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I'm thinking about Leo.
And I fucking hate it.
CHAPTER FIVE
LEO
Aria looks at me with a perplexed expression. “Is this the routine you and Delaney did together?”
I shake my head at her, attempting to conceal the contentment that settles over me. There’s a bite in her tone. If I didn’t know she didn’t like me, I’d question whether or not that was jealousy I hear in her voice. “Why would I do the same routine over again?”
She narrows her gray eyes. “I meant if this was the one you two were working on this year.”
“Oh.” I knew exactly what she meant. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to poke harder. If we are going to be forced to work together, I’m not going to make it easy on her. “No. This was one I asked her if she wanted to do, but the throw triple Axel made her a little nervous.”
“I want to do it.”
I bite back the smile that threatens to form on my lips. It's kind of fucked up, but I like seeing her like this. The determination is set on her facial features as she stares me down. She knows it was a routine Delaney and I were working on, so she wants to perfect it. She wants to rise to the challenge and be better. She's acting like she has something to prove and I admire that.
Aria knows she's one of the best figure skaters in the world, yet she doesn't let herself get comfortable with that position. It's something you have to constantly work on if you want to stay at the top. It's very easy to fall into the habit of thinking you will always remain at the top. That's not how things work in this sport. One competition could make or break your career. Aria Reed wasn't going to let anything get in the way of her and a gold medal.
"Can I make a small suggestion?"
Deciding not to be difficult, I shrug and nod. "Sure, let's hear it."
Aria begins to skate in slow motion, working through the things I showed her. I watch her and slowly move behind her. "When we get to this part in the routine, we skate together instead of in unison separately." She spins around to face me. "Follow my lead."
I'm a bit reluctant, but I do as she asks and I jump into the skating routine with her. We skate together, our hands clasped as we come around the turn. The way Delaney and I had practiced was without any jumps and we skated together during this part. I pull Aria close to me, before pushing her away. My hands slip from hers until just our fingertips are linked together. She slides her hand into mine and I use my body weight to generate momentum as I spin, swinging her around me.
Aria gets low to the ice, spinning around me. The tension is palpable in the air and Aria's long hair whips around her head. I pull her up and we both straighten out, skating together again with our arms outstretched. "I think we should add in a twist lift here," she tells me.
Excitement licks at my veins. I have no intention of stopping her from exploring her ideas for our routine. It was Delaney's and mine, but it isn't anymore. Now it belongs to Aria and me and she's intent on making it her own. The adrenaline courses through me, flooding my veins. My spine straightens and I nod as she looks back at me once more. We begin to skate around one end of the rink. We're moving in perfect unison. I drop my hands from hers and grab her hips.
"Are you ready?" I ask her as we set up the movement for the lift.
Aria nods. "Do it."
We move faster, still skating backward as I generate speed and lift her into the air. Aria crosses her ankles, drawing her arms into her body as she twists in the air. Her body is tight and firm, rolling three times before gravity begins to pull her back down to earth. I effortlessly catch her and drop her back down onto her skates. We don't miss a beat as we work through the rest of the routine, ending up in the center of the ice, both of our chests heaving as she wraps her arms around the back of my neck and we melt into each other.
The faint smell of her perfume invades my senses as I breathe her in. My chest rises and falls with every shallow breath. My lungs scream for oxygen but my body screams for something entirely different. Having her this close is literal torture. She’s the one person I shouldn’t want, yet my cock is constantly betraying me. That’s all it is—lust. There’s nothing more and there never will be. Aria is undoubtedly beautiful. I'm not blind, but I also know I can't let myself travel down that road with her again.
The music comes to an end and I abruptly let her go. Aria's eyes meet mine as she straightens herself, but the disappointment in her expression quickly vanishes. She gives me a small smile. "So, what did you think? Can we add that modification to the routine?"
My jaw clenches and my nostrils flare. It’s perfect. It’s exactly what the routine needs, which is why it can’t happen. If I give in to her, it’s only going to chip away at my resolve. How long until I’m giving her everything?
"I think it's better the way I showed you."
Anger flares in her irises as I turn, no longer facing her. "You can't be serious."
I skate away, choosing to not engage. It was a dick move and I instantly regret it, but I can't give in now. Doing our routine with the twist lift made it much better. I can't admit that to her, because if I do, I would essentially be saying she is a better skater than me and my pride will never let me do that. She might help me stay on top, but I won’t let her pass me.
“Leo, wait,” she calls out as she skates after me. She’s quick and I’m not moving that fast, so it doesn’t take much effort for her to catch up to me. Her soft, delicate hand reaches for my wrist and she pulls me back. "Stop being a fucking asshole."
I slowly turn around to face her, my head slightly tilting to the side. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," she snaps at me. Her grip tightens on my wrist and I don't bother removing her hand. I like how it feels there. "You know the routine is better with the twist lift. Do you want to say you came up with the idea? Is that what this is about?"
"I'm sorry?"
