BODI
“I had a great time,” Ruby says timidly in the car. We just arrived outside her apartment where I put the truck in park. “Thanks for the amazing tickets. It really made my night.”
“Anytime,” I answer awkwardly.
The drive home was silent. Our easy banter nowhere to be found, and even though I could have turned the radio on, I didn’t. I couldn’t. My mind was fixated on that kiss. Fuck, can she kiss.
There was no holding back when she asked me to kiss her. I thought about it for a few seconds, hating how incredible it felt to have an open invitation given the baggage trailing behind me, but seeing her lips glisten under the street lamp did me in. I needed to taste her, to know what it felt like to have her body pinned against mine.
And fuck if it wasn’t the most intoxicating thing I’ve ever experienced.
Shrugging her shoulders, probably not sure what to do, she opens the door and says, “Okay, I’ll catch you later.”
Looking into the dark night, I realize I don’t want her walking around by herself, even though her apartment is only a few feet away, so I get out and jog around the truck to meet her. Her surprised look doesn’t go unnoticed.
“It’s dark and late; I don’t want you walking around alone.” Taking her hand in mine, I walk her to her apartment door.
“That’s not necessary,” she protests as we move forward.
“It’s not negotiable,” I reply sternly. I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to her.
Silently, we make our way to her front door and pause while she fishes out her keys from her purse. Their jingle echoes in the vacant hallway, and I don’t like how it signals our night is coming to an end.
“Thanks for walking me to my door.”
“Sure.”
Not moving, we both stare at each other, the weight of our kiss resting heavily between us. Was it a mistake? Did it change everything now? Is she regretting it?
Fuck, did she not enjoy kissing me?
Was I too demanding? Hell if I can remember. I was so consumed by the feel of her body, the way she slightly rocked against me in conjunction with the sweet strokes of her tongue, that I can’t remember my own damn actions.
Maybe I turned her off completely. Is that why she didn’t talk all the way home? Did I really fuck this up?
“Goodnight.” She faintly smiles and unlocks her door. I stand in place, unable to move. Is this how this night is really going to end?
Right when I think she is going in, her shoulders fall and she sighs while turning toward me.
“Bodi . . .”
I don’t give her a chance to finish her sentence. I grip the side of her face and pull her close, connecting our mouths once again, praying she doesn’t push me away.
The distinct sound of her keys hitting the floor spurs me on, as her hands clasp around my neck and pull me closer. Her lips part; the soft, sweet taste of her tongue meets mine and I’m lost once again, letting my other hand wander to her lower back, just above the swell of her ass. She has curves but she’s small, and my hand practically spans across the entire width of her back.
“Fuck,” I mutter, pushing her against the door jamb, hoping I don’t hurt her. “You’re addicting.”
Her answer is a moan, followed by her chest puffing out against mine, her nipples perked and hard as stone, pressing solidly into me.
I’m overcome with emotions as I clasp tighter to her hip, holding her in place. I don’t want to let go. I don’t want to say goodnight. I want to hold her, cherish her, brand her. My Rubes.
“Come inside,” she says in between kisses, causing me to pull away.
Did she just invite me in? My dick hardens from the mere thought of continuing what we started, pushing past using only our mouths.
In desperation, I search her eyes, making sure this is what she really wants. Expecting to see uncertainty, I’m greeted with a heady glaze in her beautiful eyes. This is real.
Letting her pull me into her apartment, I grab her keys, shut and lock the door, taking an extra second to make sure it’s secure. Since her apartment is so small, it doesn’t take long to get to her bedroom, which is illuminated by moonlight.
Time stands still, the tension in the air is thick with lust, and the energy between us is palpable, spurring me to take what I want. I reach for her hand but she pulls away, confusing me.
She doesn’t say a word. Instead, she tosses her hat to the side and lets out her loose braid, her golden locks falling over her shoulder in beautiful waves. I’m so entranced with her hair bouncing in time with her movements I miss her fingers pinching the hem of her shirt, which she pulls over her head and tosses to the side.
Standing in front of me, Ruby is confident in her body. She unzips her shorts and tosses those to the side, leaving her in minuscule lingerie. And holy fuck, I harden with each scan of her gorgeous body. Not only does she have beautiful curves to grab on to, but she seems to have a penchant for microscopic lingerie, a fact I admire. Because, fuck, she’s hot.
Strutting toward me, the quirky, somewhat clumsy Ruby I know disappears, and in her place is a lust-filled, sexy-as-sin woman with her eyes trained on me. Me. My breath catches in my throat the minute her hands find their way under the hem of my shirt, her fingertips dancing across my abdomen where she slides them to my pecs, taking my shirt with her. With quick maneuvering, I toss my shirt on the floor to join her discarded clothing and grip her hips so she can explore my chest a while longer.
Awe fills her eyes with each pass of her hand over my defined muscles. Her hands run from my pecs to my shoulders, her thumbs caressing my nipples, turning them into hard nubs, and lighting a burning fire inside me.
“You’re so handsome, Bodi.” I’ve never seen that look in a woman’s eyes before. They’re bright, shining, as if in wonder. “Not just your body, but your heart too.”
And just like that, I can’t hold back. With what little finesse I have left, I slide one of my hands to the back of her neck and bring her lips to mine.
Her mouth opens on command, and I ease my tongue in, meeting hers, stroking it, reveling in the feel of her melting into my body. The need to move faster, to demand more, is overwhelming, but I want to take this slow. I want to remember every moment I have with her, every touch, every moan, every cry of ecstasy. And I plan to hear many of those.
While I take advantage of her fuckable mouth, she moves her hands to the waistband of my jeans and undoes them, grazing her hand over my eager bulge. The minor friction she creates elicits a moan from deep within me.
It’s been so fucking long.
Needing to let her know, I separate our mouths and say, “I haven’t, uh, done this in a long time.” Three years is too fucking long.
Understanding shines brightly in her eyes. “Me either, so we can go slow.”
“Not sure how much I will be able to hold back,” I reply honestly. “You’re gorgeous, Rubes.”
She sighs, as if her lifelong crush just told her he likes her. It’s adorable.
“And here I thought you didn’t find me attractive.” Her eyes cast down, breaking my heart in two. How the hell could she think I didn’t think she was attractive?
Maybe because you’re awkward as fuck and can’t show real human emotions.
Hating myself for making her think such a thing, I step forward, determined to show her how attractive I think she is.
Running my hands to her back, I find the clasp of her bra, and with a flick of my fingers, I undo it. The shoulder straps loosen and the garment falls into a puddle between us. Looking at her eyes, I take a deep breath and glance down, only to be privy to the most beautiful pair of breasts I’ve ever seen. They’re not too big, just the perfect handful with little pink nipples that I can’t wait to get my mouth on.
“Fuck,” I mutter, running my hands up her waist, stopping just below her breasts. “Ruby, there is no way I could not find you attractive.” Barely grazing her, my thumb rubs under her breast, making her entire body shudder. She clasps my cheeks and brings my mouth to hers, and I get lost in the feel of her tongue slowly sliding against mine. It’s so fucking seductive that the crotch in my jeans starts to get uncomfortable.
Backing her up against her bed, I gently help her down, never breaking the connection with our mouths. My jeans are unbuttoned, my fly down, giving Ruby perfect access to slip her hand in, which she does delicately, timidly. The tips of her fingers graze the tip of my cock, causing us both to gasp in shock.
“Shit.” I breathe heavily, unlocking our mouths for a brief moment. “I’m so fucking hard for you, Ruby.”
Uncertainty coats her face as she reaches into my jeans. “You’re not wearing underwear.”
I smile at her cute remark. “I wear tight swimsuits most of the time, so got to let things loose, Rubes.”
She gulps, the column of her neck working up and down while her mouth falls open. “That’s,” she pauses and bites her bottom lip, “that’s hot, Bodi.”
And now I’m smiling like an idiot. Ruby Hearts thinks I’m hot.
Gaining a little more courage, Ruby slides her fingers farther into my jeans, circling my thick cock with her small fingers. The sensation is nothing I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been with women before, but there is something different about Ruby’s touch. It’s tentative, weary, almost as if she touches me wrong I might disappear. I’ve always assumed I would never find anyone I would feel comfortable with. Be real. Let my guard down with. I’ve felt mild attraction—physical attraction—making the act of sex possible. But touching and being touched by Ruby? My Ruby? It’s incomparable. Completely incomparable. There is something different about Ruby’s touch.
She has to know I’m not going anywhere.
Reciprocating her touch, I move my hands to her slim waist, skimming my hands over her stomach and up her breasts. Her breathing hitches, pausing momentarily until my fingers graze her breasts slightly, just the faintest touch.
“Oh God,” she moans and arches her back. Fuck, and I didn’t think I could get any harder.
The need to feel her completely in my palm is overwhelming, but I want to take this slow. Need. To. My self-control is wearing thin with the way her body is rocking against mine, her hips seeking contact, her chest popping into the air, and her hand gradually working its way into my jeans until . . .
“Oh fuck,” I gasp, lowering my head to the divot between her neck and shoulder. Her hand grips my cock, tight.
My lips wander up her neck, to her jawline where they gradually find their way to her mouth. I hover mere millimeters over her mouth, grip her breast fully in mine, and then claim her mouth, evaporating her moan. I’m rewarded with a stroke of her own along my rigid cock.
There is a grandiose urge to pump my hips into her hand, to make her stroke me harder, faster, tighter. I need release. I’m fucking craving it right now, but not yet, not fucking yet.
I swipe my tongue across Ruby’s lips, mimicking the motion I want to make against her nipples, then travel down, applying pressure to her breasts with each passing kiss until I’m at her collarbone. Her once-timid strokes have now turned into nothing, leaving her hand motionless in my jeans, but I’m okay with that because it means I’m clearing all thoughts from Ruby’s mind so she can feel what I’m doing to her. Moving down, I nip at her skin, plucking her nipples tightly with my fingers, rolling the nubs and pulling up only to release them and repeat the torture all over again.
“Bodi, you’re teasing me.”
Fuck yeah, I am.
And there is no way I’m going to stop.
My cock dances, hard as a fucking rock from the tiny mews coming from Ruby, from the feel of her soft skin against my water-toughened hands, and from the sweet taste of her mouth that’s now imprinted in my brain.
Wanting to see her writhe under me, I play with her nipples, plucking them and squeezing harder, causing her chest to lift with each pull, and focus my mouth on kissing down her stomach.
So fucking soft, every single inch of her. I get to her belly button and spread her legs, making room for my bulky body; she understands my intention. And wants it.
My Rubes knows exactly what she wants.
The last few inches I take very slowly. Nipping and sucking on her stomach, her waistline, just above her pubic bone, she is panting, squirming under me to position my head where she wants it. Still covered in her little thong, I grip the edge with my teeth and pull it down, exposing her pussy . . . her fucking wet pussy.
Shit. I could come in my pants right now from the sight of her, from the scent of her.
Needing extra help, I spare one of my hands from her nipples and shuck her thong to the side; she lies completely naked in front of me. Fuck. What a sight.
The swell of her hips gives me something to grab on to. The roundness of her breasts gives me something delectable to play with, especially those hard nipples of hers. And then there are her lips—pouty, swollen, sweet as fuck. She’s slowly branding me with her body and her beautiful heart.
I pull away, getting off the bed to shuck my jeans. The tortured look in her face makes me chuckle. Her eyes are hooded, her lips parted, her body trembling, aroused. Mine.
“What are you doing?” she asks, her voice shaky.
“Losing the pants, Rubes. I’m not going to last very long after I fuck you with my tongue.”
Her eyes widen in surprise from my brazen response, making me even harder.
Wanting to give Ruby a show, I slowly slip my hands in the front of my pants and squeeze the tip of my dick, sending a fucking rocket of pleasure down my spine. Moaning, my head falls back. I can feel the strain in my neck, in my chest muscles, in every inch of my body.
This. Something I’ve had to do many times since getting to know Ruby. Especially during the Olympic trials from her text messages. But touching myself in front of her?
“Holy fuck,” Ruby mutters, pulling my attention back to her. There is no questioning it. She wants me. Hardened nipples, glistening pussy, mouth agape, and a wandering hand now fondling her own breasts.
With precision, I lower my jeans all the way, step out of them, and move them to the side. Standing tall, my erection must not disappoint from the sharpened look in Ruby’s face, her gaze zeroing in on my cock.
I take it in my hand and stroke a couple times, fucking torturing myself. Ruby’s expression is priceless. I move forward, hand still on my cock as I lower myself. Releasing my hand, I scoot her to the edge of the bed by yanking on her ankles, bringing her pussy to just the right level. Hooking her legs over my shoulders, I start to run kisses up her inner thighs. When I get to her center, I skip over and start kissing down her other leg, making her grunt and thrash above me.
Despite my throbbing cock pressing against the bed, I love every minute of prolonging the inevitable with Ruby.
“Bodi,” she groans. “Please.”
Her voice is so strained that I give in, moving my lips back to her center. I kiss her pussy, loving how wet she is, and then part her with my fingers, exposing her soaking clit.
Fuck. Me.
Reminding myself to go slowly, at a snail’s pace, I lick her. Her entire body shoots up from the connection, a scream coming from her mouth.
Pure male satisfaction surges through me as I push my tongue against her again, this time flattening it out and licking upward.
“Oh God, yes! More,” she pants, her hands gripping the bedding underneath her.
I move my flattened tongue around her, wishing I could feel the throbbing of her clit against my mouth. Her head is moving from side to side, her nipples harder than ever, her stomach concaved, pushing her pelvis forward. She’s close.
Wanting to feel more, I put two fingers at her pussy and slide them in only to find out how fucking tight she is, with a vise-like grip sucking my fingers in.
Shit. My cock aches with need.
Pointing my tongue so it lightly flicks her clit, I pump into her with my fingers, part her with my other hand, and move at a rapid pace, licking, sucking, pulling that little nub into my mouth only to let go, and then do it all over again.
Like a tidal wave, her entire body rolls off the bed, quaking with pleasure as she screams my name . . . screams.
“Yes!” she shouts, her hand on my head, keeping me in position so her hips can ride my tongue until every last ripple of ecstasy leaves her body.
Holy fucking shit. I’ve never experienced a moment like that before. Watching Ruby coming. Knowing I did that to her. How much she loved that. Fuck. Me.
Her hips slow down, her hand releases from my head, and her body lies sated on the bed. She better not fall asleep because I’m nowhere near being done.
Covering her face, she lets out a low moan and sits up on the bed, her eyes looking directly at my cock. Licking her lips, she starts to move forward, but I stop her. I quickly ease the worry in her eyes.
“I’m about to come after watching you fall apart on my tongue. I would rather come inside you than in your mouth.”
A shy smile appears. And thank God she is more than happy to make that happen, because I need inside her. Now.
I push her back down on the bed, scooting her back and positioning my body between hers. The tip of my cock hits her wet pussy, and it takes everything in me to not blow right there.
I cup her face with one hand and prop my body up with the other. Leaning forward, I take her mouth in mine and let my tongue once again explore.
Can she taste herself on me?
Can she taste how sweet she is? How addicting she is?
I sure as fuck hope so because that will not be the last time I let her come on my tongue.
Underneath me she’s so small, eclipsed by my muscular build. She’s petite, dainty, completely and utterly feminine in every inch of her body. I’ve never felt this consumed by a woman before. I’ve never opened myself up to a woman before.
I like it.
I’m becoming addicted to it.
To this connection I share with her, this burning desire to not only be intimately connected with her, but to be intellectually and spiritually connected as well. I want our hearts beating the same beat. I want our souls to meld together.
“Need to be inside you,” I groan out, just about to spread her legs more when I realize I don’t have a condom. I never carry them with me and going into tonight I never expected to end up here. “Shit, I don’t have a condom.”
“I have some in my nightstand. I’m also on the pill.” Her eyes seem to be smiling, shining at me, and I search her eyes. “I’m clean, Bodi, and I know you are. There is no doubt in my mind that you would be.”
Is she fucking serious right now?
I’ve never been bare with a woman, ever. The mere thought of having no shield between my Rubes and me makes my stomach flip with excitement.
“Are you sure?” I ask, hoping and praying she doesn’t change her mind.
She doesn’t answer. Instead, she reaches between us, circles my cock and positions me at her entrance only to move the head through her wet pussy. Shiiiiiit.
There will be none of that, not when I’m about to explode.
I growl close to her ear and thrust inside her, unable to control my need to possess her. We both groan from the smooth joining.
“Fuck me, Ruby. You’re so goddamn tight. I’m not going to last.”
“Then don’t,” she speaks through panted breaths. “Fuck me, Bodi. Let yourself go and fuck me.”
Going slow? Moving methodically in and out of her, twisting my hips ever so slightly? That had been my intention, but not after that command, not after those two little words popped out of her mouth.
Straddling her head with my palms, I lower my mouth to hers and thrust hard. I capture her gasp with my tongue and continue my pace.
Everything feels so real, so raw, so different, that I pump even harder to feel more, to see if there are any other sensations I’ve been missing by not being with this woman sooner.
And fuck if they all don’t explode right in front of me at the same time.
Pressure.
Pulsing.
Aching.
Throbbing.
Tingling . . .
“Fuck, I’m going to come,” I declare as my balls draw tight and a sharp sensation hits me full force.
Just as I’m about to blow, Ruby clings to my shoulders, digging her fingernails into my skin and screaming out my name, her pussy contracting all around my dick, milking me for all I’m worth.
“Shit,” I groan, my head plastered to the bed, my hips flying at a rapid pace until every last drop is out of me.
Euphoria surrounds me. Passion and satisfaction soar through me as my body comes back down to earth, my cock still hard as fuck inside Ruby.
Her once scratching fingers are now gracefully running along my back in feather-like motions, her lips kissing the side of my face, pulling me out of my sex-induced fog.
Rolling off her, I quickly go to her bathroom, wash up, and grab a wash cloth for her. I hand it to her, unsure if I should clean her myself, and then lie next to her when she’s done, pulling her into my chest and under the blankets. Her hand instinctively makes circles on my stomach, and if I didn’t come so fucking hard inside her, I would be positioning her on top of me.
Silence falls over us, as we lie there staring at the ceiling. I can feel myself starting to feel awkward again. What do I say? I’ve never really cuddled with anyone before. Before, it’s been sex and that’s it, but with Ruby it’s so much more.
Do I tell her good job? Give her a high five? Let her know her pussy is a fucking ten in my book?
Probably not. Does anyone ever say that sort of thing?
I start to fidget, begging my brain to come up with something to say when Ruby leans in, presses a kiss to my jaw and then sighs, resting her head back down.
And that’s when I realize. I don’t have to say anything. I can lie here with her, perfectly content in silence, listening to her breathing even out as she falls asleep.
That’s good enough for me.
Fucking perfect actually.
***
“Ruby, baby, wake up for a second.”
“Mmm,” she groans.
The early morning light peeks past the buildings surrounding her apartment, casting an orange glow on the woman who owned me last night. Who slept in my arms last night. My arms. All night. Rather than feeling freaked out like the last time I woke with her in my arms, today I feel . . . unbelievable.
Kissing her lips, just light enough, I murmur, “Rubes, wake up.”
She stretches her arms, making the bedding fall down her chest, exposing her glorious tits. The cool morning air puckers her nipples, and it takes everything in me not to lick them.
“What’s going on?” she mumbles, her eyes barely opening.
“I have to go to practice.”
“Practice for what?” she asks, moving some more, making her breasts sway with each movement.
Fuck me.
“Swimming. I have early morning practice.”
“You’re going to leave?” Her pout isn’t fake; it’s genuine and it’s killing me.
“Believe me, I want nothing more than to cuddle the shit out of your warm, sexy body right now, but I can’t be late.” Words I never thought I’d ever utter, let alone think.
“Mmm, okay.” She brushes her hand across my cheek and then brings my mouth to hers. Faintly, she kisses me, our lips barely touching, and just like that, my cock is hard, and all thoughts of going to practice escape me.
“Rubes,” I breathe out heavily, my control slipping.
Her fingers play with the hair on the back of my neck and her tongue parts my lips, shooting pleasure straight to my groin. I falter slightly, my will collapsing, and even though I know I’m on a strict time schedule, I can’t seem to resist the feel of Ruby’s nipples rubbing against my chest right now.
Running my hand behind her, I bring her naked body closer. Her arms wrap around my neck, and our kiss deepens, our tongues mating, begging for more. The soft feel of her skin against my palm, the way her hands explore my hair, the heat pouring off her, are all my undoing.
Lowering her to the bed, I make quick work of my jeans, kicking them off in a frenzy, and tear the bedding off the bed, exposing Ruby in all her glory. She doesn’t break away from me, her kisses don’t stop, but her legs fall open. From a quick rub of my body against hers, I can already feel how wet she is.
“Fuck, Ruby. You’re already wet.”
“Because of you,” she whispers, trailing kisses along my jaw.
“I’m going to have to be quick.”
“Then get going, Bodi, unless you want me to get myself off.” Who knew this quirky, adorable woman could be so demanding, so sassy in bed?
Growling into the curve of her neck, I say, “No fucking way.”
Everything about this woman turns me on, from her touch, to her endless questions, to her unbelievable body. I want nothing but to stay in bed with her all day.
What a fucking crazy thought. From the moment I first met her, she scared me with her touching, her incessant need to pry into my life, but now it’s different. I thrive on her text messages, on her sweet smiles, on the way her eyes light up when I’m with her, and when I enter her.
Like right now.
In her sleepy haze, I enter her, her eyes widening from my girth, from the tight fit we make, and just when I think she’s going to pass out from holding her breath, she sighs into the bed and entwines her body with mine.
Her pussy is incredible. It sheathes me with such force I never want to leave. The friction we create is consuming. The build-up between us, the throbbing darting up and down my spine, the squeeze of her thighs around my waist, her relentless tongue . . . fuck, it takes me right over the edge.
“How close?” I grunt out, not sure how much more I can hold back.
She doesn’t answer. Not with words anyway. Her head flies back, exposing her breasts. The sight is my undoing. I come. I come fucking hard. Her cries of ecstasy float in my head as I pump feverishly into her, letting go completely.
As I slow my hips down, I kiss her neck and whisper, “It’s never been this good, Rubes. It’s never been this addicting.”
“Morning sex?” she asks, still in a haze, now more from lust rather than sleep.
“No,” I answer honestly. “Sex. It’s different with you.”
Her lazy smile stretches across her face as she sits up, her upper torso completely naked. I love how comfortable she is with me. She cups my face with both hands and gently kisses me on the lips. No tongue, nothing too demanding, just a sweet, adoring kiss.
Pressing her forehead against mine, she says, “Get out of here, you’re going to be late.”
She’s right about that. Disengaging myself, I quickly make use of my jeans and grab my cell phone from her nightstand. Shit, I’m ten minutes behind already. Traffic lights better be on my side.
“I’m sorry I have to bolt.”
“No worries, Bodi.” She winks and pulls the covers over her body only to flop on the bed and curl up.
Shit. I want to stay. Here. With Ruby. In bed. I’ve never felt like this before. I have commitments. I need to get to training. That’s what I do. Not spooning with extremely beautiful, just-fucked-by-me women.
I don’t have that privilege. For the first time in all my years of swimming, I wish I wasn’t a swimmer. I hear my subconscious taunting me for thinking those words, with murmurs of giving pride to my family that they deserve, but I’m on a post-sex high.
Sprinting to my truck, I start the engine, thoughts and images of Ruby floating through my mind as I make my way through Los Angeles to the club where my coach is waiting for me.
Shit, Ruby. She needs to be safe. I call her quickly, hoping my neurosis won’t freak her out. When I get her voicemail, I cringe. “Ruby, please go and make sure the door is locked. Please.” I pretty much break every speed limit, perform a couple of California “stops,” and park like a maniac, not even caring that I’m taking up two spaces. I haven't done anything in my normal routine this morning, but strangely I don't feel too off-balance. Thankful for being obsessively organized, I drink down an energy drink with some raw nuts, easy fuel when on the run.
I sprint to the locker room and throw on my bathing suit from yesterday. Yes, I feel fucking nasty and my body itches from the thought of not being clean, but I don’t have a choice. Have I ever gone this long without a shower before? As I jog to the pool deck, I check the clock.
Shit.
I’m five minutes late.
Sitting on the bleachers, clipboard in hand, whistle around his neck, and a stopwatch posed in front of him is Coach, and fuck, he doesn’t look happy.
“Bodi, how nice of you to show.”
I know what you’re thinking, five minutes, not a big deal. Oh, it is in my coach’s world. You don’t keep him waiting. I’ve never kept him waiting.
“Sorry about that.”
“Care to offer an explanation?” He stands, eying me up and down.
“Not really.”
He nods and I turn to face the pool, lowering my goggles and adjusting my swim cap, not wanting to make eye contact with him. I’ve known him since I was a kid, and he will be able to read right through me.
“Long night?” he asks, stepping up next to me, tucking his clipboard to his side and looking straight ahead.
“No.” It was a fucking fantastic night but Coach doesn’t need to know that.
From the corner of my eye, I can see him nod his head. “I would guess otherwise.”
What is he up to? I don’t like the tone of his voice, as if he’s caught me.
“I know I was late but I wasn’t drinking if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I wasn’t. I know you’re not that stupid. You treat your body like a finely oiled machine, and you wouldn’t poison it with alcohol this close to the games.” Damn right about that. Ruby might make fun of me for my kale and water consumption habits, but if I didn’t eat healthily there would be no way I could succeed at the level I’m swimming. “It’s just interesting.”
“What is?” I ask, just wanting to get started with practice.
“You were late. You’re never late. It’s out of your element. Normally you would be close to hyperventilating from not being on schedule.” Shit, he’s right. What the fuck? “And yet, here you are, normal, looking loose, almost . . . happy.” Don’t smile, Banks, don’t fucking smile. He will see right through you. “And here I am worried about my athlete.”
“I’m fine, Coach. Just misjudged my time.”
“Mm-hmm, and the deep scratches on the back of your shoulders. Care to explain those?”
Fuck, busted.
Chuckling, he says, “That’s what I thought. You’ve got an extra set of two hundreds, pyramid progression, then we can get on with practice. Warm up.”
Fuck. Me.
Two grueling hours later, I’m freshly showered and sitting on the locker room bench. I pull out my phone and see a text from Ruby.
Ruby: Hope you made it to practice on time.
Yeah, not so much.
Bodi: Late by five minutes. Thought I was going to get away with it until coach noticed scratches on my back . . . from you. I paid big time in extra 200s but it was worth it. Because the entire time I was able to taste you on my tongue.
It was . . . incredible. Coach was right. I’ve never been late. And if I ever deviate from my routine, I am close to hyperventilating. Yet, there wasn’t anger in his expression. In fact, there was a smile in his eyes, something I’ve seen in his eyes when I win. Pride. He’s proud of me.
Yeah, I was late, but it was so fucking worth it. She was worth it. My Rubes.