Fighting for Love (The Elite Book 3) Read online

  10

  Dane waited for Brooke to answer his question. He couldn’t believe she hadn’t considered the possibility that Susie would take her on. Why travel halfway across the world if you didn’t think you had a chance?

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  Disappointment flowed through him. The answer seemed to be obvious to him. If he had an opportunity to train with his dream coach, he’d do whatever it took to make it happen. He had, in fact. Sure, he’d only moved to a different state in Australia, not a different country like Brooke would have to. His family wasn’t that far away and he could get to them quickly if there was an emergency. He guessed it wouldn’t be so easy for Brooke if something happened to a member of her family.

  There was no doubt that he’d be happy if Susie took Brooke on, and Brooke decided to take her up on her offer. Brooke would then be close to him, enabling them to pursue what was growing between them. He couldn’t ignore how happy he’d been when he opened the door tonight and saw her standing there. He couldn’t ignore knowing there was more between them than a brief Olympic fling. He couldn’t ignore that he would’ve reached out to her if he’d known she was in Australia and hadn’t landed in the same housing accommodation as him.

  “I know what I’d do,” he started and then stopped. He couldn’t force what he wanted onto her.

  “I know what you’d do.”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Oh, yeah, and what’s that?”

  “You’d leap at the opportunity. And I know I should, too.” She sighed and her brow furrowed as indecision swept across her face. “But there’s so much to take into consideration.”

  “Your family, right?”

  “Yep. They’ve given up so much for me to follow my dream. I know they’d tell me to jump at it. But I’d be so far away from them. If Susie does offer to train me and I don’t take it up, I know my parents would be disappointed in me. They want to see me succeed as much as I want to succeed. I want this chance, I really do. But would the cost be worth it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, say I stay here, and then I don’t do enough to make the team. I’d have spent four years away from my family all for nothing.”

  “You don’t know that. It could be the best decision you’ll ever make.” And you’d be here with me and I would love that. He couldn’t voice his inner thoughts, though. This had to be her decision.

  “As childish as it sounds, I don’t want to think about it. I’ll make a decision when the time comes.”

  “I know you will, princess.”

  Dane rubbed a hand up and down her arm, not sure his words or actions were very reassuring. How could he really know how it felt to be a couple of oceans away from his parents and his best mates? Not quite the same as visiting a country and competing there. You always knew that in a couple of weeks you’d be heading back home.

  They sat there, on the lumpy couch, both lost in thought. A unity of peace surrounded them, and a sense of inevitability in the air, as though they were meant to be and everything would be okay.

  Since when had he become such a romantic? He’d sworn after the debacle with Therese and Daisy that he was going to be carefree, play the field and enjoy life. He’d done it for a few weeks, ended up with his picture showing up online in less than ideal situations. His father had taken him aside and told him to pull his bloody head in, stop the shenanigans, and it’s time to get back to doing what you’re good at. What his goal had always been—competing again in Rio.

  Rio came and with it, Brooke.

  Man, how he wanted her. With her plastered against his side, her warm breath brushing against his bare skin, fighting the yearning to have her again was useless.

  Dane stood and pulled Brooke up with him. Her hands landed on his shoulders.

  “What?” she asked.

  His answer was to grasp the back of her head, sinking his fingers into the silky tresses of her hair.

  “This,” he responded as he angled his head and captured her lips. He swallowed her moan as her mouth opened beneath his. There was only one place this evening was going to finish, and that was his bedroom.

  He broke their kiss and clasped her hand, leading her down the short hallway. Once in his room, he pulled her close again. As much as he wanted to tumble her back on the bed, Brooke deserved better than that. She deserved to be worshiped and that’s what he planned to do. But her words from the last time they’d spent the night together burned his brain. How she said they couldn’t sleep together again. That to do so would be the worse thing they could do to each other.

  Dane cradled her face and looked deeply into her eyes, taking in the slumberous look of desire and the gentleness of her smile. “I want you so much, Brooke. Please tell me you feel the same way.”

  Her whole body slackened against his, her arms reaching up to cup his face, like he was holding hers. “Yes. I want this. I want you so much, too.”

  Those words were all he needed to hear. He gripped the bottom of her sweater, lifted the soft wool, exposing her gorgeous lightly-suntanned skin, and had the garment off her in seconds. Her breasts were hidden by a lacy black bra, the nipples peaking against the fabric, begging for his touch. He needed to see if she had on matching panties so he quickly divested her of her jeans. The sight of the matching underwear left him breathless.

  Dane had no idea how he’d gotten so lucky to have this woman standing in front of him, but he wasn’t about to complain or question the fates. The only thing he planned on doing was grabbing this opportunity to worship Brooke again.

  He led her over to the bed and as she slid onto the mattress, he shucked his sweatpants, taking his boxer briefs off at the same time. His erection hardened even more at the vision of her lying on his bed. Taking in her sexy black lingerie and her hair spread invitingly across his pillow, Dane knew his life couldn’t get any better than it was right at that moment. He climbed up beside her, burying his face in the hollow of her neck, inhaling the lingering scent of her floral perfume.

  Heaven.

  He traced his lips along her neck, following a path down her chest until he reached her breasts. While he wanted to use his tongue to bring her pleasure, he restrained himself by following the lacy edge of her bra with his finger, the plump flesh quivering beneath the light touch.

  “Take it off,” she whispered arching her back toward him. “Take it all off.”

  Not needing to be asked twice, Dane reached around and with a flick of his wrist, unhooked her bra. She slipped her arms out and flung the fabric away while he deftly removed her panties.

  A small part of his brain remained cognizant enough to make sure he was protected before he lost his mind in all things Brooke.

  The alluring spicy scent of her arousal wafted toward him. With one hand he massaged her breast, while his other found the sweet wetness between her thighs. He stroked her, her hips chasing his fingers when he pulled them away.

  “I need you inside of me,” she moaned.

  “Soon, princess. Soon,” he murmured against her belly, the muscle jumping beneath his mouth. His hands gripped her hips as he kissed his way down to the juncture between her thighs where his hand had just been.

  The first stroke of his tongue had him moaning as loudly as Brooke. Her taste was intoxicating. He couldn’t get enough of it. He loosened his hold on her hips and concentrated on bringing her to her first release. Her fingers gripped his head, holding him close as they kept true to his silent vow and adored her with his tongue, before inserting two fingers inside of her, pumping slowly in and out. Her ragged breathing sounded loud in the room. He wanted to hear her scream, so he increased the pressure of his tongue and fingers. A second later her inner muscles quivered their release and she shouted his name out.

  Without thinking, he moved up her body and thrust into her deeply. He pulled almost all of the way out, then plunged right back in. He kept up a steady motion. Brooke’s body pulsed around him, drawing him toward his own climax.
He couldn’t hold off any longer. With one last thrust, he shouted out her name and spilled his release in her, vaguely aware of Brooke crying out again as a second climax overtook her.

  He collapsed on top of her, short of breath, as if he’d just completed the quickest 400m swimming race ever. Only lying with Brooke in his arms was so much better than any race he’d ever competed in.

  He never wanted to let her go.

  * * *

  The sun beat down on Dane's back as he lay in the soft sand. He was glad he’d suggested a trip to the beach. He looked to his left where Brooke lay face down on the towel, her head resting on her crossed arms, eyes closed, and her head turned toward him, enjoying the late spring sunshine. If she was sleeping, he wouldn’t be surprised. After waking her up with kisses, he’d showed her again how happy he was she was in Australia.

  The day was warm, perfect for the beach. A slight breeze ruffled the ocean. He noticed a pink tinge kissing her shoulders. He reached out to brush his fingers across her smooth flesh, and goose bumps bubbled beneath his touch. Her eyes slowly opened, a sexy, slumberous look highlighting them. In response, his stomach hollowed out like she’d punched him in the solar plexus. Not to mention his cock twitched to life again.

  "What?" She muttered.

  "We should probably go. You're getting sunburnt.”

  “You could always rub lotion onto my shoulders.” She winked at him. Images of his hands rubbing into slippery suntan cream over her did nothing to reduce his growing erection. “I see that idea appeals.”

  Dane laughed and lay back down on the sand, keeping his hand resting lightly on her back. “Everything about you appeals to me.”

  “How long have we been here?”

  He shrugged, even though she couldn’t see him as she’d closed her eyes once again. “Don’t know. Time is irrelevant when you’re at the beach.”

  “If only the rest of our lives could be free of time constraints.”

  “Unfortunately, time is a ruling bitch. You can’t go through the whole of your life ignoring it. No matter how much we want to.”

  “Way to put a dampener on the day, Parkland.”

  Her words were muffled so he couldn’t tell if she was being serious or sarcastic. Deciding lightening the mood was called for, he sat up, leaned over and tugged her arm from beneath her head.

  “Hey,” she protested. “I was comfy.”

  “One last swim?”

  Brooke sat up and his eyes were immediately drawn to the tiny scraps of material covering her gorgeous breasts. A dusting of sand marred the flesh and he wanted to reach out and brush them clear. Under his scrutiny, her nipples pebbled, jutting temptingly to him.

  Groaning, he reached over and grasped her shoulders, his fingers digging into her, before he pulled her close. All he could think about was tasting her again. It had been too long since he’d kissed her. The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers was an answering grin letting him know she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  The moment their lips touched, fire consumed him. His fingers itched to undo the knots at her neck and in the middle of her back, releasing the tiny top lovingly cupping her breasts. But that type of display on a public beach would see them both in trouble with the authorities.

  He broke their connection and sat back, his hands still touching her. “Swim?”

  “Yeah, might be a good idea.”

  Twenty minutes later, a swim in the cold ocean had tempered his ardor, but Dane knew the moment he got back to his flat he planned to peel Brooke’s bikini away and take her up against the door or the wall. He didn’t care. All he knew was instead of dwindling, every time he slept with Brooke his yearning for her increased. He couldn’t get enough of her. He only hoped it wasn’t one sided.

  He wrapped the towel around him and glanced over to where Brooke stood, towel in hand, her attention transfixed on him. Dane looked down to see what held her enthralled. The towel covered his semi hard cock. He hadn’t put his shirt back on, but this wasn’t the first time she’d seen him without a shirt.

  As he continued to watch, Brooke seemed completely oblivious to him watching her. He crossed his arms over his chest and almost groaned when a flash of pink peeked out from between her lips, wetting them, the action tempting him to kiss her. Not a good idea. He knew if he started kissing her, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

  “Brooke?” He spoke her name softly, so as not to startle her.

  Fascinated, he watched as she physically shook herself and dragged her focus back to his face. Her mouth opened, but no words were uttered. He chuckled softly. “Princess, if you’re not careful, I’ll be ravaging you right here on the beach.”

  A delicate rose hue inched its way up her neck, across her cheekbones. “As if I’d let you.”

  “Brave words, considering moments ago you were practically eating me alive with your eyes.”

  The blush in her cheeks intensified before she laughed. “I’m busted, aren’t I?”

  “You sure are.”

  Before he could suggest they get the hell off the beach, a girl about seven or eight rushed over and skidded to a stop in front of him, sand flying over the bottom of his legs. “Excuse me, but are you Dane Parkland?”

  Never one to ignore someone who wanted to talk to him, Dane knelt down until he was eye level with the child. “I am. What can I do for you?”

  The little girl looked over her shoulder and yelled. “I told ya, mum, it is him.”

  The next instant a woman came over to them. He stood, immediately on guard at the predatory look on the woman’s face. It had been a while since he’d been hit on in public. It always made him feel uncomfortable, and it was even worse with Brooke standing not four feet away.

  “Hi, Dane.” The woman practically purred at him, as if being on a first-name basis with a complete stranger was normal. “I wanted to say congratulations on winning all those medals in Rio.” Her fingers brushed against his arm. The mere touch of her fingers sent fissions of revulsion through him. He took a step back, her hand dropping away from him. This woman had no concept of personal space.

  “Uh, thanks.” What else could he say? Still standing near him was the woman’s young daughter. Anger filled him at the display her mother was putting on. A quick look around confirmed they were garnering unwanted attention.

  God, he hated this.

  Being a well-known sports star, fans coming up to him was a given. It’s just that after he’d been fooled by Therese, having his name and the paternity suit plastered across the headlines had been hard to deal with. Of course, winning in Rio thrust him back into the limelight he wanted to escape. While he didn’t mind genuine fans coming up to him, man-hungry single mothers weren’t the type of attention he wanted, especially with Brooke observing the whole episode unfold in front of her.

  A warm arm slid around his waist. He knew that touch. He leaned toward it.

  “Honey, are you ready to go?”

  He relaxed a fraction and directed his attention from the single mother to Brooke. He’d expected to see speculation in her gaze. Instead what he found was warmth, compassion, and understanding. Without giving it a conscious thought, he dropped a kiss on top of her hair.

  “Yep, more than ready to go.” Dane turned his attention to the little girl. “It was great to meet you.” He nodded to her mother and then, with his arm wrapped securely around Brooke, he walked up the beach and away from the unsavory encounter.

  “Does that happen often?” Brooke asked as they slid into his car.

  “Sometimes. Although it’s been a while since I’ve been accosted by a single mother. I kind of hoped that, being away from my hometown of Melbourne, I’d have a little more anonymity here. But this is Australia and we love our Olympic swimmers.”

  The light musical tone of Brooke’s laugh warmed him. “Modest much?”

  Dane removed a hand from the steering wheel and placed it on her leg, his fingers brushing the sandy, ex
posed flesh. “Believe me, I’d rather not have situations like what just happened on a regular basis. Once bitten and all.”

  And he wished he could grab those words back. He’d not mentioned at all to Brooke the paternity fiasco he’d gone through just months before the Games. But he couldn’t snatch them back now. He needed to face the consequences and he knew there would be some. If she’d made a comment like that, he’d jump all over it.

  “I sense there’s a story there.”

  A surprisingly mild response, but beneath the words, the tone suggested it was a subject she wouldn’t let go of easily.

  There was only one way to handle this, dive head first into the pool, like he’d always done and hope he came out a winner.

  “I’ll tell you over dinner.”

  11

  With a final swipe of the mascara wand over her lashes, Brooke stood back and examined herself in her bathroom mirror. A slight tinge of red highlighted her cheeks and the tip of her nose, the remnant of their day at the beach.

  Her stomach dipped as she remembered what had happened at the end of their beach visit. Poor Dane. How many times had he been hit on like that? Clearly a lot, if his comment in the car was anything to go by. What had happened to him? And was she going to like what he had to tell her?

  Brooke placed a hand over her churning stomach. She had no idea why she was so nervous about the upcoming conversation she and Dane were going to have over dinner. Instinct told her that whatever he was going to say wasn’t good. She’d caught the look of desolation etched into his face as he spoke the words Once bitten and all that. He’d made her want to reach out and comfort him. In that moment, she acknowledged what she’d been trying so hard to deny—she was in love with Dane. If he hurt, she hurt. Her fervent wish was that what he was about to tell her wouldn’t taint her feelings.

  “Stop it,” she admonished herself.

  Everyone had a past, some more colorful than others. Hers was bland. With her focus totally on her diving, relationships had taken a backseat. She’d indulged in short affairs. If they appeared to be getting too serious, she always broke them off. Which made this situation she now found herself in ironic. For so long she’d fought to keep herself free of commitments and now she was involved with a man who lived half a world away. A future between the two of them would be a challenge. But if she got offered a chance to be coached by Susie, would she jump at it now because of Dane?