Page 7 of The Stallion (Men Under Revue #2)

Bria

Twenty-One Years Old

Flying. Falling.

Like an angel losing its wings and being exiled to a life on the ground.

That’s what I imagined when I was thrown so high into the air that I felt as if I could touch every single cloud with the tips of my fingers before gravity pulled me back to where I belonged.

A rush came from being a flyer in cheerleading—being thrown around as if you weighed nothing. Light and airy—like a feather—even if only for a few seconds.

“Alright! Let’s fucking go, Bria!” Asher cheered at the top of her lungs as I nailed my basket toss with a toe touch and triple full-down stunt at the end of our routine.

Asher Leigh was my best friend, roommate, and unofficial hype girl. She had long, dark brown hair, similar to mine in length and volume, which she’d tied into a loose ponytail. She also had an adorable English accent to match her bubbly yet easily excited personality.

We attended Arizona-U together in Phoenix, but we’ve known each other for far longer.

Asher was my ride-or-die, from cradle to grave, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Practice is done for the evening. See you all at spirit night!” Tahlia shouted from across the field as we broke away from the group, finishing yet another exhausting day.

Tahlia was the current captain of the Savage Sirens, an All-Star cheer team that took names and trophies year after year. But we weren’t your typical All-Star team.

The Savage Sirens belonged to the Inclusive All-Star Association, IASA. We competed in a unique league that catered to teams consisting of college students and seasoned adults, ages eighteen to thirty.

There are currently twenty-three national teams competing in our division, and we’ve held the number three slot for the last three years.

I had always dreamed of taking over Tahlia’s position when she finally decided to step down—working my ass off with blood, sweat, and literal tears. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t give to become the new captain of this team.

“Oh my god, you should have seen that throw. I haven’t seen you catch that much air in months!” Asher gushed over the toss, hands waving in all directions as she spoke .

She talked with her hands a lot to express her words, which was one of my favorite quirks about her.

“And how many Celsius energy drinks did we consume today, Ash?” I teased with a bubbly giggle filled with sarcasm as I readjusted my deep red-brown hair into a fresh, messy bun.

Several strands had fallen from the last stunt I had performed and were getting in my eyes, along with the sweat from the scorching Arizona heat.

“Oh, come off it, Bria… Two—and a half, but I know my limit, I swear.” The two of us cackled with laughter as we made our way off the football field, our arms wrapped around each other’s waists.

“You know the label says limit two servings. ”

“And they say a serving of French fries is fifteen, yet you eat them as if there was a potato shortage.”

“Are you seriously comparing your caffeine addiction to French fries?”

“If it gets my point across—” Asher batted her lashes at me, her expression as sweet as sugar and enough to give you diabetes. “Did it?… Get my point across?”

“Girl, what the hell am I going to do with you…” I chuckled, biting the tip of my tongue and shaking my head.

“Feed me, love me, grant me copious amounts of Celsius, and—who the fuck is that?!”

My gaze followed the direction of her wide-eyed expression, mine almost a complete mirror to hers as my lips parted, and I found myself staring a little too intently.

Who the fuck is that, indeed …

Just as we had cleared the grass and were strolling across the running track that wrapped around the entire field, a gorgeous man stepped into our line of sight, and we froze dead in our tracks.

“Connor Harrison,” Tahlia whispered over our shoulders with smug glee. “Arizona-U’s newest quarterback.”

“I’m sorry, who?” Asher interjected, turning her head and arching her brow at Tahlia. “How do you know who he is?”

“Because I’m the cheer captain, and one of the perks of the title is meeting all the new players in every position, ” Tahlia emphasized the last two words, insinuating everything she wasn’t saying.

Everyone knew she was the team slut, and because we always managed to place in the top three, no one cared about her extracurricular activities. She was always up to something—or under someone.

Asher and I were carelessly shoved aside as Tahlia strutted her ass toward Connor, her hips and ponytail swaying with every overly exaggerated step.

“You know… I like her—but she has a problem.” Asher pondered, tapping her chin with her index finger.

She rested the other hand on her hip, tilting her head to the side as if a better angle would give her more clarity.

“We all have our vices, Ash. Just because hers is standing six-five and yours comes in a six-inch can doesn’t make them any different.”

“I can’t believe you’re encouraging—” She gestured a hand at Tahlia’s perfectly tanned backside as she stopped in front of the attractive football player. Most likely planning their next inappropriate rendezvous. “ That .”

“Oh, I’m not—just like I’m not encouraging you to slip something into her locker later this week.”

If there was one thing I had learned over my many years on an All-Star cheer team, it was that the competitive world was cutthroat, and to survive it, you needed to break a few rules— roll a few heads.

“You devious little bitch. I knew I liked you.”

“You’ve always liked me, Ash.”

“Yeah, but now I like you even more.”

Asher bumped my arm with her elbow, and with a sarcastic roll of my eyes, I turned us in the opposite direction of the two fuck buddies and steered us toward the gated exit through the center of the grandstands.

I couldn’t resist the broad smile that pulled so hard across my face it made my cheeks hurt.

I don’t know what I’d do without my best friend.

Spirit night was the one night every year that resembled a homecoming for All-Star competitive cheer teams.

I only ever went because Asher had this weird obsession with hooking up with the male cheerleaders of rival squads. I swear she got off on the drama she created by doing so, too .

“Beer!” Asher shouted over “Toxic” by Britney Spears, excitedly holding up two red solo cups as the music blared throughout the mansion-sized house.

This specific type of party was usually held in one of the banquet halls of a nearby event venue, but due to conflicts with the last one, we were now being hosted by one of the campus fraternities instead.

I didn’t mind the sudden change in atmosphere. It was cozy partying in a mansion-sized frat house with rooms to hide or fuck around in— not that I had intended on doing so… Asher, on the other hand—

The event organizers hired a DJ to up the mood, and I must admit, they weren’t half bad. I was prepared to stay an additional ten minutes longer than in previous years just to hear their tracks.

“And who are we bringing home tonight?” I smirked, taking my drink from my bestie’s outstretched hand and taking a long sip. I would need at least two more if Asher planned to keep me here for another two hours.

“As of right now? McHottie at the far end of the common room looks rather delicious this evening, don’t you think?”

“I think you’ve been binge-watching too many episodes of Grey’s Anatomy this week, McThirsty.”

“Okay, ew, cringe. It’s not as fun when you say it like that, you weirdo.”

Blowing me a kiss with a farewell hip-check, Asher bounced her perky little ass toward her next target, and I bowed my head with laughter bringing my cup to my lips .

Alone and becoming more bored as the minutes passed, I started scanning the room for someone to amuse me while Asher was off being entertained by some random guy— soon to be between her thighs if she got her way.

“Some party, huh?” I guess that’s one cliché way to start a conversation…

Releasing a heavy sigh, I turned around to see Mr. Six-Five standing right behind me—towering over me.

I could assume that Tahlia had brought him to this party, seeing as football was the wrong sport for the guest list, quarterback wasn’t a current cheer role, and—

“Connor, there you are!” And right on cue, there was Tahlia. “Hey, Bria! I didn’t see you there. Have you met Connor?” Oh, for the love of god… Her ‘ I’m better than you ’ attitude was really starting to get on my nerves.

I couldn’t wait to knock her down a peg—or off her entire fucking pedestal.

“I have—”

“On second thought, Tahlia, why don’t you grab us a few drinks, yeah?” Connor cut in, giving me a quick wink that I didn’t expect, and I furrowed my brows at the notion.

What are you up to, quarterback…

“Sure thing, I’ll be back in a minute!” Tahlia beamed like a dog receiving a treat for good behavior—I wouldn’t put it past her if she had a praise kink. She bit her lip as her eyes raked over his body before disappearing into the swarm of people.

That girl truly was something else—a bitch after a bone you could say.

“You didn’t—Hey!” Without warning, I was roughly pulled around the corner, Connor gripping my wrist tightly as he led me into the nearest closet and shut the door behind us. “What is your fucking—”

“Shh.” His finger was firmly pressed up against my lips, silencing me.

“Connor… Connor?” I could hear Tahlia’s muffled voice from the other side of the door as she called for him. The bass from the music made the walls and door vibrate around us. It felt as if we were in a sound booth. What the fuck was he doing?

“I can’t tell you how fucking annoying that woman is. I swear she’s been stalking me since I joined the team.” Ohhhhh… there it is. His whisper was a hiss, and I could hear just how agitated he was with her from his tone alone.

Rolling my lips together, I bit back the laugh that was just begging to be set free.

Tahlia the stalker—who would have thought?

It made a lot of sense actually, now that I had a moment to think about it—there was no way she’d managed to screw an entire football team just by her looks alone.

She was gorgeous by all means—with her jet black hair, sultry bedroom eyes, and incredibly toned physique—but Tahlia couldn’t be everyone’s type, surely. She had the personality of a fucking pancake.

When her voice had turned into nothing more than a low murmur, Connor removed his finger from my lips, and just as I was about to part them to speak, his mouth found mine.

His kiss was rough and demanding, but I fell into it anyway. Letting him and the moment take me away.

Connor quickly pulled back, breathless as he dragged a hand up the back of my neck.

“And I’ve wanted to do that since I saw you out on the field this afternoon.”

The quarterback and the cheerleader.

Such a cliché.

Who would’ve thought?