When I awoke from my nap, there were five missed calls from Eric on my phone. I checked the time. I wasn’t late for the next match. What in the hell was going on?

I tried to call him, but it went straight to voicemail. Something was up.

I grabbed my bag and headed to the arena.

The stands were full. Matches had been played all day. I started my search for Eric in the locker rooms, but they were crowded with different countries. The tunnels underneath the fan seats were narrow and winding. I was about to give up when I saw the back of his visor with the Team USA logo on it.

“Eric!” I shouted over the heads in front of me.

He turned around. Even in the dark hallway I could tell he wasn’t happy.

“You had to do it, didn’t you?” He poked a finger in my chest.

“Do what?” I backed up, not because I was intimidated, but because there wasn’t much space and I wasn’t interested in plowing over a row of Rio dancers.

“Her.” He glared. “I told you to stay away, but you did it anyway. You can’t keep your dick in your pants.”

“This is about Sierra?”

I didn’t know how he knew any of this shit. But I didn’t like what he implied.

“It’s none of your damn business. You’re my coach, not my boss. And you sure as hell don’t tell me who I can fuck.”

He ripped the visor from his head and threw it at me. “I said to leave her alone. I said she was off limits.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I put my hands up. Eric was ready to punch me. I could see the raging bull in his eyes. He was looking for blood.

But I didn’t think it had anything to do with a brotherly instinct. No. He was a man protecting what he thought was his territory.

“Are you in love with her?” I asked.

His eyes changed from rage to surprise. “What?”

“I asked if you’re in love with Sierra. Is that what this is about? You never had the balls to ask her out yourself and now you’re pissed at me.”

“Shut the fuck up, Pierce. You don’t know anything about her.”

I huffed. “Maybe more than you.”

“Do you know she has reindeer slippers she wears on Christmas, or that she likes pancakes only if she has bacon to eat on top? Do you know she dressed up as a black cat for Halloween in high school, or that her prom date left her after the first dance? Do you know anything about her? Do you even give a shit? Or is she just another notch on your Olympic bedpost? Another girl you won’t remember tomorrow?”

“Fuck,” I whispered. He was completely in love with her.

And I was the guy who understood why. I was the one who made it a reality. I was the one who held and kissed her. I was the one who took her under the sheets. I was the one who made her come so many times she was mine three times over.

She was fucking mine and it didn’t matter how long he had some puppy love crush on her, I was the man who had fucked her. Not the lovesick kid who passed her a note in class.

I pushed him up the wall.

“Now I’m going to say something. You stay away from her.” I held my palm against his shoulder. “She isn’t any of those things to me. She’s more.” I stared at him, holding my breath. I couldn’t believe what in the hell I was thinking. Or feeling.

“Pierce! Eric!”

Scott ran up to us in the tunnel. I quickly removed my hand from Eric so he could move from the wall.

“Everything ok?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just clearing up some things before we face the Australians.”

“Oh, good. I need to get up to speed.”

Eric pressed his lips together. “I’ll go get my notes.” He turned for one of the many locker rooms.

“Hey, I wanted to tell you Reyna got a text from Sierra.”

“Oh, really?” My heart was pounding hard. I couldn’t believe everything that had happened.

“Yeah. She asked if she could sit with her for the match tonight.”

“What?” I tried to piece it together.

“She wants to cheer for Team USA.” He smiled, slapping me on the back. “Good job, brother.”

I laughed. “You have no idea what’s going on.”

“Sure don’t. But I like that you have a cheering section. Don’t screw it up.”

I shook my head. “I’ve got enough pressure on me today.”

But inside I was fucking ecstatic. I didn’t know what happened. I didn’t know how it all came out, but Eric knew. Reyna and Scott knew. And by the end of this night, I’d make sure Sierra knew too.

* * *

“This is match point,” Scott announced. He had the ball in the corner, spinning it between his fingers. He always did that when he was ready to go for the kill.

I felt bad for the Australians. They were getting ready to join the Italians in the losers’ bracket.

I planted myself by the net, ready to block or spike it if it came at me. The Australians liked to lob the ball, but with the game on the line I thought they might change their approach.

I looked up at the fans waving green and yellow flags on one side. The other side was the one that mattered to me. The Americans held bright red, blue, and white ribbons. It was easy to pick out Sierra next to Reyna in the crowd.

I adjusted my glasses. My fingers twitched. This was it.

Scott served the ball. The Australians bumped it up. I jumped, reaching high as I spiked the ball for a kill.

Scott jumped on my back, throwing me to the ground.

“That was badass,” he yelled. I could barely hear him over the cheering fans.

The entire arena had erupted in pandemonium. I fucking loved it.

“We’re moving on,” I yelled. “Next round!”

We hopped up, covered in sand and were immediately met with a reporter from Sports Now. She had questions about our first appearance in the Olympics. She wanted to know how we felt playing a double header.

I grinned, answering all her questions and letting Scott field what he wanted to me. We felt in sync again. All the mistakes from this morning were forgiven and forgotten.

Finally, she released us and we ran over to the first row of seats. Reyna leaned down to hug Scott like she always did. “You were awesome, babe.”

I looked up at Sierra.

“Hey.” She bit nervously at her lip, but I wasn’t going to let anyone second-guess what was going on here.

I scaled the side of the railing until I was on the first level.

“What are you—” My lips pressed over hers before she could say another word.

I groaned at the kiss, sliding my tongue along hers, twisting and twining as the kiss grew hotter by the second. My hands landed on her ass.

“Pierce,” she whispered.

“I don’t give a fuck,” I answered. My mouth was heavy on hers.

I knew there were cameras. I knew Scott and Reyna had stopped to stare at us. I knew Eric was somewhere shooting fake daggers at me. I didn’t give a shit.

I finally let go to take a breath.

“Everyone knows, Sierra.”

She closed her eyes. “I know. I told my brother.”

I raised one eyebrow higher than the other. “That’s a weird thing to tell your sibling.”

She shook her head. “Not like that. He was the reason I didn’t get the job. Well, you actually. He and Eric didn’t think I could handle you. And I called him out on it.”

I looked into her eyes. “And what do you think? Do you think you can handle me?”

I saw the look of determination. She chewed her bottom lip.

“I do.” She smiled.