As Lucy finished dancing like Rocky at the top of the Capitol steps, she watched as the Blue’s Bachelors ran up toward them. Or Blue’s Clues as her team had taken to calling one of their closest competitors. It was the team that had been leapfrogging the standings with the Red Hot Lobo Llamas since the competition had kicked off last evening. Hopefully they weren’t coming up to taunt them. Red Hot Lobo Llamas didn’t have time for that. But as Lucy watched the man leading the team, all thoughts of points and challenges fled her mind. She’d seen him in a couple of the pics and videos his team had uploaded, but none of those did him justice.

The guy looked like a Spartan general leading the charge up an enemy hill. Lucy ought to know, she’d competed in a few Spartan Races and other endurance races but she’d never seen anyone as formidable as this modern Spartan. He had the muscles, the demeanor, the respect of his men, and the muscles—oh, she’d already counted the muscles. He just needed the leather skirt and a big ol’ sword instead of the sculpted t-shirt and athletic shorts. No, it was the guy who was sculpted, not the t-shirt.

Suddenly Lucy felt very scared for the Red Hot Lobo Llamas’ standings and her own chance of winning her dream trip to Cuzco, where her mother was born. How could anyone stand against a force like this guy? Lucy had seen his trust fall from far off but she’d had no idea of the sheer impressiveness of his physique up close.

One of the other Blue’s Clues ran past the leader and up to Lucy’s teammate Sheila. “Have you hugged a stranger yet?”

“Yeah, but we can help you out.” Sheila was grinning at the guy, and with reason. He was a good looking man, all dark and mysterious. But he still didn’t compare with the utter manliness of the leader. It was a good thing the guy had asked Sheila because Beth would have told him, ‘Tough luck.’

“You game?” the guy asked Sheila.

Lucky for Sheila, she’d ridden up the steps on Beth’s back, so she wasn’t pouring sweat and sucking wind like Lucy.

“Cap?” said the guy to Lucy’s Spartan hottie, who was now only a few steps down. “You got the video?”

“No, I have a better idea.” He looked straight at Lucy. “The whole team should do it.”

Oh boy, he meant her! All sweaty, makeup faded, and hair looking like she’d already run a couple of marathons that day. But it wasn’t like she would ever see him again, and she would be crazy to pass up the chance to get up close and personal with Captain Sparta.

“Why not!” said Lucy. Why was she in Utah doing this extreme whirlwind adventure service race if she wasn’t open to sweating all over some hot stranger?

The Blues Clues paired off with each of the Red Hot Lobo Llamas, even Beth, who at this point had been swept into the current of this particular challenge. The buff general guy came even closer. Close enough to smell the twenty hours of sweat Lucy had collected. She couldn’t decide whether it was a blessing or a curse that her face was so flushed from the steps and the piggyback challenge that it hid her blush.

“You ready?” said Lucy’s hottie in a voice that didn’t sound like a question at all. This guy was used to being in charge.

Lucy gulped and checked both sides to see if the Red Hot Lobo Llamas were ready. Each member of her team was facing a good-looking Blue’s Clues guy, but none of them had lucked out with her partner like Lucy had.

Sheila broke away to hand her camera off to the one Blue’s Clue without a partner. Even though the Red Hot Lobo Llamas had already uploaded this challenge and received the points, they could replace it with a cooler, more impressive feat to boost their peer scoring points.

Lucy looked back at her guy and her mouth watered. Blond, buff, and built like a bunker.

“Go!” shouted one of the Blue’s Bachelors, and Lucy and the hottie came together as if an irresistible force had suddenly been activated between them.

“Whew!” said Lucy involuntarily. He was as solid as he looked, like no one she’d ever felt before. Lucy had thought her heart was racing before. He wasn’t shy about the hug, and their bodies were in contact from knee to neck. She could feel his muscular thighs, his firm core, his rock-solid pecs, and maybe even his abs. A guy this cut had to have a six-pack, right? Oh how Lucy wanted to bring her hand down to find out.

“I’m Blue,” he said.

“Don’t be blue,” she retorted, a bit surprised she’d found her voice. “Second place isn’t a bad finish.”

“No,” he said. “My name …” He trailed off as he picked up on her playful tone. “Oh, you knew that.”

“I’m Lucy,” she said. “I saw your trust fall. Impressive.”

“Not as impressive as your six flights of steps.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve sweated this much since college, but you gotta make it epic if you want a shot at the title, right?” There were a million questions she wanted to ask, but she just took a second to enjoy the encounter with Hercules.

Wait, maybe Hercules was Greek, an enemy of the Spartans, but all she cared about were his thick arms and hard body. The hug wasn’t awkward at all, as she’d expected it to be, and she wished it was a fifteen-minute hug. She moved her hand on his back in a rubbing fashion. Blue’s back was as bulging and ripped as the rest of him. Was he some kind of Mr. Universe or something? A blacksmith could use his back as an anvil to pound out swords.

“You want some real style points?” he asked.

Lucy blushed all over again. Did he realize she was copping a feel or had he chalked her roving hands up to hug etiquette?

“I’m always down for style points,” answered Lucy, curious about how he planned on improving the already impressive challenge.

Suddenly Blue twisted her around and dipped her. Lucy looked up to see the imposing Capitol building for a split second before Blue’s face filled her view. A smirk played on his lips and a mischievous glint sparkled in his eye. His lips pursed and he brought them forward and before Lucy knew it she was being kissed.

Blue was as confident and firm in the kiss as he had been when leading his Spartans in their charge of the Capitol steps. Whereas she’d been the one to take advantage during the hug, he was the aggressive one now, leading her lips like he was leading her in a dance.

Lucy gladly followed his lead. He tasted like peppermint and smelled like an athlete. Maybe it was weird of Lucy, but she loved it. Blue guided her mouth with his, making Lucy feel like she was falling at a hundred miles an hour, but falling oh so softly. As if she was skydiving with a fighter jet as a tandem partner.

Why oh why couldn’t this be a fifteen-minute challenge?

“You two can stop now! Hello!”

Lucy opened her eyes and saw both teams standing around them, the Blue’s Clue guy still catching it all on both phones. How long had everyone else been done with the hug?

Blue brought her back up as if she weighed nothing. Sheila was fanning her face like she was hot and the guys all started back-slapping Blue. For one last moment, Lucy and Blue looked into each other’s eyes.

Then his team pulled him down the stairs to the south and Lucy’s team pulled her east toward a statue they needed a photo with. Going along, Lucy let Sheila guide her, but kept her head turned, watching her guy retreat and wondering if they’d ever see each other again.

At the bottom of the first row of steps, Blue stopped. He looked back.

Lucy knew that somehow they weren’t done with each other.