Chapter 13
It turns out, I feel a lot better after I run a mile. I know that makes me one of those freaks who gets a high from exercise, but I can’t help myself. I always feel so much better after any kind of workout. My feet pound up the driveway, and I come to a stop in front of the garage. I walk around for a while, hands on top of my head, letting my heart rate come down and my breathing normalize.
Inside, I go immediately downstairs and find the gym empty. Thank goodness. Some time to myself where I don’t have to talk to anyone else is exactly what I need. Just because practice doesn’t start for a week doesn’t mean that I should slack off. Simon had said something about taking a week off before I started with the high school team, but I’ve been working out nearly every day for years. Why would I stop now?
I throw myself into a circuit of pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups before working my legs on the leg press and my shoulders with lat pulldowns. After that, I sit on the bench, using free weights to work my biceps and shoulders. Finally, I make my way to the floor mats at the far side of the gym and take off my shoes to do some light tumbling.
I’ve nearly finished when I hear someone come in. I’m literally upside down, walking around on my hands, when I sense whoever it is has come to a stop nearby.
I drop my legs into a double-stag split position and continue to pirouette, balancing on my hands. I’d say something, but I’m almost one hundred percent sure it’s Beau.
“How fucking long can you do that?” Beau’s gruff voice echoes a bit in the semi-empty gym.
“A long time. Why?” I bring my legs together, pointing my toes toward the ceiling. Finally, I kick down, righting myself. I cross my arms over my chest as I face him, giving him a little scowl at the interruption. “Did you need something?”
He scrubs his hands over his head. “No. Fuck.” He blows out a hard breath. “I can’t seem to say or do anything right with you. I just want— I—” A strangled growl erupts from him before he pins his gaze on me.
I press my lips together, and we stare at each other. Again. His jaw twitches.
I don’t know whether I blinked or not, but one second I’m standing and the next I’m swept off my feet and cradled against his chest. “Beau!” I shriek, locking my arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“We’re both going to cool off.” He races out of the gym and up the stairs with me, down the hall and through the patio door, without even bothering to shut it behind us.
At first, I think he’s going to set me down, but he doesn’t. He picks up speed and jumps, hurling both of us into the deep end of the pool. I barely have the sense to take a breath before I find myself underwater. We sink down to the bottom, then Beau is able to push off the pool floor, bringing us back above the surface. I come up sputtering and slapping at his chest. “What the fuck?” I push away from him, but immediately sink again. My arms flail.
Yeah.I’ve never learned how to swim. And, oh my God, this is not how I’d intended to learn. Trying not to panic, I let myself sink until I hit the bottom then push off it as hard as I can. I burst back to the surface where Beau is easily treading. I desperately try to move my arms and kick my legs, but I guess this is not an activity I excel at. Beau snags my bicep and holds me so my head is above the water. He pulls my body against his and my arms and legs automatically wrap around him, squeezing tightly.
“Hold on.” He tows me over to the side of the pool where he hooks one of his arms on the edge. “Here. Grab on.”
I shake my head and bury my face in his neck, not willing to let go. I’m wrapped around him like an overly friendly koala bear. My face turns bright red. It’s not often that I don’t excel at a sport. Hell, that’s why I agreed to take PE 12. I figured it would be a fucking breeze. But here I am in the water, and I’m a long way from confident. I can do a standing back tuck while balancing atop of a four-inch wide beam four feet off the floor. I can do giants around the high bar. I can do a Tsuk on the vault. But throw me into the deep end of a pool and I’m literally sunk.
Beau takes a deep breath and his warm hand rests on my upper back, just below my neck. He turns his head and tucks his face down near my ear. When he speaks, his lips graze it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
My heart races and I’m quaking in his arms, and I can’t decide whether it’s because I can’t swim for shit or if it has more to do with the fact that my wet body is plastered to his. Every time one of us moves, we slide against each other, and for whatever reason, being in the water makes it a totally hot experience.
A minute or so later, I finally peek up at him. “You said you were going to cool us off… but this pool is heated.”
His chest jerks as he laughs. “Figure of speech. I was going for something to shock the mad and frustration out of us.”
I snicker. “It may have worked. A little.”
“Yeah, maybe. Lyla, I had no idea you couldn’t swim. I’m sorry. How the hell is that even possible?”
I shrug, my walls going partially back up. “Most people don’t throw other people in the deep end. I’ve never had to worry about it before,” I sass.
“Don’t,” he whispers, his voice husky. “Bring that laugh of yours back. I liked it.” He runs his hand down my back.
I like the way it feels. I shudder and burrow closer. Quietly, I respond to his original question. “I guess the answer is that I’ve always been so involved in gymnastics I didn’t have time for other things.” Oh, I’m such a good liar. The real truth is that my mom never bothered. She never took the time to teach me, and there was never any money for lessons, much less vacations to the beach or other exotic locations. Hell, I don’t know if she knows how to swim herself.
“Makes sense, I guess.” His fingertips skim down my back and over the skin at my waist, making me shiver.
The way we’re glued together makes me very aware of every little movement of his body. Every time we inhale, it creates friction between us. My nipples have become hard little points inside my sports bra. I have no clue if he can feel them against him. And I begin to burn.
I’m situated high against his chest, and I could swear that thick cock I’d seen again last night is erect and brushing up against the underside of my thigh through his shorts. Little flutters start low in my belly. In an attempt to distract myself, I whisper, “Why did you let me watch you? Why didn’t you say something?”
He slides his hands down over my ass and tugs me closer to him. He presses his lips to my neck where my pulse is rioting and nips before he licks over the tender spot.
I shudder.