“Oh, I got some of those.” Leila tapped her foot. “When were you going to tell me about Mister Hottie from karate class?”
The smile that instantly appeared on Jaime’s face must have been huge because Leila burst out laughing.
“I knew it,” Leila said as she slapped Jaime’s shoulder. “You’ve got a boyfriend.”
Boyfriend. That wasn’t a word Jaime was used to hearing in relation to the guys he was with. And yet that’s exactly what Tyler insisted on introducing himself as. Not that Jaime minded. It made his heart ache and his body stiffen every time he heard the word.
“Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for dumping Tomas,” Leila said as she headed for the door.
“I’m really sorry about that.” Jaime still felt guilty for going on those dates with Tomas. At least they hadn’t hooked up. As soon as he knew things with Tyler were heating up, Jaime called things off with Tomas. “I hope he didn’t think I was leading him on.”
Leila’s eyebrow rose. “I think it was actually a confidence booster for him. Tomas has really started putting himself out there. I know he’ll find the one, someday.”
Jaime was relieved to hear it. Tomas was a good man, just not the right man for him.
“I’ll tell Mr. Karate you’ll be right out.”
After saving his work and returning the sampling disks to the archive, Jaime headed to reception. He spotted Tyler patiently receiving the third degree from Leila. All in all, Tyler seemed to be handling it well. The scarlet blush on his cheeks assured Jaime Leila had asked some suitably inappropriate questions. To his credit, Tyler sat there talking to her politely. Leila was among the few friends Jaime had, and it mattered to him what she thought of Tyler.
“There he is,” Leila said as Jaime hovered in the doorway. “You’d better show Jaime a good time tonight.”
“That’s the plan.” Tyler looked up at Jaime and smiled.
“Good, because I need to live vicariously through someone.” Leila walked over to Jaime and paused before leaving. “He’s a keeper.”
“Ready to go?” Tyler asked.
“Sorry about that,” Jaime said. “She’s a little overprotective.”
Tyler met Jaime halfway across the reception waiting area and caught him in a kiss. For a moment, Jaime forgot where they were and what they were going to do tonight. The only thing that mattered to him was holding onto this feeling and this man as long as he could.
“I missed you,” Tyler whispered as he broke the kiss.
“I missed you, too.”
Jaime lingered in Tyler’s arms, enjoying that neither of them cared who saw them.
“Let’s go.” Tyler took Jaime’s hand. “Randy and Sarah are going to meet us at the movie theater, and then after we can catch up at my place.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Jaime couldn’t resist one more kiss before he had to share Tyler for the evening. As long as they went home together, Jaime didn’t care what they did.
* * * *
As much as Tyler hated to admit it, he was a little nervous about their double date with Randy and Sarah. The way Jaime beamed whenever Tyler grabbed his hand or called him his boyfriend was worth it. Randy and Sarah were cool to hang out with, and the four of them fell into some serious analysis of the martial arts in the latest spy thriller they saw. It felt natural. For once, Tyler had a lover he could share all of himself with.
“How did that elbow lock go?” Jaime asked as Tyler opened the door to his apartment. “I just can’t get it to work.”
Tyler watched Jaime practice the maneuver on an invisible partner. He was trying to replicate the move Randy and Tyler had been experimenting with in the parking lot after the movie before Sarah called it a night. ‘Don’t you have a sparring partner?’ was all she had to say for Tyler to blush. Randy hadn’t said much about Tyler’s new relationship. The fact he still treated Tyler like nothing had changed was more than enough reassurance that Tyler was on the right path, finally.
“Here,” Tyler said as he took Jaime’s wrist and pulled him into the apartment. “The secret is in the wrist. Once it’s torqued, all you have to do is put a little pressure on the elbow and twist.”
In one fluid motion, Tyler rolled Jaime’s elbow. Jaime dropped to one knee, tapping Tyler’s thigh. Tyler relaxed his hold and helped Jaime up.
“Now you try it.”
Jaime’s expression was one of complete concentration as he attempted the move several times before Tyler felt the zing of pain shoot through his arm, and his knees buckled. Tyler loved it when Jaime got something he’d been working hard on. Tyler loved everything about Jaime. In the months they’d been together, Tyler found himself happier than he’d ever been with anyone else.
“Brilliant.” Jaime’s grin was priceless. “You’re an amazing teacher.”
“You’re pretty amazing yourself.” Tyler felt on the verge of something more and felt his stomach clench. He pulled Jaime close and stroked his hair.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” It was Jaime’s turn to blush.
Tyler took a deep breath. “Because I want to tell you something, but I don’t want to scare you.”
“What?”
Closing his eyes, Tyler leaned in until their foreheads touched. He could feel Jaime’s breath on his lips.
“I think I love you.”
His heartbeat counted the seconds as his words hung in the inch between them.
“You don’t have to say anything,” Tyler said. He didn’t want Jaime to feel obligated to return the expression. Tyler wouldn’t have said anything except he’d come so close to blurting it out since they had gotten back together it felt inevitable. “I just wanted to tell you.”
Tyler had barely finished speaking when
