Page 28 of Pivot Point

She prodded my bicep. “When are you going to have those costumes finished, partner? I want to see the full visual, and we’ve only got a week left.”

I narrowed my eyes at her even as her enthusiasm had another smile tickling at my lips. “Hey, good sewing takes time, Punk. I’m just finishing up the details.”

“Having seen the fabrics you picked out and your past designs, I know it’s going to bring the whole routine together,” Niko said with the unshakable confidence he so often managed to exude.

Sometimes it irritated me that I couldn’t totally buy into his confidence. Now… I couldn’t help thinking it might be warranted.

I’d found myself partnered with two skaters who understood what was important to me on the ice—and were doing everything they could to help me get there. It’d been a long time since I’d felt this at home at the rink.

This might be the best I’deverfelt about my skating aspirations.

The thought hit me with a rush of affection. I couldn’t help teasing my hand along Lou’s jaw.

“It’ll be incredible, because I’ve got two incredible people helping me make it happen,” I said, and tugged her into a kiss.

The arena’s air might have been chilly, but Lou’s lips seared against mine with blazing heat. Just like that, I wanted to meld her whole body against mine, to indulge in the other sort of partnership we’d proven to be awfully good at too.

But even with the rink to ourselves, the open air felt way too, well, open. I let my tongue flick over hers in a teasing promise of more fun to come later and drew back.

My eyes met Niko’s, my other partner on—and possibly off—the ice, and the urge gripped me to yank him to me too. To show him I was embracing every part of our collaboration.

The same hesitation that had held me back from outright grinding against Lou gripped me again. What if someone walked in at the wrong moment?

Getting romantically involved with one’s pairs partner wasn’t that unusual. Openly hooking up with your coach—especially when you were both men? That would definitely raise a lot more eyebrows.

The twinkle in Niko’s eyes suggested that he’d picked up on my desire. I almost overrode my hesitations—but was relieved that I hadn’t when the door banged open at the top of the stands.

Quentin Wolfe’s coolly arrogant voice traveled down the aisle. “What are you misfits still doing here? It’s our time now.”

Just our luck, we had to cross paths with this asshole even when we’d booked a private timeslot. I let out my breath in a huff, but Niko spoke first in his usual friendly way.

“Don’t worry, we’re just wrapping up. I assume having two skaters packing up in the stands won’t interfere with your practice.”

Quentin strode down the aisle, that girl Jess who was always hanging off him and two junior skaters his coach was working with trailing behind him. “I get that you’d want to spy on our brilliance, but you’d better get out of here fast.”

I snorted at both the ideas of us wanting to spy and of him being brilliant, and Quentin fixed his piercing gaze directly on me. Because of course he did.

“I’m sorry I missed any of your practice,” he said. “I bet it’d have been a laugh riot. I’ll have to show up a little early next time for some entertainment before the professionals get to work.”

“Fuck off, Wolfe,” I muttered, unable to stop the remark from dropping from my mouth.

“Let’s hope your skills are alittlebetter than your insults, or I’m not sure I’ll be able to enjoy our inevitable win.”

He slid on his skates and stepped onto the ice without a backward glance. I wiped down my blades, fighting a grimace.

He just liked jerking my chain. I knew that. I shouldn’t let it get to me.

As much as his comment about spying had rankled me, I couldn’t help glancing over at him and his fellow skaters as I swung my duffel over my shoulder. We hadn’t crossed paths with Quentin here in a while. I had no idea what he’d been working on.

It wasn’t as if it mattered what we saw when we were competing in different—

Wait a second. What the fuck?

Quentin and Jess were gliding across the rink side by side, glancing at each other to get into sync. As I watched, they leapt up and whipped around in matching double Axels.

Their landings were slightly off, and their coach beckoned them over to give a few tips. My stomach sinking, I strode up to the boards.

“What the hell are you two doing?”

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