Page 40 of Sunflower Persona (Classic City Romance #2)

Gage

S parring passes by in a blur. Coach David barks orders, and my body follows on instinct, but the words don’t stick in my mind.

How could they when Yellow occupies every one of my thoughts?

I’m so distracted that Nathan manages to kick my ass during a few rounds, but I take those losses with a smile on my face—a smile that has gotten more than a few odd looks from other students in the class.

I’m still fucking smiling when Coach calls the class to an end and dismisses us.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Karis probes as we step off the mat.

“Isn’t it obvious, Kare Bear? Our boy got laid,” Nathan says with a grin.

“Shut up,” I growl, but he isn’t wrong.

“James is dying to know how the surprise went,” Morgan adds.

“Things went really good,” I say, and my face grows hot as the memories of everything we did together at my apartment resurface.

Once wasn’t enough. We fucked again after breakfast and again before I took her home that evening.

After that first orgasm, she was insatiable.

I can’t believe I was the first-ever person to get her there, but that knowledge fills me with pride.

Her orgasms are all mine. I’m the only man who will ever see the way her nose scrunches up as her release rocks through her.

The men she’s been with before are asses for depriving her of that, but in a weird way, I’m glad they were selfish pricks.

I’m glad this is something that’s special between the two of us.

As the night progressed, she grew more comfortable with the idea of me doing things for her pleasure, but to my disappointment, she didn’t let me eat her out.

I didn’t want to pressure her, so I dropped it after she said no, but one of these days, I’ll sink my tongue into that delicious cunt of hers and show her what she’s been missing.

“She loved it. Thank her again for me,” I say in a rush, stumbling over my words.

“Just make sure to wash the blankets before you return them,” Morgan says with a knowing smirk.

“Wait, what surprise?” Nathan asks.

“Nothing,” I grunt.

He rolls his eyes and looks at Morgan expectantly.

“Gage did a special sleepover date night for Kori and asked James and me for a little assistance getting it set up.”

“And you didn’t include me?” Genuine disappointment flashes over Nathan’s features.

Goddamn, my friends are way too invested in my love life. They need hobbies—or girlfriends—although having James around hasn’t made Morgan any less meddlesome. She’s nosier than he is. At least they care. I’ll take their overbearing involvement over superficial bullshit any day of the week.

“Sorry, man, you lost opinion privileges after you screwed me over with that whole fancy date suggestion.”

“That suggestion was fucking great.”

“Yeah, well, Kor hated it. I’m lucky she was willing to give me a second shot, or things between us would have fizzled out then and there.”

Before he can snap back with some undoubtedly stupid retort, Coach David approaches our group.

His presence alone is enough to have my friends biting their tongues and falling into line, showing more respect to him than they’ve ever given each other.

Hell, my spine straightens, too, as I wait for him to speak—it doesn’t matter that I’ve known him longer than anyone else in this gym.

“Maher, can I see you in my office?” he asks.

Fuck.

I’m about to get fired. I can feel it in my bones.

If only I knew why.

Memories of the past week flash through my head in rapid succession, and nothing stands out as fireworthy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t coming.

Maybe Coach finally realized I’m the wrong fucking man to run a whole program.

I’ve been saying it since day one. There are others here far more deserving of the role than me.

Swallowing back my unease, I follow him to his office. My friends reanimate once we are out of earshot, whispering to each other with what is surely childish glee. If Coach wasn’t two steps in front of me, I’d flip them off for their troubles.

The small office is tucked away in the weight room.

Unlike the one I share with the other coaches, David’s space is kept in perfect order.

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been in this office over the past decade.

This is his space, and being in it is reminiscent of being called to the principal’s office.

He sits behind the pristine desk—there isn’t so much as a paperclip out of place—but I don’t take the seat across from him, instead choosing to lean against the door as if my heart isn’t going wild in my chest.

“What’s up?” I ask with a casualness I don’t feel.

“Sit down, Gage. This feels like a disciplinary meeting with you hovering there.”

“Is it not?”

“Should it be?” he asks, the challenge clear in his tone.

“No. Sorry, I’m just on edge.” I push down my nerves and follow his instructions.

“You’ve been on edge since the day I met you.” He lets out a fond chuckle and shakes his head. “What you’ve never been before is distracted. But these past few weeks, it’s like your head has been in the clouds. Want to tell me what that’s about?”

Goddamnit. The last thing I need is another motherfucker poking around in my love life. My thoughts drift back to my woman, and my lips curl into a grin.

“See. That dopey-ass smile right there. That’s what I’m talking about. I’ve known you for almost twenty years, and I’ve never seen you smile like that.”

“I’m seeing someone.” My face grows hot with the admission.

“Someone I know?”

It takes a second for the true meaning of his words to set in.

“No. She’s got no affiliation to the gym. I know damn well you’d tear me a new asshole if I started something with a member.”

There is no official rule forbidding coaches from dating members here as long as everyone involved is a consenting adult, but Coach isn’t afraid to voice his opinions on the matter.

I’ve heard it a million times over the years.

He thinks it’s a bad idea, and I agree. The risk of there being a power imbalance is too high, and that means things could end badly for all involved or paint Double Teep in a bad light.

Even without the potential for power imbalance, it could still create a bad environment.

Gym relationships normally end with someone leaving.

Normally, it’s the party least committed, and in cases with coaches, it’s always the student who sees the door.

I don’t think I could start something with someone affiliated with the gym, even if I wanted to.

That rule has been drilled into my head since I was a teenager.

It’s almost offensive that Coach thinks I’d go against him now, but I get his need to do his due diligence. I would, too, if I were in his shoes.

He starts to relax when I realize it isn’t the entire truth. Kori might not be related to the gym now, but she has been by.

“Well, actually…” I start, and his back goes rigid.

“Which is it? Is she affiliated or not?”

“She did a trial lesson and hated every second of it, but we knew each other before that. Honestly, I think she showed up as an excuse to see me, not because she had any real interest in the sport.”

“You know damn well that isn’t what I mean,” he says as he sinks back in his seat. “I’m happy for you. She must be something special to put up with your stubborn ass.”

“Yeah, she is one hell of a woman.”

“When can I meet her?”

“You want to meet her?”

“Of course I do. Alison will too. She’s been asking about you, and the girls would love to see you. I swear all they talk about these days is ‘Coach Gage.’ Come over for dinner and bring your woman.”

After all these years, you’d think I’d be more comfortable with David and his wife’s attempts at building a more personal relationship outside the walls of the gym, but the idea has never sat right with me.

He’s been my mentor for nearly two decades.

To take that clear-cut relationship and try to change the dynamic now is a recipe for disaster.

Even then, I indulge him on occasion. They’ve done too much for me over the years for me to blow them off completely.

“Sure, but it will have to be after the school break.”

“Got plans with Karis and the others again?”

“No. I’m going to meet Kori’s parents.”

“It’s that serious already?”

“Yeah, I think it is.”

“Damn, then I definitely need to meet this girl. I’ll make sure your classes are covered that weekend. Focus on making a good first impression. I’m happy for you, kid,” he says as he stands, clapping a hand on my shoulder before leaving me alone in his office.

Kid .

I snort at the thought. Coach is only a few years older than me, but I swear sometimes he still sees me as the scrawny seventeen-year-old who begged him to take me under his wing.

He’s right that I need to worry about making a good impression, though.

I have no illusions that my relationship with Kori won’t come with a healthy heaping of criticism from people who don’t know us, but I’m hoping her parents can accept us—me—without too much disdain.

I know I’m not the man they dreamed she would bring home, but I will do everything in my power to keep her safe, happy, and loved for as long as she’ll have me. All I can do is hope that’s enough.