His heart thumped as he chewed on his lip.
His brain was doing a terrible job of trying to dissuade him.
Maybe he was just thinking too much. Making a mountain out of a molehill. Because honestly, what could it hurt? He smiled. Breck certainly could be entertaining. And it wasn’t like they’d be doing a scene together. Breck would literally just be sitting there. A stationary canvas for a design that, truth be told, wasn’t even that provocative.
Breck could handle it. He’d be in and out, just like that.
Hell, it might even be fun—if they stayed on the same wavelength they’d been on before.
Nodding to himself, Kai clicked on Breck’s contact and typed out a text.
Come by the dojo. It’s important. I’ll be waiting.
His thumb hovered over the send icon.
It’d be nice to see Breck’s face again. He’d just have to be careful and not let himself get too comfortable. Which shouldn’t be a problem. Breck was young and easy to navigate, something Kai had done around the kid countless times before.
He hit send and set his phone on the counter. Cranked the fire beneath his kettle to make some tea. By the time he’d filled his pot with leaves, his cell was chiming with an incoming message.
Leaving graduation now.
Gotta swing by my place to change.
Be there in 30.
Kai stilled. Today was graduation? How in the hell had he forgotten? His assistants had been talking about it non-stop for the last two weeks. Dindy was throwing a mega party. Jin would be late due to plans with his parents. They’d even extended an invite to Kai, but he’d had to turn it down. Had commitments. Aka the class he was teaching tonight at The District.
His gaze hooded as it lingered on Breck’s text. It was graduation day and yet he was still coming over to pay his ‘debt’? No questions asked? No complaining? Kai scratched his cheek, bemused. Either Breck was extra eager to free himself from any obligation to Kai, or he actually wanted to see him. Genuinely wanted to hang out.
Kai’s lips quirked at the possibility.
If that were true, it’d be their first deliberate engagement with one another.
His stomach tightened as he second guessed his decision once again. Were interactions like this asking for trouble? Potentially taking his involvement with Breck to an unintended level? Because he didn’t want that. Couldn’t afford to fall for Breck. Endearing or not, he was too much like Ryan. Way too career driven and self-absorbed. He’d already been there and done that and, no, he didn’t want to go there again. Ryan had been hard enough. Breck would be brutal.
Clearing his throat, he shook off the thought and set his phone down. No. He knew what he was doing. Just using Breck’s assistance to prepare for class.
That Breck was the most attractive model he’d ever work with was merely a bonus.
* * * *
By the time Breck arrived, Kai had finished his tea, set up supplies, and even squeezed in a ten-minute meditation. Sitting on a mat in his Zen Garden, he felt relaxed. Blissfully balanced. Not to mention completely and utterly focused. He’d worked through every aspect of the piece he’d be working on. How it’d look. How he’d construct it. How it’d make his subject feel. Coveted. Safe. Surreal. How it’d make him feel. Masterful. Exhilarated. Mesmerized by his own creation. By the way his fingers coaxed forth such magic from mere flesh and rope.
He couldn’t wait to start, all but buzzing with anticipation. So, when he saw Breck through the window, he hit the stairs to meet him at the building’s front entrance. Breck had been approaching by foot, like he often did. The senior liked to walk. Maybe it helped clear his head. Kai wondered if Breck knew that taking walks was a form of meditation.
He reached the door just as Breck did and opened it up. “King Breck,” he drawled, grinning. “Thanks for coming.”
Breck frowned and eyed him oddly.
“The name you entered in my cell phone?”
Breck’s expression flickered, but then he quickly tamped a smile. “Right. Didn’t want you to forget who you’re dealing with.”
Kai chuckled. “As if you’d ever let me.” He gestured for Breck to enter. “Your highness.”
Breck smirked and stepped inside. He seemed in a promising mood, which Kai supposed made sense. Graduating from college could have that effect on a guy.
It certainly had for Kai, back in California, when he’d walked across the stage for his business degree. He’d felt so liberated. So independent. So self-empowered. Then he’d gone on to construct a life plan, executing each step. Methodically, prudently, patiently. Appreciating every milestone along the way. There’d been potholes, of course, and unforeseen setbacks, some bigger and more painful than others, but he’d prevailed. Finally reached his goal. He’d purchased a commercial building, transformed it into a formal training hall, then started his own martial arts school.