Tobias had spent way too much time thinking about Cole’s words, about Chase’s attraction to “daddy” types. Sure, he was watching over his niece and being the best uncle he could, but he didn’t consider himself to be that type in the bedroom. He’d rather take direction than give it. It was one of the few places he could escape fromeverything else, and it had been so long since he had someone to share it with. Or maybe the whole daddy thing was only about the look? He supposed he looked the part. He was a daddy in the streets but a sub in the sheets.
‘Please don’t repeat that to another human.’
Good call.
Chase said he liked taking charge in the bedroom, but Cole knew him more intimately than Tobias did. Maybe Tobias wasn’t what Chase wanted after all.
An elbow in his side broke him out of his overthinking, and he turned to Chase, his gaze worried.
“I really don’t mind helping you train if you need it, but don’t let the guys pressure you if you’re uncomfortable.”
“No, I, um…” Tobias paused to think over his words. “I really do need your help. It’s scary how rusty I am, but I get it if you don’t have time for it.”
“For you, I have all the time in the world,” he said, his smile easy and disarming. “Just let me know where and when and I’ll work you as hard as you need.”
Tobias’ brows shot up. He wondered if there was a double meaning to Chase’s words.Wondered. Hoped. Same thing.
“Okay, good, because I need it.”
Chase’s gaze dropped to Tobias’ lips before settling on his eyes.
“Don’t worry, boss. I got you.”
I fucking hope so.
16
THERE WERE A FEW times over the course of Chase’s life when he could predict the significance of a moment. When he knew everything was about to change, for better or worse.
There was the time his soccer coach gave him a shot in net, and he never wanted any other position. Or the time Shawn upended his life, outing him to his parents and breaking their relationship. He hadn’t looked back until Shawn snuck back into his life this year. Then there was the moment he met Tobias Moyer, and shaking his hand had sent a jolt through his body.
Chase felt it again as he led his first Bring Your Own Buddy class. Out of all the names they’d brainstormed, Tobias thought it would be the most marketable. How many other gyms could putBYOBon their ads?
He led a group of ten adults with kids by theirsides—plus Josh, who couldn’t stay away—and everything went exactly as he’d imagined. This was exactly what he should be doing: teaching both kidsandadults.
Eleven wasn’t a huge number, but it was a great start for their first session, and both Tobias and Chase hoped the classes would gain popularity as word spread. Chase crowed when a man signed up with his son, who must have been three or four years old. The rest of the attendees were women—except for Josh—and had been to similarMommy and Me-style classes, but never with yoga. Not near Cherrywood, at least.
The kids ranged in age from three to ten and were generally well behaved and followed the directions. They were excited to work out alongside their parents and guardians, especially when Chase gave them some partner poses they could do together. Not quite like the acroyoga session Tobias had joined him in, but simple stretching poses where the adult and child had to work together.
Chase moved them from pose to pose, and he wondered what Tobias thought of the class so far. He’d told Chase his plan to hide in his office and watch the class through the gym’s security cameras. It allowed him to watch without having to worry about dealing with eager Inferno fans.
Tobias stayed out of the spotlight so much over the last three years most people forgot he even owned thegym. It wasn’t like members ever saw him, so they probably figured he was merely an investor. He even left his name off their website and social media accounts.
It was amazing how good of a job Tobias had done in isolating himself from the world, and Chase wondered—not for the first time—how lonely he must have been.
Despite being so distanced from the spotlight, diehard hockey fans hadn’t forgotten him. He’d played for the Inferno for twelve years and won them not just one, buttwoStanley Cups, plus the individual awards he got for himself. Hockey fans weren’t ever likely going to forget him completely, as evidenced by the trending news of his return to hockey for this year’s alumni game.
Chase could sense the tension in him from a mile away when the subject came up, and he wanted to do whatever he could to minimize that anxiety. They planned to work on drills together after this class, once everyone had left the gym.
Instead, he focused on giving these participants the best yoga class he could so they’d tell their friends about it.
When Josh had set up his mat at the beginning of class, a couple other participants had asked him why he didn’t have a kid with him, and he whispered loudly like they were in on a big secret.
“I’m here for moral support since it’s the gym’s first kids’ class,” he said with a big smile. The other memberswere easily charmed by Josh—like most people—and instantly accepted him.
Chase was thankful Josh didn’t say he came to watch the cute kids in action. That might not have gone over as well, since parents were so protective of their children. As they should be.
The class wound down, and Chase pondered how long the kids could hold the final position. It involved quietly lying on their mats with their eyes closed, and he knew kids weren’t always great at that task.
