Since he sounded so affronted—and since he was completely right—I began to nod as the laughter spilled out. “Deal,” I called, skating backward.
He raised his voice. “Picking you up at seven tomorrow night. Wear something comfortable.”
I was laughing too hard to do more than wave in acknowledgement.
“Three hundred and ninety-nine more!” Kardok called at the same time Joshua blew his whistle and called, “Again.”
I felt my heart lighten as I reached the blue line and turned. Kardok was right; it was going to take time and repetition, but I could do this. Iwouldlearn to trust him, learn to let go of the careful control I’d built my life on.
Still smiling, I pictured myself as an axe, took a deep breath, and threw myself down the ice toward the hot orc enforcer who’d just asked me on a real date.
Kardok
The axe made a thoroughlyunsatisfying sort oftwangas it hit the wooden target handle-first and rebounded into the sawdust below. I pressed my lips together to hide my response to Lila’s adorable noise of frustration.
“This is impossible,” she huffed. “I’mhitting the target.”
“You are,” I agreed, stepping up to take her place. I held my beer in my left hand and the axe in my right. “And honestly, that’s better than most beginners.” The backdrop on either side of the target bore the marks to prove my point.
I lifted my right hand over my head and casually threw my axe overhanded. Itthwunkedinto the target and stuck, and I lifted my beer to my lips at the same time Lila stomped her foot in frustration.
“That’s easy foryouto say—you can probably do this with your eyes closed!”
She was right; I’d been here plenty of times with my brother Brakkor or my teammates. As the pair of us strolled down the stall to pick up our weapons, I told her so.
“Dakvaar is ridiculously good at this, but you’d never know, because he doesn’t ever talk about personal stuff.”
“I’m not surprised.” Lila bent at the waist to scoop up her downed ax while I pulled mine from the target. “The guy has never, ever missed a shot on goal. Sometimes it’s blocked, sure, but he doesn’t miss.”
She’d…noticed that? I felt my lips curling as I watched her march back toward the throwing line. It wasn’t the first time Lila had surprised me with knowledge about the Teal Terrors or a particular player. Orme.
The knowledge she’d watched me play in the past filled me with that same sense ofrightnessI’d felt, knowing she’d been in the stands earlier this week.
I was feeling that way right now, having her at my side. I’d felt that way earlier when I’d picked her up from her apartment. She’d answered the door wearing a pair of jeans and a black silk blouse, and my mouth had started to water.
Who the fuck went axe-throwing in a silk blouse? My princess did.
Remembering how perfectly she’d fit in at the ballet, I’d expected at least a nose-wrinkle when we stepped into BadAxe, with the sawdust on the floor, the loud impacts and cheers, and the stench of spilled beer. But Lila had stepped inside and looked around eagerly, as if she wasexcitedto experience this new place.
I had to give her credit; she was a princess who didn’t turn her nose up at things below her.
Like me.
Last time I’d had the chance to kiss Lila, I’d been the one to back away, despite the scent of her arousal in the air. I’d been the one to tell myself that I didn’t deserve her.
Tonight?
I wasn’t so sure.
Sauntering over to her, I handed her my axe, sipping my beer as she hefted them both to get the feel, while glaring at the target. If sheer determination would embed the axe head in the target, she would succeed.
She took her stance—legs spread, double-handed hold on the handle—and let fly, shifting her weight at the last minute. The weapon’s rotation had slowed by the time itreached the center of the stall, and barely managed to rebound off the target.
With a little huff of frustration, Lila scooped up my axe and made the same mistake again. I watched her stomp through the sawdust to scoop up both weapons.
When she returned to the ready line, she plopped them down in front of me and picked up her beer with a scowl. “This is bullshit.”
I think it was the first time I’d ever heard her curse, and the laugh burst out of me before I could stop it.
