Page 56 of Hearts on Ice
Lexi’s forehead creased briefly, as if she didn’t buy Colby’s theory. “That doesn’t seem right. I don’t want to be in control of everything.”
“No, I’m not saying that. You have to be in charge of your own emotions. You are not there now. Don’t let anyone know they have any kind of power over you. Even if you can’t feel it, you have to show it. And the more you do that, the more you’ll start to believe it.”
“I mean, I don’t know. Is that how you treated Declan?”
Colby should have expected that, that the kids would be protective of Declan. She had experienced a little of their defensiveness when she got here, though Lexi had been a little more starstruck than Josh. But now…now they didn’t hold back.
“Declan learned how to look after himself, too. But this isn’t about Declan and me. This is your time. You don’t have time to hold a grudge. I’m not saying what he did was right, that it didn’t hurt you, but you have to let it go and move on.”
The girl set her jaw and looked across the ice at Declan and Josh. Josh glanced back at her.
“Can you do that?” Colby pressed. “Do you want the success more than you want to be mad at Josh?”
Lexi didn’t answer, just sighed and skated out to the center of the rink. Her signal, Colby supposed, that she was ready to move on. Colby looked toward Declan to see if Josh was also ready. Declan patted the young man on the shoulder and Josh skated reluctantly out to join Lexi. Colby made eye contact with the young woman, hoping to urge her to say something to Josh, an apology, an acknowledgement, something.
But she didn’t, just signaled for the music to start.
* * *
“What did you say to her?”Declan asked after the kids had headed off to school. They wouldn’t see them again today because they had ballet class, and that was probably for the best. Let their ballet teacher deal with the moping because Jesus. He wasn’t built to deal with teenage drama.
“Whatever I said didn’t make a difference,” Colby said with a sigh as she dropped into a chair in the lobby. “Man, you’d never think they had never skated together before, never even heard of some of the moves.”
“It wasn’t as bad as that. They just weren’t in sync. I’m sure we had days like that. Days when we were fighting.”
“I don’t know. I feel like we compartmentalized better than that. I don’t feel like we were that emotional.”
“We were older when we started dating, too.”
“Certainly when we started sleeping together.”
He shot a look at her., his stomach twisting a little. “You don’t think they’re sleeping together already?”
“I think it’s just a matter of time. She certainly seems eager.” She leaned forward. “Declan. Are you blushing?”
“I have known them since they were kids. Hard to think of them being that mature.”
“It happens.” She twisted to look toward the snack bar. “I’m going to get some coffee, you want some?”
He leaned forward and took her hand. “We don’t have to be here the rest of the day. Let’s get out of here.”
She creased her brow at him. “Sure, okay, I guess. Where are we going?”
He waggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh.
“Best I don’t have coffee then. Are you ever going to have enough?”
He rose and bent to kiss her in the same fluid motion. “Never.”
Colby slidher hands down his chest as she rose over him. His fingertips glided over her naked hips before gripping them to surge up into her.
Okay, maybe she wouldn’t have her fill of him, either.
The rhythm pounded in her head as she matched his strokes, as she felt his muscles bunch beneath her, as she watched the tendons in his throat tighten as he fought for control. He released her hips to drag his touch up her spine, and his touch at the small of her back sent that burst of electricity through her, opening her up until her orgasm shot through her, arching her back, driving her hips down so his cock seated so deep inside her, and she felt his own orgasm as he followed her.
She dropped to the mattress beside him, her hand over her waist as she caught her breath.
“We are really good at that,” Declan said.
