Page 9 of The Titan and the Trainer

“Err, yes,” stumbled Julian in response, seemingly rather apprehensive.

“Put your hands on your temples, please - so your arms are at extension.”

Julian complied. This was a typical bodybuilder pose and stretched the underarm and lower-shoulder muscle group.

Callum stood at a ninety-degree angle from Julian, put his own arm out straight and reached under Julian’s left armpit, in indicating his latissimus dorsi muscle, which connects the biceps and obliques of the abdomen.

He explained, “This is your latissimus dorsi muscle.” He laid his hand across the muscle, which was dripping with sweat and hot as hell from body heat. He continued, “This is the key target area for the barbell bent-over row.”

Julian’s body spasmed at his touch, and he gulped so hard that Callum heard it clearly in the silence of the deserted office. He checked his face. It was red. “OK?” Callum asked in an affirmatory tone. Julian just nodded quickly without saying a word, eyes fixed forward, avoiding his.

Callum decided to ramp things up. “This is the muscle we are trying to focus on here, if we are doing this set and you aren’t feeling the strain, right here,” and he pressed hard into the flesh and solid muscle with his hand, “then you are simply not doing it right.”

Callum then pivoted ninety degrees, to standing directly in front of Julian, very close, too close, his hot breath now on Julian’s face. Those green eyes never looked sexier, Callum thought, even though they were still avoiding eye contact. Callum slowly raised his other hand and placed it on the other armpit muscle.

Callum and Julian were now the closest they’d ever been, both connected, skin on skin. They were almost hugging. Groins and faces temptingly just inches apart.

Julian gulped again, very red in the face.

Flushed and self-conscious of his growing erection, Callum asked, “Can you feel it?”

Silence. Eyes fixed forward, daring not to find Callum.

He repeated. “Julian, tell me, can you feel it?”

“Yes, sorry, yes, I feel it,” Julian blurted out, but looked very uncomfortable.

Callum immediately took his hands away, regretting his test, hoping he hadn’t made things awkward between them. “Now, let’s try that again.”

Callum was aroused. The physical contact had sent a rush of blood straight to his dick, which was now straining awkwardly against his shorts. He gave Julian’s groin a discreet glance and could see his bulge was also now more obvious.

“Back to work, come on,” he spurred their session on, “seated knee tucks, three sets of twelve reps.” This was a floor exercise and would give them both time to calm down.

“You're shaking, Julian,” Callum murmured, standing directly behind him as Julian held a weighted plank, 20 kilograms of weight on his back.

“I'm... at… my… limit,” Julian grunted, arms trembling, face flushed a deep, dark red.

“Not yet,” Callum whispered, leaning down so his breath fanned over Julian’s ear. “Three more inches down. C’mon, you can do it… Hold it.”

Julian let out a choked sound, halfway between a moan and a growl. He was vibrating, his entire body rigid. His self-control and endurance were beyond anything Callum had ever witnessed. Callum looked at the back of Julian’s neck, seeing the pulse thrumming there, and he had to clench his fists to keep from reaching out and grabbing those broad shoulders.

The tension was off the scale. Every time Callum reached out to adjust a limb, his hand would impulsively hover for a heartbeat too long. A dangerous game was being played out here, waiting to see who would break the client-trainer barrier first.

The attraction was obvious, yet neither acknowledged it. The barrier held strong.

The alarm on Callum’s phone crashed into their reverie. “Time,” Callum barked, stepping forward and lifting the weight from Julian’s back.

Julian collapsed onto the mat, his entire body heaving, his eyes squeezed shut. He stayed there for a long time, trying to catch his breath, his hand instinctively twitching toward his groin before he stopped himself. Callum knew why, his package was probably quite uncomfortable from being aroused and probably needed adjusting. But in Lycra, nowhere to hide!

“Good session,” Callum said, his voice tight. He returned the weight to the rack, then returned, throwing his equipment into his bag with unnecessary force. He couldn't look at Julian. If he looked at him now, while he was flushed and vulnerable on the floor, he was going to ruin everything.

Julian rolled over and sat up, wiping sweat from his eyes. He looked at Callum; really looked at him with a raw, aching frustration that mirrored Callum’s own.

Once again, the air was heavy with what was unsaid.

“I have a board call at midnight,” Julian said, his voice thick with disappointment. “I have to stay here late.”

“Right. Corporate life,” Callum said, smiling sympathetically as he headed for the lift, his heart feeling like a dead weight in his chest.