Page 40 of Bone Deep
I clench my fist, shaking the thought off, as I watch him finish the set, driving up through his heels with controlled power like the bar weighs nothing. He moves like he’s built for this: muscles firing under sweat-slick skin, thighs flexing, calves tight. Ryan racks the bar and turns, flashing me a megawatt smile.
Oh look, there’s the other three dimples.
“Your turn,” Ryan says through heavy breaths. He grabs his water bottle and takes a long swig. My eyes track the movement—his throat working as he swallows.
I’d like to shove my cock down that throat. Tug his hair back and make him look at me with those pretty green eyes.
I shake my head sharply at the intrusive thought.
No. I don’t mess with the straight ones.
Ryan points his bottle at me. “You ready? Need me to drop the weight?”
I sigh and step toward the rack. “No. Most of my strength is in my lower body.”
“I noticed.” His eyes drop briefly to my hips and thighs.
“I was guessing soccer,” he continues. “Rugby maybe. Gymnastics?”
I laugh as I step under the bar. “Team sports aren’t my thing. But yeah. I started gymnastics when I was six. Missed a couple years of training in high school, but picked it back up in college. Nothing serious though.”
I can see him in the mirror wall in front of me as his gaze meets mine. “It paid off,” he compliments, then his eyes drop right to my ass. “What was your skill?”
Despite myself, my chest puffs up a little. “Floor and vault.”
Ryan finishes another gulp of water and wipes his mouth. “So, are you like…really bendy?” he asks, pumping his eyebrows.
I stare at him in the mirror for a beat. Then I back out of the rack, turn, and step into his personal space. I grab the bottle out of his hand, take a slow sip, set it back in his palm, and lean in just slightly. “I’m not the one who would need to be bendy in this scenario.”
Red blooms up his neck until it reaches the tips of his ears. I straighten and clap my hands once. “Now, I’m going to do my set of squats,” I taunt. “Try to keep your eyes to yourself.”
I turn toward the rack.
Jesus, what are you doing, Stark?
But hey, I may have a rule about straight guys thinking they want to dip their toe in gay waters—which is what I’m beginning to suspect this is—but there’s no rule against putting on a show. It’s not every day a world-famous athlete flirts with damaged goods.
I grip the bar above my head and lift it free from the rack, settling it in place. I didn’t go with barely-there shorts like he did, but I did choose the tightest workout pants I own—and I know exactly how good my thighs look like in them. No harm in drawing attention.
I glance at the mirror in front of me, and Ryan is staring directly at said thighs. I smirk and dip into a squat. Slow and controlled, my eyes remain locked on his face in the mirror the entire way down and up.
Serves him right for teasing me with those damn shorts. Every time it was my set on the bench press earlier, he insisted on spotting me. Which would be fine—except it gave me a direct view straight up the opening of his shorts. All skin and muscle.
And the fucker is wearing a jockstrap—stuffed pouch just staring me in the face. Unbelievable. I finish my set and step forward to re-rack the bar. Ryan moves in behind me swiftly, ready to help.
Absolutely not.
I quickly slide the bar into the rack before he can get close enough to touch me. The hell if he’s rubbing against me. Ryan backs up again and I turn around. He offers me the water bottle, and I snag it and take a swig.
“I think that’s it for me,” I tell him as I hand the bottle back. Our fingers brush, and electricity pulses between them.
Ryan nods, takes another sip himself, then slowly licks his lips. My eyes follow the movement as my dick twitches.
Yeah, this won’t be happening again.
We exit the gym together, the cool night air hitting my overheated skin the moment the door swings closed. Downtown hums around us and Ryan falls into step beside me like we’ve done this a hundred times.
“Good workout, man,” he says, stretching one arm across his chest as we walk. “Thanks for coming with me. Feels good to get a good pump in, right?”
