you. What will define you is how fearless you’ve been, how hard you’ve worked, how much you’ve inspired young skaters.”
There was so much love and sureness in his eyes. I reached up and caressed his stubbly cheek, and as I touched my mouth to his, I let my palm trail down his chest. His warmth always gave me such comfort, and being in his arms made me feel totally at peace. I might need to take up permanent residence there the next eight weeks.
“What would I do without you?” I murmured against his lips.
He kissed me tenderly. “You’ll never have to find out.”
I wound my arms around his neck, and he rested his forehead against mine. “You were right, though,” he said, breaking into a slow smile. “Winning an Olympic gold medal would be incredibly sexy.”
I laughed and kissed him again.
****
Aubrey downed the last drops of her wine and slid the glass onto a nearby table. She’d talked Nick and Chris into staying on the dance floor through a string of songs because she wasn’t going anywhere near the bar. She didn’t want her celebration tainted by Damien’s suggestive looks and comments.
“Another drink?” Nick asked.
She thought about her previous intention to stay away from alcohol forever. A couple of glasses of wine wouldn’t hurt, though, and she had more backup this time to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid.
“If you’re buying,” she said.
“Of course, my lady. You good, Chris?”
Chris gave his beer bottle a slight shake to assess the contents. “Yeah, I’m set.”
Nick shimmied through the crowd, and Chris moved closer to Aubrey. “See that table of girls over there?” He jerked his chin toward a group of three Japanese women dressed in cut-up sweatshirts and neon-colored leggings. “They’ve been checking me out since we started dancing. Should I go over and test my player skills?”
“No, no.” She stepped in front of him as a blockade. “Rule number one – no hookups in foreign countries. Trust me, it’s a bad idea. And rule number two – no hooking up with fangirls. I saw that group at the hotel getting autographs. You’ll end up being discussed on some internet message board tomorrow.”
Chris looked back and forth between her and the table of admirers. “Those are valid points. But I need to practice my game.”
“We’ll go clubbing as soon as we get settled in Boston.” The music became louder, and she raised her voice, “Why don’t you practice on me right now?”
“On you ?”
“What? Am I not hot enough for you?”
He swept a long look over her. “No, you’re plenty hot enough.”
His smiling eyes shone at her in a way she’d never seen from him. It made her a little tingly… something she’d definitely never felt around him before.
She cleared her throat. “So, give me your best line.”
He laughed and tugged on the collar of his black crew-neck sweater. “I don’t really have any lines. I’ve never tried to pick up a random girl.”
“Then just imagine you see someone at a club – me in this case – and you’re attracted to her and want to meet her. What do you say when you walk up to her?”
“I’d probably introduce myself and ask if she’d like to dance.”
“That’s good. Keep it simple. So you get her on the dance floor.” Aubrey twirled around. “How close do you dance with her? You don’t wanna be bumping and grinding right off the bat.”
He laughed again. “I’ll keep it respectable yet irresistible.”
“Show me. Let’s see your moves.”
“You’ve seen me dance a million times, including five minutes ago.”
“I haven’t seen your I’m-dancing-with-a-girl-I-just-picked-up moves.” She wiggled as much as she could in her tight dress. “Come on, show me what ya’ got.”
He grinned and pushed up his sleeves. “Okay, Boss. You want it, you got it.”
“Bust a Move” had just begun playing, and Chris danced along to the hip-hop rhythm as he closed the space between Aubrey
There was so much love and sureness in his eyes. I reached up and caressed his stubbly cheek, and as I touched my mouth to his, I let my palm trail down his chest. His warmth always gave me such comfort, and being in his arms made me feel totally at peace. I might need to take up permanent residence there the next eight weeks.
“What would I do without you?” I murmured against his lips.
He kissed me tenderly. “You’ll never have to find out.”
I wound my arms around his neck, and he rested his forehead against mine. “You were right, though,” he said, breaking into a slow smile. “Winning an Olympic gold medal would be incredibly sexy.”
I laughed and kissed him again.
****
Aubrey downed the last drops of her wine and slid the glass onto a nearby table. She’d talked Nick and Chris into staying on the dance floor through a string of songs because she wasn’t going anywhere near the bar. She didn’t want her celebration tainted by Damien’s suggestive looks and comments.
“Another drink?” Nick asked.
She thought about her previous intention to stay away from alcohol forever. A couple of glasses of wine wouldn’t hurt, though, and she had more backup this time to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid.
“If you’re buying,” she said.
“Of course, my lady. You good, Chris?”
Chris gave his beer bottle a slight shake to assess the contents. “Yeah, I’m set.”
Nick shimmied through the crowd, and Chris moved closer to Aubrey. “See that table of girls over there?” He jerked his chin toward a group of three Japanese women dressed in cut-up sweatshirts and neon-colored leggings. “They’ve been checking me out since we started dancing. Should I go over and test my player skills?”
“No, no.” She stepped in front of him as a blockade. “Rule number one – no hookups in foreign countries. Trust me, it’s a bad idea. And rule number two – no hooking up with fangirls. I saw that group at the hotel getting autographs. You’ll end up being discussed on some internet message board tomorrow.”
Chris looked back and forth between her and the table of admirers. “Those are valid points. But I need to practice my game.”
“We’ll go clubbing as soon as we get settled in Boston.” The music became louder, and she raised her voice, “Why don’t you practice on me right now?”
“On you ?”
“What? Am I not hot enough for you?”
He swept a long look over her. “No, you’re plenty hot enough.”
His smiling eyes shone at her in a way she’d never seen from him. It made her a little tingly… something she’d definitely never felt around him before.
She cleared her throat. “So, give me your best line.”
He laughed and tugged on the collar of his black crew-neck sweater. “I don’t really have any lines. I’ve never tried to pick up a random girl.”
“Then just imagine you see someone at a club – me in this case – and you’re attracted to her and want to meet her. What do you say when you walk up to her?”
“I’d probably introduce myself and ask if she’d like to dance.”
“That’s good. Keep it simple. So you get her on the dance floor.” Aubrey twirled around. “How close do you dance with her? You don’t wanna be bumping and grinding right off the bat.”
He laughed again. “I’ll keep it respectable yet irresistible.”
“Show me. Let’s see your moves.”
“You’ve seen me dance a million times, including five minutes ago.”
“I haven’t seen your I’m-dancing-with-a-girl-I-just-picked-up moves.” She wiggled as much as she could in her tight dress. “Come on, show me what ya’ got.”
He grinned and pushed up his sleeves. “Okay, Boss. You want it, you got it.”
“Bust a Move” had just begun playing, and Chris danced along to the hip-hop rhythm as he closed the space between Aubrey
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