Hot Pickle - J.J. Knight Page 0,25

from last weekend. He’s laid off the carbs, leaving his muscles flatter than Saturday. And today he’s had plenty of water, filling in the creases. His veins are less pronounced.

I know his body too well.

“I’m pleased,” I say.

“I don’t think taking my pants off in the kid park would be a good idea.” He pulls his shirt back over his head.

“If your chest and back look good, I’m sure everything else does, too.”

“I did notice one thing.” His lips press together.

“A problem?”

“A small one.” He hesitates. “I think the modesty pouch might’ve rubbed one of my thighs, because I have a white patch.”

I nod. “That can happen when someone is…” I struggle for the words. Well endowed? Overly large? At half-mast?

But he stops me. “I see. I get it. So, I guess you patch that little thing at the last minute? Or is it nothing major and the judges wouldn’t see it anyway?”

“I’m happy to be completely thorough,” I say.

Soooo happy to get next to that business.

“I could fix it tonight if you wanted to come over.”

I hear myself saying the words, and I want to give myself a good hard smack. Stop it, Camryn. He’s going to know you’re coming on to him.

But he laughs. “I’m sure it will be fine. There’s a week to go.”

Damn. So close. “Absolutely. Your pants are going to rub it anyway. Most things can’t be perfected until competition day.”

“So, you’ll be there? On competition day?”

I hesitate. Dahlia will be there, too, but she hasn’t booked me. Plus, I have a different competition to attend.

“I have six appointments at the amateur open that day, but I might be able to get over to the invitational.”

“I could come to you,” he says. “Early that morning before you leave. Would that work?”

I nod. That’s smarter. It will make sure I get him done. “I can do that.”

We take up walking along the path again.

“See, I knew this was all professional,” he says. “I tried to explain that to Franklin.”

I halt. “Franklin knows you came over for a tan?”

“I couldn’t exactly hide my skin. He saw the darker shade immediately.”

Oh, God. “What did he say?”

“I’m not perfectly sure, but I think he might have tried to kill me via bench press.”

My mouth drops open. “Seriously?”

But Max gives me another one of his signature grins. “It was fine. He added a lot of weight, but I handled it. And I think we came to an understanding I would be your client, and he didn’t have to worry about it.”

I stare at the ground as we resume walking. “He’s very overprotective.”

“Got that loud and clear,” Max says. “Don’t worry. I can handle Franklin.”

“How long have you known him?”

“We roomed together in college.”

“That far back?”

Max shoves his hands into his pockets. “We’ve been training together for almost a year and a half. I guess you two aren’t very close? He sure acts like you are by the way he responds to any threat to you.”

A woman walking a poodle crosses in front of us and I let her pass before I respond. “Franklin likes to insert himself in my life when he feels I’m making a mistake.” I glance over to Max and meet his dark gaze. “Our parents were pretty absent, so we grew tight.”

“But then?”

“Franklin liked the idea he was my protector. But when he went to college and got a life of his own, I took more chances. I picked the wrong crowd. The wrong boyfriend. He interfered big time last year when I tried to date a bodybuilder.”

“I heard about that. Socked his jaw?”

“Yeah. And I hadn’t even dated that one yet.” I don’t want to get into my relationship history. I barely know Max. And I don’t want to put him off.

Max leads us toward the path that will circle us back to the playscape. “He seemed to feel he ought to know I’d been to your apartment. That you were doing my tans.”

“I don’t care what he thinks,” I say. “He can’t control who’s on my client list.”

“I assume you have lots of male bodybuilders.”

“I mostly do women. But I do have some men. And Franklin knows that. I don’t know why you’re any different.”

“Me neither. He acted like I was going to drag you off by the hair to my cave.”

I’m not sure I object to that idea, but I simply shrug. “I think he enjoys using me as an opportunity to overreact. Getting hyped up like that gives him a charge.”

“Must be