She nodded. “Mainly, it was frustrating. Any injury for a professional athlete is a nightmare, but the timing couldn’t be much worse.”
“Why?”
“Internationals are coming up. If I win gold, I—,” She cleared her throat, the words strangled there. Explaining to him why the gold mattered so much felt like she’d be revealing more of herself than she wanted. The pain that came from that goal, the memories of blame her mother had put at her feet, the sense of obligation she felt in having the career her mother had been forced to give up. Mila wasn’t skating for one person’s success, but rather, for redemption, and in tribute. She concentrated on stretching instead. “If you bring that leg up, you can press it against my chest. Bent at the knee,” she said, lifting it slightly, to show him what she meant.
He knew he was taking advantage of the situation, so he moved slowly, waiting for her to signal her feelings. He lifted the leg slowly, moving his body over hers, pressing her thigh to her chest, so his face was level with hers, holding her there, getting ridiculously turned on by her position, proximity and the sparks that flew, undeniably, between them.
Her face shifted, contorting a little, so he eased back. “Too much?”
“No, it’s not that.”
His eyes scanned her face, looking to understand.
“It just felt good.” Her eyes darted to his, her cheeks pink. “Really good, actually.”
“Ah.” His arousal jerked, desire flooding him. “How about this?”
He moved between her legs then caught both, lifting them simultaneously and performing the same stretch, pressing her thighs to her chest, only this time, he brought his whole body down, between her legs, his face just inches from hers. He was so close to her, their bodies intwined intimately, and she shivered, a feeling that was echoed right to the center of his being.
He moved a little, just enough for her to feel his hardness at her sex and she made a soft purring noise that almost undid him completely.
“You are incredibly flexible.”
She laughed. “I thought you were going to say something else just then.”
“Oh?” He moved closer, so his lips were only an inch from yours. “You’re incredibly beautiful, too.”
He heard her breath catch in her throat, and leaned in, brushing their noses.
“Are you trying to flatter me into sleeping with you?”
He hesitated, uncharacteristically uncertain. She was Benji’s cousin and she was particularly vulnerable right now. Not to mention, he wasn’t thinking straight at the moment. Grief had robbed him of his equilibrium. Alarm bells were sounding.
“Because if so, it’s working.” And she kissed him, tentatively, softly, so he swallowed a curse and deepened the intimacy, to hell with the warning signs, letting her legs fall back to the ground so he could press his whole body to hers, kissing her in a way that was designed to taste the very essence of her soul.