resisting.”
A couple sets later, Scott let his dumbbells clang to the floor. The sheen off his sk
in reflected the lights above, his thighs—hell, his whole damn body—looking downright huge. Like a big-ass, indestructible giant. So, why did Tad suddenly have the urge to tackle him? Death wish or some shit? Seemed his desire to know if he could take the guy was growing increasingly stronger, the prospect of pinning Scott down on the ground, a heady fucking thing. It made him twitchy, wanting to pounce.
Shelving his weights, Tad stifled the thought and swiped up his bottle of water. Their workout was over, but it wasn’t that late, even with his job in the morning. And honestly, he didn’t want to leave.
He glanced over at Scott, watching him towel off his torso. He was still flushed from exertion, and the hint of fatigue blanketing his demeanor made him somehow even more handsome. A kind of beautiful vulnerability.
Scott must have sensed him staring, because he suddenly glanced over and met Tad’s gaze. And just like always, Tad couldn’t look away. Scott grinned, tossed his towel, and sauntered over. Coming to a stop just a scant foot away, he tipped his head toward the bathroom.
“Grab a shower and hang out?”
Tad scratched his cheek and glanced at his watch, not wanting to seem too eager. “Um. Okay. I’ve got some time.”
Scott’s killer smile shot straight to his eyes. “Awesome. I’ll grab one upstairs and meet you back in ten.”
Tad’s lips curved of their own volition. He couldn’t help it. The dude’s blatant “happy” was just so contagious. “Okay,” he nodded, swiping up his bag. “But you better have fucking beer.”
Exiting the shower, Tad headed back into the gym, toweling off his head. Scott rejoined him not long after, freshly clothed and hair still damp. Again, he looked good enough to tackle, except for his wary expression. Tad stilled, eyeing him as he made his way over. “Wow. What’s with the face?”
Scott winced a little and rubbed his nape. “Um… possibly a slight change of plans.”
Tad frowned. “Change of plans? What, you can’t hang out?”
Scott shook his head. “No, no. Nothing like that.” He glanced away and then looked back, his countenance turning a bit sheepish. “Max intercepted me on the way down here. Asked me what I had planned for tonight. I told him you and me were gonna chill now that we’re done working out.”
