Release: New Adult Sport Romance (Fire and Ice) (6 page)

He winks at me. “I can’t wait.” Somehow, I don’t think Kaleb will be the only one wanting more.

* * *

When I get home, I put the kettle on. Feeling sassy, I spoon out a chai blend of tea into the filter. The spicy aroma floats to my nose and tingles. Tea is one of my things. I have a small collection of loose-leaf blends in tins and find the process of brewing a small pot to pour into a pretty teacup relaxing. The honey container spits into the pot as I work to get the last bit out. I make a mental note to buy more.

While I wait for the water to boil, I get my scissors from the bathroom medicine cabinet. I catch my reflection and stop. The dream face seeps into my mind, but as I look at the mirror I see red lips and olive skin colored with life. A sense of relief looms over me.

The kettle grumbles as water gets closer to boiling. I open up the scissors and use one blade to slice the tape on the edge of my package. Inside is a tissue-paper-wrapped mound surrounded by packing peanuts. I clutch it to my chest—my practice skates. Peeling the soft tissue away reveals well-worn and dirty leather. I slide my hand over the buttery material that holds the slight impression of my foot.

The faded scent of sweaty skates floats to my brain. These haven’t been on ice in over two years. I pull one on and lace it up. Twisting my foot around in the air, I close my eyes.

My chest heaves with exertion, and the strength in my legs propels me faster down the ice. Ready, set my edge, and leap! I’m up and snap my arms into my chest as I rotate—one, two, three and a half times. My blade hits the ice, and I bend my knee to absorb the shock as my other leg extends behind me. Nailed it. Momentum moves me backward while I recover. Within seconds, my hips twist me forward to begin the next move.

A tear slides down my cheek. My dream was the Olympics, and it was so close. I’d given up everything to make it happen. Only I’d given up too much. No. Stop. He took too much. I know it wasn’t my fault, and in my head I know I did nothing wrong. But damn it, I hate being a victim.

The kettle screams, and I brush away the tears. I remove the skate, and the metal blade catches the light and flashes against the wall as I drop it in a rush to get to the boiling water.

I’m done crying. The dream died a while ago, and I have a new life. I’m happy and safe, and I’ll focus on the present. Tomorrow I’m going skating for fun with someone gentle and kind. Someone who thinks I’m great just the way I am.

I pour steaming water over the tea. It’s boiling so fiercely the water bursts out of the spout and splashes around the pot. I frown at the mess I’ve made. I know better, and I grab a towel to clean it up.

Chapter 8

Kaleb pulls off his boot and puts on a skate. He’s wearing a black fleece and hat. I look down at my red wool mittens and say, “You look stealthy. Please tell me you brought gloves.”

“I did. And guess what?” He winks. “They’re black.” He pats the pocket on his jacket, and I have a sneaking suspicion those gloves will stay there.

I lace up my skate. Wearing a creamy-white fleece with a red turtleneck and red hat, I’m not even close to looking like a ninja. “I sure hope I can find you in the dark.” I give him my best flirty look as I stand.

We both clomp out to the ice. Kaleb looks down at my skates. “Those look kind of beat-up. Did you used to skate a lot?”

I pull off my guards. With a sneaky smile, I answer. “Kind of.” I take off like a shot and race down the ice. Tired of not being good at something, I can’t help but show off. Fortunately, there aren’t many people around tonight to get in the way. A glance over my shoulder tells me he’s right behind me. At the end, I stop abruptly and he sprays me with a traditional hockey stop.

“Right, kind of.” Kaleb is slightly out of breath, but recovers quickly.

“Okay, I used to compete. Want to see me jump?” I itch to whip out as many double axels as I can, but it’s been a while. It’s a big jump, so I opt for a simple one.

“Of course. Show me what you’ve got.” His face glows.

I skate out, do a single flip jump and go into a spin.

Kaleb claps. “Nice!”

I skate back to him. “Want to race around the rink? I feel the need for speed.”

“Absolutely.” Kaleb takes off like I did to him.

I catch up easily and we fly around the perimeter. I welcome the wind in my face like an old friend. After a couple of laps, I can’t help myself. I turn backward and prepare to do a double Salchow jump.

I’m up. The landing is smooth, and I go into a spin. Chains of self-control fall from my limbs. I continue on and try a few different jumps. The power of my body intoxicates me. As I keep moving, I notice people have cleared the ice to watch me. I don’t care. I begin to skate as if I’m in competition. Music plays in my head, but I’m doing whatever comes to me. No judges, no routine, and most importantly—no coach. The high of performing has me on fire. I don’t ever want to stop.

After a few minutes, my legs burn, and I slow down to do a final layback spin followed by a sit spin. It’s a crowd pleaser and the perfect ending. When I finish, my pulse pounds at a familiar rate in my chest. I resist the urge to raise my arms and bow. People clap, and I skate self-consciously over to Kaleb.

“That was intense. I’ve never seen anything like it. I had no idea.” He grins at me with pride, and embarrassment floods my cheeks.

“Yeah, I got a little carried away. It’s just that, well…” I let out a breath. “It was my life for so long, and it’s been a while since I skated.” I put my hand on my racing heart. “Gosh, that felt great.” I look up at him with excitement in my eyes.

A high-school-aged girl skates over to me. “You’re Lori Langley, aren’t you?”

Oh no. I can’t lie. Kaleb knows my name. “I am. How did you know?” Shit, shit, shit. Things are about to get uncomfortable.

“You were my idol. I was at nationals when you made the Olympic team. But…” She stops, and I know she’s hesitant to ask the next question.

“I know.” I drop my voice to a whisper and skirt around the issue. “And then I got hurt.” Moisture fills my eyes. And I think about all the tabloid stories that surrounded the incident. “I’m sorry. I can’t talk about this.” I skate off toward the warming hut.

Kaleb is right behind me. “Hey.” His voice is soft, and he touches my arm. I turn to him as tears stream down my face. He pulls me against his chest. “Shhh, it’s okay.” Firm arms hold me, and he strokes my hair.

I let myself cry a little and then stop. I pull away with a sniff. “I’m sorry.”

Kaleb leans down and lifts my chin with his finger. It’s a move that endears me to him more than he can possibly know. He says, “Don’t be. Let’s go get you a hot chocolate. Okay?”

I nod. This guy is so sweet. How is it he knows not to ask what’s wrong and just hold me?

We put our guards on and march over to a table. “You sit, and I’ll go get them.” He clunks off, and I wipe my nose with a napkin.

When he returns he has a big cookie, too. “I thought you might need it.” Crumbs fall as he snaps it half.

“Are you sure you’re not a girl in disguise? You’re way too good at this.” I give him a weak smile.

“Nope, but I’ve had great training. I have three older sisters. Crying? Pshaw.” He waves a hand dramatically. “Ten bottles of different shampoo? Normal. Need me to buy feminine products along with ice cream and chips? No problem.”

I snicker and look at him with gratitude. “Thank your sisters for me. You’re a treasure.” I marvel at the magic of chocolate as I take a cautious sip. It’s not too hot, and I suspect it’s because so many children skate here. I drink a mouthful and let the sweet flavor please my taste buds.

He reaches out and puts his hand on mine. “Would you like to leave?”

“Actually, no. Can we just skate around for a bit? No fancy moves, let’s just skate and talk. I want to hear about you and your sisters.” I break off a piece of the cookie and put it in my mouth.

“The first thing you should know is they tortured me. Still do. When you meet them, they’ll show you the picture of me in a dress.”

When I meet them? My stomach flips. I’m not sure if it’s from happiness or fear. “A dress?” I snort. “Do I want to know?”

He lets out an exasperated noise. “I was two. I suppose my mother let them because she thought it would make great ammunition for when I was a troublesome teen.” He pops the last bit of cookie in his mouth.

“Ah, but did they bring home hot girls when you were an underclassman?” He chews as I see his eyes light up, and he nods.

I don’t wait for him to speak. “I don’t have any brothers and sisters. I would’ve loved to have grown up in your family.”

“I used to want to be an only child. Nobody to fight over the remote and a bathroom to myself was my idea of heaven.” He sighs.

“It’s lonely.” I begin to clean up our snack.

He reaches for the garbage and takes it from me. He stands, and in one quick movement throws it in the can with ease. Holding out an arm, he looks at me. “Let’s go take a few turns around the rink.”

We walk to the ice, and I don’t let go. The echo of excited voices marks our exit from the hut. We match strides as we skate slowly around the edge. “Do you miss Christmas with your family?” I ask. I notice the stars twinkling in the background. I’m amazed that they can be seen over the floodlights.

“A little, but by the time I was in college, it wasn’t the same. My sisters have their lives, and we stopped getting together as a whole group.” The rhythmic motion of our feet scrapes out a steady beat. “What about you? Is this your first holiday away from home?”

A painful memory floods my mind. “No. I had a couple of years when training got in the way. But my mom came to me, and we had a nice time together.” If you call being rescued from hell a nice time. “This year will be my first year without seeing my mom, though. I guess that makes me a grown-up, huh?”

“I have a feeling you had to grow up a long time ago.” Kaleb pulls me in a little tighter, and I breathe in his salty scent. I have the urge to tell him everything. But I can’t.

“I didn’t lead the normal teenager’s life, it’s true. I never went to a prom.” I position myself in front of him and skate backward as we continue to move. I’m overcome with the desire to kiss him, but realize he’s too tall for me to do it easily. I take his hands instead. “Be my prom date and dance with me?” I put on my best coy face.

Kaleb pulls me into a hug. His heartbeat pulses against me, and mine seems to answer. “I only know how to slow dance. Is that okay?” His voice is low, and I tingle at how it gets deeper when he speaks quietly.

I reach a mitten-covered hand up to his face. “That’s perfect.” My lips throb, and his eyelids get heavy.

We stop and warm hands hold my face. He leans down and whispers, “You know slow dances are just an excuse to kiss your date, right?”

I close the distance between us. I taste a hint of chocolate as I lightly suck his lower lip. His tongue caresses mine as passion begins to simmer. The kiss is gentle and true. The kind of kiss one does in public. Pulling away, I’m struck by the sincerity of this man. I breathe deeply and sigh. “Way to catch me up on the prom thing.”

“My pleasure.” He has a big grin on his face. He takes my arm again, and we continue on as before. “Any chance I can get you to teach me a jump?”

“Really?” I ask. “Wait, you don’t have the hockey-boy secret desire to be an ice dancer, do you?” I snicker.

“No, I don’t think grace is my thing. It’s the power behind it that appeals to me.” He sends me a sideways glance. “Although my sisters would say I look pretty good in sequins.”

Chapter 9

Snow swishes as it slides under our skis. Kaleb and I are riding the T-bar to ski the bowl. An upside-down T made of wood, it’s attached to a retractable rope, and the top part of the T rests under our butt cheeks to drag us up the hill. It’s awkward for me, being new at this, and I fight the trepidation that threatens to overcome me. I’m a fidgety mess, unable to find a comfortable place to put my hand, and I move it up and down the center bar.

Kaleb switched his day off to be the same as mine, and I have every intention of getting good enough that he gets to ski what he would normally. I rethink that idea now that the expanse of the bowl is visible. I say, “It looks so big.” A fresh wave of terror spreads through my body and my legs grow weak. Kaleb’s hand rubs my back, and I lean into it and hope to gain confidence by osmosis.