Irresistible Passions by Diana DeRicci

 
    Chapter One
     
    The slap of the blue rubber ball reverberating through the enclosed hardwood court was echoed immediately by a deep male grunt as Troy crushed it into the corner for a hard volley return.
    A hissed “Shit” and a leap were Angel’s, his game partner’s, next reaction as the rubber ball came rocketing toward him. Michelle laughed as the ball careened defensively off Angel’s racket in a wild upward arc.
    “Point!” Michelle called.
    Gasping, Angel bent at his waist to hold himself over his knees. “Prick. What was that?” Sweat poured off his face and down his body, drenching his workout tank.
    Troy slapped his buddy on the back, grinning madly. “Me winning the game.” The ball bounced and rolled toward them from the upper wall seam.
    Michelle ripped her goggles off. “Good game guys.” Bouncing the ball with the net of her gray steel racket, she worked it off the ground to catch in her palm. With the wristband on her arm, she dabbed at her face and cheeks.
    Troy grinned huge over Angel’s back, winking at their instructor. Michelle was a riot. Full of energy, not to mention hot as noon in August. Troy knew he was half in love with her. Angel was just as sunk. What wasn’t there to love? She was a knockout on legs, beautiful inside as much as she was outside. She worked at the club giving lessons, but he knew a lot of her time was volunteering with the kid’s sports programs at the community rec center. It was because of her and her efforts that half of Ashmount’s underprivileged kids knew how to play basketball, baseball, and soccer.
    An elbow in his ribs made him grunt. Glaring, he faced Angel.
    You’re staring, he mouthed. Troy hadn’t even realized Angel had stood.
    Holding out a hand, he said, “Good game yourself, Teach.” He did his best to ignore Angel.
    Her hand clasped his, not at all embarrassed by the sweat. She was feminine but a long cry from being a girly-girl, at least under these circumstances. Thinking back, he’d never seen Michelle in a position to be a coddled woman at all. Was it a crime that he and Angel wanted to be the first? That they both wanted the woman for themselves? She deserved a man who would love her for all the wonderful things inside of her. Lucky for her, she had two… If they could just find a way to get the ball rolling.
    “Not bad yourself,” she replied, shaking then letting him go. “See you two next week. Have a great weekend.” With a final goodbye, she crouched and crawled through the racquetball tunnel, vanishing like a puff smoke. Or their hottest fantasy. Squeaks of rubber on coated wood and hard grunts were very audible from the court next to theirs now that they were done.
    “Great job, asshole,” Angel bitched. He punched Troy in the shoulder. “You were supposed to ask her.”
    Troy rubbed his shoulder, frowning at his best friend. “And I will. She’s hot and tired. Give her a few to come down from this.” Troy jerked his chin. “Come on. Let’s go clean up. We’ll catch her before she leaves.”
    Scooting through the same tunnel, they were soon walking down the hall to the men’s locker room. “What do you think happened to her?” Angel asked quietly as he stripped next to Troy.
    Troy shook his head. “I haven’t a clue, but for her to be so cautious, you know it had to be bad.” She wasn’t ever forward with either man, and she walled herself up better than a mummy in a crypt if either of them made any kind of effort to get to know her more personally, at least during business hours. They both hoped their plan for the evening met with a warmer reception than their attempts so far. Dinner was a leap above and over their game schedule with her, but it was the least threatening thing they’d been able to think of to sway Michelle into spending time with them.
    Angel agreed silently, wrapping a towel around his waist. “Hey, let’s hit the sauna before we shower.”
    “Don’t you think we’ll miss her?”