Destiny's Whisper (35 page)

“Well, I’m not sharing any with Dani,” Hunter argued, cringing as he heard the words leave his mouth and wishing he could pull them back in again.

Sergei’s gaze was far too knowing and Hunter dodged his look and made a beeline for the door and was outside before Sergei had even crossed the room.

“Give my regards to Miss Eugenia, if you would, Smitty,” Sergei called with a wave before he pulled open the door and stepped into the sunlight. A quick press of a button on the electronic key chain had the locks on the jeep popping open and allowing Hunter to enter the vehicle.

Sergei’s pace was casual, despite the questions that swirled through his mind as he thought of the unusual response Hunter had made regarding sharing his cinnamon rolls with Dani. It was no secret the two of them clashed, and heatedly, anytime they were in the room together and yet he’d seen looks pass between them that were bewildering. He’d have to pay closer attention to the two of them and see if he could figure out exactly what was up. The very fact there was such a huge age difference, eight years, made Sergei sigh in relief as he knew there could be nothing romantic brewing between them and yet Dani’s and Hunter’s age differences were the exact same as his parent’s had been. The sudden picture of his sister and this barracuda romantically involved had him scowling and he had to physically shake his head to dispel the image his brain had conjured up of the two of them together. The idea was ludicrous. His sweet, innocent sister and this arrogant, insensitive attorney? Impossible!

“I thought you said you had to be on the ice by two-thirty?” Hunter’s deep voice interrupted his thinking.

Sergei nodded affirmatively.

“Well, you’re late!”

“Oh shit!” Sergei jumped into the jeep, fired up the engine and left the parking lot in a cloud of dust.

His first session with Dee and he was going to be late. God only knew what form of torture she would resort to over his tardiness. And yet, he knew, Chloe would stay by his side and share whatever punishment Dee handed out and do it with a smile.

The very thought that soon he could hold Chloe in his arms and not worry about it being taken the ‘wrong’ way had his smile widening and his eyes glowing with a dark, wicked light. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait to have her in his arms, and having learned of Chloe’s conversation with Hunter, had his imagination going into overdrive as he remember Hunter’s words about Chloe’s desire to ravish him.

“I need to make one stop before we head home,” Sergei stated.

“I thought you were already late?”

“Five more minutes won’t make a difference,” Sergei countered, heading toward Main Street. Life was so damn good he didn’t think he could stand it if it got much better, but he sure as hell looked forward to seeing what happened next!

Hunter looked at the white bag in his lap and wondered for the hundredth time what had gotten into him to do something as stupid as bring home cinnamon rolls for Dani. The girl was nothing but a spoiled little brat, a diva of the first magnitude, a prima donna looking for someone to kiss her ass, (and he had to admit she had a damn good looking one). But he’d swim through sharks before he’d admit he found anything appealing about her at all. She was a baby, only seventeen, and yet, the image of her luscious mouth wrapping around his fingers as he imagined feeding her bites of a warm cinnamon roll, dripping with frosting, came clearly to his mind and sent his blood boiling.

With a low growl of frustration, he tried to get comfortable in the seat of the jeep and wished for the comfort of his Mercedes. “Marcus, what did you get me into?” his mind screamed silently, and for the first time in years, felt his control slip a notch backward.

When Sergei pulled into the parking lot of the local pharmacy, Hunter shook his head in disbelief and couldn’t think of single thing to say.

Sergei’s cast him a questioning glance and with a wicked smile, casually stated, “You never did tell me which brand you recommended to Chloe?”

Hunter flipping him the finger, had Sergei laughing out loud as he slipped from the jeep and jogged through the entrance of the building.

Five minutes later, Sergei returned with a bag large enough to hold twenty-five pounds of dog food.

“What’d you do, clear the shelves?” Hunter growled.

“Just want to be prepared,” Sergei answered with a smug grin, pulling one of the boxes from the bag and tossing it to Hunter. “That brand has Noxinol-9 and the druggist said it only eats the finish off certain brands of nail polish.”

Hunter shook his head in disbelief, and tossed the box back into the bag. “Boy, she’s going to eat you alive!” he forecast with a low laugh.

“I can only hope,” Sergei sighed wistfully, casting Hunter a final arrogant look before he turned the car toward home.

CHAPTER 19 

“W
here’s the music? You can’t warm up without music!” Dee called to Dani and Chloe as she entered the ice rink and headed for the sound system at the far end of the building. The variety and quantity of music Dee had to pick from had her eyebrows lifting in surprise and after a quick perusal at the wall of CD cases, she made her selection scientifically by closing her eyes and picking one. Rolling her eyes at her pick, at least it was something she could live with and she knew from experience, Dani would love. Within seconds, the energetic voices of N-SYNC singing
Bye-Bye-Bye
were vibrating through the air.

“Dee, hit number six, please!” Dani called loudly, and smiled as the melodious, gentle strains of the song caressed the air.

When the visions around you, bring tears to your eyes. And all that surrounds you, are secrets and lies. I’ll be your strength, I’ll give you hope, keeping your faith when it’s gone. The one you should call, was standing here all along. Just close your eyes, each lovin’ day, and know this feeling won’t go away. ‘Till the day my life is through, this I promise you…

“God, I love this song!” Dani called across the ice, as she laced her skates up and watched her friend slowly skate around the shining surface warming up her muscles.

Chloe could only nod silently in agreement, as the words filled her soul; the song could have been written for she and Sergei; so perfect were the lyrics. Closing her eyes, she brought his gorgeous face to mind and his name escaped her lips on a whisper.

Sergei pushed through the doors and entered the ice rink, his gaze sweeping the sparkling, smooth surface as he sought out Chloe; a gentle smile forming as he spotted her on the far end of the rink. Silently he called her, her name a silent plea from deep in his soul. Walking to the short wall that separated the ice from the floor, he rested his elbows on it and watched her.

She turned toward the voice she heard as clearly as if he shouted her name. A serene smile made her face glow translucently, her blue eyes met Sergei’s ebony gaze and she felt herself melt beneath his look that held so much emotion and love she could feel it across the great expanse of smooth ice. Slowly, she began her path across the ice toward him, her gaze never leaving his, the words of the music that swirled around them seeping into their hearts, their souls and taking them captive.

I’ve loved you forever, in lifetimes before. And I promise you never, will hurt anymore. I give you my word; I give you my heart, this is a battle we’ve won. And with this vow, forever has now begun. Over and over I fall, when I hear you call. Without you in my life, baby, I just wouldn’t be living at all. And I will take you in my arms, and hold you right where you belong, ‘til the day my life is through, this I promise you…

Chloe came to a sliding stop before him, separated by the low wall and rose up on her toepicks as Sergei leaned over the wall and lowered his head to meet her lips. Their kiss was one of gentle welcome, infinitely tender and filled with promises of happily ever-afters, unhurried, because they had forever.

“Mr. Rocmanov, you’re late!” Dee called across the ice, interrupting the tender kiss.

Sergei pulled his mouth from Chloe’s, a small moue forming at his displeasure; he would have been perfectly content spending the next hour nibbling on Chloe’s full, pink lips. “Sorry,” he mumbled, although his sensual look and wicked wink at Chloe said otherwise.

“You’ve got ten minutes to get your skates on, your ass warmed up and be ready to work. Chloe and I didn’t have the luxury of a fancy lunch, we did a working one and now you have to catch up with us. We’re looking at new choreography and with only a few weeks to your first competition, we don’t have time to waste,” Dee explained.

“Ten minutes it is,” Sergei acknowledged Dee’s demand and sat down to put on his skates.

“Thanks for foregoing the onion rings,” Chloe said with a smile, leaning against the wall as she watched Sergei expertly slip into his skates, bang his heel into place and lace up the skates with flying fingers. She knew how nimble those fingers were and closed her eyes as a rush of heat slid through her body and set her nerves tingling. “How was lunch?”

“Interesting.”

“Oh?”

“It’s amazing what you can learn from a barracuda.”

“Such as?” Chloe encouraged.

“Such as the fact my girlfriend’s been asking my attorney the best way to get me into bed,” Sergei stated quietly, his voice a deep rumble, his dark eyes lit with a sensual light.

“He talks too much.” Chloe stated quietly, her cheeks blushing a soft rose.

“Funny, he said the same thing about you,” Sergei countered, rising to his feet and coming to stand before her.

Chloe’s gaze held Sergei’s, deep blue and ebony melting together. “Does the thought bother you?” Chloe asked softly, her tongue moistening her suddenly dry lips.

Sergei leaned forward, his tongue replacing her own as he swept her lips in a sensually painful caress before he it slipped into the warm recess of her mouth and he kissed her heatedly.

Chloe’s sigh was swallowed by Sergei’s mouth and she moaned in regret as he ended the kiss when Dee announced the ten minutes up. “Oh my,” she whispered, her eyes glazed. “You didn’t get to warm up,” she mumbled, trying to control the spinning in her head.

Sergei’s look was filled with sensual fire, his voice a deep, husky rumble that sent bubbles floating through her veins. “Sweetheart, if I was any warmer, I’d be on fire!”

With a final quick kiss, he made his way to the ice, and began his warm up, listening with half an ear as Dee lectured him on the importance of promptness and watched Chloe as she gathered herself and joined him after he’d made one trip around the ice.

Ten minutes later, Dee had them running through their exhibition program, an upbeat routine set to a sensual Latin rhythm that was teasing and tormenting and had the two of them ready to tear each other’s clothes off right there on the ice. Despite the fact the room was kept at a cool forty-eight degrees, it took less than thirty minutes for them to begin wishing it was twenty degrees cooler in the room.

An hour later had Sergei and Chloe believing it could have been ten below zero and it wouldn’t have mattered; even hell would have been a welcome respite from the heat they were encountering!

“No, no, no…Stop! Sergei you have to be closer to Chloe. I want you literally plastered against her back for those hip circles,” Dee called as she stopped the music and made her way toward the pair on the ice.

A low growl of frustration sounded low in Sergei’s throat. He knew what Dee wanted, and in all probability any other day he could have done as she asked, but not this day. Both he and Chloe were sexual time bombs looking for a legitimate excuse and place to explode, and Dee, knowingly or otherwise, was pushing them toward that point.

“Come here, gorgeous,” Dee demanded, holding her hand out to Sergei, catching his pained expression and frowning slightly. “Are you okay? You’re moving a little stiffly. Something bothering you?”

“No, I’m fine,” Sergei mumbled, casting Chloe a threatening look as she coughed to cover the small laugh that escaped. “Just a muscle spasm.” Sergei’s dark eyes dared Chloe to say something.

“You knew better than to eat such a heavy meal before a training session. Now you can suffer the consequences and maybe it will help you remember not to do it again,” Dee admonished and went on to explain what she wanted.

Her explanation had Sergei and Chloe wondering how they were going to survive this session.

“Sergei, I want you directly behind Chloe,” Dee pulled him into place and slid Chloe into position, her bottom pushing against his groin, her back against his stomach and chest, the heat of his body scorching her through the thin material of her skating dress. “Sergei, your right arm will come around her right shoulder and your hand will lay splayed against the center of her chest, here,” Dee ordered and placed his hand exactly where she wanted it.

Sergei could feel her heart pounding beneath his palm, could feel her erratic breathing, heard her low moan.

“Chloe, your right hand needs to be on the outside of his right thigh–too low–bend your elbow a bit, that’s right, I want it right there, close to his hip but not too far around toward his bottom or we’ll be scandalizing the judges.”

Another few seconds of this torture and Chloe was concerned she’d be scandalizing Dee.

“Sergei, your left hand will be on the front of Chloe’s left thigh, yes, spread your fingers. Good, I like that!” Dee encouraged with a nod of her head.

Oh, God, so do I
, Chloe’s mind screamed.

“Chloe, left arm up, bend the elbow and I want your left hand holding the back of Sergei’s neck, as if you’re pulling him closer.”

Chloe had to stretch her arm and arch her back to get into the position Dee requested, the movement thrusting her breasts forward and pushing her bottom more firmly against Sergei’s already aroused body.

Sergei’s head lowered, his lips placed a light kiss against her neck. “I’m going to explode before this is all over,” he whispered hotly, his breath making her tremble.

“That’s good, Sergei, I like that. Keep your head down, like that.” Dee suggested.

Sergei had to smile, it made for a lovely view of her uplifted breasts and allowed him another opportunity to kiss her neck.

“Okay, hold the position and let me step back and take a look at it,” Dee demanded, sliding back a few feet and seeing how it played.

“You smell wonderful,” Sergei whispered, running his nose up the side of her neck and then groaning as she wiggled slightly against his groin.

“You feel wonderful,” Chloe whispered in return, leaning her head backward and allowing him greater access to her neck.

“Yes, Chloe. Drop your head back. Christ, the two of you are going to melt the ice! Now, can you both remember exactly this position?” Dee asked, moving forward to rejoin them.

Chloe and Sergei could only nod silently in agreement.

“Good! Now we’ve got the position, I want the movement,” Dee instructed, getting behind Sergei, placing her hands on his hips and leading him as his hips made slow, full circles, his body flaming hotter and hotter as he guided Chloe’s bottom forward and then felt her push backward against him. “I want your two bodies so close they’re one; I don’t want to be able to slide a piece of tissue paper between the two of you,” Dee demanded.

“I feel the same way,” Sergei whispered hotly against Chloe’s ear, closing his eyes in ecstasy as Chloe pushed harder against his turgid length.

“Let’s try this with music,” Dee suggested and made her way to the side of the rink and picked up the remote to start the music. “I’m going to videotape, too, so we can fine tune the little things, so make this one for real, if you please.”

Hunter entered the ice rink as Dee was giving her final instructions to Sergei and Chloe. Dani sat on the short wall surrounding the ice rink, watching the pair on the ice and jotting down notes as Dee called them out to her. The video camera sat mounted on a tripod beside her.

Hunter walked slowly toward her, listening to Dee’s voice echo through the high rafters, the white bag in his hand. He stopped beside the video camera and watched the trio on the ice.

“You can’t stand there, you’ll be in the camera’s view,” Dani stated, glancing at him briefly before returning her attention to the ice.

“Sorry,” Hunter mumbled and moved so he was standing to Dani’s left. “This okay?”

“Fine.” Dani’s answer was brief.

Hunter placed the bag on the wall next to Dani.

“What’s that?”

“They’re from Smitty.”

Joy suddenly lit Dani’s green eyes with fire. “Oh, please tell me, they’re cinnamon rolls!” She begged, taking a peek into the bag, and unable to resist, popped up the Styrofoam top, saw the object of her obsession and dipped her finger into the gooey frosting. Her sigh of pleasure as her frosting-covered fingertip slid into her mouth had Hunter’s knees going weak and his manhood going hard as he watched Dani’s eyes close in rapture as the frosting melted in her mouth, a tiny smudge of frosting sticking to her bottom lip.

The urge to lick the frosting from her lip nearly overwhelmed Hunter and he had to stop himself from leaning forward and doing exactly that. Instead, with a deep voice steadier that he felt, he said, “You’ve got frosting on your lip,” and ran his thumb over her bottom lip, wiping the frosting clean and without even thinking, licked the frosting from his digit.

Dani sat in stunned, wide-eyed astonishment, unable to breathe, unsure how to react. Only Dee’s voice calling her name had her pulling her gaze from Hunter’s predatory stare and yelling she was ready.

The video camera started to purr, the music began to pulse and Sergei and Chloe began their program.

Hunter and Dani watched the two on the ice, felt the intensity build between Sergei and Chloe as the music pulsed hotly around them and they teased and tormented each other in the name of art. In mere seconds, they found themselves being drawn into the emotion that swirled around them as the music pulsed with a heartbeat of its own; the images Sergei and Chloe acted out on the ice only heightening the sensual tension. A brief glance at Hunter brought the sensations back to life as Dani relived the way Hunter’s brief touch against her lip had felt and a shiver ran through her as her eyes met his and his glowing look silently communicated he remembered too.