Page 21 of Sweet Dreams

"I've got you," he murmured, his lips close to her ear. "Just hold onto me."

Beth looked up at him, suddenly very aware of how close they were. "I plan to," she said softly.

For a moment, they just stood there, lost in each other's eyes. Then Yuri cleared his throat, a slight flush coloring his cheeks. "Shall we?"

They glided onto the ice, Beth clinging to Yuri's arm. At first, she was stiff with concentration, her eyes fixed on her feet. But gradually, with Yuri's gentle guidance and a constant stream of encouragement, she began to relax.

"See? You're a natural," Yuri said, his voice warm with pride.

Beth laughed, the sound bright in the cold air. "I think you might be a bit biased, Mr. Minsk. But I appreciate the compliment."

As they made their way around the rink, Beth became increasingly aware of every point of contact between them - Yuri's hand on her waist, her arm looped through his, the brush of their legs as they glided along. It was intoxicating.

Feeling bold, Beth attempted a little twirl. Unfortunately, her confidence outweighed her skill. She felt herself losing balance, arms windmilling comically.

"Yuri!" she yelped, bracing for impact with the ice.

But instead of cold hardness, she felt strong arms wrap around her, pulling her against a solid chest. She looked up to find Yuri's face inches from hers, his blue eyes wide with concern and something else... heat?

"Are you okay?" he asked, his breath warm on her face.

Beth nodded, suddenly breathless for reasons that had nothing to do with her near fall. "My hero," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Yuri's gaze dropped to her lips, then back to her eyes. The world seemed to shrink to just the two of them, the sounds of the rink fading away. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Yuri began to lean in.

Beth's heart raced. This was it. Their first kiss. She closed her eyes, tilting her face up to meet his...

"Watch out!"

A child's shout broke the moment. Beth's eyes flew open just in time to see a young boy careen into them, sending all three sprawling onto the ice in a tangle of limbs and startled yelps.

For a second, there was stunned silence. Then Beth started to giggle. The giggles quickly turned into full-blown laughter, and soon Yuri joined in, his deep chuckles harmonizing with her lighter tones.

"I'm so sorry!" the boy said, looking mortified.

Yuri waved off his apology, still chuckling as he helped Beth to her feet. "No harm done. Are you both alright?"

As the boy skated off, Beth turned to Yuri, suddenly shy. "So... that happened."

Yuri's eyes crinkled as he smiled, reaching out to brush a stray snowflake from her cheek. "Indeed, it did. Though I must say, I had imagined our first kiss going a bit differently."

Beth's breath caught. "Oh? You've imagined it, have you?"

Yuri's gaze intensified, his voice dropping low. "More times than I care to admit."

The air between them crackled with tension once again. Beth licked her lips, noticing how Yuri's eyes tracked the movement. "Maybe we should try again," she suggested, her voice barely above a whisper. "Somewhere with less... traffic."

Yuri's answering smile was slow and full of promise. "I know just the place."

They returned their skates and made their way out of the rink, hands intertwined. As they walked, Beth felt a delicious anticipation building. Every glance, every touch seemed charged with electricity.

Yuri led her to a small park nearby, the trees adorned with twinkling lights. They stopped beneath a large evergreen, its branches heavy with snow.

"Better?" Yuri asked, turning to face her. His eyes were dark, intense.

Beth nodded, not trusting her voice. Yuri stepped closer, one hand coming up to cup her cheek. His touch was warm against her cold skin.

"Beth," he murmured, his accent wrapping around her name like a caress. "May I kiss you?"

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