Chapter 12
My brain won’t switch from Noah with my brothers to my workout regime.
This is second nature to me. I should be concentrating on pushing my limits, feeling the burn that drives me on.
Instead, I’m following his movement around the gym.
I want to know what he’s thinking, what he’s seeing in here.
I shouldn’t have come with the intention to exercise.
Something on the notice board has captured his interest, and I want to know what it is.
My god, what is it I’m feeling for him? Obsession is too creepy, but my Dom is restless.
I want him kneeling before me, his focus only on me.
Now, he’s with Royal, who looks over Noah’s shoulder to me.
What’s been said? My feet lose rhythm, and I stumble on the treadmill. I hit the stop button and get off.
Annoyed, I wander over to the office. Knox has a sardonic expression, humour just below the surface. “Something bothering you, bro?”
“Fuck off!”
“Ooh, tetchy. He’s cute, totally your type. When are you going to claim him?” Knox leans back in the large leather office chair and knits his fingers behind his head. “You’ll need to before someone else makes a move. You’re not the only one watching him.”
“He has no idea about me. To him, I’m his boss, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I doubt he’s even aware of the scene. He’s na?ve, and stumbling into a BDSM lifestyle is not the way to introduce him to relationships.”
“Then you’d better get out there, although it’s probably too late now.” Knox motions to the gym floor through the window.
Tate and Roman, Ro for short, are two boys from Bound, the club my brothers and I are members of. They’re gorgeous boys that I’ve fucked and played with a multitude of times, sometimes with Royal joining us.
“Fuck!” They both look like cats that have had the cream. The smug looks on their faces don’t match the look of confusion—and a little hurt—on Noah’s face. “Gotta go.”
Knox’s chuckle as I leave does nothing but annoy me even further. I all but run across the floor to the open area off to the side of the gym. Tate and Ro are still with Noah when I reach him, boxing him in on the bench. “What’s going on here?”
The two subs jump, startled by my Dom voice. Their faces pale before they drop their eyes down to the floor. “Tate, look at me.” I wait until he lifts his head, two spots of red blooming over his cheeks, as he casts a glance at Noah. “Why are you pestering my employee?”
“We were just saying hello, we haven’t seen him before. Just being friendly.” He blatantly lies to me. The sugary tone and lack of eye contact proves that.
“Is that so? Is Noah going to tell me the same thing? What about you, Ro? You have a guilty look on your face too. Have you been talking about private matters? About my private life?”
“It was just a bit of fun, Sir. Just teasing him. We didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Thank you, Ro. Now, I think you need to get on the treadmills and run for 30 minutes. I think that will make sure you remember to keep quiet about my private life.” I look at Tate. “You, too, Tate. I’ll be watching you.”
They scuttle away and get on the treadmills. I wait until I see them start running before looking at Noah. “I’m sorry about that, Noah. Those two are nothing but trouble.” He shrugs, not really looking me in the eye, making me more pissed off with those boys. “What did they say, Noah?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s not any of my business. What you do and get up to out of work is private. They shouldn’t have been so disrespectful.”
I turn around and look at the boys barely jogging on the running machines. “Run faster and you’ve got another fifteen minutes added.”
When I look back at Noah, he’s standing up and looking at Royal. “Thanks, Royal.”
“What are you doing? Are you leaving?” Shit, he’s really bothered about what happened, and when I reach out to touch his arm, he shies away.
What did they tell him? A question niggles at the back of my brain, it won’t go away.
Why is this bothering me so much? What difference does it make if he knows I fuck guys in a private club?
We’re both adults. I’m sure he’s had his fun.
But that doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t know for sure if he’s gay.
He’s never come out and announced it, and why should he?
Everyone is entitled to have a private sex life.
“I want to have a word with Knox, then I’ll be going back to the house.” He still doesn’t look at me. “Can you give me a couple of minutes to change?”
“You don’t need to do that.” Noah looks over to Tate and Roman.
“I think you’re going to have to watch those guys.
If you leave, they’ll stop running.” There’s a little humour as he speaks, but I can see he’s still trying to understand whatever it was they told him.
And, of course, he’s right. “I’ll see you at work on Monday. ”
I nod, but there’s no way I’m going to leave him to wallow in whatever crap those two meddlers told him. I watch him walk away, there’s not much else I can do.
Royal steps up next to me. “What’s going on?”
“Tate and Ro spoke to him. I don’t know what they said, but knowing those two cocky bastards, it wouldn’t have been good. They rarely have a filter on their mouths.”
Royal chuckles, annoying me even further. “I can imagine. They probably decided he was your latest sub and wanted to introduce themselves. Which doubtlessly involved how much fun they have when you fuck them.”
“I’m going to punish them so hard next time I’m at the club. They know the fucking rules,” I growl, staring at their red, sweaty faces. “Come on, you can run faster than that,” I yell at them. “What was he talking to you about?”
“Self-defence classes. He wants to take lessons. He said that after not being able to fend off some heavy-handed men in the past, he’d like to know what to do in the future.”
“Men. He said men? So, he’s gay?” That clarification pleases me more than it should.
“You didn’t know? You sent him to live with our dads—who are gayer than Paul O’Grady and his dog, god rest his soul. What the fuck, Saint.”
“Hey, it never crossed my mind that he’d be bothered about that. If he’s followed me as much as he says, then he would have read articles that have me praising my two fathers. I’ve never hidden them or my own sexuality.”
“Fair point. But seriously, Saint, he screams needy sub. He’s lost here and needs some guidance in his life as well at the studio. If you don’t want him, I’m more than happy to take over. His arse is gorgeous.”
Even though I know he’s winding me up, a growl still escapes me. “Leave him alone, Royal. And anyway, you’re a Daddy, and he’s not a little. That I do know.”
“So, what are you going to do about it? He’s not going to go away, and I think he may have some questions that only you should answer.”
I know Royal is right, but how do I open that conversation when I don’t know what the terrible two said to him.
I’ll wait until he leaves, I don’t want him to see me talking to them again.
Instead, I decide to interrupt Noah and Knox, to tell them that I can teach him self-defence.
I’m as qualified as Dad. But Royal grabs my arm, holding me still.
“Leave him for now, Saint. Let him work through his thoughts. If he wants answers, you’re gonna have to wait for him to ask the questions. Go finish your workout.”
After glaring at the two subs again, I go over to the free weights and start my routine.
I don’t see Noah leave.