*
The faces of all the people he’d known since starting down this path, blurred before Brian’s eyes. He knew it was the adrenaline pumping through his veins causing his inability to focus on any of them. With the exception of one glaring detail—Terry wasn’t among them. His smile didn’t dissipate. If there was one person in the world Brian could count on, it was Terry. Brian knew it in his gut. Wherever Terry had run off to, he’d find him. He hurried through the handshakes and congratulations in his rush to start his search. McKenna caught his eye and a silent message passed between them. In a dramatic move worthy of an Oscar, she slapped her hand to her forehead and swayed slightly, drawing everyone’s attention her way.
“Whoa. I think I’ve had a bit too much excitement.”
Brian could tell by the way Kurt’s eyes flashed with humor that he saw right through McKenna’s performance. Luckily, he didn’t give her away and he seemed to be the only one. Not that Brian intended to give any of them time to think about it for long.
“You all should go. I still have a ton of shit to do before I can leave here.”
Turning his face away from the others, Kurt visibly bit back a smile before he spoke. “We hate running out on you, but McKenna has been on her feet quite a bit today.” At her husband’s words, McKenna stroked his forearm as if silently praising him for standing by her story.
“Think nothing of it,” Brian reassured him with a grateful smile. After a quick round of goodbyes, Brian rushed for the back of the building. The cool air of the dressing room hit his skin. He barely registered the drop in temperature with the adrenaline pouring through his veins. Tilting his chin, Brian glanced around the room with new eyes, dragging a deep breath into his lungs. He was a winner again. A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He wasn’t surprised to see Terry leaning against the counter beside the sink with one ankle crossed over the other and his arms overlapping his chest. Brian did his best not to draw notice to his actions as he snapped the lock in place behind his back. With that detail out of the way, he crossed the room. Terry didn’t straighten from his relaxed pose until Brian was standing a foot away.
“I wondered where you’d disappeared to.”
One corner of Terry’s mouth turned upward. Brian focused on it. He always found the man’s tiny smirk more desirable than the brightest of smiles from anyone else. “You didn’t need me out there.”
At the bullshit statement, Brian’s gaze shifted. He held Terry’s stare, hoping he would see the honesty behind his words. “I always need you.”
“Nah. You had this in you all along. You would’ve eventually found it with or without me.”
Brian shook his head. “That right there proves you’re not really hearing me. You are necessary to me.” Terry’s lips parted in surprise but he didn’t respond. Brian wasn’t sure why he was determined to push things. Perhaps he was merely riding the high of his win. The only thing he knew for sure was he couldn’t let Terry walk away from him tonight. Terry’s usual mocking smile fell back into place.
“You’re probably ready to get out of here and celebrate. I wanted to offer my congratulations before you disappeared.” With his compliments out of the way, Terry started past Brian, making for the door. Brian had an epiphany. All the things he’d feared, Terry had the same concerns. He didn’t think Brian was truly interested in him. What an idiot.
He stepped into Terry’s path, blocking him from leaving. One of Terry’s eyebrows lifted in question. Brian was through talking, finished playing. Snagging Terry by the back of his neck, Brian hauled him forward. A small part of him still expected rejection. It didn’t happen. He’d also considered the possibility he might fall on Terry like a starving dog by the time he finally got the chance to taste him. Instead, a sense of peace settled over him the second their lips met. Emotion bloomed from the center of his chest, stealing his breath as Terry’s tongue touched his. The moment it did, a second wave of knowledge overcame Brian. They’d been here before. The erotic dream that had been haunting him since the night he’d passed out from drinking too much at Terry’s house wasn’t a dream at all.
Taking a step forward, he backed Terry against the counter’s edge, trapping him. He’d escaped him once. Tonight, Brian was stone-cold sober. It wouldn’t happen twice. Brian poured every ounce of skill he possessed into the kiss. When Terry moved to pull away, Brian followed, holding Terry’s bottom lip between his for a moment longer before allowing Terry a bit of space. Terry held tight to Brian’s waist as if incapable of completely letting the moment go. With his eyes closed and lips slightly parted, he visibly struggled for air. His flushed face and kiss-swollen mouth created the sexiest image Brian had ever seen. It did something to his stomach. His lids lifted. Brian’s groin tightened. Lust mixed with something more shined out at him from Terry’s gaze.
“I don’t care to be just another part of your adrenaline rush.”
“I don’t want anyone else to be,” Brian admitted. “There hasn’t been anyone else since I set eyes on you in that hospital room. That’s the biggest reason I didn’t aspire to be your side project, a fixer-upper. I need you to see something more when you look at me.”
Terry’s eyes fell closed again for a moment before reopening. “I can’t lie. Part of it was about fixing you.”
His admission hurt more than Brian would’ve expected, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t enough to make him back down. He’d wanted Terry for too long.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Terry added, sounding desperate. “My goal was to help you regain your dream. It wasn’t because you’re some sad case who needs me. I needed you.” His grip tightened at Brian’s waist. “From the instant we met, you’ve been in my head.” A smirk twisted his lips as he added, “Writhing and moaning beneath me.”
Brian’s cock lengthened, aching with need.
Terry’s gaze dropped to Brian’s mouth. “I’ve done things to you in my mind…” He paused, leaving Brian to guess what those things were. He had some ideas. He wanted to do them now. Then Terry’s lids lifted and light-green eyes shining brighter than before stared at him with an intensity he’d never experienced. Every thought left his head with one look from Terry. “The thing is,” Terry continued, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. “I’ve done things to you with my heart I didn’t expect.”
Brian held his breath, praying Terry wouldn’t stop. Terry seemed to have the same reaction. He’d gone completely still in Brian’s arms as if he feared his rejection. Recognizing the man expected him to make the next move, Brian cupped Terry’s face between his hands, forcing Terry to hold his gaze. He slowly lowered his head, drawing out the moment. Pausing an inch from Terry’s lips, Brian gave him the power to destroy him. “I love you.” Terry closed the distance between them.
Wasting no time, Brian went straight for the button of Terry’s jeans, freeing his erection. Tearing his mouth away, he sucked a deep breath in through his nose. As the silky skin brushed along his palm, he could almost feel Terry’s gratification. He’d been waiting for so long to have him it was almost as if the pleasure was his. Without bothering to push his jeans past his hips, Brian went down on his knees. Skipping all niceties, he wrapped his lips around Terry’s dick, growling as the man’s flavor coated his tongue. Terry’s knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of the counter behind him, as if his knees would no longer fully support him. Closing his eyes against the sight, Brian opened his jaw wide, taking Terry to the back of his throat.
“Holy. Jesus. Fuck.” Terry seemed to scramble for words as Brian hollowed out his cheeks. He was still too coherent as far as Brian was concerned. He wanted him incapable of speech. The thrumming of his own cock pushed against the waistband of his shorts, attempting escape. He ignored it. Right now, all Brian needed was everything Terry had to give. His pulse beat inside his ears from the force of the excitement racing through his veins. Male salt danced on his taste buds. His throat burned from the pounding of Terry’s dick.
>
Even as Terry’s ragged breathing filled the air, he snagged Brian beneath the arms, hauling him to his feet before he could finish the job. The man’s tongue filled his mouth. He was everywhere. Brian’s shorts loosened beneath Terry’s touch. His cock cheered at the freedom. When Terry’s hand closed around his erection, Brian swore stars exploded behind his closed lids. Terry’s mouth moved to his jawline. He spoke against Brian’s skin as he palmed him.
“There’s a condom in my wallet. Get it.” Brian fumbled to do as he bade. When he had it, Terry squeezed his cock, almost causing him to orgasm right then. “Put it on,” Terry ordered, pushing his jeans down his hips as Brian moved to do as told. Terry’s eyes seemed to flash even brighter than usual as he watched Brian with hooded lids. “I’ve been fantasizing about you fucking me for months now.” The confession caused Brian’s hands to tremble as he suited up. “Do it now.”
At Terry’s command, everything seemed to slow. Brian’s breathing steadied. Being with Terry was right. The rushing panic to have him quickly, before the chance slipped him by, fell away. The world steadied. This man desired him every bit as badly as Brian wanted him. The knowledge was freeing. It allowed him to plan his next move methodically. The moment Terry kicked free of his clothing, Brian struck. Snagging the man’s hips, he urged him higher. Holding one of Terry’s legs to his side, he probed the entrance of Terry’s ass. With nothing except a condom at his disposal, there was no way to make things easier. He tried going slow. The dazed expression Terry wore made it impossible. Easing inside an inch, Brian immediately retreated before returning. This time he went an inch deeper. Terry fisted his own cock and Brian dropped his chin to watch. The sight was so erotic, he couldn’t hold back any longer. Without warning, he surged upward, impaling Terry. A moan came from deep within the man’s chest. The sound caused Brian’s balls to draw up tight. Long weeks of unfulfilled desire rose to the forefront, punching Brian in the gut. A combination of the vision of his cock pumping inside Terry and the sounds of his sighs had an orgasm rising to the tip of his dick.
A cry ripped from Terry’s throat as a jet of semen landed across his abs. It was too much for Brian. An orgasm tore through his body, rocking his world. He locked his knees against the sensation. Waves of pleasure continued rolling down his spine, making him weak. In the midst of his release, he seized Terry’s mouth, frantic to taste his tongue. Terry possessed the ability to leave him desperate, frenzied…feverish. Nobody got to him the way this man did. There weren’t enough hours in the day, too few minutes. He wanted every single breath leaving the man’s lips to belong to him. Owning him wouldn’t be enough. Terry made him half-insane. Nothing else could describe the emotions he evoked.
“We need to get out of here,” Terry said as soon as Brian gave him enough room to do so. “To my bed, preferably,” he added.
“Agreed,” Brian said, surprised at how ragged his voice sounded. “We have some time to make up for.”
Chapter Five
July
Straightening out the weights and ensuring each one was in its proper place at No Rival was part of his job. The guys at No Rival were notorious for never putting anything back in the right spot. It was job security, Brian reminded himself for the thousandth time as he made sure each one lined up perfectly. But the chore would never be the same after last night. The weight bench in Terry’s basement would never be the same again. A smile pulled at the corners of Brian’s mouth at the thought. From now on, he expected he wouldn’t be able to set eyes on that particular piece of exercise equipment without getting hard.
An image of Terry’s determined expression as he’d urged Brian toward the bench, flashed across his mind, reminding Brian of the biggest reason why he couldn’t get enough. With one look, Terry could make him feel as if he was the only man in the world. It was addictive. The past six weeks with Terry had been like something out of a dream. Even when they were apart, Terry was right there at the forefront of all of his thoughts. A warm weight landed on Brian’s shoulder, pulling him from his daydream. Drew was staring at him with raised eyebrows.
“I said your name three times.”
Brian hadn’t heard a thing. “Sorry. I was…” He didn’t know how to finish that sentence.
“Working,” Drew supplied, taking mercy on him.
“Sure,” Brian agreed thankful for any excuse other than the truth. “Did you need something?”
Drew nodded. “Can I see you in my office for a minute?” He didn’t wait for an answer before heading in that direction. Brian’s mind raced as he silently followed. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done wrong. Even though Brian had seen Drew chatting endlessly with Rhys, he rarely spoke to Brian. It wasn’t that he was unfriendly, merely professional. If Brian was being honest, he didn’t tend to invite conversation with anyone at No Rival on a regular basis so Drew wasn’t much of an exception.
As Brian claimed the seat on the opposite side of the desk, Drew leaned back in his chair and linked his fingers behind his head. Brian held his silence, doing his best to keep his expression blank as Drew assessed him with his eyes.
“You’ve been winning a lot of matches lately.” Brian nodded even though it had been a rhetorical question. “I know at one time, you’d hoped to go after the middleweight title. Do you have your sights set on it again?”
It was the moment he’d been dreading. No Rival acted as the current champion’s sponsor, leaving Brian unsure of what Drew’s reaction would be to one of his employees attempting to dethrone him. Shoring up his courage, Brian nodded. “Looks that way.”
Drew spent a moment eyeing him as if attempting to judge how serious he was about the matter. “You do realize Rhys spent months on the road, touring until he earned the right to challenge Terry for the spot, right?”
“I’m aware.”
At his answer, Drew sat forward. “All right then. I’ve drawn up a game plan for you. This is a list of more experienced fighters who are closer to being able to issue a challenge than you are at the moment.” He moved some papers around. “There’s also a list of venues around the country where matches are being held over the next four months. It’s easier to balance training and competing if you fly into the town where the bout is scheduled, train locally and then fly to the next stop the day after each one.”
As Drew continued laying out the plans for Brian, he sat in a stunned silence. There was no way he could have done all this research on his own. He never expected Drew would set things up for him. Swallowing down his surprise, Brian forced himself to pay attention.
“What I’m talking about here is an exhausting, grueling schedule. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re serious, then this is the way. Local bouts are awesome for local exposure, but that’s all.”
“I understand,” Brian said, feeling numb.
“Okay. You should take this shit home and maybe talk it over with Terry since he’s your trainer, before making a final decision.” At the mention of Terry’s name, Brian recognized the biggest flaw in his grand plan. He’d be leaving him behind. His excitement warred with his disappointment. In the end, he knew Terry would expect him to go. He couldn’t believe it. Everything he’d dreamed of having was within reach.
* * * * *
Since Brian wasn’t an overly talkative person by nature, it took Terry all of two minutes after picking him up to realize he was bursting with enthusiasm. It was either that or he’d gone on a caffeine binge. He was certain the man had recited every detail of his day, including the parts where Terry had been present. By the time he finally got down to the reason for the exhilaration, Terry was ready to set a block on his head to keep him for levitating out of his seat. He was definitely searching his mind for the location of a sturdy roll of duct tape. Having tuned Brian out a bit, it took him a minute to realize he was explaining a countrywide schedule of matches Drew had arranged.
“Drew says if I can survive the four month tour with a seventy-five percent win ratio then I can ch
allenge Rhys for the title.”
Brian’s hands moved in quick motions as he spoke, proving how excited he was by the prospect. This was what he wanted, Terry reminded himself, keeping his smile in place.
“That’s really amazing. You’re going straight to the top,” Terry assured him. He switched lanes, turning right on Freeman Avenue and in the opposite direction of Warehouse District. “When do you plan to accept?”
The air seemed to change in the truck and Brian fell silent for a moment before answering. “There’s more to it than I realized. I have an apartment and bills. I mean, I don’t even know what I would do with my car while I was gone.” Out of the corner of his eye, Terry saw him shrug. “It’s a lot to think about.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You can’t be serious. This is what you’ve been working toward.”
Brian groaned. “I know, but I have to be realistic.”
“How long do you have until the first fight?”
“Two weeks,” Brian answered, sounding disheartened.
Terry tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, turning the problem over in his mind. He couldn’t believe Brian would consider turning down such an offer. It wasn’t happening. This was what Brian wanted and he would get it. “Let the apartment go,” he said, coming to a decision. “There’s enough room in my garage for another car and I’m sure we find a spot for the rest of your things at my place.”
“I can’t ask you do that.”
Terry pointed out the obvious. “You didn’t.”
“Still,” Brian said, sounding unsure.
He was blown away that Brian was still arguing. “Do you want this?”
“You know I do.”
“Then what’ll it hurt? Think about it. If the shoe was on the other foot, would you do the same for me?”
Brian didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely.”
“Then I don’t understand the problem.”
Brian sputtered for a moment, obviously searching for a loophole. “You asked me to switch places with you. Now, it’s your turn. If it was you, would you accept this offer?”
Unattainable (No Rival Book 5) Page 5
