Read Online Between Heats (Downtown Aquatics Book 1) by Laney Castro - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Laney Castro
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awake?”
He simply nodded, and she let out another laugh. She thought
wryly that she wouldn’t be able to walk out easily this time now that he’d
caught her. And yet she didn’t mind anymore. “We should get up now, though,”
she murmured.
“Five more minutes?” Aaron asked, looking into her eyes.
“Please?”
She sighed. “Well, I do need to take another shower…”
Aaron smiled, his lips on her neck. “I’ll take what I can.”
Finally, it was Madison’s insistent reminder that he had to
get to the aquatic center that sobered Aaron up. He poured two quick bowls of
cereal for both of them, insisting on driving her to her apartment, but she
didn’t want to give in.
“I don’t have anywhere else to be this morning. I’m in no rush;
I’ll be fine,” she assured him, playfully tugging a lock of his dark hair. “But you’ll be late.”
“All right,” he agreed reluctantly. “I’ll be out of the pool by
9. How about we do brunch?”
Madison smiled slyly. “Aren’t you tired of me yet, hotshot?”
“I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t give up until he gets what he
wants,” Aaron reminded her, taking a step closer.
But she agreed, and Aaron found himself too pumped up for
training. On most days he was a machine, conditioning himself one day at a
time. Hitting his stroke rate. Mastering his drills. Perfecting his turns.
Keeping himself streamlined. Shaving seconds off his
time through a carefully-designed regimen. But that
morning, instead of taking extra time to warm up after his two-day rest, he
exploded with a jump start and went through his laps like there was a record to
beat; meter after meter of raw power fuelled by the thought of her eyes, her
skin, her lips.
When Madison went home to her small and cramped apartment in
Little Tokyo, she thought she was all ready to pass out and sleep the rest of
the night off without dinner. Her supposed typical midday shift at the Common
Grounds wasn’t so typical at all. It was as if there was a convention nearby
and the place was packed more than usual. She overheard a couple of bearded
guys in plaid shirts complain that the place has become too popular for them,
but they stayed anyway. They also ran out of beans in the grinder so she had to
go out back and get a whole bag since no one else would do it. When the crowd
thinned just as her shift was ending, she was asked to extend to cover for an
absent Sandra. She didn’t really complain since it was extra money, and she
hoped this meant she and Sandra were now even.
But the truth was,
she was too keyed up to relax. She couldn’t help but think about how extremely
well last night—and this morning—went with Aaron. Now she couldn’t
stop thinking about him and his hot body, and the way they were in tune with
each other’s needs. She felt herself flushing at the thought of seeing him
again, and that surprised herself .
Early on she knew nothing in life was permanent, and that she
had to keep moving if she had to make sure she still had a job by day and then
make it to a casting call somewhere. If she wanted to pursue acting full-time
and secure her career, she needed to do a lot more than just brewing coffee and
looking pretty in front of the cameras.
Maybe she didn’t have any plans in going further than one night
with Aaron, but she wanted to see more of him. Heaven knows she wanted more.
But doing so added variables she might not be able to control, and uncertainty
wasn’t an option at the moment. At least for her.
Madison was still deep in thought when her phone started
ringing. Thinking it was Aaron, she excitedly sat up
and took out her phone from her bag. Only to see someone else’s initial on her
screen. She had to talk to him sooner or later.
Fuck.
She took a breath before answering the call.
“Finally. You’ve been dodging my calls lately,” the low,
familiar voice said by way of greeting.
“I’ve been busy. There was that Stroke catalog shoot I
He simply nodded, and she let out another laugh. She thought
wryly that she wouldn’t be able to walk out easily this time now that he’d
caught her. And yet she didn’t mind anymore. “We should get up now, though,”
she murmured.
“Five more minutes?” Aaron asked, looking into her eyes.
“Please?”
She sighed. “Well, I do need to take another shower…”
Aaron smiled, his lips on her neck. “I’ll take what I can.”
Finally, it was Madison’s insistent reminder that he had to
get to the aquatic center that sobered Aaron up. He poured two quick bowls of
cereal for both of them, insisting on driving her to her apartment, but she
didn’t want to give in.
“I don’t have anywhere else to be this morning. I’m in no rush;
I’ll be fine,” she assured him, playfully tugging a lock of his dark hair. “But you’ll be late.”
“All right,” he agreed reluctantly. “I’ll be out of the pool by
9. How about we do brunch?”
Madison smiled slyly. “Aren’t you tired of me yet, hotshot?”
“I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t give up until he gets what he
wants,” Aaron reminded her, taking a step closer.
But she agreed, and Aaron found himself too pumped up for
training. On most days he was a machine, conditioning himself one day at a
time. Hitting his stroke rate. Mastering his drills. Perfecting his turns.
Keeping himself streamlined. Shaving seconds off his
time through a carefully-designed regimen. But that
morning, instead of taking extra time to warm up after his two-day rest, he
exploded with a jump start and went through his laps like there was a record to
beat; meter after meter of raw power fuelled by the thought of her eyes, her
skin, her lips.
When Madison went home to her small and cramped apartment in
Little Tokyo, she thought she was all ready to pass out and sleep the rest of
the night off without dinner. Her supposed typical midday shift at the Common
Grounds wasn’t so typical at all. It was as if there was a convention nearby
and the place was packed more than usual. She overheard a couple of bearded
guys in plaid shirts complain that the place has become too popular for them,
but they stayed anyway. They also ran out of beans in the grinder so she had to
go out back and get a whole bag since no one else would do it. When the crowd
thinned just as her shift was ending, she was asked to extend to cover for an
absent Sandra. She didn’t really complain since it was extra money, and she
hoped this meant she and Sandra were now even.
But the truth was,
she was too keyed up to relax. She couldn’t help but think about how extremely
well last night—and this morning—went with Aaron. Now she couldn’t
stop thinking about him and his hot body, and the way they were in tune with
each other’s needs. She felt herself flushing at the thought of seeing him
again, and that surprised herself .
Early on she knew nothing in life was permanent, and that she
had to keep moving if she had to make sure she still had a job by day and then
make it to a casting call somewhere. If she wanted to pursue acting full-time
and secure her career, she needed to do a lot more than just brewing coffee and
looking pretty in front of the cameras.
Maybe she didn’t have any plans in going further than one night
with Aaron, but she wanted to see more of him. Heaven knows she wanted more.
But doing so added variables she might not be able to control, and uncertainty
wasn’t an option at the moment. At least for her.
Madison was still deep in thought when her phone started
ringing. Thinking it was Aaron, she excitedly sat up
and took out her phone from her bag. Only to see someone else’s initial on her
screen. She had to talk to him sooner or later.
Fuck.
She took a breath before answering the call.
“Finally. You’ve been dodging my calls lately,” the low,
familiar voice said by way of greeting.
“I’ve been busy. There was that Stroke catalog shoot I
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