Balance (Off Balance 1)

“This is my dream, and I’m going to show you. I’ll prove it. Actions speak louder than words.”

He was silent for a moment, then I saw a flash of hunger enter his eyes. I loved it. “I am going to hold you to that.”

“I hope you do.” I raised a brow. “It wouldn’t be in your nature not to.”

The room stilled as Kova tilted his head to the side. Pensive eyes stared down at me, and I felt myself falling into a bottomless pit. He had my full attention, I couldn’t look away. He was sucking me dry, feeding off my emotion. And truthfully, I didn’t want to look any other way but his. I wanted him to see I wasn’t kidding about my future.

“You are not what I expected you to be.”

That caused me to grin and I laid back down on the table. “Good...Exactly what I wanted.” I grew quiet, then asked, “What did you expect?”

“Not someone as determined as you that is for sure. You are strong-minded.”

A little laugh rolled off my lips. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Kova ran his tongue along his bottom lip and I tracked the movement. Something clicked between us, an understanding only someone as ambitious as us could identify with. It was there. I felt it, and the look his emerald eyes penetrated me with told me he did too. I hadn’t realized it, and I didn’t think he did either, but at some point in time during our conversation, Kova had stopped stretching me. One hand was now half on my waist, half on the table. His other hand cupped the back of my leg, nearly holding onto the crease of my ass. I didn’t remember him moving them, but I liked it. The tips of his fingers pressed into my inner thigh and caused a rush of heat to sear me. They were dangerously close to my sex and I swallowed as a throb resonated in my core.

I breathed in deeply, the way Kova taught me. One small move and he’d touch me where no one had ever touched me before. I didn’t know which was worse, wanting to feel his fingers there or the fact that I didn’t find the action repulsive.

I parted my leg slightly and looked in the direction of his hand. Kova followed my gaze, and swiftly pulled away, clenching his eyes shut.

He cleared his throat. “All right. Where were we,” he said more to himself than me. He guided me to my stomach and into position. He placed a flat hand on my hamstring, prodding the muscle for tightness and grabbed my knee, pulling it backward.

“Ah, not as hard as last time I see,” he said. “This is good.”

I watched his movements from the side, my right cheek to the cushioned mat. A tightness developed in my pelvis and a little grunt escaped my throat. I grabbed the edge of the table. Kova glanced at me when I winced and gave a knowing look to breathe. He tapped the side of my butt twice with the back of his knuckles, and I exhaled slowly, then drew in a breath with my stomach. He nodded in approval.

“You know, I was a scrawny thing when I started gymnastics. I could barely hold the bar for more than a couple of seconds.”

My eyes widened playfully and I bit down on my lip. I eyed his strong arms. “You’re kidding me.”

He shook his head. “I wish I was.” Then he went into a story about when he first started gymnastics and it lightened the private session, leaving me with a slight smile and a blooming heart, wanting to know everything I could about my coach.

After a full day of training, I was exhausted, and the blisters on my palms were getting progressively worse. Kova didn’t go any easier on me today, if anything, since agreeing to help me with my goal, his dick factor increased. The blisters were tender to the touch and filled with fluid that needed draining. I tried not to pick at them s

o they could be treated properly at home, but something had to give. My hands were on fire and throbbed from irritation.

As much as I wanted Hayden to help me heal my impending rips, I didn’t want him to go out of his way and make him stay up later than usual. It was almost ten o’clock at night, and I imagined he was just as tired as I was.

Before I could give it any more thought, my doorbell rang. I quickly got up from the couch and peeped through the hole.

After unbolting the lock, I opened the door to Hayden standing on the other side in gray sweatpants and hoodie, a pharmacy bag hanging from his hand.

“Hey, come in.”

With perfectly white, straight teeth, Hayden smiled and walked in.

“Are you sure it’s not too late for you? I kind of feel bad.”

I decided the lightning in my kitchen would be best for him to doctor my hands. With the condo’s open floor plan, it was parallel to the living room, and the pathway to the two bedrooms was in view. Hayden’s nose scrunched up as he took in the view, a grin working across his face. “It’s like nine o’clock, Aid.”

I shot a glance at the clock. “It’s ten fifteen...and I know you have to get up early.”

He dropped the plastic bag on the countertop. “I’m a big boy, I think I can handle it. But since you’re so concerned about my bedtime,” he chuckled playfully, “let’s see what you got here so I can get home for my beauty sleep. Show me your hands.”

I jumped up and planted my ass on the cold granite countertop, sending goose bumps down my body from the contact. I wore a loose fitting white T-shirt and a pair of cutoff denim shorts. Holding my hands out for him to view, I placed them face up on my thighs and waited while Hayden unzipped his hoodie, revealing nothing underneath except for extremely low sitting sweats.

My jaw went slack and my eyes widened. Hayden draped his jacket over the back of one of the high back chairs I used to have breakfast and began rummaging through his bag. I swallowed hard at the sight of him so close, wanting to reach out and run my fingers down his solid chest. Every inch of his body was honed to perfection, every muscle ripped, curled, and dipped.