Free Penetrate: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (Alpha Athletes) by Violet Paige Page A

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.

    * * *
    “ T his 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