Crossed Desires

EXERCISE ROUTINE

Brat

I'm at the gym working out. Today is Saturday, my rest day—though "rest" is something I have to enforce on myself. If it were up to my father, I would never take a break.

But I stood my ground and told him I'd keep Saturdays and Sundays for myself, whether he liked it or not. I know Miguel isn't like me—he tries to please everyone, which is why people take him for a fool. He and my father live for the company.



Not that I don't dedicate myself to it, but I make time for myself, no matter what anyone thinks. Otherwise, I'd go insane. I've been working out with Iván for the past two hours. I glance around—the gym is full of good prospects—but I'm not interested.

Iván is like me: we enjoy s*x without commitment. We met here three years ago, struck up a conversation, and realized we shared the same tastes. Since then, we've been partners in crime—even sharing women on occasion. We understand each other perfectly.

I used to spend all my time with Miguel and Jon, but they don't hang out with me much anymore. Now, their time is divided between the company, family, and those so-called girlfriends they're so wrapped up in. Miguel, in particular, doesn't like Iván; he says he's perverted and can't stand him.

Truth is, Iván's personality is very much like mine. We move in the same circles. He's about my height, with dark hair and black eyes—not as handsome as me, but he has his appeal.

Miguel and Jon used to keep up with me too, though not in the same way as Iván. With them, I never shared women—they've always been saints, and now that they have girlfriends, it's even worse.



I step off the bike and head to the treadmill. Suddenly, I remember the incident with Carla, and I turn to Iván.

"Iván, did you give Carla my number?" I look at him seriously. "I told you never, ever to give my number to anyone."

His face shifts to one of embarrassment before he answers:

"Brother, I'm sorry. But Carla insisted so much. She told me she wasn't looking for anything serious, only something purely s****l, and I thought maybe you'd be interested. I'm sorry. Has she been bothering you?"

"Yes. A lot," I replied sharply. "I hate women like that." And I began to tell him everything from the start.

"She called me Friday, said she just wanted to have fun. I agreed, since I was in the mood. But then she showed up at my apartment the day before without an invitation. I threw her out and told her I wasn't interested."

Iván listened intently, then sighed.

"I'm really sorry, Brat. I didn't know she'd do that."

"That's why I never give my number to anyone. They start thinking they're special and expect me to bend to their whims. That doesn't work with me."

"I understand. It won't happen again," he said with an apologetic look. "When was this?"

"Last Friday, after work," I answered.

He grimaced. "My bad, brother. Won't happen again." He patted my arm.

"It better not," I said, still annoyed.

I climbed back onto the treadmill. In the distance, laughter rang out, catching everyone's attention—especially Iván's. I decided to ignore it. But Iván couldn't resist his curiosity; he went off to see what it was about.

I kept running, ignoring everything. After forty minutes, I noticed Iván still hadn't returned. I got off, wondering what had held him up. Curiosity gnawed at me, so I went to see for myself.

It had to be a sexy girl—no doubt. I followed the direction he had taken, scanning the area. And then, I lost my breath.

Oh, my God. A sudden chill spread through my stomach, my heart pounding wildly in my chest as I laid eyes on that breathtaking specimen of perfection.

My mind froze. My body reacted instantly—my lower half hardening as I stared at her, unable to look away. She was flawless. I had seen many women in my life, but never one like her.

Her body was exquisite—wide hips, long, elegant legs, perfect breasts, exactly the way I liked women. And her face... angelic, so beautiful it left me breathless. She had no bad side, every angle was perfection. I was left gawking like a fool, literally drooling.

And I'm not like that—I'm bold, confident, daring. But this woman left me speechless, and even her friends noticed. They stared at me as if they, too, wondered what had just happened.

I think she felt it too, because she looked at me without moving a muscle. At least, that's what I believed. I smiled at her, and she returned the smile. Her friends gave me coquettish looks.

Iván spotted me and waved me over. Of course, I wasn't about to miss this chance. He was already talking to them, so I figured he either knew them or was trying to. I walked closer.

"Brat, come—I want to introduce you to some friends." He gestured to the stunning woman who had me hypnotized. "This is Gabriela," he said.

Ah, friends. Perfect. She extended her hand, and the effect it had on me was indescribable. A jolt of electricity shot through my body, heading straight downward. Good God, I had never felt that before. I was so aroused I could hardly contain myself.

I had to have her. No matter how—I would. Or I'd stop calling myself Brat Guren.

He introduced me to the others—Rebeca, Lucía, Mónica—but I didn't care about them. All I wanted was Gabriela.

"Shall we grab a drink?" I suggested.

They looked at one another before Gabriela answered.

"We just got here," she said.

"Then when you're done with your routine," I replied quickly, "we'll wait for you."

Truth was, I'd already finished my workout, but for her I'd wait as long as it took. She looked to her friends for a response, and they all nodded. Finally, she agreed.

All right, we'll join you," Gabriela said.

Inside, I cheered. My heart pounded furiously in a way I couldn't explain. I was excited—and afraid. Afraid of what this woman had awakened in me.