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The moment that I was sure we were alone, I thrust myself into Jasper’s arms and kissed him. He hesitated for only a split-second before he pulled me closer, his lips parting against mine.
He tasted like fire and ice all at once, steaming hot in desire and chilled from the rink. I nibbled on his bottom lip briefly, then teased his tongue with my own.
His hands moved up into my hair, his fingers mussing my ponytail. He let out a tiny gasp that tickled me somewhere low in my belly, his eyes darkening when he pulled away to meet my gaze.
Nowthatwas a victory kiss.
“You were really amazing out there,” he said, his voice gone rough. “So fucking beautiful.”
As my cheeks flushed at the emphatic compliment, he glanced over at our coach. I caught a flicker of uncertainty in his expression before he squared his shoulders and stepped closer to the other man.
“And you’ve been amazing too.”
Jasper leaned in to quickly press his lips to Niko’s. It was something softer and more cautious than the embrace we’d just shared, but the sweetness of the gesture was palpable.
A different sort of joy swept through me as he eased back with a cautious smile. My lovers were finally working through their own crap to find their way back to where they’d started.
Niko blinked at Jasper and then grinned, at least as pleased as he was startled. “I’ll accept the compliment and the gift that came with it. But I can’t leave my favorite girl out.”
He flashed that impish grin at me before pulling me in for a kiss as well. I smiled against his lips, a giggle bubbling up in my throat.
I loved the playful part of him so much. His lively personality had become a source of comfort to me.
My two skaters contrasted with each other, but together they made something more special than I could have ever imagined being possible back in Austin.
And then there was Rafael now, too.
My good spirits dampened just slightly at the memory of my bodyguard’s confession—and the brief makeout session we’d had last night. I was going to have to tell Niko and Jasper that my relationship with the other man was shifting in a new direction.
They’d known I wasn’t exclusive, but I’d explicitly told them that he was just a friend. I didn’t want them thinking I’d lied about that.
Although we shouldn’t get into all the things Ihadlied about, or at least avoided telling the truth about. I hadn’t even competed under my real name.
My gut knotted. My past had to stay in the past. It was safer for all of us that way.
But I was going to be honest with them about Rafael.
We’d need to go somewhere more private for that conversation. I wasn’t going to get into my complicated love life when any of the other skaters could come around the corner in the middle of my explanation.
Maybe at dinner we could get a cozy booth in a not-too-busy restaurant that would give us the space we needed. Or I’d invite them over to the bungalow after. Niko hadn’t even seen my house before.
I tugged at both men. “Come on, let’s go get that dinner. I’m starving.”
We made our way back out to the main hall, still grinning like shy middle schoolers who had just shared their first kiss. A few of the other skaters were still standing around chatting, adding to the community vibe I was just starting to appreciate.
Someday I’d really fit in with the rest of them.
We’d almost reached the lobby when a trill of a voice called out from behind us. “Jasper St. Pierre! Oh, and your lovely partner is with you too. What luck.”
All three of us turned to see a middle-aged woman making her way down the hall toward us, waving for our attention with just the tips of her fingers. The thudding of her clunky high heels echoed through the hall. Her startlingly bright blue eyeshadow should have clashed with her sunflower-print dress, but somehow the contrast gave her a quirky poise.
“Oh, I’m so glad to have caught you.” the woman said. “It was so wonderful to see you performing again, Jasper. That performance was absolutely moving.”
Jasper peered at the woman with a hint of confusion before he pasted on a smile in an even more impressive performance than he’d given on the ice. I could tell that he didn’t actually recognize her, and he probably wanted to tell her to buzz off, but he knew better than to let his usual grumpy self show in front of a fan.
“Thank you,” he said, tucking his hands behind his back. “I’m glad that you thought so. Creating a visual that’s emotionally compelling is always my main goal.”
The woman laughed like a crow with something caught in its throat. “And you do it so well.” She turned to me. “And I don’t believe we’ve met, but you rose to Jasper’s level quite spectacularly. I can’t wait to see more from you.”
