Test of Endurance (Up-Ending Tad: A Journey of Erotic Discovery Book 2)

by Kora Knight

  The door swung open after two hearty knocks.

  Tad’s lips parted, staring at the huge man standing in the threshold. Scott’s roommate, he presumed. Aka: the dude who got his freak on down in that dungeon. His appearance certainly fit the bill. Wearing black leather pants and a snug, matching tank, he was almost as built as Scott. But where Scott’s bulging arms were an unmarred tan, this guy’s guns had armband tats hugging the top of each bicep. Black leather cuffs likewise circled his wrists.

  He did, however, have a similar mess of hair. But unlike Scott’s shorter, dark brown spikes, this guy’s auburn locks were considerably longer—unruly, even. Surprisingly, they looked pretty tight with the choker around his neck. And though he was nearly as attractive as Scott, he carried an air that was uniquely his own. Uniquely deviant.

  BDSM man gave a slow, appreciative smile, his jaw’s edgy set and those crazy-sick cheekbones only emphasizing his vibe. “Hey there, and what can I do for you?”

  Tad shoved his hands into his pockets, hiking up the duffle strap draped over his shoulder. “Um.” He glanced past the guy and into his foyer. “Is Scott around?”

  Red lifted a studded brow. “Kind of late for a workout.” Dark green eyes rimmed with thick lashes dropped to Tad’s bag… then kept on heading south, blatantly checking out the length of Tad’s body from his shoes back to his sandy brown bangs.

  Tad cringed under the scrutiny. It felt like the guy was sizing him up for a body harness equipped with a leash. Tad cleared his throat. “Well, we’re not exactly… working out.” In hindsight, he should’ve elaborated more, just to avoid confusion, but it was a habit of his not to tell people more than they needed to know.

  A second brow rose to join Red’s first. “I see.” His smirk turned downright pervy, making his lower lip’s tiny silver hoop glint in the foyer’s light.

  Tad stiffened, frowning as creepy dude eyed him with intrigue. Shit. He must think Tad was there to see-see Scott. Tad quickly shook his head. “No, ah… what I mean is… we’re just gonna—”

  “Babe!” Scott called, descending the staircase behind Red.

  Tad grimaced. That damn ‘babe’ greeting wasn’t helping his cause. Sure enough, roomie’s plump lips jacked up into a knowing grin.

  Great.

  Sighing, Tad lifted his chin. “S’up, man.”

  Scott smiled his killer smile, bare feet hitting the hardwood floor.

  Red glanced over his shoulder, the black plug in his lobe winking into view. Modest in size, maybe that of a dime, its exotic look fit him to a T. Tad couldn’t help wondering what other embellishments the guy had going on.

  Scott stopped beside his roommate, wearing only a pair of loose grey workout shorts. He must have an aversion to shirts. Actually, this time his barely clad body made a lot more sense. With water droplets littering his shoulders and pecs, he’d clearly just exited the shower. Hell, he was still in the process of toweling-drying his hair. Maybe he’d bypassed his post-shower routine to hurry up and answer the door.

  Scott’s eyes locked with his, and for a minute in time, Tad damn near pivoted and ran. The dude’s gaze was just that intense; one thing that obviously wasn’t going to change. But instead, Tad just stood there, like some idiot statue.

  Scott laughed and clapped Red’s shoulder. “Tad, this is Max. My best friend and roommate.” He gestured to Tad. “Max, this is Tad. He’s gonna help me with a weight training video.”

  Tad managed a smile and, again, lifted his chin. “Hey.”

  Max crossed his arms and spread his stance, eyeing Tad a second time. “Hey.” He shot Scott a teasing, incredulous look. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

  Tad frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  Scott grunted, grabbed Max’s earlobe and gave the guy’s head a shove.

  Max stumbled back. “Hey. S’all good,” he laughed. “I’ll let it slide this time.” Turning on his heel, he spared Tad a final glance. “Catch ya later, Tad.”

  Tad gave a tight smile then looked back at Scott. Wet like his hair, the guy’s lashes seemed blacker, making his brown eyes stand out. Freshly shaven, his skin held a refreshed-looking glow about it, too. Or maybe that was just the light reflecting off his torso. His stupid, hairless, ripped fucking torso.

  The scent of clean spice wafted past. Absently, Tad inhaled a lungful.

  “So,” Scott smiled, leaning against the doorjamb. “You’re back. Wasn’t sure I’d hear from you again.” He stepped to the side and motioned Tad in.

  “Yeah,” Tad smirked, grateful to enter with more confidence than before. “I wasn’t sure you would, either.”

  Scott chuckled and shut the door, then proceeded to lead the way. Not that Tad didn’t remember where to go. That ominous first walk was seared in his mind. To say he’d been wary that fateful night was the understatement of a lifetime.

  “Aw. It wasn’t so bad, was it?” Scott murmured, flashing a smile over his shoulder.

  Tad hated that he’d just asked him that. He sure as hell wasn’t going to answer with the truth, that the last time they’d been together had been out-of-this-world incredible. That kind of confession just didn’t seem prudent. So, he took it as rhetorical and opted not to answer. Fortunately Scott didn’t press.

  Instead, the guy stopped at that notorious door and pulled the damn thing open. A massive déjà vu hit Tad in the gut. Apprehension, frazzled nerves, fear of the unknown. His stomach flip-flopped for a good sixty seconds, then settled into that strange, churning burn.

  “Age before dexterity,” Scott smirked, a playful glint in his eyes.

  Tad shot him a droll look and headed down the steps. “Funny guy.”

  Scott’s use of the same words he’d spoken before hadn’t gone unnoticed. Nor had the fact that he still seemed amused by Tad’s underlying unease. Thank God he wasn’t nearly as stressed as before. He still couldn’t believe Scott hadn’t capitalized on that shit. Instead, he’d handed Tad a dose of perspective. Told him to man the fuck up and stop being a pussy. Turned out, that was exactly what Tad needed to hear to get his balls back up and running.

  Tad descended the stairwell with a quiet awareness, Scott’s footsteps on the carpeting thumping close behind. The same smells lingered from the time before; light, lemon leather cleaner, the faint musk of exerted bodies. Though, how they’d been exerted was the million dollar question. Surely since Max was home, Scott wouldn’t’ve been “covering appointments.” At least Tad kind of hoped not. Though, why he even gave a crap, Tad didn’t have a clue.

  He clutched his duffle’s strap tighter and did a mental run down. So far Scott wasn’t affecting him too bad, so that was definitely encouraging. And of course any sideline observations didn’t count. Because, come on, the fact that Scott was just as attractive now as he’d been the time before only made logical sense. Why would his appearance change? And sure, he smelled good and still rocked that smile—Tad would have to get the number to his dentist—but that didn’t mean anything either. And why wouldn’t his playful disposition be the same? Those were all intrinsic attributes that made Scott who he was.

  So why, when Tad’s disquiet had already started to ebb, was his heart rate on the rise? He reached the lower landing and eyed the doors ahead… or more specifically, the one on the left. All the progress he’d made to relax flew right out the window. His body tensed, powerful memories assailing him of what lay behind it in wait.

  An unsettling thought hit him. Last time, Scott had filmed them from behind the demonstration room’s wall of glass. Is that where they’d be shooting the video tonight? A heady mix of dread and lust shivered up his spine. No way would he be able to focus.

  Scott’s body brushed against him as he headed to the right. “Um, yeah,” he grinned, grabbing the knob. “We’ll be taking this door tonight.” Tad exhaled in relief. Scott chuckled. “Don’t be nervous, shy boy. This time I’ll have you sweating for completely different reasons.” He flashed a teasing smile and led the
way inside.

  Punkass.

  The place was lit up bright, and to Tad’s relief, the partition separating the two rooms was expanded and doing its job. His whole body eased. Nothing sexually alluring, no kinkery to temp his loins. Just weight benches and dumbbells and cardio equipment galore. It was safe and familiar, a balm to his soul. As was the subdued sound of Red Hot Chili Peppers getting their groove on through a handful of speakers. God, he loved that band, the current song playing, one of his favorites. Californication. Its addictive tempo pulsed into his bones.

  He smiled, exhaled further, and looked around. “You’ve got a great set up here. I’m thinking I’m kind of jealous.”

  Scott grinned, tossing his towel onto a rack of barbells, his mostly-dried hair all perfectly haphazard. “Thanks. It’s my baby. My pride and joy.” He gestured for Tad to follow and headed deeper inside. “We’ll be filming back in the corner. I’ve got a tripod set up and ready to go.” He glanced back at Tad. “We’re gonna be doing an instructional on the upper body and shoulders.” He turned back around. “From what I’ve seen of your physique,” he murmured, “the techniques should be pretty familiar.”

  Tad eyed the back of Scott’s head, unsure how to take that remark. Or if he should take it at all. But whether a compliment or observation, or an underlying insinuation, Tad wouldn’t know unless he asked. And he was so not going to ask. His gaze roamed down Scott’s powerful back, even as he cleared his throat. “Cool.”

  Scott stopped in front of a high-dollar weight bench. “Alright. Let’s get you warmed up. Need to get your blood pumping and those muscle fibers activated. A couple reps of lunges and some push-ups should do the trick.” His brown eyes dropped from Tad’s face to his shoulders, then lower before rising back up. “I’ll get some light weights ready to roll, too.”

  Tad fought not to fidget, unable to tell if Scott’s little perusal was an appreciative one or merely assessing. It felt like the former, but had to be the latter. After all, just because he’d admitted he liked Tad’s body, it didn’t mean the guy was lusting after it now. And even though his lusty praises had made Tad hotter than hell, it didn’t mean Tad wanted them now. ‘Cause he didn’t. Not even just a little.

  Refusing to let his thoughts go further, he fell into some lunges, then dropped to push out twenty. By the time he was done, Scott was ready to go.

  “Have a seat and take off your shirt.”

  Tad turned and straddled the bench, his back to Scott as he tugged off his tank. A few seconds later, warm fingers settled on his shoulders. Despite his best efforts, Tad’s body went tense. The last time Scott touched him they’d been engaging in activities way more exertive than weightlifting—with Tad at his utter mercy. But this was different, so he forced himself to chill.

  Scott traced slow paths along Tad’s muscles, explaining each technique he’d be demonstrating for the camera. Most would address his deltoids, but others were specifically for traps and pecs. Tad smiled. He was going to enjoy showing off his shoulders, had worked his ass off to get them where they were. He glanced up to eye Scott’s… and sighed. The dude was packing some serious mass.

  Scott caught him staring and grinned. “See something you like?”

  Tad blinked, then scowled and looked away. Laughing, Scott resumed with his touchy-touchy-feely. But even though his fingertips were constantly on the move—exploring every musculature’s dip and swell—his smooth timbre seemed to alleviate Tad’s misgivings. Even when he started practicing with weights, Scott maintained continual touch. But Tad didn’t mind. It helped him zero in on each separate muscle group as he prepared for the imminent taping.

  Scott gave his shoulders a squeeze. “Show time, my man. You ready?”

  Tad nodded. “Yup. Let’s do this.”

  Scott sauntered over to his stereo system and shut off the music. Next he made quick work of grabbing a muscle shirt and slipping it over his head. Tad watched him make some final lighting adjustments, his eyes locking onto the guy’s snug, white tee. The way it hugged his torso like that? Damn, if it didn’t make him look even bigger, make his tan skin look that much richer. With each knob he twisted, each lever he adjusted, those big arms bulged and flexed. Tad’s lids hooded. What he wouldn’t give to have a body like that.

  Scott glanced over and, once again, caught him staring. Tad stiffened and cleared his throat, heat instantaneously suffusing his cheeks. “Uh…all set?”

  A slow smile curved Scott’s lips. “Mm. All set.”

  Tad’s teeth clenched. That damn “Mm” had surfaced. Low and husky, it brought unwanted memories surging into his mind. Scott purred that sentiment a lot the last time they’d been together. All sensual and seductive, sinking beneath his skin. Tad shook it off and tried to focus.

  Time to make a video.

  Which is what they did for the next half hour, enlightening Scott’s blog followers on all the do’s and don’ts of upper body development. Scott never left his side, giving minute-by-minute commentary on every aspect of Tad’s routine. Unsurprising, the guy was a natural in front of the camera, all passionate and inspiring and shit. At least, that’s how he seemed to Tad.

  And man, did Scott know what he was talking about. The techniques he had Tad demonstrate were flat out amazing. The extra attention they gave his straining muscles were more than any workout Tad had ever done. Pushing weights with his buddies suddenly felt grossly inadequate.

  Scott shut off the camera and flashed Tad a smile. “It’s a wrap. Nice job. I do believe we rocked that clip.”

  Tad chuckled, wiping his brow with a towel. “Yeah, with you no worse for wear.” He rolled his shoulders and arched his back. The burn was already setting in.

  Scott snickered and tossed him a water bottle. “You’ll be feeling that for days.”

  Tad grunted, not doubting it. Seemed Scott was good at making him sore for extended periods of time. Hell, after their first encounter, he hadn’t walked right for a week. But in truth, he’d actually liked the pain just as much as he hadn’t. Because even though it’d forced him to think about Scott more than he wanted, it also kind of provided him with his own little dirty secret. One he could take pleasure from without anybody knowing. Which… yeah, made no sense. It was all so bizarrely confusing. Just like that big effing wall of confliction.

  Shaking his head, Tad chugged down his water. He felt good. Like he always did after working out, yes, but also from the feeling of triumph. He’d come and accomplished exactly what he’d wanted; keeping his promise to help Scott with the video, and going the duration without any funny business. Scott had conducted himself just like Tad had suspected, never crossing any boundaries yet maintaining his easy disposition. Which was exactly the thing Tad liked about him best. Because, in truth, he really did like hanging out with the guy. In the breaks between filming, they’d joked and goofed off just like any guys would. Yet when taping, Scott respectfully kept contact to a minimum. Not that his touch during preparation was so bad. Tad just didn’t want it complicating his mission. A mission that was officially completed. All his concerns legitimately put to rest. Scott was an anomaly and nothing more. A puzzle Tad no longer felt obligated to solve.

  Smiling, he stood and draped the towel over his shoulder. “Alright, man. It’s getting late. I should probably hit the road.”

  Scott held up his hand, still thumbing through the shots on his camera’s digital display. “Hold up. Let me cut you a check.”

  Tad ambled over to his duffle back. “Nah. It’s okay. This only took, what, a half hour?”

  Scott grunted. “No way. My people don’t work for free.”

  “Please,” Tad scoffed. “That was hardly work. More like the best workout ever.” He chuckled. “Shit, I should probably be paying you.”

  Scott crossed his bulky arms and frowned. “I don’t feel comfortable not compensating you for your time.” His gaze seemed to drop of its own volition down to Tad’s sweaty chest. It lingered, then quickly darted back up.

/>   A smile tugged at Tad’s lips. Whether he was too worn-out to care, or still riding his high of success, the subtle glance didn’t bother him. For all he knew, Scott considered his fresh buffed-up state a product of the guy’s own doing and was simply admiring his work. Whatever the case, Tad still wasn’t budging on the payout.

  “Oh, whatever, dude. Just call it a favor and get over it.” To emphasize his stance, he snapped Scott’s shoulder with his towel. Crack!

  Eyes flashing, Scott snatched the thing and gave it a wicked tug. Tad stumbled forward, nearly plowing into him. Scott’s hand shot up to intercept the collision, fingers splaying against Tad’s chest. Geez, the dude had wicked reflexes. Scott grinned and held Tad’s gaze. And then his eyes dropped to Tad’s mouth. “Kickboxing,” he murmured. “Keeps a guy alert.”

  And just like that, they were inches apart. The closest they’d been all night. Tad chuffed out an awkward laugh. “Yeah, I can see that.” Stepping back, he shouldered his duffle.

  Scott dropped his hand. “Why don’t you let me pay you another way?”

  Tad frowned. Pay him another way? Eyebrow lifting, he eyed Scott warily. “Do what now?” His expression must’ve been a sight to see because Scott all but barked out laughing.

  “A hot shower and massage. It’ll help speed up muscle regeneration; releasing toxins and increasing blood flow deep into your tore up tissues.”

  Tad shifted on his feet. He could definitely use the shower, but he could get that at home. The massage, however, he could not. But that’d mean a whole lot more hands-on touching—by hands that were wicked skilled. They could turn Tad to putty in seconds flat. He knew they could, had already experienced their effects first hand. His cock twitched at the memory.

  Crap. He was seconds away from popping a boner.