Page 19

DAMIEN

THE NEXT DAY

T here was no one in the school gym when I arrived at six a.m. During the regular semester it was packed, and because of that, I tended to choose late evenings for my workouts.

In the summer, however, the place was a ghost walk.

And mornings were my preference, since exercising early always started the day right.

Hitting the weights forced me to focus on my body and to forget about work for a while.

Inevitably, afterwards, I always gained clarity to whatever puzzle or problem I was dealing with at the time.

And like any former pro athlete, I was used to the routine.

Working out was as necessary to me as eating right and drinking plenty of water.

And I needed a workout today more than ever.

I couldn’t stop replaying my conversation with Silas. Fuck, I’d told him things I didn’t even talk about with Dave, who I considered my closest friend here in Sutton. What was up with that?

After Silas left the pub, I finished my dinner, alone, and headed back home, alone.

I was too caught up in my head to try and attempt to make a connection with anyone in that bar.

Not that I was giving up. But I didn’t know what to do with these intense feelings for a man that I could never have.

A man so far out of my league we were playing in different games.

Doing my best to put last night aside, I warmed up on the treadmill, a brisk twenty-minute walk, and then headed around the corner for the weight machines. First up was a couple of sets on the chest press, then I focused on my legs. After that, I did a few reps of seated cable row.

I was halfway through my second set of reps when I heard a door open.

I paused momentarily, distracted by the sound, then continued with my workout.

There was the familiar beep and whirl of a treadmill starting; someone was warming up.

I kept going with my reps, until sweat trickled down my face and neck, and my muscles began to burn.

I knew not to push it too far with my right leg, though.

There was a fine balance between staying flexible and risking another injury.

I finished my set and reached for my towel, swiping my face. The echo of footsteps getting closer meant my solo time in the gym was done.

When I dropped the towel on my lap and looked up, there was Silas sitting on the rowing machine opposite me.

He was wearing tight black shorts, all those stunning tattoos across his chest and arms on display, his hair tied up in that messy bun that was my new obsession.

I wondered if his hair was as soft as it looked and how it would feel against my skin.

Shit. Was I hallucinating or was he looking back at me with the same intent?

And why was it that everywhere I looked lately, there he was?

I’d spent months seeing him at practice and games but now everything felt different.

It was getting harder to keep any distance between us.

My professional line was already way past gone.

“Hey,” I managed to whisper, my voice cracking.

Jesus, I sounded like a nervous teenager with a first crush.

He glanced at me and his expression turned wary. “I can come back later if you prefer?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I replied and reached for my water bottle. “I’m halfway done anyway.”

“Early riser?”

“Always. My mind spins twenty-four-seven. You?”

“Same.”

I nodded and swallowed hard at the sight of him.

Normally, I saw Silas when he was padded up, on the ice.

Or in a suit for game day. All he had on now were those thin shorts, exposing long, hard thighs lightly dusted with blond hair.

My formerly slumbering libido was wide awake and into this view.

My eyes roamed over his chest, lower, and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh when I saw the word he had tattooed across his taut abs.

“Ruthless?” I stated with a raised eyebrow.

“Fucking right,” he stated with a wicked grin.

Suddenly, I was back in that bar, wanting to see that smile and more. Wanting to talk to him again. And wanting to know more about him but also, seriously unprepared for what was going on between us.

Get up and walk out of here. Do the right thing.

“I don’t see you that way,” I confessed.

Silas shrugged, placed his feet in the pedals, and reached for the handlebar on the machine. “It’s a reminder to never give up. Not on my family or myself. And that I’d do anything for them.”

“Anything?”

“Yep.”

I admired his tenacity and loyalty more than I cared to admit.

But it was more than admiration; his drive turned me on.

Just like when it came to hockey, a lot of people talked a good game, but very few could play it.

And some would argue that responsibility wasn’t sexy, and when I was younger, I probably thought that way too.

But now? A person who kept their word and gave their all for the ones they cared about?

Who never gave up? It was the most attractive thing ever. I liked it. A lot.

What was worse? I liked him. More.

“Why the rowing machine?” I asked, curious.

“Full body workout,” Silas replied as he began to glide back and forth, his biceps straining with every pull.

“Plus, there’s a competition in the works with the Sutton Crew come September.

We’ve agreed to a soccer match, but I have a feeling they’ll convince us to get in those tiny fucking boats they use.

And I want to be prepared to kick their ass at their own game. ”

I chuckled at his competitive comment. “Ruthless indeed.”

“Fuck, yeah.” He panted as he moved faster. “You good? You need me to spot you?”

“I don’t want to interrupt your workout,” I replied and took a sip from my water bottle. “Maybe in a bit.”

“Once I’m done on this machine, I’m all yours.”

Mine? I nearly spewed my mouthful of water all over the floor.

Imagining Silas standing beside me in nothing but those indecent shorts had my blood pressure spiking to dangerous levels.

I downed another sip of water and wiped my face again.

Instead of standing there like an idiot, gawking at him, I finished my reps and moved on to another machine, determined to ignore him and my crazy reaction.

It was a lot more difficult than I thought. Being in a gym with a hot guy was never a problem before. In fact, I was always so intent on getting my routine done that I didn’t notice anyone else, man or woman.

God, how much had changed.

Silas’s stamina was something to watch, and dirty images of him doing a much different kind of workout bombarded me.

My face flushed, but thankfully, I could blame it on the exercise.

I willed myself not to get a boner and headed for a nearby bench to do chest presses.

That didn’t help matters at all. I was still too close to Silas, so close that I could hear him grunting.

Did he sound like that when he was fucking?

Would he scream or moan? Then I was hit by the scent of his sweat and bodywash.

He didn’t smell like fancy cologne, and I was a fan. Would he taste as good as he smelled?

I shoved my face in the towel again and used it like a paper bag, breathing in and out slowly to try and calm myself down.

“Are you okay?” he asked me.

I slowly dropped the towel only to find him standing directly in front of me, his crotch in my line of sight. The bulge in his shorts had all my attention. I licked my lips and tried to speak but I couldn’t make a sound.

“Damien?” he repeated.

A shiver wracked my body when Silas called me by my first name. Why him? Of all the goddamn people in this town, why did it have to be one of my students?

Instead of staying where he was, he quickly rounded the machine to stand beside me and that didn’t help matters at all.

Finally, my tongue cooperated. “I’m fine. I needed a break to catch my breath.”

“You shouldn’t be in the gym by yourself, especially when you’re doing bench presses. That’s dangerous.”

No, dangerous was being in the same room as this man.

“I know. I wasn’t thinking.”

No shit. The only part of me in working order right now was my dick.

Silas crouched down, and eye to eye, he was far too close.

“Lie down,” he demanded.

“What?”

“I said, lie down.” When I didn’t move, he let out a chuckle, the sound low and deep. My gut told me he knew exactly where my mind was at. “On the bench. I’ll spot you.”

“Oh. Right. Yes.”

He walked around to stand behind me and that wasn’t any better. I could feel his body heat and prayed that I’d get through this next set without making a fool of myself.

I stretched out on the bench and reached for the weighted bar. I did several reps, pushing up and lowering slowly, trying to focus on my breathing, which was way too fast. I’d lifted a lot heavier, but every rep had my arms shaking and my lungs seizing up.

“One more set and then break,” Silas murmured.

I completed my set and he helped me secure the bar back in its resting place, his fingers accidentally brushing mine.

There was no mistaking the shock of desire that ran down my arms and lit up the rest of my body, or the way his brown eyes widened.

He stepped back and I felt the loss like I’d been stung.

“You need water,” he added, his voice hoarse. “You’re flushed and your breathing’s too fast.”

He’d noticed? Of course he did.

“Maybe I’m coming down with something,” I replied.

Yeah, this former fuckboy, now coach turned monk, was suddenly feverish for dick. Not just any dick. Silas’s. This had disaster written all over it, and yet I felt so fucking alive. For the first time in forever.

Silas stalked around the machine and bent over to pick up his water bottle, and I nearly lost it.

First, he’d tempted me with the frontal view, which was spectacular, and now the back view, which was even hotter.

His high, round ass in those thin nylon shorts was downright sinful and so was the raging hard-on that I was now sporting.

I leaned forward to try and cover it up, bracketing my forearms on my thighs.

Those shorts of his left nothing to the imagination.

Did they need to be that tight? Did he always walk around here like that?

He must’ve had everyone in the gym lusting after him.

No kidding. He’s twenty-two. Think of all the guys he must draw.

Guys that were younger and sexier than me.

I shoved the towel in my face again and this time, bit down on it.

“Can you return the favor?” he asked.

I looked up so fast that my neck made a popping sound.

“What?”

“Can you spot me?”

“Oh, sure, give me a sec to hydrate.”

I made a show of gulping down more water when in reality, I was buying time so my erection would go away. While Silas added more weight to the bar, I took a few deep breaths. After a minute, my problem deflated, and I slowly got up. Silas took my place, sitting on the bench.

“Wait, I forgot to wipe it down,” I insisted, and offered my towel.

Silas shook his head and leaned back, grinning at me. “I don’t mind your sweat at all.”

Wait, what? Was he flirting with me?

“I broke one of the cardinal rules of the gym,” I muttered.

“Come on, Damien, you and I both know that some rules are meant to be broken.”

I stared down at him, and my breath caught when I saw the heated interest in his eyes. No, that couldn’t be right. I was imagining things.

Suddenly nervous, I licked my lips.

“How was the rest of your night?” Silas asked me.

I was too preoccupied by the sight of him laid out before me like an offering to answer right away.

“Um, it was uneventful. I finished dinner and headed home. You?”

“Same. Me and Jo stuffed our faces, and he crashed out. But I didn’t sleep well.”

“Why? What’s going on?” I asked, concerned.

“I’m distracted,” he admitted. “By a guy. Can’t get him out of my head.”

Oh. Oh. I didn’t want to hear about this.

“A student in one of your classes?”

That was my pathetic attempt at finding out who Silas was crushing on. Instead of waiting for his answer, I walked around to stand behind the machine, trying to get some distance between us.

“No.”

I swallowed hard and tried to calm my racing heart, but it was no use.

“Someone you work with at the tattoo shop?” I suggested.

Silas reached for the bar and shook his head. “Nope.”

“Well, if it’s someone on the team, I can’t say I’m surprised. Seems like all my players are matching up. And I’d offer you advice but unfortunately, I have none,” I quipped. “My track record is nothing to brag about.”

Silas began his chest presses and watching him work out unlocked a new kink.

“It’s not… a teammate,” Silas panted as he lifted the bar up and down. “But he is… a hockey fanatic. Older… smart… sexy… intense.”

I didn’t want to hear anymore.

“I’m pretty sure he’s interested too… but there’s a problem,” Silas added. “Well, several of them.”

Even though I wanted to walk away from this conversation stat, I didn’t.

“Why don’t you start by telling him how you feel? I’m sure the rest can be worked out.”

Silas placed the bar on the rack and looked up at me.

“Damien.”

“Yes?”

“I did.”