Chapter Nine

"Iam starving," Mike whined from the passenger seat of the ambulance.

"Just a few more minutes, but man, there is a tiny part of me that wants you to turn on those overheads so we can get there sooner."

They had just picked up their dinner for the evening from a Moroccan place in Old Town. Mobile ordering was the greatest invention in Justin's opinion. The plethora of food apps available made it convenient to order out often enough that his bank account got occasionally snarky with him, but Justin tried to keep his splurges down to twice a week. Especially with the incredibly high cost of food these days. At least there were lots of options these days outside the fast-food joints. He had really been attempting to eat meals with more lean protein and simple carbs since Rob had chastised him for his diet habits. The results had pleasantly surprised him when he got on the scale at the gym.

They pulled into a local park, and Justin spotted an open bench near the parking lot. He and Mike preferred to take their meal breaks outside when possible. However, with Portland"s mercurial weather, they only had about a 50 percent success rate. Justin set their containers on the table and sat down. A sigh of pleasure escaped when he opened the lid to his container, and the aroma of his chicken shawarma sandwich reached his nose. Mike dug into his lamb kabab.

"So you have a date with Mr. Perfect tonight?"

"Actually, I was thinking to visit this new gym I'm thinking of joining." He forked another bite of salad in his mouth. "It specializes in mixed martial arts. I want to change up my workout routine a little and thought that might be a good way. They offer different classes at all experience levels."

In actuality, he was going to watch Rob train, but he couldn't tell Mike that. Plus, the excuse did sound believable, and when he really thought about it, adding some martial arts to his workouts wasn't a bad idea.

"Huh? That would probably work for you, since you're obsessed with all that stuff." Mike waved his hands around like fake karate moves.

Justin"s water nearly came out his nose. "Where did you learn your moves? The Karate Kid movies? Besides, I'm not obsessed. I'm an avid appreciator with a thorough knowledge base."

"Like I said, obsessed," Mike said, rolling his eyes. "Do you think I could tag along? I definitely need to get back to a gym. Since the whole thing with Trevor, I've really slacked off." He lifted his shirt, showing Justin his stomach.

"Oh yes, I can see. You"ve transformed into a complete marshmallow. If you want to come, it's fine with me. I didn't think it was your scene, though. If I remember correctly, you said MMA is theatrical and overrated."

"Well, that pay-per-view stuff, sure. But I still respect the discipline and challenge of real martial arts. Besides, you know what they say about old dogs."

"They like to sniff each other's butts? Hey!" He snapped his fingers. "That might get you a new boyfriend. Good idea, buddy."

"Smartass." As Mike got up from the table, he smacked Justin upside the back of his head.

"Better a smartass than an ass that smarts. On second thought…"

Justin chuckled, then got up to throw away his takeout container.

They walked into the gym, and the scent of sweat and rubber immediately assailed Justin from the mats. Several sections divided up the place. The main center area of the gym was a large open mat. Currently, there were multiple partners practicing boxing and other martial arts moves. It looked as if they were just warming up or doing individual lessons because there was no single instructor with the group. There was an area with ropes for climbing and gymnastic rings to work on upper-body strength. Justin watched as a man was climbing up the rope while holding his legs out in front of him.

Holy crap. That looks really hard. Maybe I'm not ready for this stuff after all.

They placed cardio and weightlifting equipment in another corner, and finally, they set up the last corner with ropes like a boxing ring. Some walls had mirrors on them so the students could examine their forms. He had seen no sign of Rob yet.

Wonder where he's at? He said he'd be here all afternoon.

Justin walked up to the front desk and asked the attendant where he could find someone to talk to about classes they offered, as well as a membership. As he turned his head, he caught sight of Rob out of the corner of his eye. He was settling into a series of bench presses on the weight equipment. All his muscles bulged in a drooltastic display. Justin made sure he wasn't staring. He caught Rob's gaze in the mirror as Rob sat up from finishing his last set. Rob gave a casual wave in his direction.

"You know that guy?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, he's actually the one who told me about this place. You don't recognize him?"

Mike stared for a moment, but couldn't seem to place the face in question. "Should I?"

"That's Robert Lansing, one of PFL"s top contenders. He"s also Joe's stepson. We met at the shop. I mentioned I was a fan, and he told me this is where he trains."

"Really? Here? I would have figured he'd have fancy trainers and a private gym and all that."

Justin just shrugged his shoulders. "I guess whatever works."

He was prevented from saying anything further when they were introduced to Troy, one of the instructors.

"It's nice to meet you guys. What brought you here today?" he inquired.

"I was interested in changing up my workout. As someone who loves watching mixed martial art tournaments, I was excited to see that you offer a cross-training program that combines different disciplines, cardio, and weightlifting. However, I'm not interested in competing or anything. I just want a more rounded exercise routine."

Troy escorted them around the different areas and explained the general purpose behind each of them. "You'll appreciate this being an MMA fan." He gestured to Robert over on the weight equipment to join them. "Robert, I'd like you to meet two potential new members. This is Justin Floyd and Mike Cartman. Justin has expressed interest in the cross-training program."

Robert held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mike."

Justin did his best to hide the moan when Robert covertly caressed the center of Justin's palm when they shook hands. "Justin… good to see you again. I'm glad you decided to check the place out."

"You've already met?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, Justin works for my stepdad. You have me to thank for the referral. I told him the place doesn't look like much, it smells, and your body will feel like it's been put through a meat grinder after the workouts, but it made me into what I've become." He slung his arm around Troy and smiled widely. "I guess he checked the place out, anyway."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Pay no attention to the man with the dreadful sarcastic wit. We're just about to start an advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class, if you would like to observe."

"That would be great. Thanks," Justin said.

The back of Justin"s neck burned as he and Mike walked over to the viewing area and took a seat. He was tempted to look over his shoulder to see if Robert"s gaze was really on him or if it was just his imagination.

Oh, fuck it.

He spun and nearly swallowed his tongue when he spied Robert"s magnificent ass on display while he did some squats.

"Hey, Mike. Save me a seat. I want to ask Robert something real quick."

Mike waved, and Justin jogged over toward Robert. "Excuse me?"

Robert glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Yes?"

"I saw you a second ago and was wondering if you would give me some tips on my form?"

Justin picked up a nearby medicine ball, presented his backside, and went down into a deep squat.

"Impressive depth and outstanding balance. I"d be happy to give you one-on-one instruction later… if you decide to join."

"That would be great. I"d really like to experience your personal touch… with my training."

Robert smirked. "So, what do you think of the place?"

"Well, it's definitely not the YMCA. I can see the appeal, but to be honest, I'm a little intimidated. I have no background in this stuff."

He gestured for Justin to spot him on the next set of lifts. "Hey, that's fine. There are members of all levels here. If you're serious about taking on the cross program, you'll get a kickass workout. I even helped them design it. Plus, the bonus is you're not tethered to a machine. It's raw, bare bones, down and dirty." He looked around for a moment before quietly asking, "Did you really want to sign up, or was this all for Mike's benefit?" He moved over and started doing bicep curls.

"He cornered me at dinner and asked what I was doing tonight. I told him I was coming here to check the place out, and it started out as a show. Now, I'm actually intrigued. I may sign up. The dues can't be more than what I'm paying at my gym now." He leered at Rob and lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Do you have any idea how fucking hot you look all pumped out? I swear to God I'm going to jump your bones the first moment I get you alone."

"Don't look at me like that," Robert growled. "You'll make me hard, and these shorts keep no secrets. If we truly were alone, I would shove you in the equipment room and fuck you silly." He put the dumbbell on the rack next to where Justin stood and grazed his ass, hiding the caress from the rest of the gym with his body.

"Hey, Rob, your sparring partner is ready," Troy called over from the ringed mat area.

"I"ve got to go."

Justin saluted. "Go do your thing. I"m joining Mike…" He turned but didn"t see Mike anywhere. "Hey! Where did he go?"

"Justin!" Troy yelled as he came over. "Sorry, Mike said he has to take off."

"Oh, okay. Well, I"d still like to observe the class if that"s okay with you."

"Sure, I got the sense that he showed little interest in what we offer."

"He came out of curiosity, but I don't think he was ready to change his routine. I, on the other hand, am excited to give it a shot. To be honest, I'm a little starstruck at meeting Robert Lansing." He aimed for an innocent smile. "I've seen him a few times at Joe's, and he seems as if he's a normal guy."

Troy laughed. "Yeah, that's Robert. One of the biggest success stories in the sport and still has very little ego. He's a local, you know? Grew up here and everything. I figured when he started really winning on the pro circuit several years ago, he would take off for greener pastures, but he stayed true to his roots. At least, he lets me exploit him to potential new members."

A few minutes later, the class began, and Justin found himself completely engrossed. He knew this was an advanced class, and it took a lot of work to get that good, but he had to admit it looked like a lot of fun. Justin kept checking out Rob from the corner of his eye. He and another man, not James, were doing some serious moves. It was amazing how fast his reflexes were. It was clear Robert was trying to think two steps ahead of his opponent. Justin gave up all pretense of watching the class and wandered over closer to Rob. They had started out with what looked like kickboxing moves, but now they switched to Jiu-Jitsu, like what the class was doing but on a whole other level. It was amazing how quickly Rob could get his partner into a submission hold repeatedly. Suddenly, Justin heard a painful scream behind him. He went into rescue mode and took off to the center mat.

Coming upon a man grasping his knee and writhing on the floor, he kneeled and looked at the man standing next to him.

"What happened?" Justin asked.

"He was doing a sweep kick when his standing leg twisted beneath him and he fell."

He suspected an injury to the ACL or anterior cruciate ligament. He quickly got the man to stop moving around on the floor and asked if they had a first response bag on the premises. Once somebody had delivered it, he could stabilize the knee. He recommended that someone take the injured man to the ER.

The room had basically gone silent when the man had gone down, but now people were going back to their workouts.

Troy helped clean up the supplies, then pulled Justin to the side. "Are you a doctor or something?"

Shaking his head, Justin said, "Paramedic. It looked like an ACL injury, but the ER will determine a diagnosis."

"You don't by any chance need a job, do you? We've been looking to add a medic to the staff for situations like this, but haven't been able to find someone with the right qualifications. It would only be part-time. Most of our serious athletes are here in the evenings, and that's when things are most likely to go wrong."

"Actually, I found out yesterday that my current moonlighting position is going to be cut, so as long as the hours and pay work out, it sounds like a great opportunity."

"Fantastic. I'll contact you with the details tomorrow. You know, one of the major benefits of being employed here is free workouts."

I can think of an even better benefit.

It was Justin's first night at the job at the gym. Troy introduced Justin to the rest of the staff and showed him where they stored all the equipment. Besides being the on-call medic, he would also do general set-up for classes and equipment maintenance. Troy had said that if he ever felt interest he could get certified as a personal trainer and take on some additional responsibilities. It wasn"t something Justin ever thought about, but… maybe.

The night flew by, and in a short time, it was time to lock down. He had agreed to close the place on the nights he worked there to give Troy a break. With everyone gone, he locked the doors, then carried the equipment to the storage closet. He heard the locker room door open and close. He was bending over, putting some padding away, when he heard the storage room door close and a large body came up behind him. A pair of hands grabbed his hips, and a hard cock thrust against his ass.

"Now, what's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?"

The deep voice above him punctuated the question with another shove of his hips. Justin recognized Rob"s voice immediately, but thought it might be fun to indulge in some role-play. Justin pushed back and rubbed on the hard cock that filled the shorts behind him. "Funny you should ask. It's actually one of my favorite spots to be in."

The man lifted him, forcefully turned him around, and then shoved him up against the wall by the shelves. Warm, strong lips slammed down on his, and a wickedly talented tongue plundered his mouth. Hands grappled for his shirt and dragged it up over his head. He wore track pants, so they were quickly shoved down. A large, warm hand grasped his cock and pulled in a hard rhythm. He cried out at the feeling of being jacked off in the dark room. His hands scrambled for his Rob"s shirt and shoved it up beneath his arms. Justin attached his lips to Rob"s nipples right at mouth level.

"This is going to be fast and dirty," Robert growled.

There was an exercise ball sitting next to his feet. Justin stripped off his pants entirely and turned around to latch onto the wide shoulders above him. Hands molded to his ass and lifted him up, pushing him against the ball that was placed up against the wall. Wrapping his legs around the lean hips, he felt the massive erection, already damp, glancing off his hole.

"Do you have any slick?" he asked.

Robert shoved two fingers into his mouth, and he slurped up and down, getting them as wet as possible. When his saliva coated the digits, they reached behind him and speared into his opening. The burn of the invasion sent a spike of pleasure through his body.

"Oh, shit!" The fingers started scissoring him open. "Enough… fuck me. Make it burn."

Rob positioned his cock to line up with Justin"s hole, and then he began pushing it in. Slowly at first, but then a fast movement shoved the rest of the length up once his lover secured a couple of inches inside. Rob captured Justin"s scream with his mouth.

His legs locked tight around Rob"s lean hips as they thrust against him. The ball behind him added support and bounce, so he could push down at the same speed as the cock driving up into him. It seemed like they'd just gotten started when he threw his head back and cut off his roar of ecstasy by biting down on his lip hard. Come shot out of his cock with such force that he felt some hit his chin. Seconds later, Rob joined him in climax.

"Dear God…" Harsh panting breaths filled the small space. "That was fucking incredible, J. Do you have any idea how crazy it made me to see you all night and not be able to touch you? I couldn't even talk to you because I was afraid I would throw you to the mat and fuck you right there."

Rob helped him find his feet, and they straightened their clothing. Justin collapsed onto the ball that had been supporting his back. Rob kneeled at his feet and placed his head in his lap. Justin rubbed his hand across the top. He felt the fine soft hairs that escaped the shaver rub across his palm.

"I love you," they said simultaneously.