As a black belt, Tyler helps his students face their fears, but he has yet to come to terms with his own bisexuality. When he finds a new sparring partner in Jaime, an openly gay man struggling to find his place in the dojo, Tyler is surprised at how right it feels to be intertwined with him.<br><br>Determined to put his partying days behind him, Jaime returns to martial arts training and swears off one-night stands. He is finally ready to look for something more when Tyler approaches him with a request - help Tyler explore his new found sexuality. Their physical relationship intensifies in secret. It isn’t long before their time together becomes about something more than just sex.<br><br>Despite their growing closeness, Tyler refuses to acknowledge their relationship in public. Now Jaime must choose between returning to his former lifestyle and falling in love with someone afraid to embrace him in front of their friends. Tyler doesn’t want to lose Jaime as a student, much less as a lover, but can he overcome his fears and accept his new identity?

Spar

“Jaime, how are you doing?” Sensei Melissa asked as she stood in the doorway.


With a small smile, Jaime nodded. “I should have blocked.”


Sensei Melissa put her hand on Jaime’s shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile.


Despite her casual tone, Tyler saw the concern in her eyes. He could still hear Randy counting on the dojo floor and knew Steve had received his reprimand in the form of push-ups.


“Keep up the good work.” Sensei Melissa always had a way of saying the right thing to inspire a student to be better than even they thought they could be. “The extra training is really paying off. Sometimes getting hit provides a valuable lesson.”


“Hai, Sensei,” Jaime said with a broad smile.


“Sayonara, Sensei.” Jaime and Tyler spoke in unison.


Chapter 44