Page 60 of Addiction

“I’m looking forward to that day. By then, I’ll no doubt be able to knock you out with just a finger.”

“Cocky little fucker, aren’t you?”

“He’s been around you too long,” Jackson adds.

“Why do I get the feeling that working alongside you two is going to be more trouble than it’s worth?” I say, taking Asher’s glove off.

“There’ll be no trouble from me. Mark is just a sore loser.”

“I was just going easy on you. Next time I won’t be.”

“Looking forward to it,” Asher says, laughing as Mark walks off muttering under his breath.

“He’s going to be pissed for a few days after this, you realize that, right?” Jackson laughs.

“Got any work at Coles Security that needs doing to get him out of the way?”

“Unfortunately not. He’ll just have to suck it up.”

“Meanwhile, I’ll tease him a little more.” Asher chuckles. As I pull his other glove off, he flinches, hissing under his breath.

My eyes dart up to his. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Old injury in my shoulder. Twilight just hit me wrong and has aggravated it. It’s nothing.”

“Want me to take a look?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m used to it now.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

Leaving the ring, we head over to Jackson, Mark, and Grayson. It’s just us in here now as we closed an hour ago. Normal gym hours will resume tomorrow.

“You guys heading off now?” Asher asks.

“Yeah. I said I’d give Nora the night off so she could go out with Makenna.” Grayson replies.

“And I’ve got a few loose ends to tie up here before I head back to Cali,” Jackson says next. “Mark is going home to cry into his pillow.”

We all burst into laughter as Mark gives Jackson a punch on the arm, now laughing with us. “Y’all are a bunch of dickheads. I’m going home to make love to my wife.”

“Need anything to help the little guy get up?” Grayson says and again we all laugh.

“Right, that’s it. I hate the lot of you,” he says, grabbing his cell phone. “And I don’t need any pill to help me, thank you. The boy’s still going strong.”

“You just make it too easy for us to tease you.” Jackson chuckles, throwing Mark’s jacket at him. “Come on. I’ll buy you a beer to cheer you up.”

Turning to Asher, Jackson reaches out and grips his hand. “I’m proud of you, Ash. Keep up the good work.”

“Thanks, Jackson. It means a lot.”

After the guys leave and Asher heads for a shower, I walk around the gym to make sure everything is as it should be for the day tomorrow. Equipment that has been used today is wiped down and stored away if need be. Leftover paper cups are put in the trash and the tables in the chillout lounge are cleaned.

When I turn around, my breath catches when I find Asher resting against the doorway, watching me, inquisitively, with his shirt off. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, but now he’s more ripped than ever. He’s built like a fucking Greek god. The deep cuts of muscle make my mouth water, making me want to run my tongue over every one, tasting him, devouring him.

Clearing my throat, I ask. “Everything all right?”

“You didn’t have to do all the cleaning; I was planning to do it.”