I felt different lying next to her. As if suddenly she had become mine. I was possessive and protective all at once. Those weren’t natural instincts for me. I’d never had anyone to care about.
Jim was the closest thing I had to family and he wasn’t exactly modeling relationships. The man had never been on a date that I knew of. He was a bachelor—devoting his life to my career.
I’d never cared about having a relationship. Women were everywhere. I’d never had a problem finding someone beautiful to fuck. Why bother with all the mess and confusion that came with a girlfriend?
But when I fucked Ava it wasn’t like the other women. I lost a part of myself. The world spun to black and there was only one thing that mattered—her.
When I met Ava, she was another conquest. Another woman to challenge me. But the second I had her in my hotel room, it all changed. She brought me to my knees. She got under my skin. Her voice filled my ears. Her sweet slice of heaven wrapped around my dick like it owned it.
Bloody hell, I wasn’t walking away a second time.
***
I reached for the door to the shabby hotel where she stayed when my phone rang. All the athletes were given their own cells to use when they checked into the village.
I looked down. It was Jim.
“Jim.”
I looked toward the blue sky. The sun hung over the palm trees like a ball of fire.
“Good news. The pool is open.” He sounded excited.
“What?” I took a step back from the door to let a couple pass me. “How is that possible? You said another day at least.”
“I think word got out you were pissed. Your bark is loud enough, Blaine. The valves are ready and everything is running. You can train tonight. The water is waiting for you. I’ll meet you over there?”
I hesitated. I had forgotten about the pool. I was on a mission and it had nothing to do with my butterfly stroke. I couldn’t tell that to Jim. He’d flip the fuck out.
“Yeah, you’ll see me there.” I had to get my shit together. This was the Olympics. A lifetime of preparation was on the line.
Years of swimming. The hardest training of my career had gone into these games. I couldn’t blow it off for a woman. Even if she was the woman who had changed everything.
“Good. I’ve got your bag. Can’t wait to see you in that Olympic water.”
“Yeah, right.”
I hung up and shoved the phone into my pocket. I couldn’t storm up to Ava’s room now. I had to swim. Damn it.
Maybe after practice I could try to talk to her again. I could make her understand. I could tell her what it was like when I woke up and walked away that morning.
For now, the aquatics center was where I needed to be.
***
My first dive into the pool was the most photographed of my life.
The entire press corps was gathered around the pool when I walked out of the locker room.
“Bloody hell, Jim.”
He slapped me on the back. “I know. But they want to see you practice. There’s nothing I can do about it. All practices at the Olympics are open. You know that.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to feel like a fucking zoo animal.”
I unzipped my hoodie and adjusted my goggles. The flashes went off with every moment. I wasn’t even on the dive block yet.
“How did they find out I was here?”