Balance (Off Balance, #1)

by Lucia Franco

"Any coach who has been coaching for ten years and says he never fell in love with an athlete or vice versa is lying." —Anonymous

The man could spout off twenty different business transactions from the top of his head, but he couldn't retain a few facts about his daughter.

All the air left my lungs. His powerful presence demanded attention, and without a doubt, he had all of mine.

Despite his good looks, he acted like a total ass, and that was something I wasn't used to.

And the best part was it was all natural muscle from years of training, not the steroid-induced kind of shit.

"Ana, we're paying a lot of money for this ridiculous hobby of yours. Don't make us regret it."

L mom.

There was nothing exotic about an American dialect. We didn't roll our R’s the way Russians did. It would come off as a speech impediment if anything.

Note to self: His default personality is dick. Got it.

"Your eyes…" I whispered, "they’re beautiful." The corners of his mouth curled up, his full lips twisting into a grin.

"Do you think you are the first gymnast to show wear and tear on their hands from bars, malysh”

He was cocky and I liked that. I liked how he wanted to be a step above other coaches. It's what set them apart.

His thumb caressed the side of my face. "And you are no child, not to me at least."

With that being said, in this moment, I could fully understand why some of those forbidden relationships were acted upon.

He turned my hand over and inspected them, his thumb delicately running in circles on my palm. "Sorry about these." Then he turned his back to me and left, leaving me speechless. It was then I realized Kova had a thickand hard erection.

He groaned low under his breath. "Do not do that." "Do what?" "Look at me the same way I am looking at you."

I was purely infatuated with him.

"After a workout, my body is weak, and my control sucks, Ria. I have no control now," and then he slammed his mouth to mine.

"Like you are hurting, upset. It…" he stammered, "affects me more than I care to admit."

"You are not making this any easier." Then he strode toward me and crushed his lips to mine.

"Deny it all you want and go home to fuck your girlfriend, Kova."

"You are my greatest weakness. From the moment I set eyes on you, I have been fighting my attraction."

"You are so beautiful it hurts. You hold yourself together even during the toughest times. You are a force to be reckoned with, something no one will see coming."

"People don't take lightly to rape. And everyone believes a girl who cries rape."