Risking the Crown

by Violet Paige

  Sergio and Paulo sat on either side of me while I looked over the menu. I didn’t know much about Brazilian cuisine other than the meat was served in copious amounts.

  “What are you guys ordering?” I asked.

  “Everything.” Sergio rubbed his belly.

  I had a sudden snap to remind him he shouldn’t eat too much grease or fat before another match, but I kept my mouth shut. I was tired of arguing with them. Let them load up on bacon, sausage, and burgers. He could stuff himself with steak until he had to be rolled out of here.

  “Yum,” I faked enthusiasm.

  I wasn’t that experimental. I wanted to be. The new me, the me that had packed up everything she owned and moved to another country, was supposed to be an adventurous free spirit. The kind of woman who would try the spicy food that came with a warning label. Taste all the different cocktails. Attempt to salsa on the dance floor when the music started.

  Instead I ordered a salad with grilled chicken and some kind of rum drink that looked like a mojito. I advised the guys not to drink the night before a competition, but I didn’t see why I couldn’t have one drink. The Italians were incredibly laid back about alcohol anyway.

  I handed my menu to the waitress when I saw him walk in.

  I gripped my thighs and tried to turn away as if I hadn’t spotted him in the doorway. Shit.

  Paulo laughed. “I see the Americans.”

  “Really?” I stared ahead at the colorful flower arrangement on the center of our table.

  Sergio stood up. “Why don’t we invite them over?”

  I tugged on the side of his pants like a child begging their parent not to embarrass them. “Sit down. We don’t want to do that.”

  “Oh, Bella. It’s fine.” He waved to Pierce and his partner Scott. I noticed a beautiful woman walked between them.

  There was a twinge of jealousy that sprung out of nowhere. Of course he would have someone. Why wouldn’t he? He was sexy and sculpted like a god. Women would want to go out with him.

  “Sergio. Paulo.” Scott Lauer walked up to the table, followed by Pierce and the brunette. She was cute and petite. I was eaten up with jealousy. I tried not to glare at her. It wasn’t her fault.

  “Ciao. Ciao.” Paulo pulled out a seat for the girl. “Sit.” He took the back of her hand to his mouth and that’s when I saw the glittery diamond. It was huge.

  I exhaled louder than I should have. She was married. Scott put a protective hand on her shoulder and slid the chair in for her.

  “Nice of you to offer your table.” Pierce smirked, taking the seat next to me.

  How did this happen? Dinner with the Italians had suddenly turned into dinner with the one person I was trying to avoid in Rio tossed in with an irrational dose of unnecessary jealousy. I was losing it.

  “I didn’t.” I backpedaled with rudeness. I put up instant boundaries. “It was Sergio. He doesn’t know who he should be friendly to or not.”

  “Hi, I’m Reyna.” The girl who I had decided was married to Scott held her hand out across the table. “I’m Scott’s wife.” I still felt relief.

  “Hi. I’m Sierra. Team Italy’s trainer.” I smiled.

  She exchanged a look with Pierce and I tried to distinguish what it meant.

  “I’ve heard you’re pretty good.” She picked up a menu.

  I was the one who looked at him this time. What had he been saying about me? Had Pierce actually been talking to someone else about our mini rehab session?

  “I do the best I can for my athletes.” I felt extremely awkward with the Italians at the table.

  Although, they were busy threatening to pound Scott’s face into the wet sand tomorrow.

  “Maybe you can help me with this thing I have in my neck,” she suggested. “Ever since we’ve been in Rio it’s been hurting and I can’t seem to figure out what’s wrong.”

  “Sure. I can try to help after dinner.”

  “Oh, thanks. That would be amazing. Scott is really good at neck rubs, but I think it’s more than he can handle.” She ribbed him playfully, but he shot back something snarky at Paulo, missing his chance to play the doting husband.

  Pierce leaned toward my ear. “My knee could use some more work.” It was more like a growl than a whisper. It shot a tingle down my spine that quivered toward my toes.

  “Did you ice it some more?” I spoke out of the side of my mouth.

  “I think I forget the routine.”

  I almost flipped backward out of my chair when I felt his hand squeeze the top of my knee. I tried to look normal, but I was a bundle of raging hormones that had nowhere to escape.

  “Why don’t I come by again?” he asked. “Remind me.”

  I quickly scanned the table. No one noticed the exchange. Reyna and Scott were deciding what to order and Paulo and Sergio were flirting with the waitress from the bar.

  No one even knew what was happening right in front of them.

  “I already said no,” uttered.

  “That was then. This is now.”

  Pierce Miller wasn’t the kind of guy who accepted no for an answer. He was cocky and arrogant. He was surreal in the looks department. And he had more confidence than was in all of Copacabana beach.

  I placed my hand sideways toward my mouth in case someone decided to pay attention.

  “That’s a bad idea.”

  “And why is that again?”

  His hand moved farther up my thigh and slid to widest part, curving to the inside over the denim of my jeans. I resisted closing my eyes.

  “Because we represent different countries. We’re on different sides of the court.”

  He chuckled and made a slow withdrawal of his palm. “What if we say nine?”

  My eyes narrowed. “Do you ever listen?”

  “I promise to listen to anything you say tonight.” He winked.

  And my stomach flipped. My core flinched. My eyes refused to blink, and my mouth hung open. All the steadfast things I had told myself seemed to disappear. There was no sanity when Pierce was around.

  He could use his knee. I could pretend. But we both knew we wanted the same thing—one night together.

  9

  Pierce

  I don’t think I had ever laughed so hard at dinner before in my life. The Italians were insane. Scott and Reyna laughed as much as I did. I looked over at Sierra who had tears in her eyes from the stories they told. It was going to suck tomorrow when we beat the shit out of them in the second set. But that’s what happened on the sand.

  We had long since finished the meal and desserts. I didn’t want to overeat, but the food was amazing in Brazil. The candles on the table had melted down to pools of wax. The last wick was about to extinguish.

  I saw Reyna tap Scott on the shoulder and he stopped to check his watch. “Looks like we better get going.” She smiled up at him.

  Normally a gesture like that would make my stomach turn, but not tonight. I was in a good mood. And the sooner dinner was over, the sooner I’d be in Sierra’s room. For once Reyna was helping me out.

  “Oh, I was going to look at your neck,” Sierra mentioned.

  “That would be amazing.” Reyna walked over to our side of the table and the two women stood.

  “I think there’s a lounge. We’ll be right back.” Sierra led her away from the rest of us and I watched her cute little ass as it disappeared around the corner.

  Scott stretched his leg. “Fun night.”

  “Yeah it was.” I threw some bills into the pile to cover my portion of dinner.

  “Couldn’t help but notice Sierra.”

  Everyone noticed her. She was stunning. She was smart and sexy. She knew sports and medicine. I didn’t know if there was a more perfect combination for a woman—not that I was in the market for anything other than tonight. But if I were—that would be the kind of woman I’d have my eye on. The kind of woman I could see having dinner with. Maybe taking a vacation with. Maybe even going to a movie with. But Scott knew me better th
an I knew myself and he knew I didn’t expect anything after tonight.

  “Yeah, she’s hot.”

  “Reyna likes her. I can tell.”

  I eyed him. “Are you trying to play matchmaker right now, brother?”

  He backed up in mock defense. “I’m just calling what I see. She’s a pretty girl. Reyna likes her. And she seems to be able to tolerate your cockiness. Why don’t you ask her out?”

  “Ask her out? Date her?”

  “Why not? Try something different for once, man.”

  “That’s not what I do.”

  He sighed. “Whatever, Pierce. Do what you’re going to do.” I saw his exasperated grimace change to a smile when Reyna emerged. “Ready?”

  “Yes.” She beamed. “You have no idea what Sierra just did to my neck.”

  “Please tell me it involved both of you getting naked.” I laughed. I should have followed them in there.

  Reyna slapped me on the chest. “No. But my neck feels a hundred percent better.”

  “I’m glad, sweetheart.” Scott kissed the top of her head. “We have to go. If the storm lets up, we have to play early.”

  “Any word yet on a time?” she asked.

  “No. Haven’t heard from Eric.”

  I hadn’t mentioned to Scott about the conversation Eric and I had earlier today. His warnings to me had done the exact opposite of what he wanted. I couldn’t want Sierra more.

  I turned to see Sergio and Paulo each wrap a heavy arm over Sierra’s shoulders. She looked small between the tall dark athletes.

  I wanted to be the one to take her home. To walk her back to her room. To have people see her on my arm. But there were enough reasons to be cautious. I winked at her as they walked past me. I’d see her soon enough.

  I stood with my hands in my pockets as everyone walked ahead of me. Tonight it was ok. Tonight I had to wait my turn. Learn some fucking patience. Because in the morning I was going to be with Sierra.

  I wasn’t the kind of guy who brought flowers to a date. I didn’t believe in romantic shit like that, and I didn’t believe in dating. But here I was standing in front of Sierra’s door with a bouquet of something I had swiped from the lobby in my building. I thought there might be orchids in the bunch, but I didn’t know anything about flowers. These just looked tropical and girly to me.

  I rapped on the door.

  A few seconds later the door swung open and standing in front of me was the most beautiful woman I’d met since arriving in the country.

  “For you.” I presented the colorful stems.

  “Flowers?” She looked surprised. “Didn’t think you were a wine and roses guy.”

  I chuckled. “I’m not. I didn’t bring either.”

  She pursed her lips together. “Well, thank you, but pretty flowers don’t change what I said earlier.”

  “I don’t expect them too.” I walked inside.

  “I can’t treat your knee and I can’t see you outside of the matches. I need you to know I’m serious, Pierce. Dinner was fun, but this …”

  “What? This isn’t fun?” I joked.

  “I-I … why do you want this so badly? Why do you keep showing up? Why do you keep trying? This can’t lead to anything good for either of us.”

  My hands were desperate to hold her. My fingers burned to touch her. I couldn’t explain it. I didn’t know how to put in words how I reacted to her or why.

  And I wanted to prove Eric wrong. I wanted him to know he had made a mistake not hiring Sierra. I wasn’t going to wreck or ruin her. He didn’t know what in the hell he was talking about.

  I had run out of patience. I was tired of playing games.

  I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her against my body. She fit there in my arms as if she had always meant to be in my hold. Her eyes widened as my lips came crashing down on hers.

  At first she wiggled, but as my mouth moved, her lips parted and I slipped my tongue between them, dancing and flicking my tongue over hers. The flowers I had given her fell to the floor in a scattered mess as her arms clasped the back of my neck. The sounds from her throat became moans and her lips kissed me hungrily.

  Fuck, she was a good kisser. My hands slid down her back, over the firm curves of her ass, squeezing every inch of her as I explored her backside.

  “Such … a … bad … idea,” she whispered.

  I ignored her warnings and scooped her legs under my arms, carrying her to the bed.

  “But I have so many good ideas,” I growled into her ear.

  I felt her shiver in my arms as I laid her on the mattress, raking my eyes over her body. Her breasts bobbed lightly under her tank top and I could make out the pointed outline of her nipples. I lowered my mouth to the fabric covering her skin and kissed one side and then the other, taking my time to let my breath heat through to her skin.

  “Ohh,” she moaned as I traced my fingers over her collarbone. “This is so bad.”

  I grinned. I liked bad. I liked forbidden. She had summed up everything I wanted in four simple words. It was everything that turned me on.

  The more out of reach she was, the more I wanted her. The more people told me it couldn’t happen, the more I wanted to show them it could. With every moan and whisper that came from her lips, I knew she felt exactly the same way.

  10

  Sierra

  One slow kiss led to another. I was breathless and hungry for more as Pierce deposited me on the tiny bed. I couldn’t believe this was happening, but at the same time every sensation in my body told me this was more than real. It was the kind of thing that happened in fantasies. Men like Pierce weren’t the kind of men to take their time and kiss with devastating passion—yet he did. Men like Pierce weren’t supposed to notice the details—yet he did. Men like Pierce didn’t make sure their partner was as turned on as he was—yet he did. It all seemed like a surreal dream.

  The rain beat against the window and it felt as if he and I were in our own secret world. One where the Olympics didn’t exist. One where it didn’t matter what teams we were on. One where a night together was the best idea I’d ever had. One where our secret was the fuel to our fire.

  I looked into his eyes, hooded with lust and a craving for me that I’d never seen from another man. It made my core do a triple somersault as if something epic was about to happen.

  His hands pushed forward until my tank top was over my bra. I lifted my arms for him to peel the rest of the fabric off my limbs.

  “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.”

  I didn’t want to shrink away. It was exhilarating how he reacted to my body. The same quick hands worked the clasp on my bra until it was unhooked and joined my shirt on the floor.

  I gasped when his teeth caught one of my nipples with a forceful tug. Oh shit. I liked it. I was on fire from one move and then the next. It was an avalanche of fire as he pulled the top of my breast into his mouth with a powerful suck.

  As I tumbled into the loss of control I heard the snap on my jeans followed by the sound of the zipper as Pierce’s nimble fingers unlatched the front of my pants. His hand dove between my legs, shoving my panties out of the way.

  I clung to his shoulders as he began to pry my slick folds apart. I was like one long nerve of ecstasy running from my breasts to my core while Pierce licked and massaged me.

  I obediently lifted my hips when he urged the jeans off my thighs. He pulled them to my ankles and tossed them across the room, turning back to me with the look of a lion getting ready to pounce.

  I rose forward as he took my lips with a deep kiss. His tongue flicked and played all the while, his hands were shimming what last bit of underwear I had, off my body. I was completely naked, vulnerable, hot, wet, and ready for anything Pierce had in store.

  He groaned, taking my face between his palms. “How is this going to work?”

  My eyes widened. Surely he didn’t want an anatomy lesson. We were too far gone for that.

  I tried to gulp for air. “What do you want m
e to do?” I asked, needing direction. I wanted to give him whatever he wanted.

  “See, we have a problem, Sierra.”

  My lips parted with a loud moan when he pushed a finger inside my entrance. I squeezed and tightened around it.

  “Wh-what is it?” My hips began to rock involuntarily into his hand.

  He shoved another wide finger inside and I bucked at the impact before I reached a new deeper rhythm.

  “You’re too fucking sexy.” He kissed the side of my neck, biting his way to my shoulder. “And I want to fuck you hard. So hard you come as soon as I shove my cock inside you.”

  “Oh God.” Did he have any idea I was already close to that? I could feel the tight coil in my core spinning in dizzying circles the harder he pumped and the wilder I rode his fingers.

  “And the problem with that is that I want to fuck you all night.”

  My eyes flashed to his.

  He kept going. “So I’m going to have to figure out how to drag this out as long as possible because there is no way one fuck with you is going to be enough tonight.”

  My thighs began to tingle and I knew I was going to come. I wouldn’t be able to hold off if he kept up the twirling of his fingers as he pushed inside me. And then his thumb flicked over my swollen clit and I yelped with pleasure.

  “So, I’m going to fuck you every way I can think of first before I take you. Do you understand?”

  I nodded vigorously. I wanted that entire promise. I began bouncing harder, needing the first release.

  He grabbed the hair at the back of my head, holding my lips under his.

  “But you come only when I say come,” he commanded.

  I looked into his eyes as his lips crashed against mine and his fingers dove deep inside me with exquisite torture. I clenched around them, mewing and whimpering. I shook in his arms.

  “Fuck, you’re wet, baby,” he growled.

  “Please, I can’t …” I was wild with need. Wild with a fever burning under my skin.

  “Keep fucking my fingers. Keep fucking me,” he growled.