Risking the Crown

by Violet Paige

  I turned to Aspen. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Of course.” She reached up on her toes and brushed her lips over mine. “Go get the gold, baby.”

  I grabbed her ass and pulled her toward me. “Always.”

  Naughty Notes

  I am having so much fun writing the Alpha Athletes series for the Olympics. I get to make the games hot and sexy (completely zika free) and just run with these short story ideas I have. But I feel like I need to spill on a tiny confession, y’all. Lachlan is inspired by a hot British soccer player I met years ago. He played for a professional team (I’ll keep those deets to myself), but he was incredibly sexy (a lot of it was the accent), but I swear he was the best-smelling man on the planet. I have never forgotten him. And so, even though I don’t think he ever was or is the bad boy Lach is in this story, I do think he was one sexy soccer star who needed a book.

  I’m working on the final book in this group called, Penetrate. Can’t wait to get it in your hands.

  Thank you for all the love, support and reading!

  Y’all are the absolute best!

  XOXO,

  Violet

  Book Three

  1

  Pierce

  I looked over my shoulder at the brunette peacefully breathing on the pillow. There was a tattoo of a butterfly on her shoulder blade I hadn’t noticed last night. It had bright blue wings and something written in Portuguese along the side. I rubbed the top of my head. Shit. What was her name? What was her sport?

  I couldn’t remember if she said she played soccer or field hockey. Whatever it was, she was hot as shit. Her long tanned legs reached the end of my bed.

  She stirred slightly and I hopped up to get dressed. I didn’t have much time before Scott would bang on the door. He was never late for anything.

  He didn’t stay in the village with the other athletes. Reyna insisted he stay with her in a hotel. He was missing out. This place was fucking insane. The women were unreal.

  But what did he know about women anymore? He was married. We didn’t party together. We didn’t trade stories over breakfast. There were no more epic nights that ended up in the headlines. Those days of Miller-Lauer were over.

  And they had been the stuff beach volley ballers dreamed of. It wasn’t easy to find a partnership on and off the sand, but Scott and I had—until Reyna.

  Now the only time we were together was on the court. Practices. Matches. Press. My best friend was still around, but I barely recognized him anymore. Reyna had changed everything—and because of that I vowed never to let a woman get under my skin the way Scott had. Never.

  The girl I had met last night at the village lounge sighed before her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at me.

  “I have to get going,” I explained. “I have a match.”

  This kind of thing happened all the time in the village. It wasn’t as if she would be looking for something other than what we had last night. It was a pretty sweet gig hooking up with girls here. They had no expectations. Sex was sex. Exactly as it should be. No strings. Nothing but one amazing fuck after another.

  What I’d heard about the Olympics was true. It was one big party, starting with the Opening Ceremonies.

  I closed the bathroom door behind me, leaving her to sleep for a few more minutes before I kicked her out. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. The mirror was almost too short. With so many athletes here, you’d think the designers would have designed the rooms for guys who were six-five and two-twenty. I stooped to get a full picture of my face.

  Yesterday’s practice had been shitty. The wind had carried every ball I had served out of bounds. It didn’t make my confidence rock solid going into today’s first round of the tournament. We didn’t come to Rio de Janeiro for silver or bronze. We were here for gold. Only gold.

  I ran my fingers through my hair and met the brunette on the other side of the door. She had wrapped the sheet around her chest, covering up that gorgeous body of hers.

  She scooted past me into the bathroom just as Scott pounded on the door.

  “Pierce, come on. Open up.”

  I whipped the door open to greet my partner.

  “Good morning. Ready to do this?” I asked.

  He walked inside. “What in the hell happened in here?” His eyes fell to the condom wrappers littering the floor. They made a path around the bed.

  “A good time, brother.” I slapped his back and turned to pick up my Team USA bag. It was loaded with all the gear I needed for today.

  “Holy shit. Are you going to have any energy to play?”

  I laughed. “She left me a little.”

  Just then the door cracked open and the girl shuffled into the room, holding the sheet a little tighter.

  “And she’s still here? Nice.” Scott rolled his eyes at me.

  “Don’t tell me you and Reyna didn’t have a wild night last night.” The sarcasm was heavy on my words. I didn’t know what kind of sex married people had. I never planned on finding out.

  “Shut up.” He threw me a nasty glare.

  “Just fucking with you.” I pulled the heavy bag to my shoulder.

  I turned to my latest conquest. “See you around.” I planted a quick kiss on her full lips. “Just lock up on your way out,” I instructed.

  She waved goodbye. I had no idea if she understood or not. It didn’t matter. What we had served its purpose and now it was over. For all I knew she had a game today too. We both had burned off some pre-competition nerves.

  I followed Scott down the hall to the elevator.

  “You’re just going to leave her in there?” he asked.

  “Why not?” I shrugged.

  “Let me guess. You didn’t get her number.”

  “Fuck no. I don’t do that. You know better.”

  We waited impatiently for the elevator. This place was practically a city. With over ten thousand athletes staying in the village each building was like its own neighborhood.

  “Do you even know her name?” He kept on with the questions.

  “Now why would I bother with those details?”

  “One day you’re going to wake up a very lonely and sad man, Pierce Miller.”

  I laughed. “Then I’ll grab a beer and look back on all the nights I had like last night.”

  The elevator dinged and the doors retracted.

  I wanted to change the subject. I hated it when Scott got on me about my personal life. We couldn’t go into the tournament like this.

  “Have you heard from Eric?” I asked.

  “He said he’ll meet us at the at the beach. He wants to go over strategy before warm-ups.”

  “Sounds good.” I nodded.

  Eric had been our coach since Scott and I first teamed up. No one knew our strengths or weaknesses better. He also had a wicked way of sizing up the competition. He could scout out their deficiencies better than anyone in the sport. It was exactly what we needed going into the first match against Italy.

  “We’re going to have to take some risks today,” Scott announced. “I don’t think we can play it safe the entire game.”

  I chuckled. “You’re preaching to the choir, brother. When do I ever play it safe?”

  The doors opened and we stepped into the lobby. It was packed. We weren’t the only ones trying to get somewhere early this morning.

  We pushed through the crowd to the outside.

  We had a match to win.

  2

  Sierra

  “Push against my hand,” I instructed Paulo to move his heel into my palm for the third time.

  He had another calf cramp. I massaged the underside of his leg with my free hand. The cramp was solid like a baseball under his skin. The sand was gritty on my fingers as I tried to ease the pain out of the muscle.

  “God,” he cursed. He was such a baby. He had done nothing but complain since he hobbled over to the bench during warm ups.

  “You have to stay hydrated and this won’t happen as often.” I si
ghed. I didn’t know how many times I had reminded him of how to keep his hydration and potassium levels up.

  He never took my advice. Six months with Paulo and Sergio and neither one had adopted any of my tips. Not one.

  He scowled at me and I dropped his leg to the ground. I didn’t want to help him anymore. I wasn’t even sure why I was part of Team Italy. What was the point of being the trainer when the players had their own opinions about treatment? They smiled and winked at me, but when it came to listening, they were deaf. Did they really think they could charm themselves into healing?

  I grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and shoved it in his hand. “Drink this and stretch some more. Then you can get back out there for the rest of warm ups.” I had left my bedside manner back at the village. I did feel grouchier than usual.

  Sergio tossed balls into the air, volleying with the coach. He needed Paulo on the court with him. The match was scheduled to start in another hour. Paulo’s calf should be fine by then, but I couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t cramp up again.

  The sand kicked up around my legs as the ball bounced a few feet from me. I leaned over to toss it back into play.

  I looked on the horizon as I heard the deep rumble of thunder coming from the ocean. Copacabana beach was beautiful, but it was windier than most places the team played. I didn’t like the dark clouds looming over the sea. It felt ominous and bleak as if it were some kind of omen. I wasn’t about to tell the guys that. It would only be one more thing they would dismiss from me.

  Rain storms happened during matches, but with Paulo’s calf I worried rain could lead to more injuries. The sand would be more unpredictable, and he could lose his footing. He was the most careless athlete I had ever worked with.

  I stooped over my trainer’s bag ensuring I had everything I needed in case there was another incident. The Americans would be here in another twenty minutes to start their hour of warm ups and I would need to keep the guys busy with stretches and cardio so they stayed loose for the game.

  The fans had started to trickle into the arena, and I glanced up to see how many seats were already filled. I’d heard the entire tournament was sold out. Beach volleyball was one of the most popular sports in Rio. Add the Americans to the mix and it was the perfect recipe for ticket sales.

  I sat on the bench with my back to the crowd and took a sip of water. Paulo practiced his serve. He hit it inside the corner line by inches every time. He was a pain in my ass, but he could play.

  Sergio tried to return the serve and ended up face down in the sand. I waited to see if he was ok. He popped up, grinning at me. He knew I would freak out if anything happened before the match started. Their well-being was in my hands.

  The sooner this match started, the better I’d feel about the gray clouds drifting closer.

  I pulled my long blond hair off my neck and twisted it into a bun. Even when it was overcast, Rio was humid and sticky. It didn’t help that I had to wear a thick polo shirt. All Team Italy coaches and trainers wore the same uniform. It wasn’t very flattering for someone with curvy hips. The khaki shorts assigned to me were probably the ugliest things I had ever worn.

  I pulled on the hem to flatten the pleats, but it was pointless. I had to admit defeat.

  Sergio and Paulo ran toward me, their chests rising with rapid breaths.

  “Warm ups are over,” they announced. “We’re off the sand for the next hour.”

  I stood from the bench. “Ok. Let’s get started on some stretching. Paulo, how is your calf feeling?”

  “Ow, bella.”

  I rolled my eyes. He was a consummate flirt. “Are you going to be able to play on it?”

  He nodded. “Can you work it out some more?”

  “Sure,” I grumbled. “Let me get Sergio started on some stretches and then I’ll see what I can do to help.”

  There wasn’t much room on the side of the court. I had barely glanced up when the Americans walked into the arena. The fans cheered, but I had to give all of my attention to my guys.

  The Americans were the favorites to win. They always were. I hadn’t been with the Italian team long enough to have faced the other teams before on an international stage. I felt a sting of betrayal rooted in my chest. After all I was American. It seemed disloyal and unpatriotic to help another country win.

  But this was my job. I was a trainer. I couldn’t help that my dream job took me to Italy.

  Once I had Sergio in position, I turned to Paulo. He was guzzling water on the bench.

  “Paulo!” I admonished. “Sips. Not gulps. You’re going to end up with stomach cramps.”

  He shrugged as if my words meant nothing. He pointed to his leg.

  I applied pressure with the heel of my hand. I could tell the muscle was still tight, but not nearly as badly as it had been. I began to point and flex his foot while keeping pressure on his calf. He winced every time I moved it.

  The crowd was excited about whatever the Americans were doing behind me. The match hadn’t even begun and they were cheering for every bump or block. I tried to focus on Paulo’s leg and not the growing knot in my stomach.

  Just this morning I had talked to my mother on video chat. She promised to cheer for the Italian teams, but I told her it wasn’t necessary.

  “Of course I will, honey,” she said. “You’ve worked hard there. Everyone is so happy we have our own Olympian to root for.”

  “Mom, I’m not an Olympian. I’m a trainer for Olympians,” I explained. “And they aren’t even Americans.”

  “Doesn’t matter. You’re in Rio, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. True.”

  “Then, let Four Corners be excited about you. Other than that guy your father went to high school with, who played for the Wranglers one season, there hasn’t been a single professional athlete out of this town. Ever. And besides, he just sat on the bench.”

  Four Corners was a tiny town in the eastern part of North Carolina. Its biggest claim to fame was an award-winning barbecue sauce. I understood why the local paper wanted to interview me. But I wasn’t what the town considered a traditional woman. I lived in Europe for God’s sake.

  My father popped into the corner of the screen. “Hi, sweetheart. How’s Rio?”

  “Great, Dad.” I smiled.

  They were both drinking coffee and waiting for the games to start.

  “Have you seen much of the city?” he asked.

  “Not really. My focus is on keeping the guys healthy. It’s going to be a lot of work to get through the tournament. I’ll have some time to sightsee at the end of the games before we fly back to Italy.”

  “Hmm.” He seemed to think it over. My father was always like that. He was the quiet one while my mother was a complete chatterbox.

  “Honey, can you wave at the camera or something during the game? It would be fun. I’m going to record the entire game,” she piped in. She kept moving the screen to show me my father’s face and then back to her own.

  “Mom, I’m not going to do that. If I’m on camera at all it’s because something happened to Sergio or Paulo and that’s not a good thing.”

  She looked disappointed. “All right. But I’m still recording it.”

  The camera pivoted again. I was getting motion sickness talking to them.

  “What about Eric? Have you seen him?”

  My stomach twisted in two. Why did she have to mention what happened? I knew I would see him, but I wanted to put that humiliation behind me. I thought six months in Italy would be enough time for me to forget, but it wasn’t. I still had a sick feeling whenever it came up. That kind of rejection was hard to get over.

  “No, mom. Not yet.” I needed to get off this call. “I have to go. I can’t be late to the beach. I have a lot of work to do with the guys.” I blew a kiss to them.

  “Bye. We’ll look for you, Sierra.”

  “Bye.” I hung up before my mother made any more requests.

  I was lucky she hadn’t asked for autographs o
r a video chat tour of the building where I was staying in the village.

  My parents were kind. And they were supportive. But it didn’t matter what they said, or how much pride they had in me. I couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling that I was on the wrong side of the court today.

  I looked in the stands while I worked Paulo’s leg and seeing the red, white, and blue flags made me feel more homesick than all the time I had spent in Italy.

  “Bella, what is it?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing.” I tapped the player’s leg. “I think you’re ready to go.”

  He adjusted his sunglasses. “Grazie, bella.”

  I watched as he took the court. The wind whipped around, shaking the net and stirring sand around my ankles. The storm was getting closer.

  3

  Pierce

  The warmup had gone well. Scott and I had a rhythm that was unparalleled in the sport. I couldn’t put it in words. We got each other. I knew which way he would go before he did sometimes. Today was one of those days. Everything clicked. Our rhythm was flawless. The gusts of wind didn’t seem to throw either of us. We were ready to dominate the first two sets and put this game to bed.

  He gave me a high five right before the match began. We met with the judge at the net.

  “Rain is on the way,” he explained. “We play through rain.”

  Scott and I nodded. The Italians agreed. We had played in rain plenty of times. It was part of playing an outdoor sport. I wasn’t worried. It made the ball heavier and it was a pain in the ass to have to wipe it off between points, but it was better than rescheduling the match. Today was our day. We didn’t want anything to get in the way.

  “Let’s go.” I stood behind the line ready to serve.

  The crowd was wild. Somewhere in that chaos Reyna was screaming for Scott, wearing a red and blue Team USA shirt. She was always glued to every play. Sometimes I thought she knew the game better than we did.