Jared was looking forward to that too.
“But I guess right now I have to get you back to work, huh?” Kyrone asked.
“Yes.”
“Shame.” Kyrone kissed the tip of Jared’s nose.
“There was something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Jared said as he slipped off Kyrone’s lap, back onto the wall. He felt a bit too dizzy to stand straight away.
“Oh?”
“You work out, don’t you?”
Kyrone flexed his arm. “As much as I’d like to claim I have a body this beautiful because I’m a demigod, I look this good because I work out.”
Jared chuckled. “I was wondering if you wanted to work out with me.” He ran his hand over Kyrone’s arm, feeling his lover’s firm, strong muscles. “I thought some sexy eye candy might spur me on to work harder.”
Kyrone arched an eyebrow. “Isn’t your trainer sexy?”
“He’s okay, I suppose.” Jared grinned. “He’s not you.”
“I am stunning,” Kyrone agreed, winking. “Would I be the carrot or the stick?”
Jared’s insides felt warm and gooey as he contemplated that question. “The carrot,” he decided. “You’d be my reward for working hard.”
Kyrone nodded thoughtfully. “Would you have the energy to handle me after a workout at the gym?”
Jared’s stomach sank, and he hung his head. “Maybe not. I’m sorry. It was a stupid idea.”
“Hey.” Kyrone put his fingers under Jared’s chin and gently forced him to look up. “It’s a great idea. I was joking, and it definitely wasn’t a tactful thing for me to say. How about you work hard, and then I’ll get you home and cuddle you while you get your energy back, and make sure you get food and plenty to drink?”
Jared smiled. “That sounds wonderful.” He tangled his fingers with Kyrone’s. “I won’t always be this weak and tired,” he said. “I’m building myself back up slowly.”
“You’re not weak,” Kyrone said. “You’re one of the strongest people I know. You’ve rebuilt your entire life in less than eighteen months, which can’t have been easy.”
It wasn’t easy, but Jared knew he had come a long way from waking up so weak he could barely move or talk, with nothing but fear and confusion. Seeing Jag on Sunday had reminded him how scary and draining the first few weeks had been, and for a while he’d lost sight of the gains he’d made as he lapsed back into self-pitying thoughts. Finding out his family had kept things from him hadn’t helped. But no more. He couldn’t move forward by going backwards. He was pretty damn happy with the person he’d become over the last few months, and one day, he hoped his parents—and Jag—would be happy with him too.
22Kyrone
After Ink Envy shut for the day on Thursday, they headed to the city centre gym Jared had joined. It was a cheap and cheerful place, open twenty-four hours for a minimal fee. On the way in, Jared grabbed the card with his training programme and handed it to Kyrone to look at while he got changed.
“Do you have a personal trainer?” Kyrone asked.
Jared let out a scoffing laugh. “No. My programme gets reviewed every six weeks, and whoever is on the floor keeps a general eye on me. I’m okay doing it alone.”
Kyrone pursed his lips as he read down the list of low rep exercises, with breaks between sets built into the programme. “You work on one part of your body a session?”
Jared nodded. “And at least two days break between sessions.”
“Okay. What are we working on today?”
“We?”
“I’m here to help.”
“I thought you were going to be my carrot?” Jared asked, his eyes sparkling.
“Can’t I be both the carrot and the stick? I want to help in any way I can. Let me know what you need.”
