Page 118 of Stroked Long
“Oh fuck, she’s a keeper.” Hollis grabs Melony’s hand, who tries to shake it away but his grip must be tight because their connection doesn’t break. “Come on, hot sex, let’s get some dinner.” Nodding at Bodi, he says, “Good swim today, dude. Congratulations.” Turning to me, he smiles. “Nice meeting you, Ruby.”
Hot sex? The term makes me giggle a little too much.
With that, he’s gone, Melony trailing behind him, reprimanding him about the little nickname. Pretty sure if she had the opportunity, she would put a bag over her head as she walks around with him. Makes no sense to me, it seems like any woman would be proud to be with him.
What’s going on there?
“Stallion in bed?” Bodi asks once we are alone.
“Sure, is that not what you preferred to be called? Would you rather I say bulgy hulk dick?”
He chuckles silently. “Stallion works.”
“That’s what I thought.” I turn in his embrace and face him, grabbing hold of his shirt. “I’m so proud of you, Bodi.”
His eyes soften and his chest fills with pride. “Thanks, Rubes.”
“I can’t tell you how excited I was; I wish you knew where I was sitting.”
“Me too.” He leans in and kisses my forehead. “All I wanted was to see your smiling face when I won gold.”
“Really?”
“Really. You’re the one person I wanted to impress, that I wanted to swim for.”
His words elate me. “What about Eva and Lauren?”
He shrugs them off. “Is it cool they are here, yeah. But they’ve seen me win, they’ve been here before and no matter win or lose, they will always be there, waiting for me. I felt like I had something to prove this time, to make you proud to call me your man.”
This man.He’s swimming for his family, for his country, for all those fans whose faith is in him, and he says that.I felt like I had something to prove . . . to make you proud to call me your man.Holy moly. My heart feels as though it will burst with love and adoration for the gorgeous man before me. So humbling. His need to prove anything is so unnecessary.
Can this gentle soul break me anymore?
I capture his face and look him in the eyes. “Bodi, when will you understand?It’s you. Just you.It’s what is in your heart that impresses me. Even if you lost, I would still be head-over-heels infatuated with you. Your heart is what has won me over, nothing else.”
Moving forward, he kisses me in the middle of a bustling city. Olympic athletes walk around us with their friends and families but nothing stops him. The man who used to not even be able to look me in the eye is now claiming me in front of the entire world.
He might not have said those three little words, but I feel it in the way he’s claiming me now. Who needs words when his actions are communicating all I need to know?
Chapter Twenty-Two
BODI
“I feel like an idiot.”
“You don’t look like one.”
“Well, I feel like one,” I say as medals cling around my chest.
“Just give me one more pose, I want to take a picture.”
“You’re not taking a picture of this.”
“Why not?” Ruby complains. “I want to make it my wallpaper on my phone.”
“And that’s exactly why you’re not taking a picture; everyone will see it.”
“I promise, no one will see it.” She begs with those big brown eyes of hers.
