Chapter 3

The heatwave which had started in May finally broke at the beginning of June allowing a slight relief from the constant sweating. While this was a wonderful joy for everyone, it was only temporary as June had not yet come to an end before the summer temperatures climbed back into high 90’s daily and even over 100 some days. Starting a new July heatwave. Independence day was a brutal record high, 109 degrees. This blanket of heat smothered the city like a pulsing, suffocating beast, the already sweltering nights, now thick with a sultry, almost tangible desire. Sweat hung like a veil, the rattling box fan choking against the haze, every breath heavy with the apartment’s humid embrace.

The apartment throbbed with the TV’s sultry flicker and a lamp’s molten glow, the heat wrapping every surface like a lover’s touch. The tiny living room cradled the groaning love seat, its green cushions drenched with Reese’s sweat, steeped in his musk. Jamie, perched on his side eagerly waiting for the signal. Over the last few weeks, he had gotten pretty skilled at massaging Reese’s muscles, knowing just how to find the sore spots to make Reese relax and feel good.

It was Friday but like every night, Reese was sprawled beside him, his muscular bulk dominating the love seat, one thick arm slung over the back, fingers brushing Jamie’s neck and up the back of his head. Jamie enjoyed the whisper of contact, feeling like he was getting petted. Petted, that thought sparked something inside him. With the return of the heat he’d ditched his cargo pants, lounging in just a tank tee and long boxer briefs that hugged his legs to just above his knees. Jamie could smell a wonderful manly scent rising up from between his thick thighs splayed wide open. It saturated the air, enveloping Jamie in a hot, dizzying haze that felt alive. The TV pulsed with a car chase flick, engines roaring across the screen. Jamie was unable to focus on the movie as he felt the press of Reese’s thigh against his, the heat of his bulk searing, intimate.

Reese stretched, a low, guttural groan escaping as he rolled his shoulders, his tank top riding up to reveal chiseled abs, sweat tracing the lines like molten streams in the fevered heat. Jamie’s eyes flicked to them moving down one ab at a time, a blaze of heat erupting in his chest. Reese’s body was a god’s—broad pecs, thick arms.

“Jokes, my feet are fucking wrecked,” Reese purred, his voice soft with aching need, a velvet lure, kicking off his socks and propping his calloused feet on the love seat’s armrest, his thick, muscular calves that gleamed with sweat, on display. “Get ‘em, yeah?” His voice dripped with tease, his hazel eyes locking on Jamie’s, a blaze smoldering under the cap’s brim. Jamie’s heart pounded, gratitude and a tingling need swirling, heat flooding his freckled cheeks until they burned. He slid to the floor, kneeling before the love seat, his small hands trembling before grasping Reese’s feet, their size swallowing his grip. The skin was scorching, rough, slick with sweat, and Jamie kneaded, awestruck by the strength even here, his fingers worshipping the arches. “Fuck, man, you’re huge everywhere,” Jamie whispered, his voice thick, tingles racing down his spine as he traced Reese’s calves, the muscle taut and unyielding under his touch. “Just pull off my socks first.” Jamie grabbed the socks at the tips of his toes and pulled. As he strained to pull the wet fabric off his foot, Reese teased, “Come on kid, you’re stronger than that. Stop playing and pull them off.”

Jamie’s mind slipped to a week ago at the construction site, straining to help Reese shift a heavy workbench under the Westside sun. Reese, shirtless, had hefted it with ease, muscles rippling, while Jamie, wiry and panting, pushed with all his might, never complaining, his freckled face set with eager grit. “Thanks for helpin’, lil buddy, good boy,” Reese grinned, his warm hand lingering on Jamie’s neck, then pulling him into a tight, brief hug, their sweat-slick bodies pressed close, fingers brushing, the intimate heat sparking Jamie’s awe—gratitude for the job fueling a hunger for Reese’s commanding size.

With a tug, Jamie peeled off Reese’s sweat-soaked socks, the damp fabric yielding to his wiry grip. Reese chuckled, a low rumble. “Good job, little puppy. Chew toys later, yeah?” Jamie missed the joke, but the praise surged through him, fueling his eager knead of Reese’s calloused feet. Reese groaned, a primal sound vibrating the love seat. “Keep going, Pup, that’s the fucking spot,” he purred, eyes half-lidded, musk flooding Jamie’s senses. Jamie’s fingers pressed deeper, working the arches, grazing ankles, each touch a spark in the heat-soaked haze. The TV’s chase faded, the room narrowing to Reese’s searing presence, his slick skin under Jamie’s palms. Jamie’s cropped tee clung to his lean frame, lust pulsing, limbs tingling as he poured himself into pleasing Reese. “Jesus, your feet, even your toes are fucking huge,” he breathed, awe raw, hands lingering on Reese’s calves, fingers daring toward his tank-like thighs. “And your calves are goddamn tanks.” Reese’s grin curled, cap tilting, sweat dripping. “Years of grinding, Pup. You’re loving this, huh?” The tease hit like a caress, air crackling, Jamie’s heart racing. “Trying my best,” he mumbled, cheeks flushed, need blazing in his core. “That’s my Pup,” Reese purred, voice thick with warmth, hand squeezing Jamie’s shoulder. “You’re doing real good.”