Page 86 of What Started In Deception

Punching in the code that Lydia had given him, he opened the door to Kings of Leon blasting through the speakers as Will hissed out a breath while he finished a set of bicep curls. Shutting the door behind him, Ty glanced around, making a quick study of the top-of-the-line equipment, noting the infrared sauna tucked away in the corner. “Morning.”

Already sweaty and breathing hard, Will dropped the weights, wearing a similar outfit to Ty’s black athletic shorts and a pair of Nike sneakers. “Morning.”

“What time did you get started?”

“Right around six. Maverick woke up just after five. I changed him and gave him a bottle so Mac could sleep. When he crashed again, I headed downstairs.”

Ty winced. “Sounds rough.”

Will shrugged. “Early morning wake-up calls are an unfortunate but expected part of the whole parenting deal.” He picked up the weights again, starting his next set as Ty headed for the treadmill to warm up his muscles.

Ty pressed the start button on the display panel, pushing on the up arrow until he was moving at a gentle jog as Will dropped his weights again.

“Are you and Lydia settling in?”

Ty nodded. “We grabbed a bite to eat, unpacked a little, then went to bed when we couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer. Lyd’s still sleeping.”

“I’m not surprised. That’s a long-ass drive you guys made. I like knowing that she didn’t do it alone.”

Ty nodded again. “I like that, too.”

Will reached for the weights, then stood straight without picking them up. “So, you guys have been dating for a while?”

He noted the scrutiny in Will’s eyes and couldn’t blame him. Lydia’s cousin was clearly as protective of her as she was of him. “Yeah, for right around six months now.”

“Mac was pretty surprised when Gram-Gram broke the news this last weekend.”

Ty nodded. “We’ve been taking things slow—seeing where they go.”

Will nodded this time as he bent down again, picking up the weights, working on another set.

Ty turned off the treadmill, satisfied with the light sheen of sweat on his chest as he headed for the leg press, adjusting the weight to his preference. Sitting down, he got to work.

“When you finish there, would you mind giving me a spot on the bench press?”

Ty blew out as he struggled through his last rep, feeling the pump in his quads as he finished. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

“Thanks.” Will tossed him a clean towel from the neat stack as he walked by. “You’ll probably want one of these.”

“I appreciate it.” He wiped at his forehead with the soft cotton as Will set himself up on the bench.

“Would you be willing to critique my form?” Will winced. “Maybe that’s rude to ask for free advice.”

Ty shook his head, throwing a few points Will’s way as he gathered first impressions. Lydia’s cousin now had access to a personal trainer, yet he was conscientious enough not to take advantage of Ty’s skill set. “Not at all. I’m happy to help. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Will did his first set.

“That’s pretty good. But try tucking your shoulder blades a little more with your arch and hold the bar a little farther apart to work your pecs harder.”

Will made the adjustments Ty suggested, then went after his next set.

Ty nodded. “Perfect. That looks really good.”

Will grunted as he set the bar up after his last rep. “Fuck, my pecs are screaming.”

Ty chuckled as Will grinned. “It hurts so good.”

Will chuckled this time. “Yeah, it’s something like that.”