by his nearness. "Besides, I'm not really cold anymore."
He pushed his helmet back and grinned down at her. "No?"
She shook her head, smiling up at him, then let out a muffled shriek when he suddenly reached out and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him, literally lifting her off her feet. Her body pressed fully against him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding on, fearing he'd lose his balance and they would both topple to the ice. "Nikolai!"
"Shh, moe krasivejshee , I will not drop you." He dipped his head down and claimed her mouth in a deep kiss, quick but no less searing in its intensity. He laughed at her expression, then gently placed her back on her feet. She untwisted her hands from his jersey as she tried to catch her breath. "There. Now you will be warm."
"Petrovich! Get back here! Five laps, now." The coach's booming voice echoed across the ice. Nikolai gave him an impatient wave of his hand, then winked at her before slamming the door shut and taking off, his powerful strides making easy work of the punishment.
Moe krasivejshee . My beautiful one, he had called her. He had been calling her that instead of his annoying little pest since the first night she had slept at his place. She told herself not to make anything of it, not to read into it.
Bobbi took several deep breaths, trying to calm her galloping pulse, then looked around to see if she was being watched. A few curious glances were cast her way but for the most part, the spectators' attention remained focused on the players.
She returned to her seat, no longer mindful of the cold bleacher, and watched the players on the ice, doing her best not to lose focus. Several minutes went by before she noticed a shift in the air around her. Nothing obvious, nothing threatening, just a subtle change in the atmosphere. She straightened and looked around, then stiffened when she saw Denny approaching her. She turned back toward the ice, refusing to look at him as he slid onto the bench behind her left shoulder.
"Slumming today?" She muttered, referring to his dressed-down appearance in jeans and a sweatshirt. It was obviously an attempt to blend in—nobody here was dressed in a suit and tie.
"I could ask the same of you."
Bobbi stiffened but said nothing, refusing to play into his manipulation. He was here for a reason. She would sit in silence until he was ready to share it with her.
"You need to focus more on what's going on around you and less on getting laid, Bobbi. I could have taken Petrovich out several times already."
His harsh words sent a chill of fear slicing through her, and she stiffened even further. "Then I would have gladly put a bullet through your head. And I'm sure your man back there would have done the same." She turned and nodded to the man sitting at the very top of the bleachers. "Unless, of course, you gave him instructions not to."
Denny sighed and turned to face the man she had just mentioned. He gave a slight nod of his head, and the man stood up and walked away.
"I don't need you to remind me how vulnerable Nikolai is, how easy a target he makes. So unless you've come up with a way to make him invisible, just shut up." She felt Denny stiffen behind her, and she knew the vehemence in her voice had shocked him. It had shocked her a bit, too. Her gaze went back to the ice and she saw the players skating to the center, huddling around the coaches. "Practice is almost over. What do you want?"
"To drop off information." Denny leaned over and dropped several folded sheets of paper next to her. "Ask your boyfriend if he knows anything about the Ruskov Orphanage. We got some intel that says he visited there immediately after signing the contract with TBL."
Bobbi slipped the paper into her bag just as the whistle signaling the end of practice blew.
He pushed his helmet back and grinned down at her. "No?"
She shook her head, smiling up at him, then let out a muffled shriek when he suddenly reached out and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him, literally lifting her off her feet. Her body pressed fully against him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding on, fearing he'd lose his balance and they would both topple to the ice. "Nikolai!"
"Shh, moe krasivejshee , I will not drop you." He dipped his head down and claimed her mouth in a deep kiss, quick but no less searing in its intensity. He laughed at her expression, then gently placed her back on her feet. She untwisted her hands from his jersey as she tried to catch her breath. "There. Now you will be warm."
"Petrovich! Get back here! Five laps, now." The coach's booming voice echoed across the ice. Nikolai gave him an impatient wave of his hand, then winked at her before slamming the door shut and taking off, his powerful strides making easy work of the punishment.
Moe krasivejshee . My beautiful one, he had called her. He had been calling her that instead of his annoying little pest since the first night she had slept at his place. She told herself not to make anything of it, not to read into it.
Bobbi took several deep breaths, trying to calm her galloping pulse, then looked around to see if she was being watched. A few curious glances were cast her way but for the most part, the spectators' attention remained focused on the players.
She returned to her seat, no longer mindful of the cold bleacher, and watched the players on the ice, doing her best not to lose focus. Several minutes went by before she noticed a shift in the air around her. Nothing obvious, nothing threatening, just a subtle change in the atmosphere. She straightened and looked around, then stiffened when she saw Denny approaching her. She turned back toward the ice, refusing to look at him as he slid onto the bench behind her left shoulder.
"Slumming today?" She muttered, referring to his dressed-down appearance in jeans and a sweatshirt. It was obviously an attempt to blend in—nobody here was dressed in a suit and tie.
"I could ask the same of you."
Bobbi stiffened but said nothing, refusing to play into his manipulation. He was here for a reason. She would sit in silence until he was ready to share it with her.
"You need to focus more on what's going on around you and less on getting laid, Bobbi. I could have taken Petrovich out several times already."
His harsh words sent a chill of fear slicing through her, and she stiffened even further. "Then I would have gladly put a bullet through your head. And I'm sure your man back there would have done the same." She turned and nodded to the man sitting at the very top of the bleachers. "Unless, of course, you gave him instructions not to."
Denny sighed and turned to face the man she had just mentioned. He gave a slight nod of his head, and the man stood up and walked away.
"I don't need you to remind me how vulnerable Nikolai is, how easy a target he makes. So unless you've come up with a way to make him invisible, just shut up." She felt Denny stiffen behind her, and she knew the vehemence in her voice had shocked him. It had shocked her a bit, too. Her gaze went back to the ice and she saw the players skating to the center, huddling around the coaches. "Practice is almost over. What do you want?"
"To drop off information." Denny leaned over and dropped several folded sheets of paper next to her. "Ask your boyfriend if he knows anything about the Ruskov Orphanage. We got some intel that says he visited there immediately after signing the contract with TBL."
Bobbi slipped the paper into her bag just as the whistle signaling the end of practice blew.
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