“Nah, it’s not that funny. Coach Hayes insisted on us breaking the, what did she refer to it as? The early bird barrier,” Mads said. She gave me a sideways look. “I amnota morning person. The things I do for this team.”
“Like help us win?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mads grinned. “Hell yeah.”
The day stretched out before us like a scroll and I knew that it would be grueling and exhausting. But walking side by side with Madison, an anticipatory excitement hanging in the half-dark morning sky and a deep desire to take the derby today… I felt an odd sort of serenity.
The day’s schedule slot into place, and after the team met up to unload the shells from the trailer, get our rigging done and breeze through our technical checks, we were set to get dressed, have our team meeting, and warm up.
And after that, the game truly began.
It felt like there was a bubble around the team, our focus slanted toward one single objective. But it was impossible to notfeel the hype of the crowds around us. Spectators, both students and faculty alike, dressed in our respective universities’ merch and collided in a sea of color on the stands.
Festival zones consisting of food stalls, coffee stands, live music sections and interactive prizes dotted the grass. Between the cheers of fans and the drums, the atmosphere was buzzing with energy.
We started off with the Heats, with Mads and I on the 1V8. We set up a decent lead, taking a break while the second group entered their race. After we’d had something to drink, someone in the crowd by the nearest food stall caught my eye.
Lucas.
It felt like a lifetime since I last saw him, like a million things had happened since the last time we’d managed to speak. I wanted to talk to him and apologize for ignoring his texts. For running.
I had no idea what was happening, whether the high-octane sweep of the day contributed to an adrenaline rush that just wouldn’t die down, or whether it was the talk with Oren and my acceptance of my desires that fixed my eyes on his.
But something passed between us that didn’t seem to require words. His gaze darted off to the empty boathouse and he began to weave his way through the crowd to reach it.
There was so much chaos happening that no one noticed as I followed him.
This time, we were more careful. After making sure there was no one else in the vicinity, Lucas shut the door behind us. I barely opened my mouth to issue my apology when he grabbed me and pulled me into a passionate kiss.
I melted into his arms, all qualms forgotten.
I was once again struck by the difference between him and Ronan, the way Lucas poured so much of his passion into his body when he was intimate. He didn’t try to hide or even leash it. It was a whole different experience and no less thrilling. More so, for the difference.
“I missed you,” I mumbled against his lips.
“Hmm,” was all he said in answer. His hands were everywhere, picking up where words fell off.
It reminded me of the first time we had sex; the rush and risk all commingling with desire and lust.
“Wait, Lucas,” I moaned, trying to pull away from him. He gingerly let go of me, his mouth slightly swollen and pink, pupils blown wide. He looked absolutely feral. “I thought we decided to stop.”
His hands tightened around my waist as he lifted me up and pressed me against the door, his thigh settling between my legs.
“I don’t want to stop whatever this is,” he said, his voice scraped raw and husky. “I’m so tired of pretending I don't, June. So tired.”
He looked at me with such an open show of vulnerability and desire that it was almost overwhelming. I wrapped a hand in his hair, gently scraping his scalp with my nails. A shudder went through him and his eyes closed.
“Me too,” I whispered. “We don’t have a lot of time.”
The fact only made everything that was happening right now that much hotter. Lucas pressed his mouth to mine, resuming the kiss that had me unraveling. We pawed at each other like a pair of drunk, horny teenagers.
“No mess,” I reminded him painfully, knowing our options were limited. I didn’t have a change of clothes on me. His eyesshifted. Then he was tugging down my shorts and underwear, dropping to his knees again.
“I’ll clean you up,” he pressed a kiss to the inside of my thigh, bit down gently on the flesh. “Won’t waste a drop.”
For those brief moments that Lucas ate me out, everything else outside of the boathouse disintegrated. The noise of the crowd, the pressure of the remainder of the derby, the loud music… nothing,nothingcould distract me from this.
When I tried to cover my mouth, Lucas grabbed my hand, guiding it to his hair instead. He closed his hand over mine, encouraging me to pull.
