Chapter 19
ROWAN
The steam from the shower filled the small bathroom as I stood at the sink brushing my teeth.
After I finished, I stepped into the warm spray, letting the water cascade over my skin as I reached for my body wash.
The bathroom door opened, and a moment later, the shower curtain was pushed back as Keaton stepped inside.
“What are you doing?” I asked with a grin.
He smirked. “What does it look like?”
My eyes moved down his muscular body. “Well, considering we just fucked, we’re either saving water or you want to go again.”
“Can the answer be both?” He stepped closer so we were both under the spray. Water flowed down his body, tracing his abs and accentuating the V-shaped muscles I wanted to run my tongue over for hours.
I pulled him closer, my hands gripping his waist and instead of answering, I kissed him.
His hands explored my back, his touch sending shivers down my spine despite the warm water.
I could feel my body reacting, my dick hardening against his thigh.
Our lips broke apart briefly, while our foreheads remained touching as we caught our breath.
“We need to talk about condoms,” he murmured, his voice barely audible over the shower. “I got a blood test recently and I’m good. Haven’t been with anyone since.”
I nodded. “I’m good too.”
“Perfect because I want to feel you. All of you.”
I reached for the body wash, squeezing some into my palm. The scent of sandalwood and vanilla filled the air as I rubbed my hands together. “Then turn around, baby.”
He spun around, and I let my soapy hands wander over his hard muscles before wrapping my fingers around his growing erection. “I’m already leaking just thinking about being inside of you raw,” I whispered and nipped at his earlobe.
He groaned and moved to place one foot on the edge of the tub. “Then do it.”
“We don’t have lube.”
He looked over his shoulder and smirked. “I put it on the bathroom counter.”
I chuckled and opened the shower curtain to see the bottle within reach.
Once I had it, I took a small step forward, slickening my cock with the gel, and then kissed the back of his neck. I guided myself to his hole and, inch by inch, slid into him. The sensation was intense, the warmth and pressure lighting up every nerve ending.
His breaths came in short gasps as I pumped in and out of him. The room echoed with the wet slapping of skin against skin, along with the occasional moan I hoped no one could hear. He reached back, his hand finding my thigh and holding on for dear life, while his other hand braced against the wall.
I leaned forward, my chest pressing against his back, my lips finding his shoulder. I bit down gently and felt him shudder. His hole clenched around my shaft, pulling me deeper, and I groaned against his skin, the sound muffled by the water.
“Shh,” he whispered. “We need to be quiet.”
My breath was hot against his ear as I said, “I know, baby. I know.”
I picked up the pace, my hips moving faster and harder. The sounds of our bodies meeting grew louder, but we couldn’t stop. We couldn't slow down, not when we were so close to the edge.
Keaton’s hand moved from my thigh to his shaft, stroking himself in time with my thrusts. The sight of it, the knowledge that he was touching himself while I fucked him, sent a jolt of pleasure straight to my core.
“Fuck,” I hissed, my body tensing. “I’m close.”
His hand moved faster. “Me too. Just ... keep going.”
I did, my hips rocking into him frantically, chasing that high. His body tightened around me, and with a final thrust, I came, my release spilling into him, filling him completely.
He followed, shooting off ropes of cum that mixed with the shower water and swirled down the drain as he groaned. Needing my lips on him, I kissed his back, and we stayed like that for a moment, our bodies connected, our breaths ragged.
Slowly, I pulled out, feeling his warmth fade instantly. Keaton stayed where he was for a second, while the water ran over both of us and washed away the proof of what we’d just done.
Then he turned and draped his arms around my shoulders.
“You good?” I asked, sliding my hands to his waist.
A small laugh left him. “You’re asking me that now?”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.” He pushed wet hair off his forehead. “I’m good.”
I reached behind him for the body wash. “Turn around.”
He glanced at where I was reaching. “What are you doing now?”
“Finishing the shower I was taking before you climbed in here and wrecked our schedule.”
His brow lifted. “I wrecked it?”
“You showed up naked.”
“That sounds like a you problem.”
I squeezed some body wash into my hand and rubbed it between my palms. “Still sounds like you should turn around.”
His mouth curved, and he did. I ran my hands over his shoulders, down his back, and across his sides while the water hit us both.
Keaton peeked back at me. “You’re being awfully sweet.”
I smiled. “I’m trying.”
His mouth twitched. “I noticed.” He took the bottle from my hand and turned in my arms. “Your turn.”
I lifted a brow. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He poured some into his palm before sliding his hands over my chest.
I laughed softly. “Keep that up, and you’re going to make me hard again.”
He grinned and then rinsed me off under the spray. “You’re in a really good mood,” he teased.
“Can you blame me?”
“No.”
I reached past him and turned off the water. He stepped out first and snatched a towel from the rack before wrapping it low around his hips. Then he picked up the other towel and threw it at me.
I caught it. “Thanks.”
I grabbed his wrist before he could step away and pulled him in for a quick kiss. He slipped out, and I stood there for a second, looking at his bedroom and trying not to grin like an idiot. That lasted maybe two seconds, but then I went to my room and got dressed.
A few minutes later, I left my room with my bag over my shoulder and saw that the house was empty. Keaton was already gone too. That was probably for the best.
We might’ve shared a shower—and more than just a shower—that morning, but to everyone else we lived with, we were still two guys who could barely stand being in the same room as each other.
So I took my keys, went to the garage, and rode my Ducati to the gym. By the time I pulled up to Titan, Keaton’s Elantra was already there. I parked a few spots over, turned off the engine, took off my helmet, and headed inside.
The moment I stepped onto the mat, everything seemed normal again. Or at least it appeared to be.
Keaton was warming up near the cage with Mason. Devon was barking at someone on the far side. Music thumped low through the speakers. A couple of guys from the morning class were wrapping hands near the benches.
Nobody acted like I had a neon sign over my head saying I was no longer a virgin and had had sex with my childhood best friend.
I kept moving and went straight to the locker room.
After changing, I walked back out and started stretching, keeping my focus where it needed to be. A couple of times, I caught Keaton in my peripheral vision, but I didn’t go near him, didn’t speak to him, didn’t do anything to draw attention to us.
Training moved fast.
We began with wrestling entries, then moved on to sprawls and cage work, and by the time we switched to drilling combinations, sweat was dripping down my back, and my mind had settled enough that I’d finally stopped replaying the shower every five seconds.
Almost.
“Rowan. Office,” Devon called.
I picked up my water bottle and went that way without asking questions.
He sat behind the desk with a notebook open in front of him. “Close the door.”
I did.
He leaned back in his chair. “There’s an event in LA in a few months. Tough competition, good exposure, and a different set of eyes than the ones you had in the Air Force.”
My pulse quickened. “Okay.”
“I’m not taking everybody. I want the guys who are ready, the guys who won’t fold, and the guys who won’t waste the opportunity because they can’t keep their heads on straight.”
I sat down. “Thank you. I appreciate this.”
“You’ve earned the shot,” he replied. “Your grappling causes problems for your opponent, your wrestling’s solid, and your boxing’s already there. The rest of your striking is catching up fast enough that I trust you not to go down there and embarrass me.”
I chuckled under my breath. “I would never do that, sir.”
He shut the notebook. “I know. Also, Keaton’s going.”
That didn’t surprise me.
I rubbed my jaw. “All right.”
“You got a problem with that?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Good.” He studied me for a second. “I’m taking my best guys, and right now that includes both of you.”
I stood. “Thanks, Devon.”
He waved me off. “Go finish practice.”
When I stepped back onto the floor, Keaton was near the bags with Derek. He looked over, instantly read my face, and let a corner of his mouth lift before he returned to work.
I powered through the rest of practice on pure adrenaline. By the time I got home, showered, changed, and sat down at my desk with my laptop, the rush from Devon’s news had mellowed.
LA was a real shot at something I’d wanted for years, and I should’ve been riding that high a little longer. Instead, I was staring at job listings and reminding myself I still needed to figure out what the hell I was doing outside the gym.
That part quickly killed the mood.
I browsed job listings and spent the next two hours disliking most of what I saw.
Security jobs that required night shifts every weekend.
Warehouse jobs with hours that conflicted with training.
Retail jobs that sounded miserable. Front desk jobs at a couple of places that sounded easy enough until I imagined myself sitting behind a counter, smiling at strangers all day. I immediately wanted to close the tab.
I scrolled for another twenty minutes before finally giving up and letting my head fall back against the chair. “This is bullshit,” I grumbled at the ceiling.