Whispers on the Ice by Elizabeth Moynihan Page A

her voice falling away to a whisper.
    Aleksei released her wrist and folded both arms around her small, shapely form, resting his chin on the top of her head. “You know more than I’ll ever come close to knowing. I need you close just so I don’t come off sounding like a complete idiot,” he teased, hoping to break the tension that filled the workout room.
    Jordan’s smile was shaky, but it was a smile. “Not everyone can be smart and gorgeous,” She quipped, pulling back to look into his dark eyes and then wriggling against Aleksei’s hips when his fingers ran down her ribcage.
    Aleksei’s eyes flashed darkly at Jordan’s wriggling intimacy, causing her breath to catch and her own eyes darken with passion. If only we were alone, Aleksei’s eyes promised silently. Without his eyes leaving hers, he stepped back from her, his hands a sensuous promise as they slipped from her hips. “So what’s our next option?” he asked his coach.
    Whittaker looked from Aleksei to Jordan and then to Dee, who nodded her head in agreement at his unspoken suggestion. “I say we hit the pool.” Without another word, he spun on his heels and headed for the door.
    “We’ll see you pool side in ten minutes,” Dee stated firmly, then followed Whittaker’s quickly moving figure.
    Jordan and Aleksei exchanged confused glances, confused by their coach’s behavior and the explosive physical attraction that had sprung so hotly and suddenly between them. They were partners on the ice and struggling to find a truce off the ice. Where had this fiery hormonal explosion suddenly come from?
    Jordan backed up a step, her hands fidgeting as she tried to still their nervous fluttering. “We’ve got ten minutes,” she murmured softly, her voice husky and whispery at the same time.
    Aleksei nodded. “I heard.” His own voice sensuously deep.
    “Okay, then…” Jordan began, only to lose her train of thought when Aleksei took a step toward her, his eyes darkening; a wicked, beckoning light flickering dangerously in their ebony depths. His very gaze held her captive, made her heart pound heavily, her legs immobile. Unblinkingly, she watched him move slowly toward her, stalking her as a panther would its prey.
    He stopped just before her, near enough to touch her but not. His hands captured her fluttering ones, his fingers weaving with hers, their pulses matching pace as their hands blended to become one. His passion-darkened eyes held hers, daring her to break contact. As if hypnotized, she returned his gaze. Inch by enticing inch his mouth lowered toward her slightly parted lips, his breath warm and sweet as it blended with her own shallow breaths. She felt intoxicated, dizzy with a need she was uncertain of, a want for something she couldn’t name. Shakily she tried to close the remaining inches to his mouth, rising to the balls of her feet as she sought the promise his kiss offered. His hands controlled her own, shifting position and wrapping around her back to rest lightly at her waist. Easily he urged her balance forward; causing her to lean against his passion hardened frame, all doubts of his arousal gone as she could feel his heat strongly against her center. His lips closed the remaining distance, his mouth devouring hers upon contact, his tongue delving deeply into her mouth as his hips pressed heatedly against her own answering motion. Flashes of bright light flared behind her closed eyelids, her mind going empty to all but the raging emotions exploding within her. Her hands flexed convulsively, seeking to hold something stable, something that wasn’t crumbling beneath this onslaught of physical power. His hands held hers steady; firmly yet gently, forcing her to feel without the benefit of touch. His kiss deepened, seeking more from her, demanding the walls she’d built around her heart crumble to dust and be replaced by the trust, loyalty and strength Aleksei promised. Jordan struggled to regain control. She couldn’t