“Wherever you want,” Alex replied. “I’ll do as you say. Whatever is best for us. And our child.”
Jules propped her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him. “Our child,” she repeated. “Sounds strange.”
“I want to have a daughter,” Alex said. “She’ll be a fighter like us. A brave little fighter.”
Jules smiled at that. “Hope she never falls in love with another fighter. They’re the worse.”
Alex laughed. They sat in silence, Jules with her head on his shoulder, Alex with his arm around her. They made plans of how to raise the child. Alex suggested they should move in together and Jules agreed.
When Jules was leaving, Alex walked her to her car.
“About what happened in your office today-” Alex begun.
“Oh, don’t remind me,” Jules moaned. “My assistant heard my screams. It was so embarrassing.”
Alex was amused. “Who knew you were such a screamer, Jules,” he teased.
“Oh, shut up,” Jules said. “You full well intended to make me scream in my own office.”
“Of course I did. I love hearing you scream my name.”
Jules rolled her eyes, unlocking her car. Alex told her to take care of herself until they can move in together.
“Alex,” Jules said. “It’s still very early in the pregnancy. I’ll be fine.”
But Alex was adamant.
When their lips met, the kiss was extremely hesitant, short and sweet. Alex watched as Jules drove away. For the first time in ages, he felt happy.
The next day, Alex headed over to his father’s house before he went to the club. He found him in the garden, reading the newspaper and sipping tea. After exchanging pleasantries, his dad commented on his obvious change of demeanor.
“You look happy,” he noted. He had commented on Alex’s nonchalant and dull behavior ever since he won at Manchester.
“I am,” Alex replied cheerfully.
“I’m happy to hear that,” his dad said. “Is there any particular reason or is your win at Manchester finally hitting you?”
“It’s Jules,” Alex replied simply.
“Ah,” his father said as if he was expecting this reply.
“She forgave me,” Alex continued.
His father looked tired. “Just don’t get distracted again,” his tone was resigned. “Jules is a nice girl, and I can tell you care about her. Maybe I cannot keep you two apart. Maybe I shouldn’t even try.”
“You shouldn’t,” Alex said with finality in his tone. “It’s not going to work. I was a coward, so I pushed her away. Scared of how much she meant to me. You gave me the validation I needed to leave her. That’s all.”
“Well, take good care of her then,” was all his dad said.
“She’s pregnant,” Alex told him.
His father was surprised at first, but then he nodded. He patted Alex on the back and congratulated him.
Later, Alex dragged his younger sister with him to find the perfect ring for Jules. He rejected about fifty of them to his sister’s frustration. It was a long night but worth it when they found the perfect one.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Jules
Since her promotion, Jules became busier and busier. She had to take a leave from her Karate classes. She was in Donna’s training room, collecting her equipment when she came across Carlotta and another blonde girl who she had never seen before.
“We’re looking for Alex,” Carlotta informed her.
“He’s waiting in the car,” Jules replied.
“You must be Jules,” the blonde girl said.
“I am.”
“Jules. The girl Alex is so serious about,” Carlotta said, her tone mocking.
“Alex can’t be serious with a girl,” the blonde replied. “He’s Alex.”
Jules shook her head, walking away. The girls followed, chatting and gossiping.
“I remember back in university, he had a new girl in his bed every night,” the blonde was saying.
“Well, I fell in love with him after the first night we spent together,” Carlotta replied. “He does wonders in bed. He was so rough and ruthless. I’ve never had such amazing sex.”
The blonde nodded. “What I love is how he can be gentlemanly and rough at the same time during sex. It was such a turn on. He took me against the wall, at the back of the gym once. Luckily there was no one around. I bet you could hear my screams all over the ground, though.”
“What about you, Jules?” Jules heard the blonde say from the back.
“I’m not discussing Alex with you girls,” Jules replied warily.
“Why?” Carlotta said. “Are you shy?”
Jules had to laugh at that.
“I heard you both are back together,” Carlotta continued.
“Don’t worry,” the blonde assured Carlotta. “He’ll leave her soon enough too.
Shaking her head, Jules exited the club. Outside, she met Alex. He kissed her sweetly, taking her bags from her hand and throwing them at the back of the car. Carlotta and the blonde surrounded him, chattering away. Jules sat in the passenger seat, leaving Alex to struggle with them on his own. Moments later, he opened the car door, looking exhausted.
“You’ve got quite a fan club,” Jules said as he reversed the car.
Alex shot her an annoyed look.
“I had to hear them talk about you from the third floor to here. It was torturous,” Jules was amused at his obvious discomfort.
“What did they say?” Alex said as if not wanting to hear the reply.
“They kept talking about how rough you are in bed,” Jules continued, teasing him. “How come I’ve been denied of that pleasure?”
“I thought you like it slow,” He sounded annoyed. “I didn’t want to hurt you. But if you wanted me to be rough Jules, you only had to say the word.”
She remembered his tender and gentle movements when they had sex. The way he had taken his cues from her. The way he had asked if she was okay. The way he had sweetly complimented her.
“I do want to see that side of yours,” Jules admitted.
“I’ll gladly show you,” Alex said, making her laugh.
Alex left her at her apartment, only to return near midnight. He insisted that Jules accompanies him. She quickly donned appropriate clothes at his insistence and got in the car. She noticed they were going towards the ice skating rink. When they reached it, it was completely empty. The lights in the trees were glowing and soft music could be heard from the café which still had a few people lingering. They didn’t put on their skates, but Alex led her to the middle of the rig.
“Why are we here, Al?” Jules asked, confused.
“It’s beautiful here at midnight.”
“I know,” Jules agreed.
“I thought it’s the perfect setting for this,” Alex said, and suddenly, he was kneeling down.
Jules’ heart skipped a beat as he took her hands in his.
Jules was speechless as he asked the question. She heard herself say yes and saw him slip on a slim, diamond-studded ring on her finger. He did it perfectly, she thought as he stood up and hugged up. Jules couldn’t make sense of all the emotions she was feeling so she just held him there for what seemed like hours.
The coffee shop showered them with free food and drinks after witnessing what happened at the ice rink. They stayed there for hours, exchanging kisses and holding each other.
Chapter 23 – Epilogue
Jules didn’t know what the future held for her. She didn’t know how life was going to turn out. She didn’t know where life will take her. But with Alex by her side, she thought she could tackle anything life threw at her. With Alex by her side, she was happier. With Alex by her side, she was stronger.
Thinking back, Alex was still surprised at how much Jules had changed him and his life. She had come into his life like wildfire; maybe that explained her red hair and fiery temper. She had supported him, loved him and made him stronger.
Alex and Jules were probably the most unlik
ely couple one would ever come across. She was short tempered, and he was calm. She was diplomatic. He was impulsive. She smiled and laughed a great deal. He did, too but sometimes, she had to remind him to. She wanted to work in the corporate world, make a name and start her own company. He wanted to continue MMA, to go on to become a world champion. Regarding future plans, she wanted to travel, he wanted to settle down. She wanted to go with the flow. He wanted to plan out their life.
Wherever life would take them, they were content knowing that they had each other; a constant reminder of support and strength.
“Hey, Alex,” Jules said one night, as they were skating on the ice rink that held so many memories. “Is it true you have a thing for redheads?”
Alex looked surprised. “Who said that?”
“Carlotta. At your sister’s wedding. She said you’ve dated multiple redheads,” Jules sounded amused like she usually did while discussing his past and how uncomfortable it made him.
“You’re the only redhead in my life, love,” Alex said.
“I’m pleased with that,” Jules said, laughing. She took his hand and pulled him along as she started skating again. He had been getting better at it too, courtesy of Jules.
It was midnight, and the stars were shining above them. The trees were glowing, and the ice was smooth. The wind was pleasant, and the rink was nearly empty. They were together. And happy.
The End
Stroked
An Olympic Romance
Jenna Suri
Stroked
Copyright 2017 by Jenna Suri
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to a person, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Warning: Due to mature subject matter, such as explicit sexual situations and coarse language, this story is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older, and all acts of a sexual nature are consensual.
Chapter One
The sun beats down upon the golden sand on Fort Copacabana as Chloe wipes the seawater from her body. The festivities of the day are still in full bloom with other beachgoers tanning and having a great time together. Chloe smiles at the young kids splashing in the water and parents grinning happily at the children.
Chloe lays her towel on the sand and settles down on top of it. A strawberry blonde towels herself off and performs the same act.
“Don’t you wish every day could be like this?” the blonde asks.
“I wish that we could be like this except minus the stress of competition, Kylie,” Chloe utters.
“You could at least just be happy in the moment and not focus on that one race. Would that be too much to ask for?” Kylie questions.
“It really would be,” Chloe mocks.
Kylie rolls her eyes and lets the sun bake her already golden skin. Chloe digs through her bag and pulls out her sunblock and aviator frames. She lets her mind relax for the first time since landing in Brazil. It doesn’t take long for the thoughts of possibly embarrassing her country in the marathon swim to come plowing in.
“Olá ladies,” a manly voice calls from above, deeply accented.
Chloe looks up and sees two very attractive men with copper skin and dazzlingly white teeth. Both men are missing their shirts, and it is working splendidly for them. Chloe catches Kylie checking the men out with her keen eyes.
“Men,” Kylie chimes.
“What God delivered you to us today?” the taller one asks.
“Smooth, Fabio,” Chloe mocks.
“It is actually Flavio,” the tall one says.
“I’m Kylie, and the surly one is Chloe. Who's your friend?”
“Raul Correa, Olympic swimmer,” the shorter one rolls out.
“Unimpressed, Raul,” Chloe says.
The man is really trying to use his status to get a girl, and Chloe cannot believe the audacity. Kylie seems to be enjoying the fools in front of them. Chloe would rather have them leave so she can go back to worrying about the following week.
“Well, maybe you would be by the idea that I have already won a medal this year. Wonderful isn’t it,” Raul gloats. “Not many people can do that.”
“True, it is very difficult,” Kylie scoffs.
“And tomorrow we are both going for our next medals in the relay. You should come celebrate with us after we get gold,” Flavio comments.
Chloe pretends to gag off to the side. These guys really cannot be serious about this, at least Chloe hopes. She tries to focus on the waves and the people running around, ignoring the weirdly good looking men in front of her. It doesn’t work because they keep opening their mouths.
“So, what do you ladies say?” Raul asks.
Kylie breaks into laughter and holds onto her sides. Chloe watches her friend with her own laughter beginning to bubble up. They are all Olympians, and Kylie actually has more medals so far than Raul. It really is quite hilarious in fact. Chloe lets her laughter bubble out and takes her sunglasses off.
“You are trying to impress two other Olympians by bragging,” Chloe chortles. “One even has more than you already. In the words of Shania Twain, that don’t impress me much.”
Flavio and Raul are silent in front of the laughing women. Kylie wipes tears from her eyes and tries to calm down, but the looks on the faces in front of them has her bursting out again.
“Well, we both have more events coming up soon, and we can compare later,” Raul mentions.
Chloe calms down and levels her gaze on Raul. He has a cocky smile on his face and his gaze shifted to Chloe. He licks his lips and smiles down at her with unwanted promises in his eyes. Though Chloe does appreciate the perfect slender build, he is sporting, a swimmer’s body if she judges correctly.
“I don’t think so,” Chloe says, “it would just be sad for you when she takes home more medals than you.”
“Very sad indeed,” Kylie agrees.
“I think you may make them cry, Kylie.”
“I think so too. It would make this whole situation that much more fun.”
Chloe stands up and gathers her things before flashing a bright smile at Raul and Flavio.
“Perhaps we should leave before you gentlemen feel your manhood shrinking?”
Kylie stands up and gets her own things and shoves them into her beach bag. She giggles and does a flirty wave, following behind Chloe. The guys do their own halfhearted wave and watch, mystified by the bikini-clad women.
Chloe checks back and sees the men turn away before keeling over in laughter. She holds onto her side and Kylie’s arm, prompting Kylie to look like she has found a Dodo bird before bursting out into the same type of laughter. It doesn’t take long for the friends to crash onto the sand.
“I can’t believe they just tried that,” Chloe gasps in between laughs.
“You could swim laps around him.”
“You probably could too. Now let’s get going before the vultures swing back around.”
“I wouldn’t call the sexy beasts vultures,” Kylie wiggles her eyebrows.
Chloe rolls her eyes and stands up. She puts out a hand to Kylie and yanks her up.
“So you call the arrogant assholes sexy?”
“You wouldn’t call the perfect V heading into their swim trunks sexy? Are you sure you are still a woman after a year of no sex?”
Chloe pushes her friend a little and turns to see Raul staring at her.
“I recognize that they are fabulous to stare at, but the personality could use a lot
of work.”
Chloe shakes her head at Raul who winks at her from across the beach. She turns around and catches Kylie smirking at her. Chloe then walks off without Kylie, knowing she is following behind now. Kylie catches up, and the friends link arms.
Chapter Two
People are milling about outside the Aquatics Stadium, still buzzing with excitement from the races that just took place inside. Chloe is one of those people in her American Flag button-down and pinstripe shorts. She has her bag slung over her shoulder holding her small flag and a jacket in case she got cold.
Kylie is monopolizing a group of American tourists with their own flag gear on proud display. Chloe barely listens to them talk about how amazing the men’s relay was that night. Phelps rocked it, and they loved it.
“I was surprised by Brazil,” an older lady mentions.
Chloe looks up and begins paying attention to the conversation in hopes that they won’t be talking about a certain cocky swimmer who was making eyes at her before and after the race. It made her want to hide somewhere where he couldn’t find her.
“They were impressive. I thought Japan was going to beat them for bronze,” Kylie says.
“It was their anchor swimmer that pulled them through in the end. What was his name?” the man asks.
“Raul Correa,” Chloe interjects without thinking.
Kylie smirks under her breath at Chloe and then continues the conversation. Chloe blocks out the rest, trying not to embarrass herself anymore. She looks toward the exit and sees some of the teams leaving with their countries colors on full display. She waves to the Americans and frowns when Raul comes out behind them and waves back at her.
Chloe turns back to the group and tries to ignore the feeling of someone coming up behind her. Too late, Raul slips his arm over her shoulder, and Flavio does the same for Kylie.
“Speak of the devils,” Kylie jokes.
“Since when are we devil's?” Flavio questions.
Chloe tries to free herself from Raul and succeeds. She takes a few steps away and tries to smile at the couple in front of her.
The Campus Jock: A College Bad Boy Romance Page 102
