When Jaime saw Tyler sitting in his car in the parking lot, he knew he to clear the air as much for his own sake as Tyler’s. It was clear the guy was suffering.
Jaime hadn’t realized how easy it was going to be to just talk to Tyler. Maybe it was all those evenings training together and sparring. Jaime realized just how much he trusted Sempai Tyler, more than he had any other man he’d had a one-night stand with. If only he was gay, Jaime might have asked him out on a second date.
“I don’t regret it,” Tyler said suddenly.
He looked at Jaime with such intensity, Jaime couldn’t look away as much as he wanted to hide his reaction.
“I’ve thought about little else since then.”
Jaime wanted to pinch himself. He couldn’t suppress a smile that started on his lips and stretched all the way down to his toes. “Is that all you’ve thought about?” Jaime asked before he could stop himself. The urge to flirt with Tyler was irresistible. Then he remembered he was supposed to be putting that night behind him and looked away. “Sorry, bad habit. I’m a horrible tease.”
What was he doing? Just because Tyler had thought about what happened didn’t mean he wanted it to happen again. And yet that’s exactly where Jaime’s brain and his anatomy went. With one hint of encouragement, Jaime was ready to jump all over Tyler. There was something about him and the closeness that had developed between the two of them that Jaime found irresistible. It was wrong. Worse, it was trouble. Why couldn’t Jaime feel so breathless when it came to Tomas?
“Were you jealous of me sparring with Randy?” Tyler asked.
Jaime bit his lower lip and decided to be honest even if it meant another rejection. “Yes.”
As much as he tried to fight it, Jaime wanted Tyler. He was going to have to be honest with himself if he was going to work through his feelings. Avoiding it only made him resentful. Maybe he just needed to face it head on.
“But don’t worry,” Jaime turned back to look at Tyler, “I’m not some crazy gay stalker. You were upfront with me about what you wanted, and I really don’t sleep with a guy more than once. It’s one of my rules.”
“Technically we haven’t slept together, yet.” Tyler said that last word so softly Jaime wasn’t sure he heard right until he saw Tyler blushing.
“That’s true.” Jaime’s voice trailed off as his mind filled with possibilities again. This wasn’t helping him get over his crush.
They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Jaime didn’t want the moment, so charged with sexual energy, to end. Tyler looked to be running his own calculations and Jaime didn’t dare hope they included the two of them naked. Jaime was prepared to deal with his crush, but he was more than happy to give into it even if only for one more encounter. He hadn’t made a commitment to Tomas. They had just started dating and Jaime wasn’t sure he even wanted to be tied down to one man just yet.
“Seems unfair that only I got off,” Tyler said.
Jaime looked around the busy parking lot. This was hardly the place to do whatever it was Tyler had in mind.
“If we went back to your place, I’d leave if it got weird or you changed your mind.” Jaime prayed he wasn’t misinterpreting what Tyler was getting at. Although he would fully understand if Tyler took a swing at him.
“Why do you think I’ll change my mind?”
“Because you aren’t gay.”
Tyler smiled and laughed.
Chapter 10
As Tyler drove back to his apartment with Jaime following in his car, he replayed in his mind what had just happened over and over again. His emotions were on a roller coaster but his body knew exactly what it wanted.
Friends? Yes, that was agreed upon. And Tyler couldn’t help but see there could be something more once Jaime reassured him he hadn’t made the worst mistake of his life. Then Jaime started to flirt with him, and Tyler knew this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
The partial erection Jaime had sparked was now raging with the possibilities of how he would get Jaime off. Tyler was so distracted he nearly missed the driveway to his apartment complex. He pulled up to his building, and Jaime parked beside his car. Jaime met him at the door to his building with a wolfish grin on his face. The transformation when he let his sexuality shine was exciting in itself. As much as it aroused Tyler to see Jaime eager and willing to indulge his desires, he had to force some blood back to his brain.
“Are you sure you want to come up?” Tyler asked. “I don’t want things to be weird for you in class.”
“I’m a big boy,” Jaime said with a wink. “It won’t be odd for me as long as you are okay with what we are doing.”
It was easier for Tyler to think about Jaime’s feelings than his own. Standing outside of his apartment and getting ready to repay Jaime for the man’s kindness, Tyler knew he had to set up some boundaries on their interaction if he was going to feel free to follow through on his new-found desires.
“No one else can know.”
Jaime nodded.
“We can’t talk about this in class.” Tyler mentally explored all the possible ramifications of sleeping with Jaime. “In fact, nothing can change between us in class. I won’t ignore you and you won’t avoid me.”
“Hai, Sempai.”
Despite Jaime’s playful tone, Tyler cringed. He didn’t want to be reminded
