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My toe pick catches on the ice and I stumble, but only slightly thanks to Alex’s warm grip on my hand.
“And you’re an Olympic medalist and world champion,” I say quietly. “We’re not exactly playing in the same league, here.”
“No. But maybe we could be, if that’s something you want.”
We’ve made it around the ice twice now, and I can feel my legs loosening up. Again, I don’t know what to say. And that’s where we might have a problem, because so much of pairs skating is about trust and communication between partners. And if I’m so in my head over my crush on him that I can’t have a simple conversation, I don’t know how this is going to work.
I have to find a way to ignore this crush. Because I do want the opportunity to skate with Alex. Who in their right mind wouldn’t? He’s the best.
I glance up at him and I feel all hot and melty, like butter on a baked potato. He’s so much bigger than me, so broad and strong. He’s got these little lines that fan out around his eyes that deepen when he smiles.
Oh, and did I mention that he smells good? Because of course he does. Like very subtle, masculine cologne and a hint of soap.
Yep. Definitely ignoring that crush. Starting…now.
“I liked the short program you did last year,” he says easily. “The one to the Billie Eilish song.”
A flush creeps across my cheeks. “Thank you. I really liked that program, too.”
“I especially liked how well you interpreted the music. I could see the emotion on your face. That ability to really inhabit a program and convey the story and the emotions to the audience is something that’s important to me, and not something that comes easily to a lot of skaters.”
“I…” I swallow. I’d skated to “What Was I Made For?” and the words had really resonated with me. “Skating is my life,” I say, glancing up at him. He’s staring at me intently, as though he’s hungry for my words. “After the accident, I didn’t know if I’d be able to do it anymore. This thing that I felt like I was made for…could I still do it? There was so much doubt. Fear. Uncertainty. I went back to singles because I needed to stay on the ice, even if I wasn’t ready for another pairs partnership. So, when I was skating to that music for my short program, that’s what I was thinking about. Falling down and being uncertain, not really being happy skating singles…” I trail off, heat flushing my cheeks. “Anyway. That’s way more information than you asked for.”
“Do you think you’re ready now? For a new partnership?” he asks, little lines digging in between his brows.
“Maybe. I’m here because I want to see.”
He gives my hand another squeeze, sending heat racing through my body. “Brave girl.”
His praise ignites something inside me, and I grin at him. “Trying to be. Pairs is where my heart is. Singles can’t compete with the thrill of it, honestly.”
He stops and brings me around in front of him, moving my body with so much ease that it surprises even me. Then he takes both of my hands in his, peering down at me intently.
“In all of my time as a pairs skater, I’ve never dropped anyone. Ever. I watched the video of the accident, and it was Danny’s mistake.” He leans in closer. “I don’t make mistakes like that. Our sport has its risks, but I promise you, if you decide this is what you want, I will do anything and everything in my power to keep you safe.” A soft smile ticks up the corner of his mouth, and a lock of hair falls forward on his forehead.
I’m about to melt into a puddle right here in the middle of the ice. They’ll have to scoop me up with the Zamboni and stick me in a freezer just to put me back together.
“Now that you’re warmed up, why don’t we try a few moves?” calls Deb from the other side of the rink, yanking me reluctantly back to the present moment. “Let’s try a forward inside death spiral.”
Alex looks at me with one eyebrow arched, a silent question, and I nod. I can do this. I want to do this. He takes my hand and we start skating backwards together. I turn as he starts to pivot and gracefully lower myself closer to the ice, paying attention to the catch of my edge, the arch of my back, where Alex and I are connected as he grips my hand in his. After three rotations, I rise with Alex’s help, and Deb and Scott are both grinning from ear to ear.
It was flawless. I know it was. I felt it. And when I glance over at Alex, I can tell he felt it, too.
I lift my chin, pride and renewed confidence flowing into me.
And that confidence only grows over the next two hours as we skate together.
So does my crush.
The feeling of Alex so close, his body heat radiating against me, his big, strong hands on my body, on my hips, my thighs is enough to have me warm and breathless. The power and grace in his muscles as he moves makes me ache in an unfamiliar way. The smell of his skin as he holds me close and then effortlessly lifts me overhead makes my heart flutter in my chest. His grip is strong and sure on every lift, and I’m relieved to find I’m not scared.
I’m too horny to be scared, in all honesty. I can’t remember ever being wet during a training session. But I’m soaked. I can feel it. My pussy is aching from being so close to him, from having his hands on me, feeling the slide of his body against mine.
There are reasons I should say no, the biggest one being my out of control crush on my much older partner, the one I know I’m not going to be able to ignore, despite my earlier declaration. It’s probably a recipe for disaster. Or at least humiliation on my part. Just because I have a crush on him and Alex might be interested in skating with me doesn’t mean there’s anything more to it than that.
At the end of the training session, we’re both damp with sweat, cheeks flushed, muscles shaky and tired. But there’s a satisfaction in all that exertion, one I’ve never quite been able to recapture in singles skating.
Deb and Scott are deep in conversation, heads together, voices hushed. I skate to the edge of the rink where I left my water bottle and take a long drink. Alex does the same. Heat crawls through me as I watch his throat work as he drinks.
