Page 40 of Hate You Most

There was a recklessness in Dakota's voice that matched the deep look in her eyes. This was the same woman who skated like she had nothing to lose and had looked at Viktoriya across the ice during competitions and smirked at her.

Dakota must've noticed the hesitance and shyness that flooded Viktoriya's body. She knew she couldn't be as loud as she wanted. If any of the security guards patrolling the Olympic Village heard her, they would have lost it all. The risk was too great, and yet in that moment she was willing to risk it all for just a second more with her. Viktoriya Volkova and Dakota Sanchez were rivals on the ice, but off the ice it was much more complicated than that.

Instead of staying there, Dakota wrapped her arms around her and lifted her off the ice, one hand at the back of Viktoriya's thigh as she instinctively wrapped her legs around Dakota's hips. They were so close they could've become one.

Their foreheads nearly touched as Dakota moved toward the rink entrance without her skates on, one arm around Viktoriya—tightly enough that she could feel Dakota’s heartbeat through the layers of clothing.

“You are showing off,” Viktoriya murmured.

Dakota grinned without looking away. “You love it when I show off.”

The doors swung open and then shut behind them, the cold following them into the hallway, clinging to their damp clothes and flushed skin.

Dakota adjusted her grip slightly as they reached the locker room door, her hands tightening against Viktoriya like she wasn’t ready to put her down yet.

Viktoriya looked at the American, at the damp strands of dark hair that curled at her forehead, at the pink splashed across her cheeks from the cold, at the softness that coded her lips.

Dakota’s gaze flicked briefly toward Viktoriya’s mouth before returning to her eyes again, slower this time. It still startled her sometimes, the way Dakota would look at her. Like she was something precious and like was someone that mattered.

“You’re staring,” Viktoriya murmured.

“You’ve got your arms wrapped around my shoulders and your legs around my hips,” Dakota replied. “Kind of hard not to.”

Dakota stared at her a moment longer, then finally leaned in.

The kiss was warm and slow, with nothing rushed about it despite the cold still trapped in their clothes. She smiled faintly against the corner of Dakota's mouth as she instinctively moved closer, one hand tangling into the damp curls at the back of Dakota’s neck.

God.

Everything with Dakota was dangerous because it was so natural. It was like breathing or walking or figure skating, she didn't have to think about it at all.

Dakota pulled back only slightly, her forehead resting briefly against Viktoriya's.

“You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met,” she whispered. “I thought you should know that, because I don't think you hear it enough.”

“Dakota—”

“No, listen to me.” One hand slid higher, moved along Viktoriya’s back as though Dakota physically needed to keep her close while saying it. “I’m serious. I don’t think you hear it enough. I don’t think anyone’s ever told you enough, actually.”

“Please stop talking.”

“You walk around acting like people only notice you because you skate well, and that’s insane to me because half the time I can barely remember my own name when you look at me. You’re so talented and dedicated and so pretty it actually makes me angry⁠—”

“Dakota.” Viktoriya swallowed hard and turned her face away slightly, but Dakota only tightened her hold around her waist, keeping her so close that there was nowhere for her to run.

“—and every time I watch you skate I feel physically ill because I’m so in love with you⁠—”

“No,” Viktoriya said immediately. “Absolutely not. Shut up.”

Dakota shook her head. “Will you let me say what I need to?”

“Just shut up. I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear you say it.”

Dakota swallowed hard. “I know you love me, and I love you, so⁠—”

Viktoriya kissed her mid-sentence just to make her stop talking. Dakota made a soft and surprised sound against her mouth before immediately kissing her back. Harder.

“Just shut up,” Viktoriya said as they broke apart. “And fuck me until I can’t think about the fact that we’re never seeing each other again. Can you do that?”