Page 53 of My Last Dance

I tried to focus on working on my own footwork, but I kept glancing up at him to watch his progress.

After about twenty minutes of skating hard, he skated directly at the boards. His upper body tipped over the bench and the sound of heaving filled the air.

I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Serves you right for poisoning your body!”

His only response was to lift his hand and flip me off as his body continued purging last night’s poison.

_________

Tuesday morning, he was at the Barn before me, casually leaning against the doors with a hat slung backward over his hair, holding his stick and skates.

“Good morning,” I clipped.

A grin slid on his face. “G’Morning, Viper,” he drawled, and his deep voice made my heart waver in my chest. “Still mad at me?”

I stuck my chin up. “I’m always mad.”

He hung his head while I unlocked the door andpushed it open for us.

But that morning, he controlled the aux cord. I expected him to play one of his favorite bands, either Linkin Park or All-American Rejects. I was shocked when Jason Mraz’s voice crooned over the speakers, singing “I Won’t Give Up.” During the song’s chorus, I looked over at him and he was eyeing me like a kicked puppy. I almost laughed out loud in his face, but I could not break. He wasn’t done groveling yet.

The next morning, I started the session skating around to “Like a Boy” by Ciara.

“Really?” he burst out, pointing his stick at the music box. “I didn’t playyou, I playedme.”

I just shrugged.

He turned his back on me to work on some shots, but he didn’t hit the net a single time while the song played. I silently snickered the whole time.

The next day, John Mayer’s voice sang “My Stupid Mouth” through the speakers.

On Friday, when I played “U + Ur Hand,” he finally broke.

“That’s it!” He burst out. He dropped his stick and gloves and came gliding toward me, stopping on the red line. “I’m sorry, okay?” He faced me with earnest eyes. “Please forgive me. I was cut from the team and licking my wounds like a little crybaby, I know that now, okay?” His shoulders dropped. “Please forgive me, Piper.”

My hands went to my hips. I eyed him up and down, and I couldn’t stop my smirk. While I hated that he had any sort of power over me, I had to admit that it was nice knowing I had some power over him, too. “Fine, whatever.”

His eyebrows slammed down. “Wait, really?” he stammered out. “Just like that?”

“I forgave you a while ago.” I waved him off. “I was just having fun with the songs.”

He blanched at me.

“I wanted to see what else you’d come up with,” I said with a shrug.

His jaw set. Shaking his head, he skated forward.

“No!” I yelled and pointed at the red line. “You know the rules. Don’t you dare cross that line!”

“Oh, I’m crossing it!” he yelled back.

“Richard, no!” I barked at him like a dog while skatingbackwards.

With a wicked grin on his face, he picked up speed, skating right at me. He barreled into me, scooping me up off my skates for a hug.

“Put me down.” I struggled against him.

“Please let me have this hug,” he begged. “I’m touch-starved, baby.”

---