Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40297 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40297 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
She was improving so fast it was impossible not to notice. The prodigy everyone was already whispering about, just like they’d done with me. It was great to see her growth.
“Thanks, Jennie. You’re killing it lately.”
Her smile widened. “That means a lot coming from you.”
Coach clapped her hands to gain our attention. “Again. Full routine. Let’s get this right before the sun comes up.”
I dove deep, letting the cool water swallow me whole. I’d spent so much time in the pool that it felt like home to me, so it was my happy place.
We ran the routine four more times. By the time Coach finally called it after two brutal hours in the water, the sun was up.
My arms felt like jelly, and my lungs were raw, but I’d hit every mark in the last two run-throughs. And I was determined to do better during our next session. I was my own hardest competition, always trying to surpass my previous best.
I hauled myself out of the pool on shaky legs and grabbed my towel from the bench. Water streamed down my skin as I dried off. I reached for my phone, expecting a check-in text from Mom.
Instead, the screen lit up with a message from an unknown number.
Unknown
You disappeared on me yesterday.
My breath caught in my throat as I leaped to the conclusion that the text was from the guy I hadn’t been able to get out of my head for longer than was appropriate. As the treasurer of the Redline Kings MC, Tyre’s world was the complete opposite of mine. I was swimming pools and had very few friends because of my training schedule, while he was motorcycles and a growing circle of club brothers. And he was more than a decade older than me.
But that hadn’t stopped my fantasies about him over the past couple of years.
I had never paid much attention to the bikers in Crossbend. They were just always kind of around for the past eight years, becoming a part of the fabric of our town. I started competing on the national level only a couple of years later, so my focus had been on artistic swimming and getting good enough grades so my parents didn’t have any reason to limit my pool time.
Then I noticed Tyre one day when I was having dinner with my parents at The Racing Line, a steakhouse owned and frequented by the Redline Kings, and I was finally interested in a guy. Not that any woman could blame me with how sexy he was.
I’d once heard my mom joke to a friend of hers that the club president must only recruit hot guys, but I hadn’t fully appreciated what she meant until I started to crush on Tyre.
His dark hair and bright blue eyes were a killer combination, especially with his tanned skin and short beard. When you added in how tall he was, all those muscles, and the hint of a tattoo on his upper right arm I’d glimpsed beneath the short sleeves of his shirt…he was the kind of guy who commanded attention from women.
I hadn’t ever given him my number—or even talked to him—so I shoved my hope down and typed out a quick reply.
Me
Who is this?
Three little bubbles popped up almost right away, and I stared down at the screen as I took off my swim cap.
Unknown
Tyre
My gasp was inaudible, thanks to the control that had been drilled into me from a young age. After darting a glance around me to make sure nobody was paying attention, I sent him another text.
Me
I’m not sure what you mean about me disappearing on you?
His reply was quick again.
Tyre
Got called into a meeting. You were gone when I was done.
Whoa. That sounded like he’d been looking for me.
But it couldn’t possibly be for the reason I was hoping it was. Since he was the treasurer, maybe he had a question about the swim lessons I was doing at the pool they’d recently put in at the compound.
Me
Is there a form you need me to fill out for insurance or something, Tyre?
Those little bubbles popped up right away again, but it took longer for his reply to come through this time.
Tyre
Call me Ares.
I gawked down at my screen, my mind whirling over him wanting me to use his real name. I’d been around a few of the married couples in the club enough to get that it was a huge deal.
Me
Really?
Ares
Yeah, baby. What are you doing right now?
I sank onto the bench, my towel dropping onto my lap as my cheeks started to burn.
Me
Just finished training for the morning.
Ares
You wear the same swimsuit as when you do lessons? Still can’t stop thinking about you in it.
The heat in my face started to spread lower. I pressed my thighs together, glancing around again to make sure nobody was watching. Then another message came through.