Cate
Alex’s fingers are woven with mine as we walk into IceWorks together this morning. I’m wearing yesterday’s clothes, I’m sore between my legs, and I’m pretty sure I have my first ever hickey emerging on my neck. But it doesn’t matter. I want to skip, and twirl, and sing. I feel like a freaking Disney princess who’s found her Prince Charming.
Because that’s exactly what Alex is. He’s the man who will take care of me, and love me, and bring me so much joy I don’t even know what to do with myself. I might be young and inexperienced, but I know what Alex and I are in the marrow of my bones.
Earlier, he woke me up with soft and sweet kisses and then made us breakfast while I was in the shower. While eating, we’d talked about the tango routine, about his experiences at the world championships, about our hopes and dreams for the upcoming season. We’d talked about our families, how we’d gotten started in skating, and traded funny competition stories.
It was easy. Effortless, like talking to my lifelong best friend.
As we walk down the main hallway, gear bags slung over our shoulders, I glance up at him, grinning when I see that he’s already looking at me, a soft smile on his face.
It doesn’t matter how many times I look at him; every single time, I melt a little at how ridiculously hot he is. I blush when I remember all the filthy things this gorgeous man said to me last night. The light shifts in his eyes, and I can tell he’s remembering, too.
Deb and Scott are walking down the hallway towards us, and they both see us holding hands at the same time. Deb’s head cocks to the side slightly, eyebrows raised, but Scott frowns deeply, a scowl twisting his mouth.
My stomach drops to somewhere around my ankles when his gaze lands on me and his upper lip curls slightly. I have the distinct impression that I’m in trouble. The eggs and fruit salad Alex made for us turn to gloopy concrete in my stomach. I flick my gaze up to Alex, and with the way he’s frowning at Scott, I can tell he noticed the look Scott gave me, too. He gives my hand a squeeze before letting go.
“I’ll see you on the ice,” he says, and as though he’s wanting to erase any doubt on Scott and Deb’s part about what we are to each other, he dips his head and brushes a soft kiss across my cheek. It’s perfectly appropriate for a public place, but Scott’s expression turns thunderous. I force myself to look him in the eyes before heading into the women’s locker room.
By the time I’ve got my skates laced up and I’m stepping onto the ice, whatever was up with Scott seems to have passed, and we fall into the usual warm up exercises.
Skating with Alex has always felt good. From the very start, we had a natural rhythm and synchronicity that made skating together a total no-brainer. But now, after last night, it feels even better. We’re completely in tune with each other, communicating wordlessly, working as one finely oiled machine.
It’s flawless. It’s like I’m skating with my soul mate.
Because I am.
Once we’re warmed up, we work through several elements together, and then Deb calls us over to discuss the finer points of our long program, which will be the focus of this morning’s training session. She wants us to nail the choreography and artistry of our programs before working on fine tuning elements, which makes sense to me, given that our first preliminary competition is only a couple of months away.
After Deb’s finished giving us her notes, we take our position at center ice, arms aloft in a tango-esque embrace.
“You’re mine and I don’t want to share,” he whispers, getting into character.
I grin and blush. “I wish it could only be you.”
The corner of his mouth kicks up and I wish I could kiss him right now. The music starts and we start to move through the routine. The tension from yesterday has melted into something even better, and I can feel the passionate longing in every single one of our movements, our facial expressions. I don’t feel like I’m about to snap with the unresolved tension between us, and instead, I’m able to fully embody the character and focus on executing everything perfectly.
It’s the best we’ve ever skated it, and we both know it, wide smiles spreading across both of our faces when we hit the final pose. My heart is pounding, my breath sawing in and out of my lungs, my legs burning with exertion, but none of that compares to the absolute euphoria shooting through me. We nailed it. I know we did.
And while Deb looks absolutely elated at how we just skated, Scott looks completely furious. His face is red and a muscle in his jaw is jumping around angrily. My breath stutters in my chest as I shrink into Alex a little.
Alex is staring back at Scott, eyes hard, his mouth a thin line. Staring as though he’s daring him to say something.
“You think this is acceptable behavior?” Scott asks, chin jutting at Alex. “Messing around with someone almost half your age? Someone you’re supposed to be building a professional relationship with for the sake of your goddamned career?”
“Whoa.” Deb puts a hand on Scott’s chest. “Let’s not jump to conclusions and say things we’ll regret later,” she says, catching his eyes and sending him a beseeching look.
“I’m not jumping to conclusions. I’m just using my eyes. And what I’m watching is my world champion skater losing his mind over some barely legal—“
In a flash, Alex is at the boards, right in Scott’s face. “Finish that sentence,” he says quietly. “I dare you.” His voice is low and tight, and I twist my fingers together, tension and anxiety squeezing me from the inside.
“You took advantage of her,” says Scott, and something inside me snaps.
“First of all, her is right here,” I say, waving my hand. “And second, my relationship with Alex is one hundred percent consensual. I may be young, but I am an adult, and I can choose whom I date.” I skate forward. “And third, I’m not sure our personal relationship is any of your business.”
He sneers at me and I reach for Alex’s hand, seeking out its reassuring, comforting warmth and strength. Then he returns his attention to Alex, as though he’s not even going to deign to speak to me.
“It’s absolutely my concern when it interferes with your training.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s interfering how?” says Alex, tension radiating down his neck. “We were here on time, ready to work, and just skated that routine near perfectly.” He chuckles darkly and shakes his head. “This isn’t about interfering with training. This is because you don’t approve.”
“You’re right, I don’t,” he says. “And I won’t stand for it. I won’t endorse it. This needs to be a professional relationship and nothing more.”
Scott’s words hit me like bullets, but Alex doesn’t let go of my hand. I can see his chest heaving as he fights back the anger inside him. My heart is beating erratically inside my chest as I fight to keep the rising panic at bay.
Skating with Alex is my professional future. Being with Alex is my personal one. But if Scott gets his way, he’ll rip one of those futures away from me.
“I think you’re overreacting,” says Deb quietly, moving Scott away from the boards and putting herself between him and Alex. “Why don’t we all take a breather and revisit this with cooler heads?”
Scott turns his glare on Deb. “Don’t tell me what to do, Deb.” He points a finger in Alex’s direction. “You have a choice to make. You can either keep things professional and keep training here, or think with your dick and find yourself a new coach and training facility. It’s your call.”
And with that, he turns and storms off, leaving everything I’ve ever wanted hanging in the balance.