Tomas chuckled. “I love your passion.”
Jaime tried to push all thoughts of Sempai Tyler from his brain and focus on Tomas.
* * * *
Tyler and Jaime had sat in the car for nearly twenty minutes. Neither of them said much. Tyler got the impression Jaime wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to freak out. In the privacy of Tyler’s car, nothing felt more natural.
Even after they parted and Tyler went home, he still basked in the pleasure of the moment he had shared with Jaime. Tyler even woke in the middle of the night, consumed by the memory of seeing Jaime’s mouth wrapped around his cock. Replaying the evening again and again, he masturbated to another intense release.
Nothing about what they had done had felt awkward until the next karate class. Tyler feared something would change between him and Jaime. Tyler knew he had changed by having given into his desire for another man. There was no denying that. What he didn’t know was how it would affect the rest of his life. Karate had been a part of his life longer than any lover had occupied his bed or heart.
Besides, Jaime was a one-time thing, an experiment. A successful experiment, as far as Tyler was concerned. He was thrilled with the possibility of continuing to explore his newfound desires. It was like Tyler’s rainbow had gained a new color.
Then the dread set in when Tyler feared not everyone would understand his new vision. He wasn’t like Jaime—interested only in men—but he wasn’t like Randy anymore either. Would Randy still respect him if he knew Tyler had gotten a blowjob from Jaime? Would Sensei Melissa think less of Tyler if she knew? Tyler feared the answer enough he was tempted to pretend he’d never accepted Jaime’s gift to him.
When Tyler stepped into the dojo and saw Jaime warming up, he was tempted to turn back around and leave. He might convince himself no one could see what he’d done written on his face or in his body language, but Jaime would know.
“Konichi-wa, Sempai,” Sarah called when she spotted Tyler lingering at the door.
“Konichi-wa, Sarah.” With a deep breath, Tyler pushed aside his fears and stepped into the dojo.
He focused on Sarah and Randy as he tried to block out all thoughts of Jaime. That only made it worse. His rebellious mind brought up such a detailed image of Jaime’s playful smile, hungry eyes, and silky hair that were as real as if Tyler was staring at Jaime in the flesh.
All throughout class, Tyler did his best to concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing. It was easy to lose himself in action and form until he caught a glimpse of Jaime. While he was a student like any other, Jaime wasn’t like anyone Tyler had ever known. Jaime, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Tyler. No, that wasn’t right, Tyler realized. Their eyes had not met once during the entire class. Jaime had been avoiding Tyler and doing a damn good job of disappearing into the rhythm of class.
When class ended, Tyler had built up enough nervous energy that he was more than ready to spar. The ritual he and Jaime had of sparring after every class seemed impossible now. Things were different between them, and Tyler didn’t know what that meant. He couldn’t avoid interacting with Jaime forever, even though Jaime seemed perfectly capable of pretending like Tyler didn’t exist. He gnawed on that thought like a dog with a hollow bone.
Jaime wasn’t the only one Tyler could spar with and he was probably the last person Tyler should be sparring with. Whenever Tyler thought of him, Jaime’s eyes were filled with the lust that had taken hold of them in the car. It was a far cry from the lowered gaze Jaime had had all night. Tyler would have to find someone else to spar with.
“You want to spar?” Tyler asked Randy, who was stretching as he waited for Sarah, who was working with Jaime on his kata.
Randy gave him a confused look. “Don’t you usually spar with Jaime? Won’t he be jealous?”
Tyler tried not to wince at Randy’s good-hearted jibe. With a pang of guilt, Tyler looked over at Jaime as he mimicked Sarah’s movement. Every word she spoke captivated his complete attention. Even if Tyler wanted to ask Jaime to spar, he doubted Jaime would be willing. For some reason, that hurt.
“It’s always good to switch up partners.” Tyler manufactured a carefree shrug to mask the range of emotions that raced through him. “What about it?”
“Sure.”
It didn’t take long for Randy and Tyler to find their groove. They had sparred together for years. Even though they were familiar with each other’s moves, Tyler surprised Randy with a few new techniques he’d been working on with Jaime. Tyler even took Randy to the ground and pinned him.
“When did you start grappling?” Randy took Tyler’s hand as he helped Randy off the ground.
“Just something I’ve been working on.”
To Tyler’s relief, sparring with Randy felt just like it always did. There was no doubt about what Tyler felt or wanted. Randy was an opponent and friend but nothing more. Randy didn’t seem to notice the change in Tyler, but he wasn’t about to say anything. There were just some things you didn’t admit to anyone—not even your best friend.
“Sayonara, Jaime.” Sarah called to Jaime, who was frozen mid-bow in the doorway.
“Sayonara.”
Jaime didn’t even look up. His voice didn’t rise above a whisper. Tyler watched him leave the dojo, unsure if he wanted Jaime to see him watching or not. Not sparring with Jaime felt like a missed opportunity.
“Round two?”
Clearing his mind of Jaime, Tyler turned his attention back to Randy.
They continued the match until they were the only ones left
