Page 10 of Rinkmates

I never thought I’d see her again after she disappeared from the public eye years ago. It’s like she was erased from existence. She used to dominate the headlines as a US figure skating princess, poised to bring home all the medals. And just like that, she vanished in the middle of the Olympics.

“Of course, you messed it all up again. I should have come with Ethan,” she grunts. “But here I am trying to solve things alone. Great idea.”

“Look, I didn’t agree to any of this,” I say, halting in front of a familiar photograph that still sets my pulse racing. After all these years and women that made me forget my name at times, it’s still her that makes my stomach flip. There she is, sitting casually on a bench at the rink, a sly grin on her lips, almost daring me to unravel the mystery behind those blue eyes. Her hands are folded neatly between her thighs, that snug purpledress accentuating every curve just right. With her blonde locks and that angelic face, she’s always been a vision of temptation for me.

My father forced me to watch several sportschampionships, including the US figure skating nationals. He has a thing for sports bets, and I guess it was an attempt to get me onto it, too, but I was sixteen when I saw her. I didn’t care a bit about my father’s bets on her. I’m not exactly proud of it, but her face was the reason I started to beat the meat on a daily basis.

From that day on, I watched every championship she competed in. I even had a nickname ready for her. Lia. I was one crazy teenager.

And today, that girl almost moved in with me.

I could never tell Nina why I didn’t think this would work, but fuck—it wasn’t for lack of words. It was more about the fact that Liora was too tempting. I would be desperate to fuck her at some point, and besides my father, there’s only one other thing that could get me to run: the thought of binding myself to someone. To lose myself. It wouldn’t work. It never did, and especially not when she still looked the same, maybe even more captivating now. That ass in leggings. Shit.

Nina interjects before the silence can stretch into discomfort, “Riley, I’m afraid you don’t have much choice here. Your image needs serious rehab if you want to stay in the league and I thought Ethan made it clear that you have to cooperate. No matter what.”

“Your heroine ran away from me and now you’re blaming me for it?”

Nina gives me thatyou know what you didlook,but I shrug it off. “If she can’t stomach a little remark, it’s not a good idea to move in with me anyway.”

“You mocked her job, Ri…”

“You know, just like I do, that a reality show isn’t a place for someone like her. She’s been a legend. I never saw someone as talented as her on the ice.”

Nina narrows her eyes. “Since when do you watch figure skating?”

I snort. “Everyone who reads the sports section knows her. I’m just saying she should try to compete again.”

“Well, it’s also common knowledge that it’s over at her age. She’s too old.”

“Please. She’s twenty-four.”

Nina dramatically flails her arms in front of her face. “Hold up! Why on earth do you know her age?”

I clear my throat, feeling a bit caught. “Just a casual google search. I mean, you wanted her to move in with me, I had to check on her.” She’s three years younger than me. I even know her birthday. It’s September 18.

Nina shoots me a suspicious glance.

“Anyway, it’s a moot point because she’s not keen on moving in with me.”

“Oh, she will be.”

“What was your grand plan, anyway? Her moving in and playing bouncer while she takes me hostage in between games?”

Nina grins. “Yeah, pretty much. Ethan and I thought you two could fake a relationship. Just until the season wraps. It boosts your PR, and she gets a nice roof over her head and maybe some more calls to keep her in the show. Win-win.”

My heart pounds like a bass drum at a rock concert.

Liora James pretending to bemygirlfriend? Nina must have gone mad.

“Absolutely not,” I protest, shaking my head vigorously. The mere thought sends a shiver down my spine, though not entirely unwelcome.

“We said all you have to do is play along!” Nina’sfrustrationis palpable, her expression teetering and close to of a full-blown tantrum. “Isthisplaying along?”

“You failed to mention I’d be sacrificing my personal space to live with someone.” Tolivewithher. “How would you feel if I dropped a random stranger into your apartment?”

She snorts. “Please, you’re used to having random girls over every night.”

“Yeah, but they leave in the mornings.”

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