Vaulting

By Megan Slayer

Vault for the gold or fall in love? What about both?

Dylan Parker wants nothing more than to win the gold. He's worked on his vaults long and hard to be the best. And he is...until the best, Aiden Conrad, shows up at his gym. What's a guy to do when the object of his affection also happens to be his stiffest competition?

Aiden's no slouch when it comes to competition. He's got more than a couple of medals under his belt, but finding love? That's his one weakness. When he meets Dylan, all bets are off. Dylan might be damn good on the vault, but is he just as good in bed? Aiden's next goal? Dylan.

Can these two hard-headed men find common ground and passion in each other's arms or are they destined to fail in the biggest competition of all—the game of love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pride Publishing
• Release date: May 10, 2013
• ISBN: 9781781843031

Megan Slayer

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and BDSM themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best author, best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com. When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

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A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

Vaulting

ISBN # 978-1-78184-303-1

©Copyright Megan Slayer 2013

Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright April 2013

Edited by Stacey Birkel

Total-E-Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2013 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 3.

This story contains 61 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book containing 6 pages.

VAULTING

Megan Slayer

Vault for the gold or fall in love? What about both?

Dylan Parker wants nothing more than to win the gold. He’s worked on his vaults long and hard to be the best. And he is…until the best, Aiden Conrad, shows up at his gym. What’s a guy to do when the object of his affection also happens to be his stiffest competition?

Aiden’s no slouch when it comes to competition. He’s got more than a couple of medals under his belt, but finding love? That’s his one weakness. When he meets Dylan, all bets are off. Dylan might be damn good on the vault, but is he just as good in bed? Aiden’s next goal? Dylan.

Can these two hard-headed men find common ground and passion in each other’s arms or are they destined to fail in the biggest competition of all—the game of love?

Dedication

For all those athletes who show the world true strength

Tabitha—thanks for the suggestions

SRB—you rock

JPZ—for you

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Olympics: The International Olympic Committee

Honda: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Cleveland Browns: Cleveland Browns, LLC.

Hallmark: Hallmark Cards, Incorporated

Chapter One

Eye of the tiger, baby. Dylan squared his shoulders and focused on the pommel horse. Stomp the horse. He puffed out a long breath and began his run. The muscles in his legs burned with each step. Own the horse. He jumped on the springboard and launched himself into the air. Arms straight and tucked tight to the sides of his head, he pushed off the table and went into the twist. He forced his gaze to the floor and finished out the flip.

Instead of landing on both feet, Dylan over-rotated the turn and ended up hard on his ass. Damn it. He pounded the mat with both fists and gritted his teeth. Stick the landing…all he’d had to do was stick the goddamned landing.

Footsteps slapped the mats behind him. Dylan sighed, ready for the verbal lashing from his coach.

You do realise you need more lift when you come off the springboard, right?

Not coach. A shiver ran the length of his spine. Dylan knew that voice. Aiden Conrad, star of the summer games and master of the vault. He squeezed his eyes shut. Coach would bring in a ringer to get the team to the finals.

Dylan?

He opened his eyes. Aiden.

Besides being a world-class vaulter, Aiden Conrad knew how to work his assets. The guy had swagger and a smile bright enough to light a full city block. He also happened to star in Dylan’s nightly fantasies. Five feet, seven inches of solid muscle filled out Aiden’s frame and thick black hair stood in perfectly mussed spikes on his head. He smiled all the time and never seemed to take anything seriously.

Aiden plopped down beside Dylan on the mat. Form looks great in the run, your launch off the springboard is fine, but you don’t have enough power in your arms. You need to get your body higher.

I’m working on it. Dylan attempted a smile. More practice.

Hit the weights harder. Build up that muscle so you’ve got the power. Aiden grinned. Took me a while, too.

Took him a while? Dylan suppressed a snort. Aiden had won his first gold by age nineteen and had added two more to the pile by the time he turned twenty-seven. He knew his stuff when it came to vaulting and he sure as hell made each vault look easy.

How do you like the Reach Institute? Aiden rested his elbows on his knees. Even in baggy workout pants and a warm-up jacket, he resembled a magazine model. I’m thinking about training here.

It’s a good place. Excellent equipment. Staff is great and the coaches make you work. Dylan nodded and worked like hell to keep his body from reacting to Aiden. He folded his hands over his crotch to hide his blossoming erection. You’ll be right at home.

Good. I wanted to be your teammate anyway. Aiden patted Dylan’s thigh, then stood. I’ll need an exercise partner. You free?

The wind rushed from Dylan’s lungs and he pressed his lips together to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. Be his teammate? No way. To show him up? Or help him out? The longer he stayed quiet, the more ridiculous he felt. He had to stop over-thinking things.

I’m sorry. Aiden waved both hands. I’m used to being forward. Don’t worry about it. The tops of his ears turned a brilliant shade of red and the colour bled to his cheeks. If you don’t want to—

I want to. Dylan cursed himself for sounding so eager, even if eager explained his feelings to a tee. I mean, I don’t have anyone to work out with and I’d like a partner… Wrong word. Shit. Workout buddy. Still sounded stupid. I mean… One more slip and Aiden would think Dylan was coming on to him.

I hear you. Aiden grinned. Tomorrow morning at five? Meet me in the locker room and we’ll get started.

Dylan nodded. You got it.

Aiden stuck out his hand and grasped Dylan’s palm. See you in the morning.

Dumbstruck, Dylan watched Aiden stroll away. Even when he walked, Aiden embodied grace and poise. Everything Dylan wanted to be, Aiden had