Page 21 of Hearts on Ice
He opened the door and walked down the ramp to ask her if she didn’t want him to put the song on the PA when he recognized her routine.
Recognized the song.
Fuck.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” He stomped over to the phone sitting on the wall along the edge of the rink. He grabbed it and tried to shut if off, but it was locked, so he turned down the volume. “I don’t ever want to hear that fucking song again.”
She spun to a halt in the center of the rink, sending up a spray of ice. “It wasn’t in the contract.”
Fury made the blood rush to his head. “Fuck that, I’ll put it in the contract. What the hell is wrong with you?”
The expression on her face was smug as she stood there, like she was waiting for him to join her on the ice.
Yes well, he wasn’t. He was so angry, he wouldn’t be careful on the ice and would break his tailbone if he went out there now.
“I was trying to see if I remembered it.”
“What? Why? Why would you want to remember it?”
How could she forget it, is what he really wanted to know? He’d never forget it as long as he lived.
And her expression. Was she doing this just to piss him off? He was already on the edge after that dream last night. He needed to get control of himself before Josh and Lexi arrived. He could not be sniping like this in front of them. Just because he didn’t have any respect for Colby didn’t mean they shouldn’t either.
She completed the next element of the routine, a double axel and she skated up to him. She took the phone, unlocked it and shut off the song, then handed the phone back.
“Why?” he demanded again. She had to know their past bothered him, or else he wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of drawing up that contract, right? She had to know that, right?
“I told you.” She placed her hands on the wall by her phone. “I was trying to remember it last night after we got off the phone, and I thought maybe if I came out here and skated to it, I might remember.”
He didn’t have a temper, usually, but right now his whole body shook with anger. He had to get control of himself. He had to be satisfied he wasn’t going to get an answer, and step back. Put some distance between them, get his head on the upcoming lesson.
Man, for an ice skater, he was sure spending a lot of time off balance.
CHAPTER9
Colby dropped her forehead to the steering wheel with a sigh of disgust. Of course her car would choose to die right here, outside of Declan’s rink, when she was ready to make her escape.
Practice had not gone well. Declan was pissed, and she didn’t think all his anger was because of the song. He’d already been pretty distant when he’d walked in.
Maybe he was mad she hadn’t handed over the contract. Maybe if she delayed it long enough, he would stop asking her and their collaboration would be almost done, and she wouldn’t have to spend the money on a lawyer.
Because now she was going to have to pay to get her car towed and repaired. And this car was not cheap to maintain.
She lifted her head and looked through the windshield, right at Declan, who stood just beyond the hood of her car.
Great. Just great. What was he doing out here, anyway?
“What’s wrong?” he asked through the window.
She resisted the urge to push her hands through her hair. Instead she pushed open the door because she couldn’t roll down the window when the car wouldn’t start.
“Won’t start.”
He frowned. “Has it been giving you trouble?”
“Um. It’s been a little sluggish.”
“Pop the hood.”
