Penetrate: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (Alpha Athletes) (7 page)

T
he whistle blew
, but I was watching Sierra and Eric on the sidelines. Her hands were on her hips and she was mad. I could tell by the way she stared at him that something wasn’t right. But I couldn’t run over and check.

“You on?” Scott asked. He adjusted his wristband. I didn’t know why he always played with that damn thing. I think it was something Reyna gave him when they got married.

“I’m good.” I felt loose. My body felt amazing. A night of fucking like we did will do that.

My knee barely hurt. I wore the slip-on brace Larry gave me. It was the only contribution he had made to my care. The only reason I was able to play today was because of Sierra. She had taken better care of me than my trainer had attempted.

“Eyes over here then,” Scott reminded me.

“Shit,” I muttered as I watched Eric storm off from Sierra. Something was definitely wrong.

But we had a set to win and another match later tonight. I tried to block out what I had seen with Sierra. I tried to ignore the feeling that she needed me.

My feet sank into the sand. My fingers twitched, waiting for the serve. I tried to focus. I swore I fucking zoned into Scott. But the serve soared toward me, I dove, and bumped it straight out of bounds.

He came over to slap my back. “Next one,” he assured me. “You’ve got this.”

“Sorry,” I said quietly. That shit never happened. Never.

I dug into the sand again. Sergio grinned from the other side, daring me to beat him. Those guys were fun last night at dinner, but all of that ended the moment we stepped on the sand.

He tossed the ball in the air as his hand came down, serving it across the net. This time I was ready. I bumped it toward Scott and he spiked it at Paulo. But Paulo hit it across. I soared up for the block and missed it.

“Damn it.”

“What is going on?” Scott whispered to me.

I shook my head. If I didn’t get things on track quickly the Italians were going to rack up enough points to win the second set and that would send us into a third. I didn’t want that. I needed my energy for tonight’s match. I hated playing third sets. It seldom happened.

Playing under the lights was different than under the sun. The sun had a way of draining the extra energy from all of us. There was a different vibe at night. I wanted that night game.

After another miss Scott looked at the judge and called time out.

I followed him to the bench. We only had a few minutes to take a few sips of our drinks and put our heads together before the whistle blew.

“Three straight points,” Scott muttered. “You’ve never done that.”

“I know. I’ll make it up.”

Scott twisted the top of his water bottle. “What can I do?”

“Nothing. I’ll reset. Promise.” I slapped him on the back. I didn’t want to let him down.

We walked back to the court. Sergio and Paulo laughed at each other. I didn’t know how the Italians could always act as if they were batting the ball around. This was the fucking Olympics.

They couldn’t tell but I stared them down through my sunglasses. There was no way they were getting four in a row.

The ball came straight to me. Sergio thought I was the weak link on the team. He was fucking wrong. I reared up, slamming the ball into the ground. The crowd cheered and Scott slapped my hand.

“There you go.”

“Hell, yeah.” I grinned.

It was my turn to serve. The line judge tossed the ball to me. Things had already turned around. I couldn’t look at the sideline. I knew it would distract me. I’d focus on Sierra. I’d wonder what Eric had said to her. I’d lose my focus.

Instead I threw the ball in the air and served an ace between Sergio and Paulo’s feet.

* * *

B
y the time
the match was over I was exhausted. The Italians hadn’t gone down without a fight. They took us into a third set. There were a few points that I was worried we wouldn’t get, but Scott contested the calls and we got the points back.

As we packed up to leave I looked over my shoulder at Sierra. She was treating Sergio’s elbow. He had banged it pretty hard into the ground going for the ball.

We had exactly eight hours before we had to be back on the court for the next round. I wanted a hot shower and a nap. It wouldn’t hurt to ice my knee either.

The Italians would go into the loser’s bracket. Sierra and I wouldn’t have to face each other again on the sand. But there was no doubt I’d show up at her door tonight.

Reyna made her way down to the base of the seats. I watched Scott reach up to hug her.

“You were awesome, babe.” She smiled. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks.”

I looked away, but not quickly enough. I saw it. What they had. The connection between them. It was always there, but sometimes it felt like a reminder that I had chosen a different direction. Reyna ran her hands through Scott’s hair. He reached up for another kiss.

And then I saw it. The flash. The film strip in my head of the future. The split second when I wondered if I could have that after all. Was I meant for that kind of life? Was I meant for that with someone like Sierra?

I grabbed my bag and got the hell off Copacabana beach.

I
was mad and angry
. I don’t know how I managed to make it through the entire match without kicking sand on Eric or screaming at him in the stands. Who in the hell did he think he was? My entire life had been determined by that decision. I left everything. My family. My friends. My country. And all because he and Michael thought they’d play big brother without telling me.

When I made it back to my room I immediately pulled out my phone to video chat my meddling older brother.

“Hey, how’s Rio?” he answered with a big goofy grin.

“Do not ‘hey’ me,” I steamed. “You and Eric have basically ruined my life.”

“What are you talking about?” He looked genuinely confused.

“I know why I didn’t get the job for the US team. I saw Eric today.”

He hung his head. “He wasn’t supposed to tell you.”

“That’s the answer? No apology? You and your best friend conspire to send me out of the country and that’s your response?” I felt a little as if we were five and he had just broken the heads off my Barbie dolls and I was threatening to tell Mom and Dad, but I didn’t care.

“I didn’t know you would move to Italy.”

“Well I did.”

“Come on, Sierra. Nothing good would have happened if you stayed on the US team. That dick, Pierce Miller would have screwed you over. We both knew it.”

“I was qualified. I had three years at the collegiate level. I trained with professionals. I had clients who were professional volleyball players. And you think I couldn’t handle one womanizer? Thanks. Thanks, a lot.”

“Eric told me about him. When you wanted to apply we talked about it. We were both worried.”

I groaned. This conversation wasn’t moving forward. My brother wasn’t saying anything I wanted to hear. “It wasn’t your decision to make. If Eric didn’t think I could handle the job, that’s one thing. But to not hire me because he was afraid someone wanted to get in my pants is something entirely different.”

I blushed slightly. I could see it on the screen. Thinking about Pierce in my pants last night brought everything back.

“We were looking out for you. That’s all.”

“You were controlling my life. Making decisions that weren’t yours to make. Pushing me across the ocean. Away from everyone, Michael. Do you have any idea what you did?”

The tears came rushing from my eyes before I knew it. Six months of pretending to fit in amongst the Italians. Of trying hard to be a part of a foreign place. Of being pushed around by Sergio and Paulo. Six months of missing my small hometown and my friends. Did they have any idea what they had done?

“I didn’t mean for you to move to Italy.” His voice quietened. “I’m sorry, Sierra. Really. But I was planning on visiting. I thought it could be a really cool trip. If you’ll have me.”

I wiped my eyes with a tissue. “I don’t know if I’m staying.”

“What?”

And that’s when I stopped thinking completely. The words were out. “Your plan totally backfired. Instead of keeping me away from Pierce, you drove me straight to him. I’m with him.” My eyes flared. “Yeah, I met him here in Rio and we’ve been
together
, Michael. In fact, he’s spending the night again tonight after his match.”

I was out of breath I had spoken so fast. No brother wanted to hear the bomb I had just dropped. He cringed.

“Holy shit, Sierra. I didn’t want to know that.”

“I don’t care. Stop meddling. Tell Eric to back off.”

“Ok. Ok. I hear you.”

“Good.” I smiled. “Tell Mom and Dad I said hi.” I waved. I felt a sense of triumph. I had to hope Michael wouldn’t talk to Eric before I had a chance to tell Pierce what happened.

I hung up and collapsed on my rumpled bed. It was in shambles. We had completely wrecked it, but I snuggled into the pillow that smelled like Pierce and fell asleep.

W
hen I awoke
from my nap, there were five missed calls from Eric on my phone. I checked the time. I wasn’t late for the next match. What in the hell was going on?

I tried to call him, but it went straight to voicemail. Something was up.

I grabbed my bag and headed to the arena.

The stands were full. Matches had been played all day. I started my search for Eric in the locker rooms, but they were crowded with different countries. The tunnels underneath the fan seats were narrow and winding. I was about to give up when I saw the back of his visor with the Team USA logo on it.

“Eric!” I shouted over the heads in front of me.

He turned around. Even in the dark hallway I could tell he wasn’t happy.

“You had to do it, didn’t you?” He poked a finger in my chest.

“Do what?” I backed up, not because I was intimidated, but because there wasn’t much space and I wasn’t interested in plowing over a row of Rio dancers.

“Her.” He glared. “I told you to stay away, but you did it anyway. You can’t keep your dick in your pants.”

“This is about Sierra?”

I didn’t know how he knew any of this shit. But I didn’t like what he implied.

“It’s none of your damn business. You’re my coach, not my boss. And you sure as hell don’t tell me who I can fuck.”

He ripped the visor from his head and threw it at me. “I said to leave her alone. I said she was off limits.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I put my hands up. Eric was ready to punch me. I could see the raging bull in his eyes. He was looking for blood.

But I didn’t think it had anything to do with a brotherly instinct. No. He was a man protecting what he thought was his territory.

“Are you in love with her?” I asked.

His eyes changed from rage to surprise. “What?”

“I asked if you’re in love with Sierra. Is that what this is about? You never had the balls to ask her out yourself and now you’re pissed at me.”

“Shut the fuck up, Pierce. You don’t know anything about her.”

I huffed. “Maybe more than you.”

“Do you know she has reindeer slippers she wears on Christmas, or that she likes pancakes only if she has bacon to eat on top? Do you know she dressed up as a black cat for Halloween in high school, or that her prom date left her after the first dance? Do you know anything about her? Do you even give a shit? Or is she just another notch on your Olympic bedpost? Another girl you won’t remember tomorrow?”

“Fuck,” I whispered. He was completely in love with her.

And I was the guy who understood why. I was the one who made it a reality. I was the one who held and kissed her. I was the one who took her under the sheets. I was the one who made her come so many times she was mine three times over.

She was fucking mine and it didn’t matter how long he had some puppy love crush on her, I was the man who had fucked her. Not the lovesick kid who passed her a note in class.

I pushed him up the wall.

“Now I’m going to say something. You stay away from her.” I held my palm against his shoulder. “She isn’t any of those things to me. She’s more.” I stared at him, holding my breath. I couldn’t believe what in the hell I was thinking. Or feeling.

“Pierce! Eric!”

Scott ran up to us in the tunnel. I quickly removed my hand from Eric so he could move from the wall.

“Everything ok?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just clearing up some things before we face the Australians.”

“Oh, good. I need to get up to speed.”

Eric pressed his lips together. “I’ll go get my notes.” He turned for one of the many locker rooms.

“Hey, I wanted to tell you Reyna got a text from Sierra.”

“Oh, really?” My heart was pounding hard. I couldn’t believe everything that had happened.

“Yeah. She asked if she could sit with her for the match tonight.”

“What?” I tried to piece it together.

“She wants to cheer for Team USA.” He smiled, slapping me on the back. “Good job, brother.”

I laughed. “You have no idea what’s going on.”

“Sure don’t. But I like that you have a cheering section. Don’t screw it up.”

I shook my head. “I’ve got enough pressure on me today.”

But inside I was fucking ecstatic. I didn’t know what happened. I didn’t know how it all came out, but Eric knew. Reyna and Scott knew. And by the end of this night, I’d make sure Sierra knew too.

* * *

“
T
his is match point
,” Scott announced. He had the ball in the corner, spinning it between his fingers. He always did that when he was ready to go for the kill.

I felt bad for the Australians. They were getting ready to join the Italians in the losers’ bracket.

I planted myself by the net, ready to block or spike it if it came at me. The Australians liked to lob the ball, but with the game on the line I thought they might change their approach.

I looked up at the fans waving green and yellow flags on one side. The other side was the one that mattered to me. The Americans held bright red, blue, and white ribbons. It was easy to pick out Sierra next to Reyna in the crowd.

I adjusted my glasses. My fingers twitched. This was it.

Scott served the ball. The Australians bumped it up. I jumped, reaching high as I spiked the ball for a kill.

Scott jumped on my back, throwing me to the ground.

“That was badass,” he yelled. I could barely hear him over the cheering fans.

The entire arena had erupted in pandemonium. I fucking loved it.

“We’re moving on,” I yelled. “Next round!”

We hopped up, covered in sand and were immediately met with a reporter from
Sports Now
. She had questions about our first appearance in the Olympics. She wanted to know how we felt playing a double header.

I grinned, answering all her questions and letting Scott field what he wanted to me. We felt in sync again. All the mistakes from this morning were forgiven and forgotten.

Finally, she released us and we ran over to the first row of seats. Reyna leaned down to hug Scott like she always did. “You were awesome, babe.”

I looked up at Sierra.

“Hey.” She bit nervously at her lip, but I wasn’t going to let anyone second-guess what was going on here.

I scaled the side of the railing until I was on the first level.

“What are you—” My lips pressed over hers before she could say another word.

I groaned at the kiss, sliding my tongue along hers, twisting and twining as the kiss grew hotter by the second. My hands landed on her ass.

“Pierce,” she whispered.

“I don’t give a fuck,” I answered. My mouth was heavy on hers.

I knew there were cameras. I knew Scott and Reyna had stopped to stare at us. I knew Eric was somewhere shooting fake daggers at me. I didn’t give a shit.

I finally let go to take a breath.

“Everyone knows, Sierra.”

She closed her eyes. “I know. I told my brother.”

I raised one eyebrow higher than the other. “That’s a weird thing to tell your sibling.”

She shook her head. “Not like that. He was the reason I didn’t get the job. Well, you actually. He and Eric didn’t think I could handle you. And I called him out on it.”

I looked into her eyes. “And what do you think? Do you think you can handle me?”

I saw the look of determination. She chewed her bottom lip.

“I do.” She smiled.