Alex
Idon’t think I’ve ever been more furious in my entire life. My jaw aches from grinding my teeth together and before I know what I’m doing, I’m following Scott off the ice.
“Alex,” calls Deb, and I glance back, not at her, but at Cate. My sweet, beautiful Cate. I stomp back, cup her face in my hands and kiss her gently. “I’ll be back.” She nods up at me, but I can see the fear and the worry in her pretty eyes, and I hate that Scott made her feel that way.
I jam my skate guards on over my blades and head straight to Scott’s office, where I find him stewing behind his desk.
“We’re not done talking about this,” I say, bracing my hands on the edge of his desk.
“I told you where I stand,” he says. “I’m not going to put my career and reputation on the line when this little fling blows up in your face.” Scott scowls, but I don’t flinch or back down. Because I’m going to fight for Cate. Today, and every day. I promised her protection. I promised her I’d look after her. And I damn well meant it.
“What the hell is your problem?” I grind out. “Didn’t you see how we skated just now? She’s even better than Charlotte. We’re perfect together.”
“On the ice, sure. But when all of this goes south off the ice, where will that leave us?”
“You don’t get it,” I say, raking a hand through my hair. My scalp is prickly with sweat. “We’re perfect together on the ice because we’re perfect together, period.” I shake my head, pulling a deep breath into my lungs. “And frankly, you have no right to tell me what to do with my personal life. And you definitely don’t have the right to say nasty things about Cate.”
Scott stands, and suddenly we’re only inches apart. “I have every right when it concerns my skaters and their ability to train and compete at the highest level. I’ve poured the past ten years of my life into your career, Alex. I’m not going to stand by and watch you throw it away.”
I scoff. “Bullshit. That’s such fucking bullshit, Scott. I’m not throwing anything away. You saw how we skated out there today. Our personal relationship only makes us better. But if you can’t get on board with that, I’m sure we can find a coach who will. Because if you’re asking me to choose you and your rink over Cate, that’s never going to happen. I’ll choose her, always.”
Scott shakes his head, exasperation written all over his face. “You’re making a mistake.”
“I think it’s you who’s making a mistake,” I say quietly. “You’re willing to let future Olympic champions walk out of your door because you don’t approve of something happening off the ice.”
“I’ve seen this more times than I can count, Alex,” he says, some of the heat gone out of his voice. “I’ve been coaching long enough to watch this play out over and over—two skaters get romantically involved and ultimately it ruins the partnership.”
“You think this is just a fling, don’t you?”
Scott doesn’t say anything, his throat working as he swallows.
“Let me make something crystal clear for you. What Cate and I have goes far beyond a fling, or a crush, or an infatuation. I’m in love with her. I’m so in love with her that I’d rather blow my whole professional life up than listen to you tell me how we’re doomed to fail for one more second.”
Scott’s eyebrows shoot up, and I can tell I’ve caught him off guard. “You’re in love with her?”
I nod. It’s the first time I’ve spoken that truth out loud, and fuck, it feels good. “I am. And I’m going to be with her, in every way.” I sigh and shove a hand through my hair again. “I also love training here. But skating with Cate and being with her are both non-negotiables for me. Don’t make me choose.”
Scott huffs out a breath and sits back down in his chair, some of the tension ebbing out of the room. “I want you to succeed, Alex. It’s my job to get you where I know you can go. You’re the most talented skater I’ve ever coached. I don’t want to see you throw it all away.”
“I’m not throwing anything away,” I say. “If anything, being with Cate will only make me better. She makes me better, both on and off the ice. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted. So don’t force my hand in this, because you won’t win, Scott. I love Cate, and I’ll always choose her.”
I’m breathing hard, adrenaline still coursing through my veins, when movement at the door catches my eye.
Cate.
My heart leaps into my throat when I see her standing there, all wide-eyed and sweet, her face lit up with a smile.
“Did you—“ I start, but she’s already nodding.
“Everything. I heard everything.”
I turn to face her fully as she steps into the office. I can’t stop staring at her. She’s like an angel. My princess. Mine.
“If you don’t want to coach us, Scott, I understand,” she says in a steady voice that makes me proud. “But Alex and I will skate together, and we will continue to be a couple off the ice.”
“So I’ve been told,” he says, looking at the floor, as though the sexual chemistry between me and Cate is so palpable he can barely stand to look at us. “I need to go talk to Deb,” he mutters and stands from his desk, eyes on the floor as he leaves his office, closing the door behind him.
And then Cate and I are alone, my confession hanging heavily between us.
Fear slices into my heart when she doesn’t say anything at first. Fear that I’ve scared her with the intensity of my feelings, with how quickly I’ve fallen in love with her.
“Did you mean it?” she asks, her voice a soft, husky whisper. Thick with emotion. She chews on her bottom lip. “You’re in love with me?”
I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face as I move towards her, not stopping until I’m close enough to take her small, delicate hands in mine. “Every single word, princess.” She inhales sharply, her eyes shooting to mine, which is perfect, because that’s exactly where I want them as I tell her the truth. “I am completely, desperately in love with you, Cate. I started falling the moment I saw you, and I haven’t stopped.”
She looks like she’s glowing, lit from within as a smile blooms on her face. “I love you, too, Alex. So much that it’s hard to believe I haven’t even known you for a month.”
There’s so much joy inside me that I feel like my chest might burst. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her tight against me, and she melts, nuzzling into my chest. I smooth a hand over her hair, and my heart has never been this full. Not standing on top of a podium, not representing my country at the Olympics.
“I never thought I’d feel this way about someone,” I confess, my lips brushing against her silky hair. “Skating was my whole life, and I didn’t have room for anything else. But from the moment I first saw you skate, I knew you were special. And then after we skated together for the first time, I knew there was something rare and real between us.”
Cate tips her head back to peer up at me, eyes shining with unshed tears. “I felt it, too. Like we were meant to be, in every way.”
I cup her face, tracing my thumbs over her cheekbones. “We are meant to be,” I say firmly, needing her to know that there’s no hesitation on my part. “No matter what anyone says or thinks, we’re meant for each other, Cate. I promise you that nothing will ever come between us. If we have to find another coach and another rink, we will. But nothing is keeping me away from you, on or off the ice.”
She snuggles into me. “I don’t care what we have to do—I just want to be with you, Alex. Only you.”
“Princess,” I murmur, and tip her face up to mine for a kiss that starts out sweet and quickly turns hot and passionate, lips and tongues working, lust and love zapping between us. Her mouth is lush and soft, and I could drown in this moment. I kiss her hungrily, and she kisses me back, claiming me as much as I’m claiming her.
My cock starts to harden and she’s writhing against me, so I slowly break the kiss because if I don’t, I’ll do something indecent, like bend her over and fuck her on Scott’s desk. My chest is heaving as she reaches up and smooths a lock of hair away from my forehead.
“I meant what I said,” I whisper, still holding her close. “I’ll always choose you, Cate. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she says, and I’m kissing her again. I can’t help it. Not when she’s telling me she loves me.
After another moment of enjoying the slide of her tongue against mine, I pull away. “Come on. I don’t know where Scott is, but if Deb’s still here, we should get back to practice. Let’s show the world what we can do.”
She smiles and nods. “I couldn’t agree more.”