Page 22 of Shining Through

“That’s very generous, but I’m sorry, I can’t accept. If I were to do this, I’d need Peter to agree, and Olga to cover the cost. Not to mention the problem of leaving my other responsibilities.”

“What responsibilities? You have children?”

She laughed. “Not quite.”

“Dog? Cat? Fish? Bring them! I’ll pay the hotel’s pet deposit!”

“What? Are you made of money?” She laughed and offered a wary smile that made him glad he’d not told her where it came from. “Why don’t you pay for my French toast and we’ll call it a night?”

Even as midnight came and went, Daniil didn’t want the night to end. “There’s one more place I want to show you,” he said, as they walked hand in hand toward the lake.

“We really should get back. I have an early practice for the exhibition tomorrow afternoon, and then we’re flying home to LA right after it’s over.”

“If you come to Vancouver, we don’t leave until afternoon Monday. You could sleep late. I would bring you breakfast of French toast and chocolate martinis.”

She laughed again, and if nothing else, he was glad that he’d been able to lift her sad mood and show her the good time she needed. But he wanted more.

They followed a winding path through the lakefront park, and out to a small bridge. On one side, the vast dark lake spread out before them. On the other side was a harbor with a marina. Several of the boats were lit with party lights. Music and laughter echoed off the surrounding apartment towers. The night felt like late summer in Moscow though it was well into fall here. Vancouver would be colder. Especially without her.

“This is beautiful,” she said.

“You’re beautiful. Blue hair and all.”

“I had fun tonight,” she said. “Even if bad boys are on my forbidden list.”

“Maybe I’m not such a bad boy.”

“You kiss like one.”

“I want to kiss you again.” He put his hands on her hips and drew her close. He combed his fingers through the soft, synthetic blue strands, knowing her real hair would feel even silkier. “But this time, I want to kiss real-life you, not someone make believe.”

With her gaze locked on his, she reached up and pulled off the wig. Beneath, her hair was still trapped in the bun she’d worn on the ice. She tugged out the pins and elastic holding it in place and shook it free. The night breeze lifted it around her face.

“Tabitha,” he whispered. It was the first time tonight he’d called her by name. He hoped he would have many more chances after this.

“Daniil.” She smiled and stepped closer, angling her face to his. Their lips met, gently at first, caressing, then with more urgency, stoked by their mutual need. Her mouth welcomed him as he plundered its soft recesses, and his desire for her burned like fire in his veins. He’d never met anyone who made him feel like this. It was more than just physical. When he was with her, he became the man he wanted to be.

The thought that this would be their only night together tore his heart in two. The first painful tug of separation came when she pulled back and looked him in the eye. Her gaze held the cool determination that made her a force to be reckoned with in figure skating. Her words sent a shiver up his spine.

“Vancouver,” she said with a slow nod. “I’m going to make it happen.”

CHAPTER TEN

“NO.” PETER CROSSED HIS ARMSand stared out at the ice, a determined look on his face. “Ten days away is the last thing you need.”

“It’s not ten days,” said Tabitha. “It’s seven.”

“Three days to watch the competition and seven days to play around in Vancouver. That’s ten.”

“Who said anything about playing? You know how hard Misha makes me work. Between him and Ilya, I’ll probably spend more time on the ice than I would if I stayed here. It’s no different from the summer when I go to Delaware to work with Misha on choreography.”

“I beg to differ. This is the middle of a crucial season.”

“All the more reason for me to get as much one-on-one coaching as I can.”

Their attention was drawn to the far end of the rink where Brett and the jump coach were working on his quad toe. If men’s figure skating emphasized artistry over jumping, Brett would be one of the world’s top skaters. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. “If I’m not here, you can give him the attention he needs,” she said.

Peter’s mouth tightened and he rubbed the back of his neck. “He wants this so badly. But he needs to be flawless, and he isn’t. Not like you. He may never be.”

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