“So now you want to work with him?” Julian said and leaned back in his chair. “Tyler has not been focused lately. Are you sure you want that added into your workout schedule?”

“Yeah, he talked to me. It’s fine,” I said and made my way to the door to leave his office. “I started this shit with him, so he deserves consistency from me.”

The morning Tyler stopped by my house was still replaying in my mind. He didn’t stay long. I tried to encourage him to have breakfast and play fetch with Lucky. He seemed hesitant, almost like he wanted to stay but the inner voice was winning. Before he turned to leave he did something my body was still feeling the effects of. He pulled me close and kissed me. Not just a simple kiss either. This was a kiss that caused me to feel like I was floating six inches off the ground. I knew that was impossible, but his kiss truly took my breath away.

“Zoe, is that okay?” Julian stepped into my personal space.

“What? Oh, yeah.”

“And you know what I just said, right?”

I rolled my eyes, trying to look innocent. “Yeah, of course.”

He seemed happy by my answer. “Go have a good workout and don’t forget what I said.”

“Sure.” I pulled the door open and stepped out into the gym at the same moment Tyler came into view. “Oh, hey.”

“Just the man we were discussing,” Julian yelled from inside his office.

Tyler scowled at me. “I was telling Julian we worked out our differences and planned to train together again.”

“I’m concerned but gave my blessing.” Julian was still in the middle of the conversation.

I closed the office door. “Is that okay?” My question was directed at Tyler. When I woke up this morning, I wanted to train with him. Instead of calling and asking how he felt, I just went to Julian and basically fired him.

“Um, yeah. It’s fine.” He was staring at me. I didn’t think anyone else would have caught it, but I noticed a slight smile emerge on the corner of his mouth. “You sure you want that?”

Of course I did. I took the time to talk to Julian. “Yeah, why would you ask?”

He turned to head over to the ring. “No reason.”

“Ty, don’t sound so cryptic. Why would you say that? Was I wrong in assuming?” I felt like I was asking twenty questions. He stepped up into the ring and waited until I was standing directly in front of him. “So, you plan to answer any of my questions?” He didn’t, though. My body was lifted off the mat and thrown down to the ground so fast. “Fuck me.” I felt like the wind had been kicked out of me.

“Someday soon,” he said beside my ear.

I turned my head and found myself nose to nose with him. His words caught me by surprise. My body started to deceive me. I didn’t know what came over me, but I got the giggles. I dropped my forehead to his chest and shook my head.

“What’s so funny?”

I lifted my head up. “Us. You. This.”

“Hey, get a room,” Charlie yelled from the outside of the ring.

It was weird; I don’t know why I reacted, but I jumped up and stepped away from Tyler. “He’s just training me.”

Charlie hopped up and stepped closer. “That’s not what I saw.” She winked and patted my back. “So, ditched Julian already?”

“Yeah, I, um—”

“We figured out our disconnect and worked through it,” Tyler said and pointed to a spot directly in front of him. “You ready? We need to get some extra sessions in. You need to catch me up on what I missed for your training.”

Charlie was still standing a few feet away. “Tyler,” Charlie said and hopped down from the ring. “Be good.” Then she walked away.

Tyler let out an exasperated sigh. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Hey, Ty,” I whispered, and his head turned toward me. “Fuck being good.” Now it was his turn to burst out laughing.

I trained for two hours straight. My body was screaming to stop and my stomach was begging to be fed. I grabbed my towel to wrap it around my neck and headed toward the locker room.

“Zoe,” Tyler said from behind me.

“Yeah?” My hand was on the door handle. I didn’t turn around, maybe because after two hours grappling, I wanted to say fuck it to food and rest. Instead, I wanted him and not in a vanilla sort of a way.

“Look at me.”

I hesitated and then turned around. “What’s up?”

“You’re going to the nightclub tonight, right?”

“I don’t know.” That was the truth. I wasn’t sure how I felt about opening my heart to two men. Tyler made it clear he wanted me but only if I was willing to be with him and Stephen together. I had read about ménage romances, but always believed they only happened in fiction books. Three was too odd of a number. Someone was bound to get hurt.

“I’ll come to you if you don’t show.”

“Is that a threat?” My body lit up at his words. I was not a submissive and never would be, but for some reason Tyler barking demands made me excited.

He stepped closer so only I could hear his words. “No, it’s a promise.” Then he surprised me by wrapping his hand around my waist and tugging me flush with his body. “I left the other day because I knew it was the right thing do. I don’t plan on leaving next time.” Then he bent his head and captured my lips.

When he stepped away, my body stumbled back until I was leaning against the wall. What the fuck just happened? I placed my fingers where his lips just touched and let out a heavy sigh. This was a distraction. He was a distraction. I had a fight I needed to win.

“You okay?” Lily leaned against the wall beside me.

“Never better.” I wasn’t lying.

“So you and Ty patched things up?”

“What are you talking about?”

Lily raised her eyebrows. “You were training with him. Why do you sound so guilty?”

“I’m not.” I pushed off the wall and grabbed the handle to go into the locker room. “I fired your man this morning.”

“That’s what I hear.”

“He’s not mad, is he?”

Lily followed behind as I made my way to my locker. “Zo, I’m happy for you. You know that, right?”

“But.”

She lightly laughed. “No but included. I am happy and so is Julian.”

“It’s weird.”

“Getting along with Ty finally?”

“Yeah, we hashed it all out and now—” I could feel my cheeks flush.

“Oh,” Lily said, sounding surprised. “Wait, there’s more to this.”

“Yeah, I think there is, but I’m just as surprised as you are.”

I sat down on the bench beside her and clasped my fingers together. “Can you not say anything?”

“This is all you. It’s not my thing to start rumors.”

“Thanks, Lils. We have only talked, but I think we both want more.” I stood and finished throwing my clothes in my gym bag. “Maybe I’m crazy. This is all crazy. Another reason to keep things quiet.”

“Tyler is pretty private. I promise this is just our thing.”

I leaned over and hugged Lily. “Thank you.” I wrapped the strap of my bag over my shoulder and headed out. “See you tomorrow,” I said and raised my hand to wave goodbye. As I left the locker room, I expected to run into Tyler, but I didn’t.

I was almost to my car when I heard his voice behind me. “Leave your car.”

Turning on my heel, I found myself face to face with him yet again. “Excuse me.”

“Leave it. I want to take you somewhere.”

“What if I have plans?”

“Cancel them.”

I placed my hand on my hip. “Tyler, being bossy is going to piss me off.”

“Is it?” he whispered and moved closer.

“Yes.” He placed his one hand behind my back and brought me close to his body. Then his other hand slid down over my core. “Ty.” I inhaled deeply, surprised by the contact.

“So you’ll leave your car?”

“If you ask me nicely.”

He continued to rub his hand slowly over my most intimate spot. At the same time, he bent his head and peppered light kisses along my jawline and behind my ear. “Zoe, will you please for the love of God leave your car. I want to take you someplace very special.”

“I’m a mess. I didn’t take a shower yet.”

“We can shower there.”

“Tyler.” I noticed how my breathing had increased.

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes.” I didn’t hesitate this time. I knew what I wanted.