Olympic crown bellerive.., p.24
Olympic Crown (Bellerive Royals #1), page 24
“Well, if it’s for science.” I slide my hand along her ass and tug her tighter against me.
“Very scientific.”
I feather kisses along her neck, and she arches her back into me. “Does this mean you’re up for giving long-distance a try?” I ask.
“With the way I feel about you,” she says, “I don’t think I’ve got a choice. You aren’t someone I can let slip away.” Her lips twitch. “I’d rather you slipped somewhere else.”
Abandoning the pizza, I lift her into my arms, and I carry her into my bedroom. If she wants a demonstration of the depth of love and desire I have for her, who am I to deny her?
As I lay her down on the bed and follow her down, a surge of happiness races through me. We both understand that what’s between us isn’t fleeting, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.
“Come on, big boy,” Posey says with a wink. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Brent
Since Posey’s negotiation skills are top notch, she managed to convince the interior design company to hold off her orientation and starting date until after summer was over. She and I spent the rest of her final semester at Northern and the entire summer vacation idiot proofing our relationship. As much as it’s possible for any couple to be prepared for long-distance, Posey and I are. We have examined the situation from every angle. Neither of us wants this to fail.
Given that she’s not prone to crying, we established that tears equal getting on a plane right away. So, two weeks after she left Northern to return to Bellerive, I’m stepping off a plane onto the airy tarmac and walking toward customs and immigration. The wind kicks up, and I shield my face from the dirt and dust swirling around me and my fellow departing passengers. My swim bag on my shoulder slips, and I hoist it back into position. In my other hand is my carry-on bag with enough clothes to last me two weeks.
She tried to play off her tears yesterday as the stress of moving and establishing a new routine, but that’s not how we work. We don’t go the distance by trying to tough it out alone when we don’t have to. I can train in Bellerive for short stints without compromising my spot on any of the elite US teams I’ve been chosen for. If that means I do a lot of flying back and forth while Posey gets settled here again, then that’s what I’ll do. I opted to take my first semester courses for my master’s program online. Flexibility is key.
I didn’t tell her I was coming, and she’s at work right now. My frequent flyer miles will be racked up and promptly used. Her first year with the company, her vacation is limited, and so a lot of the back and forth will fall on my shoulders. Between international swim meets, finishing my degree, and the rest of my training, the next six years aren’t going to be easy. But I know she’s worth every flight, every middle-of-the-night phone call, every other sacrifice that’ll come my way.
In the arrivals terminal, a guy with light-brown hair and a cocky grin is standing with a huge sign with my name scrawled on it. Has to be Brice. Posey said they have a similar sense of humor, and I could envision her doing exactly this. Nothing subtle.
Last night I called Julia and asked whether she could arrange to get me into Posey’s apartment on the sly. She said she’d come up with something, and it looks like the youngest Bellerive Royal is the answer.
“Brent Faulkner?” he asks when I get close. There’s a man in a lightweight suit beside him. A humid breeze blows in the open doors behind them.
“You must be Prince Brice.” I extend my hand.
“Just Brice,” he says. “No need to stand on formalities when you’re practically family. Never thought I’d see the day when Posey gave a shit about a guy. The apocalypse has to be coming.” He gestures to the exit. “I’ve got a car. Jag here,” he nods to the guy on my right, “will drive us to Posey’s apartment. Julia gave me the spare key.”
“Sorry to take you away from whatever you’re supposed to be doing to play chauffer.” I hitch my bag onto my shoulder again.
“Just finished college this spring. Giving me things to do is a bit of a low priority for the Bellerive Royal brand. Chauffer fit my mood today.”
He leads the way toward the waiting car, which is parked in a slot that clearly indicates No Parking. Being above the rules must be nice.
Jag takes my bags and pops them into the trunk before Brice and I slide into the rear of the Rolls Royce.
“How long are you here for?” Brice asks as the car pulls away from the curb.
“Two weeks.” I peer out the window, and I marvel at how green everything is. The airport is on the tip of the island. As the plane was descending, it felt like we’d land on the cliff. There wasn’t much room for error to hit the runway.
“If there’s no fog today, take West Shore Road,” Brice says to Jag, and then he turns to me. “You’ve never been here before, right?”
“No, I haven’t. My mother was born here, but we’ve never been back.”
“Shame.” He grins. “I have a feeling you’ll fall in love with more than just Posey once you’ve been here a while. No better place in the world.”
We turn onto a road that feels balanced on the edge of the cliff. It reminds me of California State Route 1—spectacular views as long as you’re okay with extreme heights. That drop would be deadly.
“This is incredible.” The ocean stretches out beside us, and a sports car zooms past, going far faster than I’d think safe on a road like this.
“A lot of dare devils take this road,” Brice says when I turn to follow the sports car that’s disappeared behind us.
We turn to the right at the edge of the cliff and go through a tunnel. As we emerge, I’m struck by the old-world feel of the town ahead of us. All the buildings are limestone, brick, stucco, or what looks like the black rocks from the cliff face.
“Welcome to Tucker’s Town,” Brice says. “Capital city, and named after the Tucker Family. Way, way, way back this was their farmland.”
He must have missed a way in his description of time because it feels like I’ve stepped back in history. The car slows on the river rocks that take the place of the smooth asphalt.
“The whole city is like this?” I ask.
“Just the center. You can sort of tell from the architecture of each subdivision and business area when it was built. We only allow teardowns in exceptional circumstances. The exterior of a building has to remain mostly unchanged, but we allow interiors to be heavily modified. Coolest place on earth. Outside looks like the 1500s, but inside is a modern beauty.”
Another reason Posey probably loves this place. The blend of history and modern interior design. Sounds like exactly the sort of challenge she’d love.
The car glides up to the outside of a four-story brick building, and Jag comes around to retrieve my bags.
“What are you doing while Posey works?” Brice asks when I open my door.
“Training,” I say. “Two practices a day plus dryland.”
“If you can squeeze in a lunch or dinner while you’re here, send me a message.” He passes me a slip of paper with his number on it along with a set of keys to Posey’s fourth-floor apartment. “I’ll give you the grand tour of the royal estate in between shots of Patron.”
“Tequila drinker?”
“It’s the truth teller.” He grins.
“Thanks for the ride,” I say as I slide out.
“Any time,” Brice says. “Posey has a giant heart. Glad she found someone to show it to.”
Jag closes the rear door behind me and stands in front of it while I pick up my bags and use one of the keys to unlock the front door. As soon as I’m inside, Jag circles the car, and the horn honks as they pull away from the curb.
As an introduction to the royal family, that was a lot more relaxed than I expected. Of course, Posey told me Brice was chill like her, but I didn’t expect him to be quite so down-to-earth.
After taking the elevator, I slot the key into Posey’s apartment door, and when the door swings back, it feels like I’ve come home. The décor is exactly like I’d expect—white and grey with some splashes of color here and there. It’s the pictures on the wall that are a surprise.
Warmth spreads across my chest. There’s a whole wall of artfully displayed black-and-white photos of me and Posey from the last few months. In the center is one color photo, the first one I ever took of us. We’re sitting on the beach in Bermuda with pizza in our hands and grins on our faces. She is pure perfection. The thought of her putting this together causes my throat to tighten.
I swam this morning before hopping on a plane, so it’s close to dinner now. She should be arriving home from work within the hour. As we drove up, I noticed a flower shop on the corner, and I drop my bags before heading back out. While I’m pretty confident I’ll be enough to put a smile on her face, flowers never hurt.
I relocked Posey’s front door so she wouldn’t be freaking out about a break-in, and when I hear a key in the lock, I ready myself. Dinner waiting on the counter from the deli she loves down the road. Check. Freshly showered. Check. Flowers in my hand. Check.
The door swings open, but she’s got her head down, rooting around in her purse. When she glances up and sees me in the center of her living room, she drops everything and lets out a shriek of surprise.
“Oh my god,” she cries. “You came?” Her voice cracks on the last word, and then she bursts into tears.
Shit. Did I read this wrong?
“Babe.” I set the flowers on a side table and circle the couch to draw her into my arms. She clings onto me and cries against my shirt.
“I hate how much I’ve missed you.” The thickness in her voice is muffled by my chest.
I chuckle. “You don’t have to miss me at all for the next two weeks, so there’s that.”
“Two weeks?” She wraps her arms around my neck and hops into my arms.
I hold her steady while I shut the front door with my foot and then press her against it, but she won’t take her head out of my neck to look at me.
“Babe,” I say again. “Come on. Look at me.”
“You came,” she whispers against my neck.
“Every time,” I say against her ear. “I’ll show up for you every time.”
“How is it possible to love someone this much?” She frames my face with her hands, and her tear-stained cheeks are flushed.
“I don’t know,” I say. “But I’m right there with you, Posey Jensen. Nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for you.”
“You got me flowers?”
“I did.”
“And you didn’t even do anything wrong.”
“Hopefully something very right by coming here.” I give her a half-smile.
“Yeah,” she says, and she runs her fingers through my hair. “Yeah, you nailed it.”
“Bang, bang, bang, baby.” I nuzzle my nose with hers, and then she’s kissing me, and the familiar fullness returns. When I’m not with her, there’s a noticeable absence, and I can’t wait until the day when I don’t have to leave her or she doesn’t have to leave me. But for now, this is where we’re at, and I’ve got no regrets.
“I have no food in the house,” Posey says when we break the kiss.
“You know, food isn’t the only thing I think about,” I say. “But I already grabbed us dinner from the deli you like. It’s on the counter.”
“I’m not hungry for food right now.” She runs her nails along the nape of my neck, and I shiver at the contact. “Do you think this will get easier?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “Feels pretty fucking hard right now.”
“Yes, yes, it does.” She cocks an eyebrow and wiggles against me.
“There’s my girl.” I give her a quick peck. “Might not get easier, but I think we’ll get used to it, if that makes sense. Like a bunch of hard swim practices. When I’m doing it, I hate it. But afterward, it feels totally worth it. Right now, here with you, worth—” I kiss her “—it.”
“Do you have to train tonight?” she asks.
I shake my head. “I’ll all yours until the morning. A bit of a Frankenstein schedule since I arranged everything last minute, but I’m here.”
She searches my face for a beat. “I fucking love you, Faulkner.”
“I love you too.” I slide my hand into her hair and trail a line of kisses down her neck.
“A demonstration,” she says, kissing me deeply. “In the bedroom.” Her teeth graze my earlobe. “Now.”
I spin us around, and Posey laughs as I stride toward the two bedrooms off the main living room. She points to the right, and when I lay her down on the white bedspread, I stare at her for a minute.
“Whatever it takes,” I say. “It’s you and me.”
“Whatever it takes,” she agrees, and then her lips twist into a naughty grin. “It’s going to take an orgasm right now.”
I reach for the hem of her shirt. “I’ll get you a latte afterward.”
“That’s a good man,” she murmurs.
For her, I aim to be the best man for the rest of our lives. Then her lips meet mine, and we’re wrapped around each other again, just like we’ve always been meant to be.
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Acknowledgments
Thank you to my husband for his unending support, to my children for their patience when I'm "doing my computer work", and to my dad who loves spending time with his granddaughters. They are the biggest reasons I'm able to pursue my writing dreams, and I'm so grateful for their love and support.
Thank you to all of my first readers on Wattpad who get me through a first draft. Your enthusiasm for my writing and my characters keeps me writing there and encourages me to finish what I start.
I'm fortunate enough to be part of a few writer communities that are incredibly supportive. To my fellow Wattpad Stars, Nottpad Community, and WritersConnX members, thank you for your guidance and cheerleading throughout the writing and promotion process.
I'm also eternally grateful to those people who have consistently read and reviewed my work. In particular to Karen, Michelle, Liana, Camilla, Phyllis, and Misty who read and review with enthusiasm.
Thanks to Nancy for having another read of the story to find some special moments between Brent and Posey.
Lastly, thank you to Avery and Cole who've been my sounding boards with covers, blurbs, and the writing process. I appreciate all your help.
About W. Million
W. Million is a Watty Award winner whose contemporary romances about strong women and troubled men have captivated her loyal readers. She is the author of the romantic suspense series The Donaghey Brothers, the NA sports romance Saving Us, and the contemporary second chance romance, When Stars Fall.
When not writing, Wendy enjoys spending time in or around the water. She lives in Ontario, Canada with two beautiful daughters, two cute pooches, and one handsome husband (who is grateful she doesn’t need two of those).
Also By
The Donaghey Brothers Series (Romantic Suspense)
Retribution
Resurrection
Redemption
Northern University Series (NA Sports Romance)
Saving Us
With Wattpad Books (Second Chance Romance)
When Stars Fall
Novella (free with newsletter signup)
First Date Challenge
W. Million, Olympic Crown (Bellerive Royals #1)
