1 Chapter 1

1

Jaime knew picking up a martial art after five years of not practicing was going to be rough, but he didn’t know it was going to change his life. The grueling workouts left him barely able to walk the next morning. He had even swallowed enough pride to put on a white belt after being so close to testing for black belt in his old club. The years he had spent in his last dojo had taught him the benefit of hard work and the importance of humility. Going to college and indulging in some newfound vices hadn’twiped away his love of martial arts even if it had made his body soft.

Now Jaime had earned his degree in audio engineering, survived a grueling internship, and obtained a coveted entry-level job as a soundboard technician at a local recording studio, he was ready to put his party days behind him—mostly. It was time he started taking care of himself a little better.

After all, he was rapidly approaching thirty, and stumbling home at three in the morning to spend a fullday recovering was becoming less and less appealing. While he prided himself on his lean physique, he was a far cry from the fighting form he had achieved in high school when he would train five days a week.It was his healthy addiction, and he loved every part of training. Well, almost every part.

When Sensei Melissa called for a partner switch, Jaime prepared himself. He had almost managed to blockout the reason he’d left his old dojo. He had learned the hard way not everyone was eager to pair up with an openly gay man. While he didn’t flaunt his sexuality, he wasn’t going to hide it either. That was another painful lesson, among many, he had learned.

Jaime waited for everyone to pick a partner and was prepared to deal with whoever was left. There was no way he was going to approach one of the testosterone junkies who only saw pink when they looked at him. It was like being in high school gym class all over again waiting for someone to choose him. He’d already worked with Sarah, the only woman in class that night. With his luck, he was going to end up withone of the knuckleheads who thought he was training for a pay-per-view match. Most of the guys weren’t that bad, even if they were a little skittish around Jaime. A few of them gave Jaime the hairy eyeball every time he walked into class. He didn’t want to have to leave another dojo when he’d just started to get back into training and remembered how much he loved it.

When everyone else had partnered, Steve looked like he’d drawn the shortest stick as he headed toward Jaime. The green belt’s mouth twisted, and his gaze hardened. Jaime knew Steve was probably one of the worst of the testosterone junkies. They seemed to thrive on showing off their prowess on the lower ranks. Jaime kept his eyes fixed on the ground as they bowed. He could almost feel Steve’s laser gaze on the back of his skull. As long as Jaime didn’t do anything to antagonize him, he would just have to put up with a few extra bruises. Unfortunately, the fact that Jaime breathed the same air as Steve seemed to be enough to rev Steve up to ultimate fighter mode.

“Hajime. Begin.”

After Sempai Randy gave the first count, Jaime threw a tentative punch that barely closed the distance between him and Steve. Hopefully, he’d go easy on Jaime. Without hesitation, Steve scooted in and wrenched Jaime’s arm until he was forced to his knees. No such luck. Jaime’s gaze stayed fixed on the floor as he waited for Steve to release him. The less he moved, the less pain he would experience. As it was, his shoulder was on fire. He just had to wait it out. Sensei Melissa had never let anyone take things too far in the dojo. Otherwise, Jaime wouldn’t have been back for the next class. Jaime always believed a little pain was good for the soul, but Steve took that principle a little too seriously.

“Yame.” Mercifully, Sensei Melissa called an end to the exercise. “Steve, you’re with me. Jaime, gowork with Tyler.”

“Hai, Sensei.” Jaime breathed a sigh of relief.

Once partner work was over, Jaime was glad to settle into the drudgery of kata practice. The prescribed moves were a welcome change to the unpredictability of working with someone else. He actually didn’t mind the repetition. He didn’t have to worry about what anyone else thought. He either made the right move or the wrong move. There was no chance of offending anyone.

Still, he felt the eyes of Sensei Melissa and Sempai Tyler, her assistant instructor, on him more than the others. They were always watching the students. No doubt evaluating their short-comings. And Jaime knew he had plenty. In the dojo, that didn’t matter. He could spend his whole life working on being a better karate-ka without feeling like he was wasting his time.