Get Wilde (A Checkmate Inc. Novel Book 3)

by Shelly Alexander

  Enough to get her on her feet in this competition so she can give me a run for my hard-earned money. Winning is going to be bittersweet this time, but I will win. I always do.

  The gerbils go quiet, and the warm fuzzies in my chest turn cold and prickly. I’ve just rejoined reality. Friendly and interesting competition or not, this girl is the person I have to beat.

  “So, are you in?” I ask. My voice is low because I feel the weight of what I’ve got to do crushing in on me.

  “If you’re in, then I’m in,” she says and gives me a fist bump.

  Now, that’s what I’m talking about. We can totally be friends, even if we have to compete against each other.

  She heads to the door but stops and looks over her shoulder. “I should warn you, Wilde.”

  My name falling off her lips makes a tingle rush through me as I follow her.

  “I might be nice.” She gives me a sly smile. “But I always play to win.”

  I return the smile in spades. “So do I, Red. So do I.”

  Chapter Five

  I find Grace and ask her to join us at the obstacle course as soon as she’s done showing a new member the facility. Something tells me I’m going to need backup. Then I lead Red, Zach, and Sean into the vacant space adjacent to A Pound of Flesh. I’ve had a makeshift door installed to access the obstacle course area from the inside of my gym. Easier than going outside and walking around to the other side of the building where the office supply company had their storefront entrance.

  “This is where a good part of team training sessions take place.” I try to ignore Sean and Zach’s intense, questioning stare. “We also do a lot of strength, agility, and endurance training in the weight room and cardio area.”

  Grace walks in and joins us, blending into the group with ease.

  I start at the front of the course so I can explain the individual obstacles and the specific skills that are necessary to maneuver each one successfully. I stress how all of the obstacles are different. Some require upper body strength, some lower body strength, some agility, and some balance. Mostly, I’m speaking to Red because Zach and Sean know all of this. Hell, they’re the ones who gave me the same spiel when they pitched the event to me and asked me to coach one of the two competing teams.

  “I had this smaller scale course built to mirror the one we’ll be competing on.” We’re at the back end of the course now where the contestant has to take a running jump and scale a wall to a balance beam platform in order to reach the finish line. “Sean and his team of athletic experts designed the official course so that it would level the playing field between the male and female contestants.”

  Red studies each obstacle, each phase of the course without saying a word. She’s soaking it all in like a sponge. She doesn’t seem overwhelmed, which is impressive considering the disadvantages she’s facing.

  So I keep going. “Women and men have different builds, different centers of”

  “Gravity.” Red finishes my sentence, still studying the course. She glances my way and shrugs. “I have a degree in sports medicine and phys. ed. and a fair amount of experience with how our center of gravity affects a person’s balance.”

  I nod. Yoga requires a lot of balance so her already understanding the logistics of this type of event makes sense. Plus, she did mention gymnastics at the bar. I mean, no way will I ever forget that pretty picture she painted for me. It’s burned into my mind until the end of time.

  Another knowing look passes between Zach and Sean. Since they arrived an hour ago, they’ve exchanged more looks than a brand new couple who are hot for each other. I so want to tell them to go ahead and own it. Tell them to come out of the closet. Except I know they aren’t gay. They’re just annoying, and I want to dish out a little of what I’ve been taking from them.

  It would be two against one, though, in the fight that would surely break out. Funny how tough guys are the most insecure when their sexuality is brought into question.

  “Grace, would you mind taking Re” I stop when Red glares at me. She’s right. The nickname is very intimate, and we can’t have that. I’ll save the name for when it’s just the two of us. “Take Adeline around the course again in case she has any questions. I need to speak to Zach and Sean before they leave.”

  The three of us excuse ourselves to talk in the corner, but we can’t stop watching Red and how she’s studying the course like a map. We look about as inconspicuous as, say, three white elephants doing…well, yoga.

  “Want to tell us what’s going on between you and Adeline?” Sean is the first to speak. “You obviously know each other pretty well.”

  Not well enough. At least not enough to prove she’s a true redhead. I’m sure she is, but my dick would like to see for itself.

  Nosey fucker.

  I try to school my thoughts since my prick has a mind of its own. I’m wearing gym shorts, after all, while trying to have a professional conversation with two guys standing in front of me. And that’s not the least bit awkward.

  I concentrate on the old wrinkly guys who use the gym’s sauna butt naked. Nope, not even a towel.

  Okay, I’m good to go.

  “And what’s with the name, Dick?” Zach asks. “Is your real name Richard?”

  I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Confirmation name,” I mumble. I do not want to explain the details of how I came by the name last Friday night.

  Zach looks puzzled. “There’s a saint named Richard?”

  I have no idea.

  Zach shrugs. “Guess I should’ve paid attention during catechism.”

  I leave out the part about me not having stepped inside a church since I was five.

  “Is this arrangement going to be a problem?” Sean asks.

  I rest my hands on my hips and let my gaze wander to Red and Grace. They’re chatting about the obstacles and getting along like BFFs. I scan Red from the top of her swishing ponytail all the way down to her ASICS running shoes, taking in all. That. Fucking. Spandex.

  If that’s not a fucking problem, I don’t know what is.

  “Nope. No problem here,” I say to Zach and Sean, but I’m still staring at Red. “I’ll make it work.”

  Really, I have no earthly idea how I’m going to make this work. My dick is already twitching from being in the same room with Red. The fucking gym shorts are what’s going to be a problem.

  They both fold their arms across broad chests at the same time.

  “What?” I ask, finally tearing my gaze from Red’s spandex to give Zach and Sean my full attention.

  “Yeah, not buying it, dude,” says Sean.

  “We shook on it in my office, and I’m giving you my word now. Doesn’t that convince you?”

  Zach scrunches up his face and shakes his head. “Nah, not all that convinced. What gives?”

  “It’ll be fine.” I hope. “I’m just…” My words trail off as Red looks our way, and her smile falters. Maybe the doubt I’m feeling shows in my expression, so I smile at her. “Are you sure she’s up to the challenge?” She’s in great shape. Obviously. But yoga?

  Sean chuckles and clamps a hand on my shoulder. “Dude, she was a gymnast when she was younger.”

  Don’t I fucking know it? My mouth has been watering for a pretzel since Friday night. “Okay,” I say. “So she’ll be good with balance and agility, but this kind of competition isn’t the same as a yoga class or a kid’s gymnastics program.”

  “I don’t think you understand,” says Sean. “She was on course to make the Olympic team until an injury got in her way.”

  A switch flips on in my mind. Red seemed familiar at the bar, and now I know why. She’d been America’s Darling about ten years ago. She must’ve been about sixteen at the time. I don’t keep up with gymnastics, but I remember the entire country mourning the loss of their girl who was sure to bring home gold but never made it to the Games.

  My heart flip-flops because I’ve been there and done that.

  “She’s a quasi-
celebrity, and she’ll keep the public and our sponsors interested in the event,” I say. Pretty damn smart on Zach and Sean’s part.

  “She won’t just keep interest going,” Zach says. “She’ll stir up more than we ever dreamed. She’s a miracle that fell from the sky.”

  “I’ll get her ready, but I have a question. Why does she want to put herself in a situation like this where the odds are stacked against her?” Zach and Sean are sharp businessmen, and I know the question must’ve crossed their minds.

  Sean rubs the back of his neck. “We discussed this at length with Adeline, so she’d know what she’s up against.”

  “She was totally up front about her situation,” Zach interjects.

  Worry prickles my spine.

  “Her business accountant skipped town with most of his clients’ money. She was one of the clients.” Sean leans against the wall. “What a douche.”

  My mind connects the dots. Red’s boyfriend was her accountant. The one who cleaned out her bank account, which means her yoga studio is probably broke. She needs the prize money to keep it going.

  The team members will get endorsements, offers from reality TV shows, and the winners will divide a pot of prize money among themselves. But the coach for the winning team gets a cool mill in cash all to themself. No dividing. No sharing. A million dollars is a hard carrot to pass up when someone dangles it right in front of your face. I should know, because it’s one of the reasons I agreed to coach a team in this event. It’ll serve as the down payment I need to expand throughout the city.

  What makes my heart knock against my chest and my protective instinct roar is that some asshole took advantage of Red. When she mentioned it in the break room, I assumed he’d stolen a few hundred. Maybe even a few thousand. But everything? It never crossed my mind she was talking large-scale embezzlement.

  I scrub a hand down my face as I study her talking and laughing with my sister. Red looks to be a few years older than Grace, but close enough that they probably have a lot in common. Both screwed over by douche bags, too.

  I do the math in my head, and Red is probably three years younger than me, give or take. Too young to already have had her dreams crushed as a young athlete, then all of her money stolen as an adult.

  “Truth is, to keep both our sponsors and the community happy, we need a coach they can get behind.” Zach shrugs. “Someone they can root for because she’s an underdog. She’s got that All American Girl look that makes everyone fall in love with her at first sight. Even if her team loses, she’ll still be a winner in the public’s eyes, just like when she lost her chance at the Olympics.”

  And I’ll be the asshole who beats America’s darling.

  Fuck. I thought the odds were stacked against her, but I’m beginning to see the opposite is true.

  Chapter Six

  I pull in a weighty breath, as Zach and Sean leave. I’ll find a way to make this work. I’ve had my dream shattered once. In one fleeting moment, everything I held near and dear left me—my baseball career, my financial security for the future, my woman.

  I won’t let it happen again. I’ll help Red so she can lead her team to the best of her ability. I’ll do the same, and win fair and square. Red’s failing business is not my concern. We can go our separate ways when this is over, or stay friends. Either way. Hell, I can even loan her a little seed money.

  Grace and Red walk toward me, but Grace splits off. “He’s all yours,” my sister says to Red, walking backward toward the door. “Let me know if you need anything, Adeline. I’m the brains around here.” She hitches her chin in my direction. “My brother is just a really nice looking decoration to get people to buy a membership.”

  “How about you go earn the money I pay you?” I say to my kid sister.

  She winks at Red, and as she’s leaving says to me, “I’ll be around for another hour, then I’m off the clock.”

  Red stands next to me, and we stare at the obstacle course.

  “When should we start?” she asks.

  “No time like the present. We’ve only got two days to work on coaching strategies. I think we should start with you maneuvering the obstacles so you can get a better understanding of what it’s like for your team.” I point to the springboard in front of the course that we use to mount the first obstacle. “If you can hit the springboard with enough momentum”

  Red takes off in a dead run, both feet hitting the springboard with precision accuracy. The loud thud from the sheer force of her feet hitting the board echoes off the walls. My lips part as she propels through the air and grabs the rings of the first of six obstacles.

  “Yeah,” I mumble. “Like that.”

  Like an acrobat, she uses her legs to build momentum as she swings back and forth, back and forth, then grabs the next ring. Before I know it, she’s made it to the last obstacle, which is two farther than most exceptional athletes who have trained for weeks on this course. It usually takes a few months for people to get through all six.

  When she’s done, Red doesn’t just let go and drop to the mat. She does a backflip on the way down.

  “I’ll need to do some upper body work,” she says.

  Damn. At least she’s winded. Sue me, but it makes me feel a little better since she didn’t even break a sweat.

  “Not too bad for a yoga instructor, though.” Her green eyes shimmer with laughter.

  I can’t help but admire her skills, her determination, and her ability to still smile after everything she’s obviously been through.

  She bends to stretch out the leg muscles she’s just used, and my jaw goes slack.

  She looks up as she contorts her body into the most flexible stretching positions I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. “I don’t want to show you up at your own gym,” she smarts off, “but can you make it harder?”

  If it gets any harder I’ll embarrass myself. Fucking gym shorts. I’m wearing duct tape for underwear tomorrow to keep my prick from waving hello. I try to push the dirty thoughts out of my mind. “I’ll get right on that.” Right after I hunt down the nearest street pretzel vendor to satisfy this sudden hunger I have for carbs.

  “Do it again,” I say. “This time I’ll show you how I coach the bigger guys through the course. There are spots where their size will work against them.”

  She straightens, her gaze dropping to my crotch. One silky brow lifts.

  I smirk. “Probably the only time you’ll ever hear me say that.” Who’s kidding who? Size damn well does matter, and every guy on the planet knows it. So does every woman, and by the look in Red’s darkening eyes, she likes the size I’m sporting.

  Since I look like I’ve shoved a roll of quarters into my shorts, I push some mats to the side of the room to buy myself some time. Instead of focusing on the hot redhead who is getting ready to vault onto the course again, I think of the old naked guys in the sauna.

  Yep. Works every time.

  “Okay, let’s go.” I clap my hands like a good coach should, and brace my hands against my knees.

  She stops cold. “You plan to really help me.” It’s not a question, and I don’t miss the surprise in her voice. “When Zach and Sean told me my competitor would be helping me and my team make this transition, I just assumed they were putting a positive spin on the situation. I came here fully expecting to be on my own.”

  “You may have nicknamed me Dick, but I’m not actually a bad guy.” I straighten and plant my feet wide. “Yes, I’m really going to help you. The next two days and nights…” My brain freezes on those thoughts. Thoughts of what she would be like between the sheets. In my bed. Night after night.

  Fuckin’ A. I don’t do the same woman night after night. Especially not this woman who is so nice. This woman is the kind you bring home to meet your parents, and that is not happening.

  But my cock isn’t getting the memo.

  Old wrinkly guys in the sauna. Old wrinkly guys in the sauna.

  Doesn’t work this time as I stare at the woma
n responsible for the fantasy that’s been set to auto replay in my mind the past seventy-two hours. I’m looking down at her just like at the bar, except she’s even shorter now that she’s wearing running shoes instead of heels. Her skin is flawless. Her pink lips part as she stares up at me, and I try to school my expression if not my thoughts.

  Because I want to kiss the barely-there freckles that dust her cheeks and nose. I want to pull her plump bottom lip between my teeth and suck. I want to lift her into my arms and carry her over to the mats I just shoved against the wall. She’d wrap her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck and kiss me like she wants me as much as I want her. I’d lie her down on the soft mats and fuck her until she came so hard her screams of ecstasy would shake the mirrors from the walls.

  And the thought of fucking her surrounded by mirrors—something I’ve never done in the gym, by the way—makes my cock swell all over again. Forget quarters. I’m sporting a roll of silver dollars.

  “The next two days and nights you’ll get a crash course in coaching your team for this kind of event.”

  I sound so stiff I might as well be reading from cue cards. I draw in a breath. “Look, your team shouldn’t need me to help make the transition. They should look to you for that. You’re their leader, and they need to see you that way from the moment they meet you. That’s what we’re going to work on today and tomorrow.”

  Her eyes glitter with gratitude, and she looks so damn sweet standing there that I want to run my mouth over every inch of her body to taste all that sweetness.

  She toes the ground with one shoe. “I’m probably crazy for doing this, it’s just that the exposure could bring a lot of new clients into my studio…and, well, I need the…” She can’t look me in the eye and pulls that bottom lip between her teeth to nibble.

  She needs the money, but I don’t want her to feel even more humiliation than she’s already experienced at the hands of her old boyfriend.