Page 39 of I Blame the Club

“But how will I know when I’ve found it?”

Mother bends down and plants a kiss on my cheek, “You’ll know because you won’t think. You’ll feel.”

I blink back to present when the room flashes purple and a Latin beat kicks in. Shrieks rise up from the crowd below and I feel the energy seep into my bones.

A tall, lean Latino catches my eye and I turn to see him hop up on the bar and begin to move. The cheers grow louder as his hips twist and turn without any hint of hesitation. I watch him with interest, my earlier arousal growing with the fluidity of his movements.

Feeling my stare, the handsome man glances up and meets my eyes. He grins, blowing me a kiss before hopping off the bar and disappearing into the pulsing crowd.

I squint, trying to find him again, but it’s no use.

“Cold feet already?”

Carter’s voice fills my ear and the spark of lust returns.

“Just making sure you were ready to give me a show.”

Feeling lighter than I have in weeks, I turn and give him a genuine smile, “Lead the way.”

Chapter 12

Present day…

Mo

“Another one.”

Hunter squats in front of me, his knees shaking to the point of concern. Sweat drips down his forehead as he pushes the barbell back up to standing.

We make eye contact in the mirror and I can see the desperation in his eyes.

“Another one.”

Hunter grunts but does as he’s told, lowering himself back down like a man on the verge of death. I can see some of his teammates watching through the mirror, each of them wincing as Hunter’s knees bow inward.

Stepping forward, I calmly help Hunter re-stack the barbell and as soon as the weight is off his shoulders, the sophomore collapses to the ground in front of me.

I glance down at the sweaty body heaving on the ground, “That was enough for today. Go stretch and then you can hit the showers.”

“Yes Coach.” Hunter barely lifts his head as I walk away.

The rest of the team is huddled around the bench press, watching one of the new defensemen push the barbell above his chest.

“C’mon, Preston! You can do it!”

Nico cheers as the rookie does another rep and Wes helps him re-stack the barbell. I watch, unimpressed, as the co-captains hand out back claps and high fives to everyone around.

“Great job, guys. Remember to drink lots of water on your rest day tomorrow.”

Wes gives the group a dimpled smile while Nico mimes taking shots behind him. Chuckles go around the room and I feel a smirk tug the corner of my mouth.

“And don’t forget to help out with move-in this week. It will go towards your volunteer hours.”

Nico steps forward and whispers something in Wes’ ear. The co-captain laughs and the smirk falls from my lips.

“Practice dismissed. Keep your eyes peeled for any struggling freshmen!”

Wes gives everyone one last wave before he grabs a cleaning rag and starts wiping down the equipment. I let the team funnel out of the performance room before walking over to Nico and snatching the cloth out of his hands.

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