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I glanced at Jasper, as intent on impressing Niko now as he was. We eased into the start of our spin, judging each other’s speeds, and managed to curve around to face each other and then Niko at almost the same moment.
It would be easier with a plan and music to time our movements to, but we were doing pretty damn fantastic anyway.
We’d glided halfway back to Niko when he barked out another instruction. “Swivel and make the rest of the trip backwards!”
I whipped to the side automatically—unfortunately at a clashing angle to what Jasper’s instinct had been. Our shoulders collided, and I skidded on the ice.
Jasper’s arm shot out. He grasped my bare elbow to steady me, and I had to brace my other hand against his chest just for a second before I had my balance.
It was an incredibly nice chest, all packed with muscle. And when my gaze flicked upward as I drew my hand away, Jasper’s gaze caught mine.
I could have caught fire from the heat that had flickered in those gray-green eyes. A giddy quiver rippled through my body.
The glint of hunger disappeared as quickly as it’d arrived. Jasper’s face turned stormy again.
“Come on, let’s get this done.”
Well, it wasn’t as if I didn’t have plenty of other much more welcoming eye-candy to appreciate on this rink.
We pushed backward and made it to Niko with only a few slips out of sync. He was grinning even wider now, a feat I hadn’t known was possible.
“I have a brilliant idea,” he announced.
“More brilliant than this one?” Jasper asked in a dry tone.
“You could say it’s more of the same idea.” Niko cocked his head, his hair swishing across his forehead with a flash of the neon pink streak. “How would you two feel about trying pairs skating?”
“What?” I burst out at the same time as Jasper sputtered, “Are you kidding me?”
Niko wagged a finger at us. “Don’t discount it out of hand. It would give you both a fresh perspective. By collaborating, Jasper will have different skills to focus on, and Lou won’t have to face her first competitions alone. If you decide to keep at it that long. We’d just be seeing how it goes.”
He turned to Jasper. “You should find it pretty easy to do lifts with Lou given your size difference. And the two of you got in sync so easily just now. It’s meant to be.”
My mind blanked with shock. Of all the things I might have expected him to suggest, this would never have occurred to me. I’d never skated with a partner in my life.
But we had gotten into the groove awfully quickly. It’d beenfun, as jerky as Jasper could be.
I’d really get to stretch my skills, and embracing the challenge would mean skating literally alongside one of the greats. What did I have to lose?
Other than whatever speck of good will Jasper might have still felt toward me.
His hands had balled at his sides. He looked from Niko to me and back again.
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he was giving off the vibe of a volcano on the verge of eruption.
His jaw worked. Then his fingers uncurled from his palms with what looked like Herculean effort.
“Pairs?” he said. “Are you sure?”
Might as well jump in the deep end while I had the chance. “I’m in. If Niko thinks it’s a good idea—it couldn’t hurt to see how we handle it, right?”
Jasper aimed a brief glower at me before turning back to his coach. “I was never planning on working with a partner.”
Niko laughed. “You never planned on having me coach you either, but look at how well that’s working out. Give it a shot, St. Pierre. What’s the worst that could happen?”
I guessed he had a point—enough of one that Jasper sighed. “Okay. Sure. Why not?” He glanced at me again. “But the minute I sense that you’re slacking off, Punk, I’m out.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You won’t have to worry about that.”
