an's

it would probably l

weights I barely touched anymore, and a personal traine

on I limped all week. "Alright, Grandpa. Warm-up'

p on the barbell. "I will strangle y

And we both know your knees hav

do squats with half a

"You said you

like infli

e soft tissue damage. Let's go-five reps, and

, gritting my teeth, swea

in pop. Five. Not bad for someone whose last serious

a clang and glared at him

above leaking them. Plus, I've seen your di

. "It's not my fault your fragile masculin

roblem is thinking your dick still gets th

sip. "Funny. Last I checked, I was still

ll give you that. But eventually, even the best

"An absolute gift for saying the dum

to scream into the void. Admit it, I'm the h

nify that wi

blinds lowered over the windows. Privacy mode. "Sessio

nd soul-baring?" Jake asked,

," I

One day, your icy shell's gonna crack. An

drea

an. You're almost thirty-e

seven,"

e. Keep telling

breath and rolled my shoulders. Muscles

s and pride, I retreated to the master

let out something between a groan and a death rattle. Eucalyptus and lav

ce. F

es before my phone buzzed

n

cou

gh. "If this is about the espr

lems?" Ana's voice was crisp, like she was simulta

you poisoned

But the da

tub, letting my arm hang over

York. The Ken

ess-he's threatening

at boy at

emples, water sloshing

ly for the week. Unless you want me to go

mpt

can't go torching clients unl

enough to a

one of us looks

head back again. "Alright. I'll go. I

ull hurt. I could practically hear it through the phone. "I'v

the building besides Ana who could read my handwriting and tolerate my attitude without crying. He stuck to

elaxing again under t

ce. "Don't go pretending this business trip means you can slack o

matically. "Y

it, I'll be waiting with a stapler an

ray of s

ou lov

could throw another w

in, letting the steam soak into my skin. Kendrick. Meetings. H

about what Ana said-about

busy. Too focuse

hat was a mess I'd lef

ater, the surface shifting like

, another hotel. Then it'd be b

how I

ne buzz

e, it wa

t the club ton

ed on going anywhere, let alone to The BLACK VELVET-our not

thing special was lined up. And t

creen. My reflection in the black glass stare

till looked good. Still fe

knowing when I needed a distraction. Ever since he found Philip-his latest sub

ooked at Philip like he was both fragile glass and a loaded weapon. The

and short-term contracts. Temporary pleasur

... it was

I remembered what it felt like to have som

ting the phon

n't a

e