Page 61 of UnWholly Angels
The elevator dinged, and we stepped inside. As it descended, I couldn’t help but wonder if the knot in my stomach was from going down, or my deep rooted love for her branching out to my other extremities.
I took her in my arms and placed my lips against hers in a slow, loving kiss. Maybe it was time for me to submit to this wholeheartedly. I refused to be scared for a moment longer.Every breath I took was Maya’s, always had been and always fucking would be.
Reluctantly, I pull away, mainly because we had to get off the elevator, but I held her for just a moment as people started to file on. Locking eyes, I held her gaze and swallowed thickly. “Always Maya. Always have and always will.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Maya
The cold air of the rink bit at my skin, and it was far colder than the rising temperatures outside. Despite the cold, I was excited. Not only had Riley taught me a thing or two years ago, but I'd been taking lessons from Chloe for a while now. Excited to show everyone what I could do, I practically dragged him down the hallway, slightly remembering the way from the last time I was down here.
My skin heated momentarily, remembering how a warm touch coupled with the coldness of the bench I was laid on had me experiencing a different kind of pleasure, one I’d hoped to feel again.
This time was different, though. Now there were multiple huge duffle bags everywhere, and everyone's gear hung at its respective area. Although, what I hadn’t noticed before was Riley’s name. In brass plated letters lay Angel. Scoffing, I turnedto him, “So, am I really the only one who calls you Riley?” I asked.
“Correction, you’re theonlyone allowed to call me by my first name,” he replied, unbuttoning his dress shirt. My eyes followed his fingers as each button came undone, revealing his T-shirt and the muscles that flexed underneath. His tone was serious, yet had a playful edge to it. “Sit down, let’s get your skates on.”
I knew how to lace up a pair of skates, but if he wanted to do it, I’d give him this. Something came over Riley today. He was being overly affectionate, and I almost felt guilty over how suspicious it made me. Taking my spot on the bench, I removed my sneakers so he could slip on the skate, placing it between his thighs so he could keep it steady.
Watching him intricately lace it up was a sight, mainly because he was doing it in record time, pulling it tight and asking every so often if they felt okay. “Ready for me to bruise that ego of yours, Mr. Kingston,” I teased, as he finished tying the final knot, tugging it into place with a breathy laugh.
“It’s been years for you. Are you sure you want to challenge me so soon?” As we walked through the tunnel, the expanse of the ice came into view, and I could hear light chatter and multiple laughs echoing around the arena.
Suddenly, I became self-conscious, forgetting that it was the team and their families. Riley must have sensed my hesitation because he stepped out on the ice first, gliding backward a bit so he could reach for my hand. This was going to be so good; he had no idea.
“Hey, you two,” a chipper voice sounded next to us. “Glad to see you’ve managed to get Angel to come.”
Elizabeth smiled at us, but I was confused, my gaze flitting between Riley and my new friend. “What do you mean?”
“This is the first time we’ve seen him here, so have fun and enjoy it,” she winked at us and shot off like a cheetah, skatingtoward Ethan, who took her hand, bringing it up to his lips with a smile.
“Ethan and Lizzie seem happy together,” I nodded toward the pair when Riley laughed.
“That’s not Ethan, that’s Noah, who, legally speaking, is her husband.”
Realization dawned on me as I remembered the comment Chloe made toward Lizzie about how she loved ‘fucking them both’ and my eyes popped open, causing Riley to laugh even harder, taking in breath after breath. “Ohhhh, the drama, she’s with them both? I wasn’t even paying attention enough to put two and two together.”
Taking my hands, he brought me further onto the ice and threw a smirk my way. “I know, so scandalous, right? You have no idea how much I screamed internally the night Chloe helped me figure it out. I mean, they haven’t advertised too much info, and I’m not sure how deep it runs because Ethan still brings people back to the hotels, but they are all doing the dirty.”
I love it, even more if Lizzie is unapologetic about it. Focusing my attention back on my date, a decision was made. If this was the first time Riley was doing a true bonding activity, then I would make it the best day of his life. After a few moments, my skates made a biting sound as they touched the surface of the ice, helping me gain momentum. My fingers laced with Riley’s, and we took off, staying to the outside edges, presumably because he thought I might need to grab the boards to hold myself up.
“Don’t let me fall on my ass, please. I’m a little rusty,” I laughed, letting go of his hand to skate in front of him, my sights set on Chloe spinning around with her daughter. A small puff of ice sprayed outward as I stopped myself in front of her.
“I am so glad you guys came!” she beamed. “I knew you would never turn down a bet.”
“What bet?” Tilting my head to the side, I turned to Riley, whose face immediately dropped, but he didn’t answer. It almost looked like a spark of fear flashed in his eyes the moment my gaze settled on his. My shoulder deflated in disappointment. “What fucking bet, Riley?” I asked with a sigh. “So, this isn’t a date?”
“Shit. Looks like I’m going to witness the first time Angel Kingston is in the doghouse,” she replied sarcastically from behind us. “He bet the Stryker’s that you could skate backward.”
He shook his head, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Can you just not meddle in my life for one second?” he snapped before his gaze met mine. “This is one hundred percent a date, you and me. I should have told you. It’s not a great excuse, but with everything that happened, I forgot.”
“That was all you bet?” I asked.
He nodded, and I shrugged his hand off my shoulder. My heart pulsed against my ribcage, and I tilted my head up in pride, garnishing an evil smirk. “If we are going to do this, it’s going to be done right, so follow my lead. I do this, and that money is mine. It’s the principal. Take me to them.”
“O–okay,” he said and grabbed my hand in his before dragging me to center ice. I felt small next to these men, and even though Riley trusted them, I could feel the protective energy radiate from him as he gripped my hand tighter. I’d show him; I’d show all of them. Skating backward was nothing, throwing in a couple of small tricks I knew wouldn’t hurt to further rub it in everyone's face.
“Ahh, the couple of the hour,” Ethan said in a playful tone. “If this show is anything like the other night, then I’m sure we're in for a treat, huh.”
