Try to manipulate her more

He wasn’t after something big, not yet. He just wanted to nudge her, to push the craving a little further. Make her notice him, his body, his scent. Sweat was already her thing, so all he had to do was get her close enough, curious enough. Just enough for her to want him, even if she didn’t fully understand why.

He positioned himself right in the middle of the living room, shirt off, weights ready. He’d already worked up a light sheen, just enough to make his skin glisten. His muscles flexed as he started lifting, forcing himself to focus on the motion, on the tension in his arms, but his mind was spinning.

After some minutes Jake's mom entered the room.

“Hey, Mom,” Jake called, forcing a casual tone even though his pulse was racing. “Can you help me with something?”

She didn’t answer right away, but when he glanced up, he caught her eyes on his chest, the sweat slicking his skin. She blinked, her composure slipping for a moment, before she snapped back. “Uh, sure. What’s up?”

“Can you hold my legs? I’m doing sit-ups, and I need someone to keep me steady,” he said, wiping sweat from his forehead, making sure to let it trail down his chest as he looked at her. Her eyes flicked to the sweat again, and he felt that rush of satisfaction. She didn’t even realize how much she wanted it.

Karen hesitated for a second, but then nodded, kneeling down by his legs. Her hands gripped his calves, and Jake lay back, heart thudding in his chest. This was it. He wasn’t looking for anything crazy, just a spark, just something to light that desire.

He started the sit-ups, slow, deliberate, making sure his body moved just right, making sure his sweat shone under the light. Every time he sat up, his face was inches from hers, and he could smell her, the faint scent of her perfume mixing with the musk of his own sweat. He watched her eyes trail over his chest, his arms, lingering longer than usual.

“You okay?” he asked , voice low. He could feel her grip tightening around his legs, her hands trembling just slightly.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she muttered, but her voice was a little shaky. Her eyes flicked to the sweat pooling in the dip between his collarbones, and Jake’s stomach flipped. It was working.

He could feel it, the subtle shift, the way her breath quickened each time he came closer, the way her eyes wouldn’t leave his skin. She didn’t even realize it, but she was craving him, craving the scent of his sweat, the warmth radiating from his body. She was hooked, and all Jake had to do was keep going, keep dripping that desire into her mind.

“You ever notice how good sweat smells after a workout?” he asked, trying to sound casual, but he knew what he was doing. He wiped his forehead again, sweat dripping down onto his chest, just inches from her face. Karen didn’t move, her eyes locked on the trail of wetness.

“Uh, yeah,” she said, almost too quickly, biting her lip as she glanced away, but not for long. She was back, staring again, her hands still gripping his legs, holding tighter than she needed to.

Jake smiled to himself. It was subtle, just a nudge. But she was feeling it. That itch, that pull, buried deep inside her mind.