Page 233
I’m glad it’s this question and not why do I fight. Because that one I can’t answer.
“Same reason you like to cheer. That feeling you get when you win.”
“Can’t you win at something a little less physically demanding though?”
“Can’t you?” I’ve watched enough videos of her cheering to know what it involves. Fighting and cheering are both insane on the body.
“Touché.”
She rotates her head to the transparent ceiling above us where the sun’s powerful rays cut right through the glass in large sprays of warm, golden light.
“Would you still like cheering if you didn’t always win?”
Eyes now closed, she says, “Absolutely,” before countering, “Would you?”
“I don’t cheer.”
“Fighting,” she drones.
After a deep breath, I confess, “No, I wouldn’t. I would hate it.”
Losing isn’t an option for me. It never has been, but especially not now with so much at stake.
“Too bad you couldn’t find something else to get your adrenaline pumping.”
Studying Kota’s face, I catch the smallest nibble on her bottom lip.
Even though she can’t see it, I smile.
“Too bad…”
Obviously hearing it in my voice, Kota cracks one eye to squint over at me.
“Kota Lynsi, are you volunteering?”
“How do you know my middle name?”
She doesn’t remember that either?
“You etched it into my chest,” I tell her without blinking.
Kota laughs me off. “You’re crazy.”
“About you.”
That laughter comes to an abrupt halt as she opens both eyes, locking them on to me.
One look from me—only one—and she’s sitting up.
“We’d have to get out.”
“We are.”
Spotting one of the ladders coming up, I hook my arm through the handrail, and careen Kota’s tube over to the side with mine.
“Ladies first,” I tell her, and help her get out of her tube and onto the ladder, those loose bottoms of hers revealing the top of her ass crack and tempting me in the most torturous way. It takes everything in me not to pull her ass backward and have her sit on my face right now. The only reason I don’t is because it’d make us flip over this damn watermelon ring. Not only would that be embarrassing but I probably wouldn’t even get a single lick in before inhaling half the pool.
As soon as she’s out, she tries to pull the bottoms up, but I’m already on her, sticking my hand down the back of them and gripping an ass cheek as I haul her against me.
