On Ice

OI Chapter 4

I retreated before she saw me, leering at her from the doorway and quickly made my way back downstairs before my willpower failed me. Sinking onto the couch, I picked up the remote for the TV and flipped it on. I didn’t pay much attention to the screen. The image of Calla shaking her ass to whatever song had been playing was forever burned into my memory and flashed like a slow motion replay over and over again behind my closed eyes. I don’t know what attracted me to her.

Sure, her body was beyond nice, but I’d seen better. She wasn’t movie star gorgeous, half the time I doubt she even wore makeup. I’d never seen her wear anything intentionally provocative, most of the time she was in sneakers, jeans and t-shirts. Other than the one time I’d seen her in a bikini in Russ’s pool, today was the first time I’d ever seen her show some skin and even at that, it’d just been a thin strip where her tee had ridden up. She wasn’t overly flirty, but she gave as well as she got when we teased her. It had to be the innocent quality she had about her, that made her sexy without trying. Yeah, it had to be something like that.

Or maybe it was that she was just Calla, all the time. She didn’t try to act like something she wasn’t and she wasn’t afraid to be herself. It seemed like she didn’t really care what people thought of her, maybe that gave her more confidence to just be. It’d been three months since the first time we’d met and I still wasn’t any closer to figuring out why she could light me up like a firecracker without even trying. I suppose it wouldn’t really have been a big deal if she’d been anybody else, I would’ve asked her out and let what happened, happen. I’d been more than tempted to just do that anyway, but that was just asking to get screwed seven ways to Sunday.

She was eighteen and still in high school, not that that was a deal closer, but having to work around that type of schedule, plus my own was going to be a nearly impossible feat. I mean, I know I could do it if I really wanted to, but I didn’t know if I could be satisfied just having an hour here or there of together time. Also in the con section near the top of the list, Calla deserved a real relationship, something that might promise a long-term future. There was so much going on in my life right now and probably for the next two years of my contract, that I was almost certain that I’d mess that up. And the number one item on that list, in bold, was the fact that she was Russ’s sister. Not only had he been my best friend dating back to high school, he was now my team mate and could make my rookie year hell if he wanted to. But mostly, you didn’t date your bro’s ex and you didn’t date his sister.

Lifting a hand to massage the bridge of my nose, as a headache was beginning to form behind my eyes, I sighed deeply. I’d been talking myself in circles about this for weeks and I wasn’t getting any closer to figuring out what the hell I was going to do. Apparently you don’t want her that bad, otherwise you’d go get her and damn the consequences. My eyes snapped open at the thought and I tried to skirt around it because it was exciting, appealing and dangerous. Just keep it light and friendly. Yeah, that’s what I’d do.

“Hey, any ideas about lunch yet,” Calla called from the archway that separated the living room from the hall. I turned my head, a bit disappointed to find her completely dressed and watched her walk around the couch and claim a cushion.

“Food,” I suggested deadpan. One of her eyebrows lifted and a corner of her mouth pulled back in an unfinished grin.

“What a concept, it hadn’t even occurred to me,” she responded sarcastically. I chuckled and shook my head at her. “Seriously though,” she continued, “I want a greasy burger or something deep fried.”

I groaned, “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of all those miles we just logged?”

Her lush mouth pulled into a little moue like she was considering it. Finally she laughed, “Like you’re not going to run it off in the morning anyway! I’m the one that’ll have to worry it’ll go straight to her hips.”