On every side of us, people skate in a big circle around the community center while music plays. A disco ball scatters dancing lights across Hazel’s hair.
“Do you think he saw us?” she asks.
Her hair smells nice. Light and pretty, like vanilla or cookies or something. “Who?”
“Ward.”
Right. The whole reason we’re here. On the other end of the arena, Ward is in a roped-off section with a bunch of toddlers, teaching them to skate. They’re all faster than Hartley.
“He saw me taking photos with people when we arrived.”
She makes a noise of acknowledgement and keeps shuffling on the ice.
My eyes drop to her ass. Fucking hell, those yoga leggings. I think about her not wearing panties under her yoga clothes, and arousal tightens in my groin.
I’m a fucking asshole, but I’ve pictured making her come a thousand times. It would change my whole life, watching her unravel because of me. She’s so in control, and making her arch and melt and cry out in pleasure would make my fucking life.
“Miller.” My head snaps up, and she’s looking at me over her shoulder with a small smirk. “Were you staring at my ass?”
“Yes.” I grin. “It’s the leggings.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “Gross.” I let go of her waist, and her eyes widen in fear. “Don’t.” Her hands come to mine, holding them against her, and my blood beats with pride. “I’m not ready.”
She’s so cute. “Hartley, you’re doing great. I’m going to skate beside you for a bit.”
She makes a strangled noise but lets my hands go free, and I move to her side. We’re the slowest people on the ice, but she doesn’t seem to notice.
Her eyes lift to my face. “You don’t need to look so pleased.”
I throw my hands up, laughing. “I’m not.”
“You’re gloating.”
“I’m having fun with you.”
It’s the truth. Hanging out with Hartley like this, I’m relaxed. She looks away, but she’s smiling. On her next step forward, her skate slips, and she gasps as she catches herself.
“You got this,” I tell her, hovering.
She slips her gloved hand into mine, and my heart jumps into my throat as I stare down at where our hands are joined. Jittery nerves coil in my chest.
“We’re supposed to be a couple,” she says, not looking at me. “And I don’t want to fall.”
“I know.” My pulse is going nuts.
She’s so pretty. Her hair is down around her shoulders. The other day in the shower, I jerked off to thoughts of running my nose along the column of her neck, skimming my hands over her hips to feel whether she was wearing something beneath those leggings.
A shudder rolls through me and I swallow, glancing at her plush mouth. Could I get away with kissing her here? Ward isn’t even looking.
She gives me a strange look as we skate. “What?”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“You’re being weird.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” Her head tilts as she studies me, and there’s another jump of nerves in my gut. “Oh my god. Are you nervous around me?”
I laugh, looking away. “No.”
She loses her balance, and my hands come back to her waist to catch her. “Yes, you are. You’re nervous.”
A smile creeps up on my mouth. “You’re terrifying.”
She snorts, and I love the way her lips tilt. “You know I’m not actually a dragon, right?” Her tone is soft and teasing, and it trickles down the back of my neck, warm like honey.
We start skating again, and I slip my hand back into hers. “Why do you teach on Zoom? I thought you taught in a studio.”
“Sometimes I do. The studios value seniority, so it’s tough to get classes.” Her mouth twists. “And it’s an accessibility thing, too. It’s easier for people to log in online than get to a studio. Elaine likes to travel but wants to keep up her practice. Clarence’s elevator is always broken, and with his hip stuff, stairs are hard. Vatsi’s about to have a baby, so her life is about to get busy. Hyung likes not having to commute all the way from the university, that’s like an hour on the bus each way. And Laura—” She stops abruptly. I catch a flash of fury in her eyes before it’s gone. “Well, Laura hasn’t had the greatest experiences with studios. Zoom yoga is the best option for a lot of people.”