3. Seduction on Skates
three
Seduction on Skates
Ember
S taring into Koda's eyes as we stand together in the living room, still unable to fall asleep, I see the familiar glint that comforted me when we were kids, but there’s something else behind it—something I can't quite place. He smiles, reaching out to take my hands in his, a look of mischief in his emerald green eyes that shoots straight to the heat between my thighs.
My feelings are in shambles, and I've never felt more confused. Between the assault with the football player and whatever secrets Koda is hiding, I feel like I’m already spiraling quickly, even though I only just arrived.
Koda can tell something is lurking within my gaze, deep within my mind, but he also knows I'd never come off of it so easily. Grabbing my hands in his, he swiftly tugs me onto his lap, our hands never separating.
"Wanna go have a little fun to get your mind off things?" he asks, smirking, making my lips break out into a smile even though I’m trying hard not to crack.
"Like what?" I ask, clearing my throat and forcing my tears at bay.
"Well, I know how much you loved to skate with me... so how about we take a walk to the pond in the backyard and have a little skate.. just the two of us?" His brow raises playfully, and I find myself nodding my head yes before second-guessing myself.
"Yeah, I think that might be fun," I admit, getting off his lap to try and put some distance in between us. It's only my first night here, and I don't want to complicate things, or worse, ruin the relationship we're just starting to rebuild after all this time.
"Alright, its settled. Let me go change, and I'll meet you back here when I'm done." He smiles, reluctantly getting up from the couch and leaving, staring at me until he disappears through the doorway.
I rush to my temporary bedroom, completely ignoring Everest and Baine by accident. With anxiety—the good kind—and a smile I can't get rid of, I dig through the clothes I just unpacked and layer on warm clothing. By the time I'm ready, there's a knock at my door, and Koda opens it, dressed from head to toe in blue and black snow gear, two pairs of skates hanging around his biceps.
"Ready?" he asks, still all smiles, even though the darkness in his eyes is still very much present.
"More than ready," I respond, a little too cheerfully.
Together, the two of us sneak out the back door to the snow covered yard, trudging our way through the heavily falling snow to the midsized frozen pond in the short distance. Once we get to the pond, we sit on the snow-covered bench to put our skates on, nothing but the sound of the wind and plow trucks in the distance filling the chilly night air. Koda helps me up when I finish lacing my skates, hand in hand, leading me down the path to the thick sheet of frozen ice, glistening under the bright moonlight.
"Do you remember how to skate?" he asks, laughing, as if his intention was to play a joke on me.
"Of course, I remember. It's like riding a bike; you don't forget that shit." I flash him a smile, my purple lips shivering from the cold, but I push through, not bothered in the least.
"That's my girl," he says, and I tremble at his choice of words, squeezing his hand even tighter as our blades hit the freshly frozen ice, gliding smoothly across, hand in hand.
The world around us fades, the sounds of the wind and the creaking ice becoming a distant backdrop to the joy bubbling within me. It feels so right to be back here with Koda, sharing this moment of pure nostalgia. It's almost as if we were never separated, even though we were, and it's something I won't ever be able to forget.
We move in tandem, and I can't help but laugh as I stumble slightly, laughing at my own clumsiness. Koda’s grip on my hand tightens slightly as he pulls me back upright, his breath a visible puff in the frigid air.
“Careful! I thought you were the pro here,” he teases, the mischief glinting in his eyes matching the sparkle of the snow around us.
“There’s always room for a little gracefulness." I shoot back, finding my balance and pushing off again.
The ice groans under our weight, but it feels alive—vibrant with the laughter that spills from our lips, echoing off the trees that surround us.
As the moon casts its silvery glow over us, I feel a sense of peace wash over me. Koda and I skate in circles, chasing one another and occasionally colliding into fits of laughter as we lose our footing, celebrating the kind of carefree moments I thought I had lost.
But the exhilaration is temporary. After a few laps, I glance up at him, catching a glimpse of the shadows lurking behind his playful facade.
“Hey, Koda... you said you wanted to have some fun, but I can’t shake off the feeling that something’s bothering you,” I venture cautiously, the warmth in my chest battling with the chill creeping into my spine.
He hesitates for a heartbeat too long, silver light playing across his features, before he finally responds. “It’s just... I don’t know.” His tone turns serious, and for a moment, the wind dies down, leaving a heavy silence between us. “Everything’s changed.”
“Yeah, it has,” I admit, allowing the reality of our past to engulf the moment. “But we’re here now. Isn’t that what matters?”
Koda nods slowly, the light in his eyes dimming as he meets my gaze. “You have no idea how fucking glad I am that you’re back. But you're also... you’re different now. I don't want to mess things up again.” The weight of his words lands heavily between us. I can feel his fear and his uncertainty, and it mirrors my own.
“You won’t,” I promise, squeezing his hand tighter. “As long as we’re honest with each other.”
He searches my eyes for a moment, and I can see him grappling with the thoughts lurking just beneath the surface.
Finally, he takes a deep breath, and a tentative smile crosses his lips. “Let’s skate a bit more. Then I promise we’ll talk, okay?”
“Okay,” I agree, albeit hesitantly, and we push off again, laughter momentarily displacing the tension.
But as we glide under the moon, I feel that conversation waiting just beneath the surface, a reminder of all that still lay ahead—both the healing and the hurt. We skate until our legs ache, until our laughter fills the night air, painting a beautiful, but fragile, picture of friendship—or something more—rekindled.
Eventually, the chill in the air starts seeping deeper into my bones, and Koda glances at me, his expression softening. “How about we take a break?”
We find our way back to the bench, the familiar weight of our history heavy on my mind. As we sit side by side, the bench creaks under us, and I gaze out at the pond, trying to gather my thoughts.
“Thank you for this,” I say at last, breaking the comfortable silence. “For making me feel like I could just... escape for a little while. ”
Koda turns towards me fully, the tension from earlier resurfacing in the air between us. “You deserve it. Life’s too fucking complicated, and I want you to know that no matter what happens, I’ve got your back.”
With those simple words, the trust that had always existed between us begins to weave itself back together, stitch by careful stitch. But there was a question that I knew wouldn’t stay buried forever—what had happened to him while I was gone? And what secrets remained hidden beneath the vibrant surface we had just begun to uncover? With the night still fresh in front of us and our paths aligned once more, I gather the courage to take the plunge.
"Koda... can we talk about everything? About what happened to us back then and what’s going on now?"
The resolve in his emerald eyes flickers as he nods slowly, the weight of his past reflecting back, and I know, hopefully soon, that we are about to unravel much more than just the secrets lurking in our hearts.
"Not tonight, Ember, but I promise we'll talk about everything." He offers a reassuring smile and leans in closer, swiping the pad of his thumb across my numb bottom lip, his eyes deadlocked on mine.
"Koda," I moan breathlessly, swallowing to try and moisten my dry throat.
"Shh, Ember," he whispers, leaning closer... and closer... and closer, until his lips meet mine in a kiss that warms me up instantly.
Softly, his lips brush against mine, his tongue dipping teasingly between them, as if testing the waters to see where I stand. Cupping his cheek, I pull him closer, sliding my other hand to the back of his neck to only further deepen the kiss.
Once I part my lips more, his tongue thrusts between them, finding mine in a fit of passion and need. Each lash and brush against my tongue sends shockwaves through my body, turning my blood hot, then cold and hot all over again.
An involuntary moan escapes my throat, floating right into his mouth, and I feel his lips curl into a smile against mine. Suddenly, his hands slide down the sides of my body, and he holds my hips tightly, lifting me with ease and placing me directly on his lap. His warmth envelops me as I straddle him, the world around us fading into nothing but the sound of our hearts beating in sync.
I can't help but feel a surge of emotion at the close proximity, both exhilarating and terrifying. The kiss deepens, a dance of tongues that feels all too familiar yet strangely foreign, as if we’ve stepped into a riddle of our own creation—a haze of memories and feelings that we’ve long since buried beneath the surface.
“Ember,” he murmurs, pulling away slightly to catch his breath, his forehead resting against mine. The moonlight casts a silver glow over us, highlighting the vulnerability etched across his features. “I’ve missed you so fucking much.”
“I’ve missed you too,” I confess, the truth spilling from my lips without hesitation. “But it scares me, Koda. Everything feels so… intense. Like we’re skating on thin ice.”
“I know,” he replies, his eyes searching mine, the mischief from earlier replaced by a seriousness that demands my attention. “But I don’t want to go back to how things were, feeling all twisted up inside. We can figure this out together, I promise.”
His words swirl around us, wrapping us in a cocoon of hope while the reality outside is frosty and unsettled. But right now, it’s just the two of us, a brief moment of clarity amidst the chaos of the world.
“Then let’s be honest with each other,” I propose, sliding my fingers through his tousled hair, grounding myself in this shared moment of raw truth. “I don’t want to lose you again.”
Koda nods against me, the weight of my words hanging between us. “Agreed. No more hiding, no more pretending. But let’s promise to take it one step at a time. There’s a lot to unpack.”
The warmth in his eyes reassures me, softening the edges of my apprehension. “Okay, one step at a time,” I echo, and he leans in, placing another tender kiss on my lips.
The kiss is gentle yet electric, reinforcing the promise we just made. As I sink into the moment, I know there’s so much we still need to confront, but for now, we share this silent agreement—a pact between two souls forever intertwined. Suddenly, a gust of wind sweeps across the pond, sending chills through my body and breaking the spell.
Koda gives a small laugh, his breath brushing my face like a warm whisper in the biting cold. “We should get moving before we turn into ice sculptures ourselves.”
I chuckle, realizing how long we’ve let ourselves linger in this perfect pocket of time. With him still holding me tight, we stand from the bench, taking cautious steps back onto the ice.
Skating forward, we are like a story unfolding—a tapestry of emotions, stitched together with laughter, confusion, and an undeniable chemistry that refuses to dim.
“I remember when we used to race,” I tease, my competitive spirit bubbling to the surface after what feels like an eternity of being bottled up. “What do you say we have a little rematch?”
“Are you challenging me?” Koda raises an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.
“Absolutely,” I declare, determination igniting a fire within me. “Let’s see who can reach the other side first.”
“Game on,” he winks, and in an instant, we take off, our skates gliding across the icy surface in a flurry of laughter and speed.
I push myself, my heart pounding with excitement, as I concentrate on keeping my balance while he darts beside me, teasingly nudging me whenever he can. But it’s not just about winning; it’s about the joy of being here, of feeling alive and safe. In this slice of midnight, as the snowflakes swirl around us, I recognize that Koda doesn’t just fill a void in my heart—he inspires me to live boldly, to embrace the wildness of life once again.
As we reach the far side of the pond, breathless and laughing, the earlier heaviness returns to my mind. The shadows linger, inviting us to confront the deeper truths we can no longer dance around. Koda leans against the ice, catching his breath, and turns his gaze towards me, vulnerability lurking behind his playful facade.
“Whatever happens next, I just want you to know,” he begins, pausing as if weighing his words carefully. “Whatever challenges we face, I’d rather face them together than apart.”
His sincerity hits me like a wave, and I nod, my own heart racing. “And whatever secrets we have, we will share them, Koda. I promise .” I swallow the lump in my throat as I think about the secret I'm carrying, still weighing heavy on my shoulders.
As the winter chill wraps around us and the moonlight reflects off the surface of the ice, I shiver, ready to go in but not ready for the night to end, especially with Koda.
“Come on,” Koda urges, shifting our focus back to the fun at hand. “One more lap, and then we go inside and get warm?"
“Deal,” I laugh, a wicked grin spreading across my face, excited by the thought of our playful wager.
Even as the future looms with its hidden challenges, I can feel the warmth of hope taking root, one heartbeat at a time. It’s only my first night here, so I know there’s a chance things can change, but deep down, I’m praying that nothing ruins our time together—nothing.
After Koda and I part ways after our midnight skate, I lay down in warm clothes, tucked into bed to try and get some sleep.
But it doesn’t work.
Harsh reminders of what happened to me hit me at full force, and I can't help the sobs that wake me up from another nightmare. I’m doing my best to hold it together while I’m here, but that facade crumbled sooner than I’d hoped. It feels as if they can hear my quiet sobs, and one by one they rush in to play the gallant saviors. Truthfully, I don’t need it. I’m not used to it.
As Everest, Baine, and Koda settle beside me on the bed, I fight to conceal my tears and manage to force a smile. Being alone prompted thoughts I wanted to avoid, so I appreciate their presence.
"Are you going to be alright tonight?" Koda asks, his hand gently tracing small circles on my lower back—an instinctive gesture from our childhood.
"I’ll be fine, I promise. You guys don’t need to worry about me over something so… trivial."
Their smiles kindle a warmth within me, even as snow continues to whip against the windows. "No more tears while you’re here, alright?" Everest extends his pinky, an invitation to solidify our unspoken pact, and I can’t help but smile wider in response.
"Yes, Ev, I got it," I whisper, nodding, still smiling under the intensity of their gazes.
"We're going to make this Christmas unforgettable, Ember, I swear," Baine assures me, his dazzling smile causing a warmth to spread through me that I struggle to contain.
"I hope so. I really need a distraction," I confess softly, letting out a sigh that causes my shoulders to sag.
Koda shoots me a sidelong glance, clearly trying to decipher my mood, but I wave it away, unwilling to share my secrets with anyone—least of all them.
"Alright, I’m going to try to get some sleep," I whisper, stifling a yawn .
The three of them rise, eyeing me as if awaiting something more.
"Come here and give me a hug, brat," Koda smirks, opening his arms wide.
I kneel on my bed and wrap my arms around him, inhaling the familiar scent of his old spice mixed with whiskey. "Love you, Em. Get some rest." One by one, Baine and Everest follow suit, enveloping me in their comforting warmth, and I realize that resisting my feelings will be far more challenging than I’d anticipated.
But I have to try.
As they leave the room, I lay back down, closing my eyes and tuning in to the fading sound of their footsteps. I take a deep breath, focusing on clearing my mind and reminding myself of the possible dangers that lay ahead. I need to remain focused—emotions can’t cloud my judgment.
With that in mind, I surrender to sleep, the warmth of their hugs still resonating in my heart. I know that upon waking, the challenges will await me, but for now, I allow myself to bask in the gentle embrace of sleep, hoping it will consume me immediately.