Page 20 of Skid Spiral

As I rolled my eyes at him, Niko shot me one of his brilliant grins. “The tattoo is beautiful. And earned. You move like an angel when you’re skating.”

My cheeks were outright burning now. I didn’t know what to say to that other than a mumbled, “Thanks,” that felt totally inadequate.

“Well, come on,” Jasper grumbled at the other man, and Niko swerved around with a flash of what might have been guilt crossing his face.

No, I really didn’t understand their dynamic at all.

While I worked on a few of my spins in one corner of the rink, Jasper soared past me in another attempt at his triple Axel, and then another. The first time, he stumbled and swayed when he landed a smidge too soon in his rotation.

The second time, he pitched forward right onto his knees.

As he shoved himself upright, cursing under his breath, Niko skated over. He grasped Jasper’s arm to help steady him.

“You’re in your head too much. You know you can do this—I’ve seen you make it. But you need to relax and let yourself get into the flow.”

“I need to get out of this fucking slump,” Jasper growled. He pulled his arm away from Niko and frowned at the other man. “Are you here to be my coach or my therapist? Because I didn’t ask for the former and I’mdefinitelynot looking for the latter.”

Niko held up his hands, too easygoing to take offense even as I bristled on his behalf. “Frustration will trip you up more than anything—speaking as a coach. Why don’t you take ten, grab a drink, and cool off?”

Jasper ducked his head. “Sorry. I—” His jaw tightened, and he skated off to where he’d left his bag in the stands.

Niko turned to me, his smile returning if not quite as sunny as before. “That meansyou’vegot to deal with me now, Angel. I saw you struggling with that Biellmann spin.”

I couldn’t hold back a wince. I’d been doing so well for a moment, but then a wobble had crept through my legs.

Niko chuckled. “Oh, don’t look like that. You almost had it! Here, let me show you —”

He moved to my side and ushered me towards the center of the ice. I glanced toward Jasper, wondering if this would piss him off even more, but he had his back to us as if he didn’t care.

“Like this,” Niko said. “Do you mind if I…?”

He gestured a few inches from my body, asking if he could touch me. I nodded, a sharp dip of my chin.

His slender fingers dropped down to my waist, holding me steady, while his other hand rested on the outside of my left leg. Warmth rushed over my skin.

Dear lord, I hoped he couldn’t feel that his touch was turning me on.

He patted my leg lightly, which only sent more sparks up it. This close up, his gleaming eyes and warm smile were nothing less than magnetic.

“You’ll want to keep this leg as straight as possible. And you might try catching your foot at your side rather than behind you to keep your center of gravity.”

How was I supposed to process his advice when my brain was short-circuiting at his touch? Coach Balakin had definitely never had this effect on me.

Focus, Lou. You’re supposed to be a professional here.

But as I inhaled Niko’s light, oceanic scent, I couldn’t help noticing that his gaze veered to the rise and fall of my breasts, just for an instant before he jerked his attention to my face. The gleam in his eyes now might have been a little heated too.

He kept his tone as breezy as before. “Does that make sense?”

“Yeah,” I said, willing my voice to stay steady. “I just always seem to lose my balance a little just before I’m fully in position.”

His hand dropped to the small of my back, and my pussy clenched. I leaned into him just slightly andknewI wasn’t imagining the flash of interest in his expression.

He wet his lips, and then it was gone again, hidden behind his cheerfully casual demeanor. “If you lean back just a bit when you feel the wobble coming on, that might get you right again before it shows. If you’re still having trouble, it always helps to practice standing by the boards, getting a solid feel for the position.”

Would he ever let me get past the professional front and discover the passion I knew was simmering underneath? Or maybe he wouldn’t think it was worth altering whatever odd relationship we had now.

Either way, I didn’t think I’d be able to resist taking my shot with him if I got the chance.

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