Chapter Five
Punch. Punch. Kick. Punch. Dodge. The pattern continued nonstop.
Sweat soaked through Diesel’s white shirt, molding to his chest and sticking to thick abs.
Several times, Diesel had barely missed taking Kuba’s head off when he swung the mitt for Kuba to dodge.
Truth be told, maybe he should have had Diesel as a trainer all along.
The distraction he presented had Kuba focusing twice as hard as usual.
With Jayme, sometimes he fell into a trance and did everything by muscle memory.
There was no disassociation with Diesel.
He couldn’t turn his brain off if he tried.
“Hold on. This wet shirt is restricting my movement.” Diesel tossed down the punch mitts and then pulled his shirt up and over his head. He tossed the wet material aside and reclaimed the mitts.
Kuba watched every second with a thirst he thought might kill him. He had to focus on something else. “You picked up the moves with a little too much ease. Have you trained before?”
Diesel shrugged. “I let a friend talk me into taking some boxing lessons with him in high school. It’s been a good seven or eight years, but I guess my body didn’t forget.”
Kuba couldn’t have stopped his gaze from sliding down Diesel’s body if he tried. “Let’s get some water.” He had to cool down. As they dipped under the ropes, Kuba kept talking to stop himself from doing anything dumb. “So what do you do to stay in such good shape?”
“Mostly weight training.”
Kuba glanced his way. “No cardio?” He wasn’t trying to sound like a dick. The question just came out sounding that way.
A sexy smile stretched Diesel’s lips. “I jog in the mornings.”
“That’s good, so do I. When you said weights, I worried you wouldn’t keep up with me, and being outside is where I’m most vulnerable.”
Diesel nodded, looking as if he took the matter seriously. “One of my past clients used to train for marathons. I had to be right there, running right alongside her.”
“Even in the marathons?” His words were laced with laughter, just picturing some person running with a bodyguard hovering. Of course, that would be him soon too.
The way Diesel kept smiling said he didn’t take any of Kuba’s questions to heart. “Yep, even during marathons.”
“Huh. Well, I can tell by just doing this that you’ve got stamina.” Why in God’s name did he just say that?
Diesel didn’t laugh. He simply nodded along. “This can be a dangerous job. I have to be able to move fast and keep my reflexes sharp. It’d probably kill me if anyone got hurt on my watch.” Diesel cleared his throat. His gaze slid away. “Plus, some clients can get a little handsy.”
Kuba’s stomach dropped. “I don’t want to be one of those people.” The words simply burst from Kuba. He always talked too much.
Diesel’s gaze snapped back to holding his stare. He didn’t say anything, but he looked like he had all the words and didn’t know where to start.
“You can say whatever you’re thinking. Technically, you’re not my employee yet. I’m aware I say way too much when you’re around. If I’m comfortable with someone, they’re in trouble. I can’t shut up.” He tried pressing his lips together in hopes of making his tongue stop.
Diesel focused on tightening the lid of his water bottle. It was such a painfully awkward motion that even Kuba cringed. He finally set it aside, but he still didn’t meet Kuba’s stare again.
“I wasn’t trying to insinuate anything. So, risking that you’ll take this the wrong way, I just meant I’ve worked for a lot of people who acted like they owned me in every sense.
Not that I feel that way about you.” Diesel’s gaze finally moved back to his.
He looked horrified. “Scratch that, okay? Let’s pretend this never happened.
I’m just digging my hole deeper over here.
I just meant that in the past I’ve dealt with some uncomfortable situations.
You don’t make me uncomfortable. I like the way you look at me.
” Diesel threw his hands up and paced away.
“Jesus Christ.” His shoulders expanded and then fell.
He turned back Kuba’s way looking defeated.
“It’s okay if you want a different guard now. ”
Kuba couldn’t take it. He set his water bottle next to Diesel’s. “This has to stop.”
Diesel’s shoulders sank a little more.
Kuba closed the distance between them, bitching every step.
“Your job is not in danger, but you might hate me in a second.” He didn’t give Diesel time to guess at his intentions.
Kuba swooped in and covered Diesel’s mouth with his.
He one hundred percent expected to get shoved away.
It felt a lot like he proved he did, in fact, want to be one of those people.
But in the most technical sense, Diesel didn’t work for him.
He worked for Kuba’s dad, and not even that yet.
The craziest thing happened as Kuba’s lips collided with Diesel’s.
Neither of them stopped, nor did they explode into action.
Diesel kissed him back in the sweetest of unsure kisses.
Suddenly, he knew exactly what he wanted to say.
He pulled away just enough so he could speak.
“I don’t want to touch you because I think you’re my property.
It’s because you’ve owned my every thought since we met.
” He reclaimed Diesel’s mouth. They were both covered in sweat, and Kuba knew this kiss wasn’t heading anywhere.
But the moment would definitely play on his brain for too long.
He already knew that. No one had ever kissed Kuba the way Diesel did.
It was soft and vulnerable. Kuba felt oddly cherished.
Everyone he had ever kissed before Diesel had been just for the sex.
Before Diesel, Kuba had been fine with that.
This was different. Diesel was different. That was exactly why he had to stop.
Kuba pulled away even as his body swayed closer. When he spoke, his voice shook. “You can sue for sexual harassment now.”
Diesel laughed. It was a soft, sexy sound.
His hand was flattened against Kuba’s chest, as if he had considered shoving Kuba away.
Diesel lightly stroked the spot he touched.
“I can’t have you worrying about that.” This time, Diesel made the gap between them disappear.
The way Diesel’s tongue tried curling around his was sexy as fuck.
Kuba’s knees weakened. When Diesel pulled away, Kuba worried a little for his sanity. “Now we’re even.”
Everything inside Kuba screamed to keep going. They had already crossed the line equally. What could it hurt—
The steel door squeaked open and then slammed shut. “I saw the light was on. I should’ve known you’d never take the night off.”
Diesel took another step back at Jayme’s arrival. His gaze didn’t waver, though. Diesel held his stare until Kuba had no other choice than to acknowledge his visitor.
He pasted on a fake smile. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be relaxing for the holidays.”
Jayme’s brown eyes sparkled with laughter the way they always did. “Ah, you know me, mate. The grass doesn’t grow beneath my toes.”
As Kuba laughed and smiled, he hoped he didn’t look as guilty as he felt.
Jayme motioned toward the state of him. “It looks like you’ve done just fine without me.”
Kuba pointed over his shoulder. “Jayme, meet Diesel.” He turned. “Diesel, meet Jayme.” Diesel dipped his chin in greeting. He had such a bland smile in place that Kuba had to focus on Jayme.
Jayme’s gaze was locked on Diesel in the most predatory way Kuba had ever seen. His gaze swept Diesel’s body. “You’re the new guard, right?” He stepped forward to shake Diesel’s hand. “I saw you briefly when you came by the other day.”
“That’s me.” Diesel didn’t sound uncomfortable under Jayme’s hungry stare.
He sounded… like a professional, honestly.
The realization spawned another. Diesel had never sounded formal with him.
It was as if the moment they set eyes on each other, something shifted.
They weren’t the same with each other as they were with everyone else.
“What do you bench? Do you have any practice fighting?” Jayme laughed, sending chills down Kuba’s spine. He couldn’t look away from the exchange. “You have an amazing body. Did I mention my name is Jayme?”
Even Kuba was uncomfortable, and the focus wasn’t on him. He saw now exactly what Diesel dealt with. “Okay, there, Lothario. Take it down a notch or two.”
Jayme glanced his way. His eyes were filled with laughter. “Sorry about that, mate. I saw an angel.”
Kuba rolled his eyes. He had, but fuck. That was Kuba’s angel he was talking about. “Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to him. He shouldn’t have to feel uncomfortable here. Damn.”
Something in Kuba’s words or tone finally seemed to snap him out of his infatuation. He looked Diesel’s way. “I apologize. Please don’t sue me for sexual harassment.”
Diesel and Kuba’s gazes met. They burst out laughing while Jayme watched. His expression screamed confusion.
Diesel grabbed his soaked shirt, still chuckling. “I should go. Your real trainer is here. Text me if you need me.”
All Kuba could do was nod. He couldn’t plead for Diesel to stay the way he wanted. Diesel was out the door before Kuba could think of way to make Jayme go away so they could be alone again.
“It looks like he gave you one hell of a workout. Is my job in danger?” A nervous-sounding chuckle followed Jayme’s question.
Kuba forced himself to focus on his real trainer. “Nah. I need him as my guard.”
Jayme blew out a low whistle. “That fella is a distraction if I ever saw one. Those eyes. Goddamn. The abs. Like what the fuck, mate? Does your dad want you to lose, keeping me drooling like this? I’m never getting anything else done again.”
Kuba snorted. “I highly doubt my dad looked at him in that light. Not only is he straight, but Diesel is more than half his age. None of that is Krystof Svoboda’s jam.”