Ray found himself once again sitting in the parking lot of the gym he had been scoping out as another potential patrol area. There was never any real intent to catch anyone or put a stop to the cruising. Just to have hot, illicit encounters with the (usually married) men that sometimes caught the patrol cop's eye. And due to rumors from several sources, this particular gym seemed like a great place to continue that trend. A place to continue his modus operandi of attracting these men, gaining their trust, and then utterly dominating them. That is, until Dylan.
It had taken all of Ray's willpower not to go right back there the next day to see him again. Not just because of the hot shower sex, but also because something about the short interaction before had infatuated Ray. That man had brought out a side to Ray that he often kept hidden and he had done it effortlessly. After four long days, Ray went back. He tried to seem natural as he walked over to the side room where Dylan had emerged before their previous encounter. From the doorway, Ray saw Dylan - all six feet and three inches of him. This time, he was working out with a young black guy, even coaching him as they went along. Ray observed just long enough to be impressed, both with the coaching and with the heavily loaded barbell Dylan effortlessly snatched over his head.
A repeat of the previous shower shenanigans was out of the question. Instead, Ray turned his focus to a real, grueling workout that would continue until after the object of his infatuation had showered and exited the locker room. He conveniently positioned himself to be in full view of anyone who happened to be walking out. It was a view that would catch anyone's eye: a six-foot-one formerly enlisted marine with the body of an amateur bodybuilder and whose bald head - once a source of insecurity - actually added to his appeal and made him seem more worldly than the average 34-year-old.
When Dylan reappeared, wearing khakis and a short-sleeved polo shirt with the gym's name on it, the two men exchanged a wave and a knowing look. Ray took that as his chance to make a move and soon found himself being waved, genially, into the manager's office as the big man sat behind his desk. The hulking figure had a presence that dominated the room even while sitting down. Ray plopped down onto the beat up looking black couch adjacent to the desk.
"So, you have any more shower fun lately?" Ray asked hoping that the answer would be no.
"Nope."
Ray suppressed a smile. It faded after what Dylan said next.
"A friend of mine pointed out that having sex in the shower is probably a bad idea now that I work here. He's a lot smarter than I was in my twenties."
"You told your friend about me?"
"Well not specifically. He doesn't know it was you if that's what you're worried about."
"I'm more worried about the competition," Ray said.
Dylan smiled. "You got nothin' to worry about there."
Ray had already thought about how this conversation might go. Had figured out the best ways to learn more without coming on too strong. Ray was not a very introspective person but he was aware that he could be a bit intense. In a short time, Ray was able to get a better picture of who this guy was. It was a picture that Ray liked. They had similar backgrounds - both had joined the marines shortly after high school - and both were single. But that was where things got complicated. Dylan had started the conversation guarded but after loosening up a bit Ray found out that Dylan was currently staying with a friend. A friend with benefits. Not a problem for sex but that was not all that Ray was looking for here. Sex was however, inevitable. The attraction between the two was undeniable.
When Dylan stood up from his desk, Ray felt his pulse quicken. His eyes drifted to the center of that powerful body and he sat up expectantly, as Dylan moved toward him. There was momentary disappointment when the confident stride continued to the office door, but it went away when Ray heard the click of the door lock.
"Can't do anything in the showers, but no one can catch us here," Dylan said, now standing directly in front of Ray. Without a word, Ray got on his knees.
Afterward, while Dylan was sated and appreciative, Ray decided to venture further.
"Seems like you had fun," he said.
"Yeah man, this was a nice way to start the day." Dylan had zipped up and sat back down at his desk.
"So, does that mean we could do something again? Maybe somewhere else, like a clean apartment with a comfortable bed?" Ray was fishing for a way to get this man to his place.
Dylan was not an open book. At least not to Ray. He gave very little away and it was hard to gauge what he was thinking. It was infuriating and alluring at the same time.
"Sure, we could do that," Dylan finally said.
After exchanging numbers Ray exited with an uncharacteristically chipper mood.
********
The text came early one evening. There had been messages back and forth about when to meet up again for over a week but now, without preamble, Dylan made it clear that he wanted Ray tonight. He was more than willing to come to the apartment or anywhere else.
Ray told himself that he would be in control this time, at least of himself. But just in case, he decided to shower and prepare himself for anything. Stepping out of the bathroom, cleaned both inside and out, he thought about how to best present himself.
Eventually, he decided on a sleeveless t-shirt that opened far down each side and showed off not just his massive arms but also the sides of his pecs, lats, and obliques. For bottoms he pulled on a pair running shorts like the ones he wore in the Marines that left very little to the imagination. The muscular mounds of his bodybuilder ass filled out the back and stretched the fabric across his thighs and groin where there was an unmistakable bulge. No socks, no underwear.
Ray's heart started to pound as he heard the sound of someone coming up the steps outside of his apartment. A knock on the door came just seconds later. Forcing himself to be calm Ray walked over to the door.
