“You’re mean.” I grumble as I stand and walk past him.
“You like it.” He whispers against my ear, causing shivers to race down my spine.
Unfortunately, he’s right.
Somehow my tri suit feels too loose and too tight at the same time. My lungs feel like they can’t get full enough and the fabric is gaping at my low back and no matter how much I tug on it I can’t get comfortable.
The grass is cold with the morning dew and my feet sort of itch in the damp and rough texture. I’m fucking freezing but also oppressed by the muggy midwestern break-of-dawn air.
The hundreds of athletes around me pack together tighter as we get closer to the start. I hear women mutter to themselves and wish good races to each other. But it all sounds muffled like I’m already underwater.
My stomach pinches as I inch closer to the shore for today’s swim.
If I don’t qualify today I’ll only have one more chance this season.
I have to do it today.
I couldn't even finish the Chicago race last year.
My shoulders tense with each brush of another athlete’s body against mine in the crowded space.
I wipe my goggles out, adjust my swimcap, and roll my shoulders. I’ve positioned myself out wide to help me stay out of the chaos in the middle and to make the first turn easier. It’ll be easy to start faster than I need to because I’m so amped up right now but I’ll need to settle into my pace. Remember to breathe every three strokes.
The ramp leading down into the Eagle Creek Reservoir, where we’re swimming today, comes into view a few rows of swimmers ahead of me and my lungs seize up.
I’m not ready.
Miguel’s voice fills my head and I hear him say “you are.”
But, if I don’t qualify today it all comes down to Chicago and I couldn’t finish Chicago last year.
Miguel’s voice says, “you finished in Chattanooga a few weeks ago.”
Yeah but I wasn’t fast enough.
“You finished the race, in your socks.”
Fine.
A slight smile dances across my lips as a heat engulfs my core as I mentally ask Miguel if he would let me orgasm if I complimented myself right now.
I didn’t know what he was doing last night, I was captivated by the sensations coursing through my body. But as my toes hit the ramp and I prepare to dive into the water and start my race, I feel ready.
I feel strong.
I feel prepared.
I feel supported by a man who makes me believe in myself.
And the last thought I have before jumping into the water is how deliciously Miguel will praise me when I not only finish today but qualify for Worlds.
Chapter twenty-five
Miguel
Touch Her and Die Vibes
She'sfuckingkillingit.She finished her swim at a personal best time, walked steadily, and quickly, to her bike in the T1 area, catapulted herself into the top twenty overall during the ride, and now she is steadily gaining on the top ten during the marathon.
