Working It(23)

“Don’t be like that.”

She turned back to the computer. “Call if you need me.”

“I will.” The peace he’d felt mere moments ago was gone. “I have to catch the bus.” Not wanting to drag things out further, he kissed her quickly on the cheek and bolted for the door.

The trip down to Ringside was uneventful. The buses were on time and weren’t overly crowded. He even had a chance to swing by Starbucks and grab some coffees and pastries to go. So when he pushed open the heavy metal door to the defunct gym, his body was relaxed and ready to face the day.

He immediately stopped when he saw Zack pulling a large blue mat across the floor. He was dressed in jeans and a tight-fitting T-shirt. The fabric hugged him perfectly, accentuating exactly how fit Zack truly was.

And yeah, he was pretty frigging fit.

Nolan hoped his track pants were loose enough to hide his erection.

“You’re late.” Zack’s voice echoed through the room. “But I smell coffee, so you’re forgiven.”

No man had the right to be that hot. “I took a chance and grabbed some lemon cake too. It was pretty fresh and I really love it, so that’s my excuse.” Shit, now he was rambling. “Want it now?”

“Sec.”

Nolan was then subjected to watching Zack pull the clearly heavy mat to the side door and toss it onto a heap of other garbage. Sweat made Zack’s hair stick up in a way that shouldn’t be attractive and yet totally was. Nolan closed his eyes and counted back from ten—the first time he’d done this as a way to calm his libido rather than his nerves. He had barely gotten to one when Zack’s scent washed over him. He opened his eyes, smiled, and handed him the coffee.

“Careful, it’s hot.” Like you! His inner teen laughed.

Zack gave him a strange look before accepting the coffee and taking a sip. “Thanks.”

Get your mind back on task. “You look like you’ve been here a while already.”

“My Saturdays have a way of going sideways. If I’m coming here, I like to get an early start in case I have to take off.”

There was most definitely something different about casual Zack, something more than a simple change of clothing. The lines around his eyes and mouth were relaxed, and he didn’t hold himself as stiffly. Nolan swayed closer as he responded in kind. “So, where do you want to start?”

Zack’s gaze drifted to Nolan’s mouth before he turned away and took another sip of coffee. “Let’s make a broad list of areas we want the contractor to tackle. We can break it down from there.”

Was that a shut down? It had been so long since Nolan had dipped his toes into the dating waters, he rightly didn’t know anymore. It shouldn’t matter. He wasn’t here to engage in any sort of relationship with Zack, only to help him get Ringside up and running. A little volunteer work to pay things forward.

Certainly not to take advantage of the situation to ogle his boss and maybe friend in his oh-so-tight jeans. That had nothing to do with the reason he was . . . Dear God, Zack’s biceps were huge.

Shit.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

It took a while for Nolan to get his head in the game, but after a few minutes they’d both finished their coffees and were working side by side, making notes and inspecting the facilities.

“I can’t believe you and Max haven’t done this by now. No point in trying to get financial backers if you don’t know how much things are going to cost.”

Zack picked up a decayed wooden bench and moved it against the closest wall. “Max has his plate full with Frantic. It took me a long time to get the money to buy the building in the first place. On top of what I do at Compass, I don’t have a lot of spare time.”

“Fair enough.”

Zack stopped and leaned back against the wall to look at him. “Besides, this is more my project than Max’s. He wants it open again, but if it didn’t, he’d simply find another way to give back. I’m the one who wants to do this full-time.”

It was strange, but Nolan could picture Zack wandering through the clean halls of Ringside, pausing to help a kid or answer questions from one of the trainers. The frustration that seemed to propel him forward through the halls of Compass wouldn’t be there.

Nolan could see Zack being happy here.

He wanted something like that for himself. He wanted to have a life of his own again, wanted to find someone who wouldn’t mind his occasional freak-out. He needed a man who had flaws of his own, but wanted to be better. They could help one another, be a support system for one another, like what his parents shared.

For the first time since his accident, Nolan knew what he wanted. He knew that this was only going to happen if he was brave enough to reach out and take it. Zack might have been the one to kiss him before, but Nolan would have to make the next move if he wanted something more than that.

Zack pushed away from the wall. “You okay?”

No. “Yes. Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“You. Specifically kissing you.”

The muscle in Zack’s jaw jumped. “I’m your boss. That’s probably not a good idea.”

“What if I think it is? A good idea. What then?”

Zack’s gaze traveled down Nolan. “I wouldn’t want you to feel pressured. I’m no better than Cooper if I think you’re doing this for any reason other than wanting to.”

Nolan continued closer, each step making his cock swell and his heart pound. “I’ll make you a deal.”

“What’s that?”

Nolan took one final step so no space existed between them, closed his eyes, and leaned forward. “Until Monday morning, I quit.”

And then he kissed Zack.



Zack’s brain shut down as his mouth opened to accept Nolan’s. He didn’t need to think or worry about what was right or wrong. The only thing that mattered was the man in front of him and their mutual pleasure. Zack did the thing he’d been wanting to since he’d walked into the bathroom that first day and saw Nolan. Pushing his hand into his hair, he tugged Nolan’s head back and licked a long swipe up the side of his neck.

The groan that burst from Nolan was worth the throbbing that pounded through his neglected cock. Sliding the other hand beneath Nolan’s shirt, Zack bit the side of his neck. “I’ve fantasized about fucking you against the wall for days now.”

The shudder that passed through Nolan was more than Zack could have hoped for. He wasn’t normally a fan of track pants, but on Nolan it gave him the freedom a suit and tie wouldn’t allow. Not only could he rub his thumb across Nolan’s nipples, but there was little to hide Nolan’s thickening erection from him. It was good, perfect. He needed to know that Nolan wanted this as much as he did. That he wasn’t forcing himself on him. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Zack,” Nolan moaned, his hands clutching at Zack’s back. “Please.”

“Shit.” Zack ground his hips against Nolan’s, pressing their cocks together. “I don’t have anything.” Condoms were the last thing he’d had on his mind when he’d gotten to Ringside that morning. This wasn’t supposed to be about sex; they were supposed to be working. For the kids!

Nolan chuckled. “Me either.”

“We’re not very well prepared, are we?”

“I’m sure as hell not. I haven’t had sex in two years.”

Zack pulled back to look him right in the eyes. “What?”

Nolan smiled. “Not a priority when you can barely walk and can’t go out into public.”

“Right.” No protection meant no penetration. That didn’t necessarily mean no orgasms. “Do you trust me?”

Nolan looked at him, and for a moment he wasn’t sure what the other man was thinking. His heart pounded hard when Nolan finally nodded.

“Good. Relax.”

He let go and spun them both around so Nolan’s back was pressed against the wall and Zack was now the one calling the shots. Yes, this was how he’d pictured him: flushed and wanting more. Zack slipped one hand around the back of Nolan’s head, and the other one around his hip. It had been a long time since he’d done this, not since he was a teenager. Back then he wasn’t experienced enough to be good at mastering the technique. That wasn’t the case now.

Holding Nolan still, Zack began to thrust his hips forward so their groins pressed together briefly before pulling back. The kiss of their cocks, that blessed contact, was enough to steal his breath away. Another thrust, this time met halfway by Nolan. Zack couldn’t breathe, didn’t care if he ever breathed again. Over and over they thrust, not quite grinding together, as the pleasure built.

“God,” Nolan said on a sigh.

“Yeah.”

“I haven’t ever done this.”

“Good.” Zack couldn’t explain why, but he was happy he was the first one to do this with him. Nolan had been through so much, and while he didn’t know much about the man who’d become an unexpected part of his life, he couldn’t help but want to be the one to share this experience with him.

The rhythm they set was slow and steady. Pleasure rolled through Zack gradually at first, infecting one inch of his body at a time. It didn’t take long for his clothing to feel restrictive. Thank God he had on a T-shirt. He’d be choking in anything else. It took time, but they synced up: breathing, thrusts, pants. Zack closed his eyes, but tried to memorize everything he felt. The smell of Nolan, the sounds he made as their mutual arousal grew.