Ridley Holland has just lost the love of her life. She has no desire to return to the world of motocross, but she knows Teuvo would want her to continue. So she plays the part: an upcoming professional athlete with inevitable determination to domina...
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Teuvo
After a long day of training, I'm sitting in the backyard nursing a cold Corona with an excessive amount of lime. A weathered cooler sits next to my feet. It's full of a variety of drinks submerged in ice. There's a warm summer breeze coming off of the lake, smelling of musky sand and gasoline from the boats. Sunshine spills across the yard, warming me through my thin flannel. The lingering heat promises a scorcher of a summer. Outside of motocross, I can't wait for lazy days on the dock and afternoon drinking (in moderation, of course). Preferably with Ridley laying on her towel next to me in a bikini that covers the important parts...
I build a mental brick wall before I lose myself in the rabbit hole.
Sighing, I tilt my head back and close my eyes.
Saying today was a whirlwind is an understatement. Instead, it feels like life has hit me with a freight train. Lust or whatever the fuck I'm feeling for Ridley was not supposed to play ball with anxiety and homesickness. Yet life has hit me with everything in its arsenal. Canada is similar to Finland, but it's not home. Despite being an only child, I miss my family. My parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins—everyone. The comfort of my old house and the language I'm familiar with. I've always been able to speak English, but my accent is thick and it acts as a barrier. People find it difficult to understand me.
And then there're the complications Ridley and I have created. Had I known the girl from the club was her...
Don't fucking lie to yourself. Even if you knew, you would've fucked her. Again and again. Just like you did that night.
And there goes my mind down the rabbit hole.
Memories of our hookup invade my mind, attacking from every corner. Setting my beer down, I lean forward and drop my face into my hands, expelling a deep groan. Knowing who she is has nothing to do with the attraction I feel. And while she's enjoyable to look at, her looks aren't the reason I'm infatuated. Everything about her is perfect. From her attitude to her wit to her brains to her charm. Fuck, I don't even need the sex again. All I want to do is talk to her for hours upon hours under a blanket of stars while sitting next to a goddamned campfire. That would be enough for me. Maybe I'm a fool, but I'm a brooding, pining fool. If I were in a romance novel, Ridley would be all over me—if she reads romance novels, that is.
After rubbing my tired eyes, I lean back in my chair and grab the drink beside my foot. I take a long swig, wishing the alcohol would numb my mind. It's a foolish thing to hope for. Prior to this, I devoured an enormous meal with Caden. There were enough carbs in that pasta dish to sop up three days' worth of alcohol. I make a mental note to skip the meal next time and just get plastered.
Although I've been surrounded by campfire smoke, exhaust, and revving engines all day, sitting next to the campfire and hearing the waves coax the shore is soothing. In the distance, I can hear the hum of traffic travelling across the bridge between Kelowna and West Kelowna.
