She just smiled and shrugged, but this time? This time she didn’t draw another line in the sand; this time…I could have sworn I was all she saw.
Terrifying when the one thing you don’t want to lose but finally get—is finally close but so far away.
“Come on.” I set her on her feet. “Let’s clean up.”
“Yes, wouldn’t want to be late for the Emory Games,” she mumbled.
“Especially when ours are so much better.” I shrugged, then laughed as she shoved me into the wall and ran toward the shower.
Chapter Fourteen
Olivia
What the hell was wrong with me?
I went from what felt like a comfortable sex goddess and hateful enemy to this nervous school girl as I stood next to him, waiting for Max to make his appearance.
So far? All I felt was a bit of fear.
A huge banner stood out above the field we were standing in that read, “I am Sparta.”
There were people in the stands, at least two hundred friends and family members of Max, and a dozen cameras that we were told were filming the proceedings for company morale for the many employees around the world who couldn’t be here.
Made sense.
But still intimidating.
And to make everything worse?
Mark smelled like hot sex guy.
And if there was one thing I had trouble saying no to? It was hot sex guy. He went from this guy I wanted to strangle despite his good looks to this funny partner in crime that gave orgasms out like candy during a parade.
Wait, horrible example.
The way he held me, kissed, teased—I’d never had sex the way he had sex and was now starting to realize just how addicting being in the same space as Mark was. Which again, huge problem, because I found myself smiling, thinking about him, wanting to touch him, only to wonder when the other shoe would drop, when he’d say, “Ha ha, leading you on. I WIN.”
And wondering if he was thinking the same thing about me.
See? I should be thinking about winning the game, whatever the hell that was going to be, and instead, I was worried about him!
I stomped my foot.
“Everything okay up there?” Mark pointed at my head. He wore a sexy red bandana tied around his head, his longer hair spilling over and falling across his forehead. And his lips… of course, they had to be swollen from punishing mine!
“Yeah, yeah, sure, just, nervous…” I rocked back on my black Nike tennis shoes and tried not to panic at the fact that we were told by the judges our outfits needed to be tight in order to not get caught in the race.
Race being the keyword.
“We shall die here,” Mark said under his breath as a group of six employees came out paired into twos. They looked like they ate small children for breakfast, never missed leg day, and carb-loaded just because they could.
“No body fat,” I whispered. “Is that a twelve-pack?”
“Avert your eyes!” Mark put a hand over my face. “He’s too old for you!”
“He has gray hair!” I pulled his hand away. “Can’t I at least be impressed that he’s so big? Wait, he works here?”
The girl standing next to him was like this tall Amazonian woman with sleek black hair, a black sports bra, tiny shorts, and tennis shoes that made me think of the Jolly Green Giant!
“They all look…big.” Mark gulped.
“We’re competing against them,” I announced. “And we have to win. Whatever hate’s between us right now or desire to win against one another, we can’t lose this, Mark! We can’t!” Panic started taking over as my eyes took in the giants standing around us. “We’ll have speed on our side, take in your height, mine—”
“The hell? I’m six-two. Did you just call me short?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, have you not taken in Andre the Giant over there standing next to She Ra? If not, I’ll wait!” I threw my arms up.
“Who’s She-Ra?”
I gasped. “You’re dead to me!”
“I was kidding. I take hot women from comic books and TV shows very seriously, as should the rest of the world. Didn’t Netflix re-up the show? I think I saw something about that—”
I cupped a hand over his mouth. “Know your audience. Not the time, Mark!”
His eyes flashed as I pulled my hand away. “Damn, you’re sexy when you’re competitive,” He tugged at my shorts, his fingers digging against my naked skin. “We should wash these…together…while still clothed. In the shower…”
I swayed toward him then jerked back. “Stop that! It’s distracting.”
“So are you.” He winked.
“That too! That wink needs to stop. We have to focus on something other than taking each other’s clothes off, and I swear if you have some sort of STD, I’m killing you in your sleep. We haven’t even been—” It occurred then how truly dumb I’d been. “Oh God! We’ve been having unprotected sex!”
I may have shouted it.
The cameras may have caught it.
And I suddenly wondered if there were mics because the audience semi-gasped all before their attention was drawn to the announcer; of course, Max Emory, decked out in his own red joggers, shirtless with an impressive and tanned body, standing next to a gorgeous woman who gave us a little wave like she was on our team.
At least one person was!
“Are you not entertained?” Max said again for the crowds.
I shuddered.
“Hey.” Mark elbowed me. “I’m clean, all right? I haven’t been with a girl since my last checkup, if you must know…and it’s been…a bit long. Plus, I’m assuming you’re on birth control. You’re a smart girl, which also makes me an idiot for not checking, so I’m sorry. You’re right, it was really, really dumb…” He hung his head like he was disappointed in himself, instantly making me feel bad.
I scowled. “Of course, I’m on birth control, and how long?”
His head snapped up. “Pardon?”
“How long since… you know…”
Max started introducing everyone. “Not really the time, Olivia…” His teeth clenched.
“Don’t make me throw the birth control out and trap you into marriage, Mark. How long!”
Again semi-silence.
Weird.
“Twelve
