Page 19 of An Undisputed Christmas
When Sierra tried to pick up speed, she careened toward a wall. I instinctively reached out to catch her, which threw off my own balance.
Isla tried to help by grabbing both of us, but the combined weight and momentum were too much even for her considerable skill.
We went down in a spectacular tangle of limbs, scarves, and laughter, sliding several feet across the ice in a heap that drew applause and good-natured cheering from the other skaters.
"Oh my god," I gasped, struggling to untangle myself from Sierra's legs and Isla's arms. "Are we alive?"
"Barely," Sierra wheezed, but she was laughing so hard she could barely speak. "That was like being in a blender."
"A very icy, very public blender," Isla laughed, pushing her hair out of her face with dignity that was only slightly undermined by the fact that her Santa hat had ended up over one eye.
The crowd around us was enjoying the show, taking in what probably looked like three girls having the time of their lives despite their complete lack of skating ability.
A few people started moving toward us, clearly intending to help us up.
And then we heard it.
Three distinct, low growls that seemed to come from the direction of the warming hut.
The sound was barely audible over the general rink noise, but it was unmistakably territorial, unmistakably possessive, and unmistakably our guys realizing their girls were in a compromising position with an audience.
I looked up from our tangled heap to see Jax, Connor, and Adrianstriding onto the ice with the kind of purposeful movement that suggested we were about to be collected, whether we liked it or not.
They'd abandoned whatever snacks they'd been getting, and their expressions were a fascinating mix of amusement, exasperation, and something much darker.
"Uh-oh," Sierra whispered. "I think we're in trouble."
"The good kind of trouble," Isla added with a grin.
Jax reached me, crouching down beside our pile of limbs with that insufferably smug expression I knew so well. "Having fun down there, princess?”
Connor had Sierra upright and pressed against his side, his expression fond despite his obvious exasperation. "What exactly were you trying to prove, sweet girl?"
"That we're independent winter sports enthusiasts?" Sierra offered hopefully.
"Independent," Adrian repeated with a snort, helping Isla dust ice shavings off her clothes. "Right. That's why you ended up in a pile like dropped scarves."
"We were doing fine until?—"
"Until you realized you can't actually skate without us holding you up," Jax finished with that maddening grin. "Which, for the record, is exactly how I like it."
"I totally had it under control," I insisted, crossing my arms defiantly despite still being sprawled on the ice like a fallen snow angel.
"Mmm, I can see that."
"That was completely intentional and very graceful,” I added.
His eyebrow arched slowly, and that dangerous smile I loved and feared in equal measure spread across his face. "Oh? Really, princess?"
"Really," I doubled down, insides flaring with fun. "I'm practically a natural. That was an advanced technique you just witnessed."
"Advanced technique," he repeated slowly, his voice dropping to that low, amused register that always made heat pool in my core. "Is that what we're calling it?"
"Yes, and?—"
Before I could finish my bratty protest, Jax's handswere on me, hauling me up effortlessly and tossing me over his shoulder like a sack of defiant flour.
I squeaked in surprise, grabbing onto his broad back for stability as he straightened up on his skates.
