Irresistible Passions

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?” Troy copied his friend with the towel.

“I doubt it. Didn’t she say she had one more class after our lesson?”

Troy went still, remembering to earlier that day, then relaxed feeling secure again. “Yeah, I think she did. We have about forty-five minutes then.”

With a nod, they both ambled to the saunas. Peeking through a glass panel on one door, Troy startled. “Whoa.” He gave Angel a fidgety glance. “She’s here and she doesn’t look happy.”

Angel gave him a light shove. “Then we need to be the friends she needs. Dude, we have to start somewhere, or she’s never going to believe we give a shit.”

Troy hesitated. “True.” Drawing in a deep breath, he opened the door and sauntered in, followed closely by Angel.

* * * *

Michelle sank onto the steam soaked wood, sighing loudly. She was so glad she’d asked Carol to take over today’s spin class. She knew it was going to be hard when she’d agreed to teach Troy and Angel the finer aspects of racquetball, but she’d managed. She just hadn’t expected it to
remain
that way. As in, every session she was with them.

Come on, girl. They’re younger than you. They’re two hot, young men and you have no reason to be thinking one thing about either of them. Or both.
She continued to chastise herself, but it really didn’t help. Even a dead person would be attracted to them. They were a package, each too gorgeous for their own skin, but together… Oh, heaven help her. She rocked her head side to side on the tile behind her, silently berating herself. She doubted either of them saw her as more than their instructor. She was at least six years older than either of them, anyway. Not that she’d be able to act on any feelings she carried, but being near the two hotties always sent arousal humming through her blood.

Sweeping her hair back, she ignored the caked feeling the sweat from her game had left behind. She’d shower before she left for the day.

Carefully moving her towel edges aside, she followed the jagged scar under her arm with her gaze. It ran from the side of her breast to just above where her kidney would be. At least, if she still had a whole one. Shuddering, she just as quickly hid it away again. That was why she knew better than to think she could be with anyone again. She wasn’t insecure, not because she was scarred, or disfigured. That wasn’t even enough to hit her radar. Closing her eyes, the pain of the attack swamped her.

She’d celebrated the one year anniversary just the week before and vats of the pain, emotional and otherwise, lingered. Some celebrated anniversaries of weddings, deaths to remember loved ones, or even smaller events, like first dates. Michelle celebrated when her ex-husband had been arrested for attempted murder. The court date was superfluous. The sentencing, just a final exclamation point.

No, the one thing that made her feel safe was remembering waking up in the hospital and being told by the detective on duty that Bryan had been arrested for attempted murder. There were other charges involved, but Michelle honestly hadn’t cared then, and she didn’t care now.

Clenching her jaw, she sucked air, pushing the memories away. She’d only returned to lessons part time a few months before. She’d spent a lot of time doing light coaching for the rec center, to be outside, to be with people. She adored the kids. Thankfully, Bryan hadn’t pushed for any. The last thing she wanted would be for a child to have to suffer to his maniacal behavior.

Running her fingers under her eyes, she swept away seeping tears. She knew deep down, she wasn’t to blame in the least for his actions. He’d been bi-polar and no one had known it. But regardless, the reality of what happened to her made it hard to let anyone in again, to care enough to let herself love. She’d been wrong in catastrophic proportions with Bryan.

No, stop it. The doctor told you it was all him. You couldn’t have known how bad his swings would be.
Michelle had never seen him snap like he had that day, either. Not once. One minute they were talking over their day, the next he was straddling her on the floor, accusing her of cheating on him.

She’d never seen the butcher knife he’d hidden until it was too late. It had only been her bloodcurdling scream that had saved her. The neighbors in the apartment next to them heard the scream and the ensuing shouts as she’d fought for her life. It was the only reason the knife hadn’t been a through the chest killing shot. She was grateful to this day that the ambulance had been so quick.

Or she’d be dead.

She heard the latch to the sauna door open and quickly wiped her fingers on her towel, not looking in the newcomer’s direction. She moved over a few inches when they sat immediately on her left. She gasped when another person sat at her feet on her right. Blinking, she focused on two known smiles. And relaxed.

“Hi guys. What are you doing here?” She swallowed when her voice sounded husky in her ears. Michelle didn’t bother to point out that they were in the women’s sauna. They would’ve seen the signs outside. It just happened the women’s was across the hall from the men’s.

“We could ask you the same question,” Angel said, turning to rest his arm on the shelf above him where she sat. Resting his chin on it, he grinned lightly. “Playing hooky?”

She shrugged, wondering what they were doing. “Sort of.”

Troy lifted the water scoop and dumped three on the heated lava rocks, filling the room with fresh steam. He groaned as he stretched, flexing his back and sides with long pulls. It was impossible not to watch him. Slick skin rolled with the muscles beneath, the moisture building into a sheen on his body. Michelle turned away before she could be busted for anything.