Page 35 of Hearts on Ice
The move had taken a lot of trust when they’d been younger, but now, it required even more as he held her inches from the ice, inches from the blades of his skates as he spun, then lifted her to an upright position. She turned to face him and he placed one hand high on her back and held onto her other hand as they skated through the waltz steps. When they’d skated together last, they’d looked into each other eyes, because that made the judges and audiences go nuts. Habit had him looking down into her pretty blue eyes, and her chin came up just a little, daring him to hold her gaze before they went into their last lift, this one the most challenging.
They’d been young when they’d done this routine, and it hadn’t mattered that the hardest lift was at the end, because they’d been strong. He took a deep breath now, unwilling to admit he was winded, turned her and lifted her to his shoulder, where she rested for a moment before she tumbled herself down his back, pausing a moment before he turned right, lowering her to her skates and bringing her close, pivoting with her, his head bent toward hers, his nose inches away from hers. He could smell her, the slight scent of sweat under her clean scent, her shampoo, her detergent, her skin cream, all swirling in the air around them as they spun together, one hand splayed across her back, his other hand holding hers out, then bringing it in as they spun together, stopping in a spray of ice.
He was gratified to see she was breathing a little heavy, too, as he struggled to catch his breath. He brought his hand up to her face and she went completely still, eyes wide, not making a move but waiting to see what he would do. His mouth hovered above hers, her breath coming fast against his lips.
The cheering and applause burst through the sound of his heartbeat in his ears, through the sound of the music as it faded out, and the blast of a commercial as the next video began to play.
He may have muttered a curse as he released her and skated backwards, his entire body screaming at being denied the feel of her pressed against him, of her lips beneath his.
He couldn’t even look toward the group on the sidelines, just skated over and shut off the phone, the PA. By then he gathered himself and turned to bow for the crowd, though his heart gave a jump to see just how many had been watching them.
Shit. Bad enough he’d lost his mind. Now everyone knew it, too.
CHAPTER14
Colby couldn’t explain this agitation as she tried to work with Josh and Lexi. She wouldn’t be so concerned about it, except she sensed the same thing in Declan.
Funny how she could still read him after all these years.
If she was honest, she knew what the problem was. Well, she did and she didn’t. She knew it had something to do with them skating together this morning. What she didn’t know was why he’d wanted to.
They’d grown up together, and even if they hadn’t become sexually involved, they would have known each other’s bodies better than anyone. Hell, he’d even known when she was on her period, and she couldn’t be embarrassed by it. He’d had to place his hands on her, so that what had once felt titillating became commonplace.
Until it became titillating again.
The problem was, their schedules were so regimented that while they spent so much time together, rarely did they have time together in private, but they’d managed to hide away every now and then for some hot kisses, and their first sexual encounter was him kissing her over her panties.
God, she missed those days, the excitement, the newness, the need to please each other.
Way before they learned how to hurt each other.
He disappeared after practice, and she was surprised. He hadn’t said much to the kids outside of instructions, hadn’t said anything to her. He had completely gone inside his head. She hadn’t liked that when they were younger, and she liked it even less now. She could go look for him, she supposed, but if he wants her to know where he was, he’d let her know.
Since she still didn’t have her car, she settled herself in the lobby, which had thinned out since most of the students had gone to school, and no adults remained to skate. Sandra in the snack bar was there, but she was cleaning up after her surge of customers buying breakfast to go.
Colby sighed and turned on her phone just as Declan stuck his head out of the door to the gym.
“Colby.”
The way he said her name sent a delicious shiver down her spine, and he motioned with his head for her to approach. She tucked her phone in the pocket of her jacket and slid off the stool to approach.
When she got close enough, he closed his hand around her wrist and drew her into the gym, locking the door behind her in almost the same motion. She found herself against the wall, with just enough space to slip away from him if she wanted to. But the way he was looking at her, brows lowered, that glint in his dark eyes so familiar, and that delicious shiver spread around to her belly, and lower.
God, what was she doing? She hadn’t come here for this, knew they didn’t want the same things. She didn’t want to hurt him again. But even as her brain rolled through reasons why she should step away, her body arched toward him, her mouth tilted up, and…
She melted. Everything in her melted. No one kissed her the way Declan did, his full lips parted over hers, his tongue just teasing the entrance of her mouth. His hand braced against the wall over her head, and she moved her body into his, craving the contact. Unable to help herself, she slid her fingers through his thick hair, anchoring him to her.
That was all the encouragement he needed. He angled his mouth to take the kiss deeper, his hands on her hips bringing her against him, and oh, he was already hard, and she couldn’t resist the familiarity of rubbing against him.
“Deck!” she gasped when he released her mouth to run his lips down her jaw to that spot below her ear that made her hot, his soft lips contrasting with his stubble for a delicious friction.
His fingertips slipped under the tight waist of her top, surprisingly callused, and she whimpered when he stroked the small of her back.
Her brain was firing all kinds of messages, but the loudest ones were “Yes!” and “Now!”
God, she wasn’t that stupid, was she? But she wanted more, wanted to revisit those feelings, those emotions.
“Not here,” she managed.
