Page 50 of Let the Games Begin
“Why didn’t you go to the party?” she said. She didn’t need the reassurance, but she wanted to hear him say it out loud. It came out as a whisper as his warm, rough hands gently traced the curves and bends of her body. It was slow, sweet torture, and she didn’t want him to stop.
“Olivia,” he said. The sound of her name on his lips made her eyes flutter, and she wanted to hear it over and over and over again. “You… know… why,” he continued, his breath uneven.
“I don’t,” she said with fake innocence as he left another tantalizingly slow trail of kisses up her body and casually set her on fire with just the tips of his fingers. He stroked the side of her face and looked into her eyes with an equal mixture of desire and adoration that made her feel deliciously lightheaded.
“Zeke. Don’t show me… tell me,” she said, looking directlyinto his eyes. She wasn’t going to fill in the blanks for him this time.
“I want…” he said, his voice breathless as he swallowed, “I want… you.” His eyes looked into hers with a burning intensity that melted away all her bravado.
“Oh,” Olivia said, feigning surprise as her lips gently curved up again. Then she looked back up into his eyes, “Okay, now you can show me,” she whispered.
Their lips crashed into each other, and it felt like lighting a match. The sensation of his hands against her skin was intoxicating; she wanted more. She wrapped her legs around him, tugged his lip between her teeth, and sighed as she felt the effect she was so clearly having on him. She grazed the skin of his bare arms with the tips of her nails and unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. Then he laid quick, hot, tormenting kisses down her shoulders and across her chest. His eyes were wide open, learning her, taking in every part. Then he turned her around and slowly, agonizingly, began to untie the delicate strings of her dress. Olivia let go of her need to control things and just let her skin, lips, and hips do the talking as they succumbed to the pleasure coursing through their veins. Tracing lines of desire across the curves, contours, and soft edges of their bodies, savoring each touch until they were completely, dreamily undone.
41Zeke
DAY SIX OF THE 2024 OLYMPICS
“Coach, we’re supposed to be celebrating—I came first!” said Zeke, wrapping a towel around his shoulders. Zeke could still see his glorious semifinal win playing back on the big screens and hear the sound of the crowd cheering. But as soon as he’d crossed the finish line, Coach Adam had told him to go straight back inside.
“Yes, Ezekiel, you came first, but that’s not what the world is focused on, is it? Why? Because you decided to spend the night before your semifinal… partying,” said Coach Adam as they walked into the changing room.
“We were just celebrating Valentina’s win,” said Zeke.
Coach Adam gave him a stern look. “Valentinacan go out and celebrate. Why? Becauseshehas her medal.Shewent out last night becauseshedid not have a competition the next day. But you, Zeke,youdid,” said his coach, shaking his head in annoyance.
“But I wasn’t drinking or getting into trouble or anything,” Zeke said. It was a weak excuse.
“I don’t know how many times I have to tell you all. Have fun and enjoy your life, but don’t let it distract from the work!” Coach Adam let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, it’s the race that matters, but do you know what also matters? Professionalism, the athlete code of conduct,yoursponsorships, and the whole team’s reputation. The sprint is a solo event, but this is Team GB, not Team Zeke. When you do something irresponsible, it tarnishes the whole team’s reputation.”
“But, Coach—”
“Don’tbut Coachme. Do you know who I got a call from at six a.m. this morning?”
Zeke had no idea.
“TheGreek City Times, and then theSun, and then TMZ, and then I was put in a conference call with the Team GB PR team,” said Coach Adam.
Zeke grimaced. That was never a good sign.
“But I kept all that away from you so you could focus on your race, and congratulations—you were great on the track. But look…” Coach reached for his desk and pulled out a stack of papers and his iPad.
Zeke read the headline on the first newspaper cover:A GOLD-MEDAL-WINNING BAR CRAWL.
The photo on the front was a shot of him, Haruki, and Valentina running down an alleyway to escape the paparazzi.
“Zeke and Valentina’s hot, wild night on the town,” Coach Adam read aloud as he flipped to the next paper. “A very Olympic run-in?”
“We didn’t run, just power walked,” said Zeke, trying to defuse the situation.
“I’m not having this anymore, Zeke.”
“Sorry, Coach, I won’t do that again,” said Zeke.
“You know I have to make an example of you, right?” he said.
Zeke just nodded and waited for the verdict.
“You’re not allowed to leave the Village for the rest of the Games. And you’ve just earned yourself a curfew,” said Coach Adam. “I want you back in GB House every single night at seven p.m. sharp, and you’re not allowed back out until six a.m. for your first training session.”
