by Jaci Burton
She was actually looking forward to celebrating with her parents.
She only made it a short walk outside the arena before she met up with Will, who swept her up in his arms and swung her around in a circle.
"You kicked ass tonight."
She laughed when he put her down. "Thank you."
He took her bag and slung it over his shoulder, then grabbed her hand. "You looked like a princess out there, babe. Actually, that's not right. You looked like a warrior princess. You were fierce and bloodthirsty, but also elegant and beautiful." He stopped and turned to look at her. "Does that even make sense?"
She sighed, lifted up on her toes and grasped his chin to kiss him. "You couldn't have given me a better compliment."
His lips curved. "Good. So where's the medal?"
"Around my neck, under my clothes. I might sleep with it on tonight."
He dropped her bag and tugged her close. "Just so you know, I've never made love to a woman wearing only her gold medal."
"Really. Well, you might get a first tonight."
"I'll bet it looks really sexy nestled between your beautiful breasts."
A swell of heat fluttered through her. She could already envision the two of them naked, with Will inside of her. She already knew how good it felt. It would cap off this incredible night perfectly.
"Your place or mine?" she asked.
"Elias has already left. His brother is getting married, so he had to go back to Sweden."
"Your place it is."
"You don't want to go somewhere and celebrate?"
She leaned into him. "We are going somewhere to celebrate."
"I like the way you think."
She noticed when they resumed walking that Will had accelerated his pace. That made her smile. She had to admit she was in a hurry to be alone with him, too.
When they got to his apartment, he shut and locked the door, then set her bag down on the kitchen counter. Amber unzipped her coat and hung it on the peg by the door.
"Let's see it," he said.
"See what?"
He walked over to her, cupped her jaw, then trailed his finger along the column of her throat, then along her collarbone and down her sternum. "You know what."
Her lips curved. "Oh. That. I don't know why you're so interested. You have one, too."
"Yeah but mine isn't resting between your breasts."
"So true." She moved to the sofa, slipped off her boots and pulled off her socks, then stood and peeled off her leggings and panties. Her long V-neck shirt fell to her thighs, which made Will cock his head to the side.
"That seems unfair. I can't see the goods."
"Soon enough. Start stripping."
He reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. "You're very bossy when you win a gold medal."
She laughed at that, then got serious about pulling her shirt over her head, followed by unclasping her bra, letting the straps slide down her arms before tossing it to the floor.
"And you're messy, too," he said.
"Oh, shut up."
He dropped his pants and shrugged out of his boxer briefs, then moved toward her, his erection bobbing up and down as he walked. She took in a deep breath.
"Got a condom?"
He lifted his hand and waved the pack back and forth. "Always ready for you."
"I'm so glad to hear that."
He picked up the medal and rubbed his thumb over it, then lifted his gaze to hers. "Gold is your color."
"Thank you." She rose up and wrapped her hand around the nape of his neck to draw his head down for a kiss. His lips were warm and his tongue wrapped around hers, making her quake with desire.
Whenever he kissed her, she felt that kiss everywhere. Not just on her lips, but tingling pulses through every nerve ending. She felt warm and quivery. Every time he kissed her felt like the first time, giving her that take-your-breath-away feeling that never failed to make her weak in the knees.
She moved backward, directing him toward the bedroom.
He pulled his lips from hers. "Got something in mind?"
"Definitely." She turned him around and pushed him onto the bed, on his back. Then straddled him.
"I like where this is going," he said, running his hands up and down her thighs. "And I like you on top of me."
"Me, too. I like the way your cock feels when I'm on top. You fill me up, and when I rock against you, it sparks all this delicious sensation in my clit."
"Well let's make that magic happen for you. Bring that pretty pussy over here and slide down on my cock."
After he applied the condom, she lifted up and took her time easing down over his shaft. Their gazes collided and held and she grasped his hands as she slid all the way down onto his cock.
She gasped, her body acclimating to his thickness by quavering and tightening around him.
"Fuck, yeah," he said. "Do you know what that does to me, feeling all those tremors your pussy makes when I'm inside of you?"
She shook her head. "No. Tell me."
He lifted his hips, moving slow and easy. "It makes me want to drive hard inside of you until I come. It also makes me want to prolong this so we can do it for hours, because it feels so fucking good."
"Mmm, I know the feeling. The way you rub up against me feels incredible. It's like this magical sensation I don't have words for."
He lifted the medal from her chest and wrapped his hand around it, his knuckles brushing the inside of her breasts. "It's warm from resting against your skin."
She should feel silly for wearing the medal, but at the same time the medal was the last thing on her mind when Will was inside of her. She shifted forward, then back, and the only thought in her head was how his cock felt, how her clit was sparking with all these sensations, and how close she was to coming.
And when he brushed the palm of his hand over her nipples, then brought her forward so he could take a nipple into his mouth and suck it, she cried out, her orgasm taking her by surprise.
She ground against him, trying to get as much out of her climax as she could while simultaneously attempting to drag him into an orgasm with her.
She succeeded because he groaned, gripped her hips and lifted into her, shuddering against her as he came. It was the sweetest sensation feeling her own orgasm and his as well, to see his features go hard with tension as he released.
When he finally went lax, she lay forward to rest against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He rubbed her back and she drew circles around his shoulder with her fingertips. It was nice to just lie here and do nothing as they both came down from that incredible high.
She finally lifted and climbed off him and he went into the bathroom to discard the condom. He returned to the bed and pulled her against him. She wrapped one leg over his hip.
It was late. She knew she should go back to her room, but she just didn't want to move. She finally lifted her head.
"I should go."
He arched a brow. "Why?"
"I don't know. I told my parents I'd have breakfast with them in the morning. I know they're excited and they want to see me."
He brushed her hair away from her face. "I'll wake you."
She wanted to stay with him, to wrap herself around him and sleep with him tonight.
"Okay."
"You're easy."
She laughed. "You sure know how to flatter a girl."
He kissed the top of her head. "I might wake you in an hour and make love to you again."
"Okay."
She closed her eyes.
"See? Easy."
She shoved into his chest.
He laughed and she climbed on top of him.
"Just for that I'm going to keep you up all night long."
He smoothed his hand over her back, his fingers making a slow trek toward her butt.
"Ooh, punishment."
Somehow it didn't seem a fitting punishment, but as he rolled her onto her back, she figured they'd both benefit, so
. . . whatever.
THIRTY
AMBER COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WAS ALREADY THE CLOSING ceremony. The past three weeks had gone by so fast.
The gala had been incredibly fun. It always was. Skating without being judged was always stress free. It wasn't practice, it wasn't to hone your skills, it was just for the crowd, a final showcase with no pressure, and the audience always enjoyed it. And because the audience had always been there for her, she loved performing for them.
She'd had a great breakfast with her parents on Saturday morning. Her mother had told her she was proud of her. Her father had hugged her and said he'd always known she could get that gold medal.
Then her mom had announced that she'd gotten her a gig on that dancing show where several former figure skaters had gone--and many had won. She was set to report in the late fall.
Amber was stunned, but it was a great opportunity. Especially since she hadn't been the only skater to win a medal. Brandon had won gold, Rory had won a bronze and Telisa and Robbie had won a silver medal. And their friends Darren and Christina had won a silver medal.
These games had been good for the US figure skaters.
And Sergei had won silver. He didn't seem to mind since he and Brandon were now solidly a couple. She had no idea how that was going to work once Sergei made his way back to Russia, but she hoped he and Brandon could find a way.
Now she was going to have to figure out the whole after-competition thing. She'd never had an agent, but she supposed it was time to get one. She'd never thought too hard about life after skating, other than maybe teaching skating to kids. She was going to have to think about what she really wanted to do now.
For now, though, she stood beside Will and all her friends and watched the end of the games. The showcase was beautiful, but it always made her a little sad.
This time, especially. Her entire life had changed at these games. She'd made so many new friends, and as she looked over at Tia and Rory and Telisa and Robbie and Lisa and Blake and Brandon and Sergei, she realized these people would be friends forever.
And then she looked over to her left at Will, who was watching the ceremony with several of his friends, some of whom were also her friends now, too.
That sense of warmth settled over her again, as it always did whenever she looked at Will.
He turned to her and gave her a grin.
"Isn't it great?"
She nodded, then turned to watch the ceremony with him.
When it was over, they all decided to leave the village and head to a party Lisa had told them about. Tia wasn't going, so Rory was staying to hang out with her.
The party was at this beautiful home owned by a friend of Lisa's. It was a two story set high on a hill, with amazing views of the mountains.
The inside was incredibly spacious with tall windows everywhere you turned. The place was filled with skiers and snowboarders and bobsledders and skaters and just about every athlete imaginable.
"Come on," Will said, following Lisa and Blake to the expansive kitchen, where a bar had been set up. "What would you like to drink?"
She really wanted a drink. "Vodka with soda."
Someone was bartending, so he got her drink and a whiskey for himself. They made their way around the house, finding a bench seat near a set of windows. For a while they watched the goings-on. Loud music, people dancing and just cutting loose.
"I think everyone feels the same as I do," Amber said to Will.
"What? That it's finally over and we can all relax?"
She laughed. "Yes."
He nodded. "There's so much pressure all through the games. It's nice to just cut loose and let it go. Win or lose, it's over now."
"Exactly. Last time I stayed until the end, but I was happy to rest in my room and relax. There was no more pressure."
"Yeah but you stayed in your room. Isn't this better?"
She leaned into him and wrapped her hand around his arm. "Much."
"When do you leave?" he asked.
"Tomorrow afternoon. You?"
"I have a six a.m. flight."
"Wow, that's early."
"I know. I have to get back to work with my team."
"Oh, right."
She thought about that, about what it meant for the two of them. She half turned to face him.
"So now what happens?" she asked.
"You mean for us?"
She nodded.
"You know how I feel, Amber. That hasn't changed. I go back to my regular schedule, which means half the season of home games, the other half on the road. What about you?"
"The whole ice skating team will go on tour. There will be interviews after the games are finished. I'll be busy for several months, no doubt. And then there's that dancing thing my mother set up for me."
"Which is very cool."
"Thank you. I'm not sure how I feel about it."
"So you haven't accepted it yet?"
She shook her head. "On the one hand, it's a great opportunity. On the other . . ."
He studied her for a few seconds. "You're not sure it's the next step for you?"
She nodded.
"Only you can decide that for yourself. But if you want to talk about it, you know I'm always up for that."
Of course he would be. "Thank you."
"And no matter what, we'll carve out time to see each other. Plus, there's a New York hockey team that we play against."
"Drew's team."
"Right. So whenever I'm in New York I can see you. And if you're going on tour, that means we can work out a schedule for when we're either nearby or in the same cities."
As he talked about it, she realized it was a disaster in the making, and a lot like what Will had gone through with his last girlfriend.
She knew how that one had ended. She also knew he had a schedule that couldn't be altered. And she had no idea what hers was going to look like, but she'd gone on tour after the last international games, and it was months and months on the road with no break.
How would they ever have a relationship when they never saw each other?
She refused to be another woman who broke his heart, because she couldn't give him what he needed.
She knew now she was in love with him. She hadn't told him, because she hadn't been sure she knew what love was.
Now she did know. Love meant letting someone go before you hurt them.
She wasn't going to hurt him, wasn't going to drag out this relationship for months, only to have it end with both of them hating each other, or blaming the other for the lack of time together. She loved him too much for that.
Which meant she had to break it off now. Just the thought of it made her chest ache.
But every minute she thought about what life would be like for them--what their relationship would be like--reminded her of his last relationship. She knew how much that had hurt him.
She couldn't do that to him again.
She looked down at her hands. "So I've been thinking."
"About?"
This was so hard. She wasn't good at lying. But she had to, for Will.
She finally lifted her gaze to his. "About us."
He smiled at her, and it was like a punch to her stomach. "Yeah? What about us?"
"You know I've had a wonderful time with you these past few weeks. It's been the most incredible experience of my life, Will."
"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?"
She inhaled, let it out. "But my life and your life don't mesh. We don't live in the same city, your life is going in one direction and mine is going in another. And while we had fun together, I just don't see a future with you."
Oh, God that was so hard to say. Because it wasn't true. The one thing she wanted most was a future with Will. But it could never happen. And she wouldn't pretend that it could. She wouldn't hurt his heart later, when it would be so much more painful.
Because it was painful enough now.
And when she saw the smile on his face disappear, replace
d by hurt and pain, it crushed her.
"Oh. Okay."
That was it? "I'm sorry, Will."
"Hey, don't be. If you don't feel it, you don't feel it."
She wanted to cry. She wanted to crawl into his lap and tell him she loved him, that she was lying, and beg him to forgive her. But she had to stay strong.
"I feel really bad about this."
He stood, and pulled her up with him. "I'm gonna make sure Lisa and Blake get you back to your apartment safely, and I'm gonna take off, okay?"
She reached out for him, but he took a step back.
"Will--"
"I think you're amazing, Amber, and I hope you find everything you're searching for. I want you to be happy."
He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, then turned and walked away.
She couldn't breathe. She fell back onto the seat and tried to find a way to get through this devastating sense of loss.
That's where Lisa found her. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there. It felt like hours. Days. Because Will was gone and she already missed him.
"There you are." Lisa sat next to her. "Will said he was leaving. What's going on?"
She lifted her gaze to her friend. "I broke up with Will."
Lisa frowned and pulled Amber against her. "Oh, honey, no. Why?"
She explained why to Lisa, and then she burst into tears.
"Oh, Amber."
Lisa told her to stay there. It wasn't like she had a coherent brain cell to move at the moment anyway.
She'd thought this would be easy. She'd been so wrong. When you loved someone, breaking their heart was the worst thing ever. What had she been thinking?
Lisa came back. "Come on, honey."
Lisa helped her stand. They got their coats and headed back to the apartment.
They were halfway there when Amber realized it was just the two of them. "Where's Blake?"
"I told him to stay and hang out with his friends."
Amber stopped. "Lisa, I'm so sorry. Go, have fun. I can make it back on my own."
"Don't be ridiculous. You need a friend right now and that's me. We're going to sit in the apartment, and you'll cry and tell me why you made this dumbass decision."
Amber laughed, then burst into tears.
But Lisa was right. She needed to talk it out with someone. Not that she'd change her mind, because she knew she'd made the right decision.
But why did it have to hurt so much?