- MILES -
When Wolfe texted me last night asking if I could pull a few strings and open up a space in the morning boxing class with Grayson for Eden because he was worried about her safety while dating losers, I simultaneously celebrated and lamented that she's already going out on dates in Byron.
I gave Grayson a call immediately and said there'd be an extra person in the class, and apologised for bypassing the wait list without talking to him. He asked who, I said a good friend of Wolfe's who he obviously knows, and that it was for self-defence.
He wasn't about to argue knowing it was for a woman needing to keep herself safe. Especially seeing as she's apparently happy going to a class made up exclusively of men. Typically when it comes to classes like this, at least around these parts, most of the women wanting this kind of training prefer to stick to their own and go to Calista’s classes instead, so this actually only seeks to increase my intrigue. A woman who is confident enough to head into a boxing class made up of a bunch of big and burly dudes.
I spent so long thinking about finally being able to see her again and hopefully finally interact with her that I couldn't get to sleep. I tried everything. Reading, music, jacking off, which was a pretty easy one to do given I couldn’t stop picturing Eden in her shorts, boots and a sweaty shirt, pounding away at a heavy bag. My fantasies are basic, sue me.
I finally drifted off sometime around two a.m. only to be woken a few short hours later by my alarm which I snoozed a few too many times due to the exhaustion, and ended up being a few minutes late to the class myself. I felt like a major asshole for it too, especially seeing as I added another person to Grayson’s class last minute, and wasn't even there to welcome her. Not that she knows who I am yet or my role in all this. That might actually have been pretty awkward now I think about it.
What wasn’t awkward---for me at least---was watching Eden checking me out in the mirror when I finally got there. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say she was mid-argument with Wolfe at the time considering how drawn together her eyebrows were and tight her jaw was. Both softened into shock when she looked at me and did the double take, presuming in recognition of who I am. We see each other around often enough walking our dogs that it’s not unlikely that she would recognise me here.
What was perhaps even more ego-fuelling was the way she was watching me. Like she liked what she saw now she could see it much more closely. Her eyes raked up and down my body, pausing briefly on my arms before tracing their way down my legs and back up to my face, and I was applauding myself for being rewarded for my strategic choice of wearing the shortest shorts I own and an arguably flattering cut out singlet. I have actual clothes to change into after I shower following this class, but this outfit was designed to hopefully capture her attention, and it feels so good that it has, even more so with the pink colouring creeping into her cheeks.
Smirking to myself, I apologised to Grayson, who brushed it off without a hint of the annoyance he should have with me right now for interfering with his class list and coming in late. I’ll make it up to him later; but for now, I’m far too distracted by Eden being here in high-waisted bike shorts and one of those girly sports crop top things. An outfit that leaves almost nothing to the imagination, and is bound to cause me some rather embarrassing issues while trying to focus on this class, which was next to impossible with Eden so near to me, and so frequently looking my way, which she is. Often.
I don’t miss it because my eyes have decided there’s nothing more worthy to look at than her, and they’re right of course. She’s so fucking gorgeous. There’s no way she doesn’t know how stunning she is, but there’s just an air of nonchalance in her every movement that I’m not convinced she actually knows the pull she has on men and probably a bunch of women as well.
I’ve not really had much luck getting the carefree ones to have any interest in me in the past, which is probably why those relationships haven’t lasted. I like to think I’m a relaxed, laid back dude and that’s what I want. Not the high-maintenance types that seem to be attracted to me. I’ve got nothing against being high-maintenance, as long as it can be maintained independently without me. Like what you want, buy all the things you like, go all out and doll yourself up with whatever makes you feel like the hot person you inherently are, but don’t expect me to be that too. Because I’m just not.
I’m a closeted nerd and total homebody. I like reading a lot and I’ve spent more than a few quiet nights in watching documentaries. Don’t get me wrong, I also love heading out on occasion, but that’s only ever on occasion. I spend all day, every day interacting with people constantly, and outside of that I need a lot of downtime to recharge my social batteries.
All the women I’ve dated in the past seem to assume because I’m highly social at work---which, in fairness, is where I’ve met most of the recent ones since opening my gym---that I also want to be the same outside of work. But you’ve got to have a balance, and all my recent dates seem to have just thrown that balance way off. Tate was a way to maintain that because she gets me and knows what I need, just like I did her. But now that equilibrium I thought was achievable with her also seems to be thrown out of wack too.
And my brain seems already convinced that Eden is the cure.
She looks relaxed. Quiet, but with such spunk that I know she would be a total hoot to hang out with. There was one point in the class where she managed to get a hit on Wolfe, and she did this ridiculous little dance, shaking her sweet ass and waving her hands in front of her as he chased her around the bag to get her back. And her laugh, when heard inside, in a room lined with mirrors that seem to echo and reverberate the sound much better than outside in the open air, literally sends the best kind of excited shivers into my balls and my dick starts twitching with desire. The sound of her laugh alone has the potential to give me a boner. What is that? Don’t even get me started on her smile.
I was distracted the whole hour, and I remained mentally distracted still when everyone packed up after class ended, and Wolfe came over to thank me and Grayson for squeezing Eden into the class on such short notice. Eden remained quietly by the door, checking her phone while waiting for Wolfe. I’d say she was waiting patiently for him, but there’s a subtle annoyance in her facial expressions which I believe softens slightly every time she looks up and sees me looking at her, or at least that’s what I’m hoping is happening.
“Thanks for organising Eden to come in today, man. I really appreciate it,” Wolfe said, shaking both our hands.
“No problems,” I replied honestly. I don’t think I got anywhere near the workout I usually would with Wolfe as my partner, but I’m not about to start complaining. It’s the best start to a day I’ve had in a long time, having been graced with her presence all morning, even if I haven’t yet spoken to her or had a cup of coffee to bring me to life after effectively not sleeping at all last night. “Hope she enjoyed it.”
“Yeah, she did, though she’ll never admit it,” Wolfe laughed, looking back at Eden still lingering at the door, piercing him with a questioning look and arms held out like she was asking what we were looking at before rolling her eyes at Wolfe flipping her off and looking back at her phone. “I’ve never met anyone more proud and argumentative in all my life, and I’m effectively married to Luna. AKA The Most Stubborn, Hard-Headed Woman Ever.”
Eden again looked up at us suspiciously when Wolfe and I started laughing, and I smiled at her, unable to help myself when she locked eyes with me. Her cheeks instantly blushed again, and I’m coasting on a serious high right now knowing that I’m affecting her. I wish she’d come over and speak with us, but given what Wolfe is saying about her tenacity, I doubt she will. I can understand it though. She’s a little outnumbered in the testosterone category within this room, and it is her first time here. Maybe next time, if she comes back of course.
“Reckon she’ll come back for another round?” I asked curiously.
Wolfe laughed again. “Oh, yeah. She’ll be back, and I won’t even need to be twisting her arm either. She loved it. Of course that means you might need to find another partner as I doubt she’ll ever pair with anyone else except me...” He looked apologetic, but he needn’t be. I don’t mind mixing things up, especially if it keeps Eden coming back around. Obviously I’ve had a tonne of fun pairing up with Wolfe this past year because he’s ripped and I know I’m always getting a good work out in because Wolfe is such a good match for me physically, but in reality, anyone will do just fine. If Eden will feel more secure with Wolfe, then of course I’m going to encourage that wherever I can. “Gotta go gloat my victory. I’ll catch you guys in a few days.”
He gave me a quick slap on the shoulder and ran over to Eden, quite literally putting her in a headlock and giving her a noogie as she fought him off, who asserted that she will ‘kick his ass so hard his vertebrae will fall out of his mouth like a pez dispenser’ if I heard correctly. He mockingly turned his ass in her direction and mimed things falling out of his mouth all over her, and she stared at him with a look of contempt so fierce it would knock the wind out of me if directed at me. They’re fucking hilarious together, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter if I tried, though it got caught in my throat and preemted a coughing fit when I saw her look back at me over her shoulder chasing the sound of my laugh with a huge grin on her face.
"And you seriously expect me to believe that this was solely for 'self-defence,' and that you have no ulterior motive here with Eden?" Grayson asked quietly next to me as I regained my ability to breathe freely again and watched Wolfe wrap his arm around Eden's shoulders and walked her outside. "I was watching you, Miles. You couldn't take your eyes off her.”
I grinned hesitantly, completely caught out. "For now, I have no underlying motive other than wanting her to develop skills to defend herself, if needed. I have a feeling Wolfe would probably rip my balls off and throw them to Echo for breakfast if I even thought of trying anything with her anyway.”
“When has that ever stopped you?” Grayson joked lightheartedly, shoving my shoulder and backing away to clean up the rest of his things in preparation of the next class coming in---a pilates class I’m running with a bunch of horny middle-aged, rich women in half an hour. It can be amusing, being on the receiving end of their lustful attentions for an hour; but it can also sometimes make me feel like a slab of meat they want to devour like they’ve never eaten in their whole life. Much like I currently feel towards Eden…
I nodded at Grayson, needing to own his dig at my perpetual bachelor life. In the past I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge. Almost everyone knows that.
A challenge that may affect my friendship with Wolfe is an altogether different story though. I just wouldn’t do it, no matter how much I want to. That’s how much I value his friendship.
But lord, do I want to. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get the image of her bending over to pick up her bag from the floor and seeing the imprint of her black g-string through the strained teal fabric of her bike shorts, nor forget the way she was licking her lips while gawking at me in the mirror when I first walked in today.
The memory of both had my dick twitching aggressively again in my shorts, which wouldn’t relent until I rubbed one out in the shower, seeing no other option but to release the sexual tension of being around Eden for the last hour.
Unfortunately it remained semi-hard for a while longer still, hidden nowhere near well enough by my tracksuit pants in class with the ladies, who were apparently more hungry than usual today, taking every opportunity they could to get me to personally guide their stretches.