Jim hovered over the edge of the pool. “Ready for the butterfly?” he asked.
I snapped my goggles into place and splashed water over my shoulders. I saw Ava walk in and I grinned.
“I’m ready now.”
She waved at me as she took a seat in the bleachers.
Jim dropped his arm and I dove into the water, ready to plow through and kick ass on this lap. By the time I touched the wall at the other end of the pool I knew I had done exactly what we wanted. I had cut time off my first turn.
Jim laughed. “Son of a bitch. You’re going to blow the other chaps out of the water. Now if you can do that on every turn, it’s going to be incredible.”
“That’s the plan.” I pushed out of the water and dragged my body over the side of the pool.
Ava watched as I walked around the wall separating the swimmers from the fans. I didn’t give a shit who saw me. I planted a rough kiss on her lips.
She licked her lips. “Mmm. Wet.”
“Thanks for coming.”
“That looked amazing. How did you do that with the turn?”
I admitted it was fucking hot as shit my girl knew what she was talking about when it came to sports. She never got tired talking about swimming or any of the sports at the games. She was a better listener than Jim was sometimes.
I realized how hot it was she was mine. Only mine.
“I don’t know. I’ve been working on it all week and it suddenly clicked. I couldn’t get it down in Sydney.”
“If you’re going to make a change like that, this is the time to do it.” She smiled.
“I have to hit the showers. Want to go get lunch?”
A fan leaned over Ava’s shoulder and shoved a phone in her face. I glared at him, but saw Ava’s warning expression before I grabbed the phone and threw it in the pool.
“Which lunch is this for you? First, second, or third?”
I cracked a smile. “I thought I dispelled those hobbit rumors with you. And it’s second lunch.” I winked.
“I can’t.” She shook her head. “I don’t have anything to write today and I really need to get something to my boss.”
I scratched the back of my head. “Dinner is out because of the ceremony. That’s going to take all night.”
“I’ll be here tomorrow,” she piped up. “I’m going to watch you swim.”
“That’s not enough,” I growled. “Fucking dictators keeping us in the
village. It sucks.”
“Think of it this way. You’ll get more sleep.”
There was truth there, but I’d rather fall asleep naked and inside Ava. I didn’t like that someone regulated when and where I could sleep. Not with the biggest games of my life in front of me. I needed her.
She was my release. She was my calm. She was fucking everything to me.
I kissed her quickly. “I’ll figure something out.”
She eyed me. “Blaine, what does that mean?”
“Don’t worry about it, love.”