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

When Tyler got to the parking lot, he let out a sigh of relief seeing the profile of a figure by his car. The closer he got, the more details he could make out. The excited beat of his heart was replaced with dread. Everything from Jaime’s tense shoulders to his gaze focused on nothing said we need to talk.


“I’m so sorry.” Tyler cut Jaime off before he could say anything. “It took me a lot longer than I thought it would to get away from the table.”


“I’m sure Erica wouldn’t let you leave without getting your number.” Jaime kept his eyes focused onthe ground beside Tyler’s feet.


“Actually, she gave me hers.” It was meant to be a joke, but Tyler regretted it as soon as he’d said it. Jaime pinned him with a dead serious expression. “I wasn’t looking to pick her up.”


Tyler sighed. He’d rather spar than argue. Finding the right words was never his strong suit. He seemed to always get himself into deeper trouble, no matter what he said.


Chapter 57