Jerk

I stop at once, nearly crashing into someone I didn’t see right behind me.

“Watch it!” I shout by reflex.

Then my eyes zero in on the face of the guy I almost walked into.

His beautiful face—Danny.

12. You’re Sweaty

My heart races up to my throat.

In the space of a second, I have become my small, passionate, weak-in-the-knees former self.

He meets my stunned gaze with surprise. Then a look of absolute joy washes over his face as he recognize me. “Romeo?”

I can barely speak. “D-Danny?”

Our faces are mere inches apart, since we’d come so close to crashing into each other. Neither of us back away, as if just our eyes hold us in place.

“I haven’t seen you in …” Danny lets out half a laugh. “I don’t even know how long.”

I can’t help myself. “What’re you doing at this gym?”

“Oh. I, um …” His lips are still as kissable as ever. His eyes are tender and sweet. He’s wearing just gym shorts and a tight, ribbed, white tank top, his honey-brown skin gleaming with sweat. His hair is a quirky, adorable mess with a cowlick in the front and the back. “I should start with saying I don’t work at Jesse’s anymore.”

“Really? Why?”

“Oh, a few reasons. Change of management. And everything is still super outdated and rundown over there. I actually got a new job at this really cool vitamin and nutritional supplements store and am doing much better. My boss Denise is amazing. Lots of gay clientele and coworkers. I’m paid more, too. Been trying out new gyms in the area and just heard about this place. It’s close to my apartment.”

“That sounds great.”

“Thanks!”

Neither of us have backed away.

The sexual tension is rampant and unrelenting.

“It’s … really nice to see you again, Romeo.”

I almost can’t stand the effect he has over me, even after all this time. “You, too.”

He takes one measly step back, yet still feels close enough to taste. His eyes drop to my chest as he takes in the rest of me. “Wow, you look great. You’ve clearly worked out a lot since I last saw you.”

“Yeah. I have.”

My thoughts are jumbled. My confidence is gone. What is happening to me?

Something dark and fiery swells in my chest, sensing my panic, and it takes over. It’s a beast within me that I’ve trained over the past year—a beast I rely on, a beast that has protected my heart, a beast that knows what to do in a vulnerable situation like this.

My face hardens. A smirk curls my lips. I let out a grunt. “What? Didn’t think I had it in me to get buff?”

Danny looks up at me, surprised. “Huh? Oh, no. I mean, yes. I mean, no. I …” He laughs and blushes, then takes another step back. “I’m just surprised a little, that’s all.”

“Surprised? Sounds like you didn’t have any faith in me.” I cross my arms and lean against a nearby machine, ignoring all the anxiety and excitement racing around my system. I adopt my impenetrable steel armor that is the beast. My face is a rock-hard mask of emotional immunity. “Well, drink it all in. I’m a new person now. Hmm, and I see you’re still a cute little snack.”

His eyes flash. “You think I’m a—?” He lets out another laugh. “Snack. Okay, I guess I can go with that. Thanks … or something?” He clears his throat and shakes his head. “You really have changed a lot since the last time we saw each other.”

“If I remember right, the last time we saw each other, we made out on the floor of a gay bar. Then I felt shitty and ran away like a scared little boy.” My eyes lock onto his. “I can assure you, if it was the new me who kissed you that night, I sure wouldn’t run away.” What am I saying? Stop talking. “I’d take you back to my place. I’d keep kissing you all over until you couldn’t remember your own name. It’d be more than just your pretty mouth I’d be kissing, too.” Oh my god, stop, stop, stop. “You think you’re surprised with me now? You have no idea the beast I’ve become since we last spoke.”

The humor flees from his eyes and is replaced with genuine surprise.

For one terrifying second, I know I’ve lost him.

The new Romeo is too much. He’s gone too far.

Then the tiniest smile plays upon his lips. “Apparently I don’t know the beast you’ve become. But I think I like him.”

His lips disarm me immediately.

They drain the confidence from my veins. Shrinking me. Paralyzing me.

The feelings haven’t gone away; they’ve grown tenfold.

Danny shrugs. “Anyway, I should probably let you get to the locker room. You look …” His eyes stray to my chest once again. “… sweaty.”

“Yeah, well …” I’m struggling to keep this act up. “From the look of your eyes, seems like you’re all about this man funk. Almost like you can’t get enough of it.”