Love and Other Games

by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, Kara Leigh Miller

  “Was that Ty Marsden from the US Snowboard team?” Her boss, Mr. Sorenson’s, voice loomed. His big fuzzy eyebrows frowned in Ty’s direction.

  She flinched as he sidled beside her. “Yes, Mr. Sorenson.”

  He stood rigid, looking down at her through his glasses. “Just got a call about that team. Seems they’re a lot of jokesters. First a call about the glued down coins in the gym and now the French ski team complained that the snowboarders filled their dorm room with blown up condoms.”

  “Blown? Like balloons?” So that’s what he was up to. “I guess I should let you know that I just gave him another box.” Try six, but she wouldn’t let Mr. Sorenson know that.

  His shoulders straightened and his jaw set as he smoothed out the wrinkles of his vest. “I need someone I trust to keep an eye on those fellows.” He surveyed her, his hand on his chin. “Actually, you’re perfect for the job. Here’s their schedule for the day. Take their copies and stick by their side. Do not let any funny business take place, do you hear?”

  “Mr. Sorenson, I can’t … ” She remembered Ty’s words: never say can’t. “I’m not right for this job.”

  “You’re the only one I trust, Nadia. You’re recommendation depends on it. Now get over there.” His voice was firm.

  Put that way, she had no choice. “Yes, sir.” She grabbed the schedules and donned her ski jacket. After zipping it up, she asked, “All day?”

  He nodded and pointed. “All day. Those jokesters will be in a heap of trouble if someone doesn’t keep an eye on them. Go.”

  ***

  Ty blew another breath into the last condom from the box. The room was full of balloons – at least 60. This time around there were five guys huffing and puffing air into them. Last time, he almost fainted from hypoxia, since it was only him and Adam. He loved the thrill of playing pranks on the other stiffs in the Olympics. Now the Canadians had it coming.

  He threw the balloon to the floor with the slew of other rubbers when a knock at the door interrupted him. The other guys didn’t even notice, they were laughing and joking, being loud as usual. He creaked the door open, and Nadia stood with her chin held up high. His first instinct was to slam the door, instead he cringed and inched the door open. Talking through the opening, he said, “Nadia, you made it.”

  Behind him, Adam yelled, “Who is it Trouble?”

  Ty fanned his hand out so Adam would be quiet. “Just a minute and I’ll meet you in the hallway.” He tried to close the door, but Nadia placed her foot in to stop him.

  “What are you up to?” She scrunched her eyes together and tried to look around him. “Are you blowing up those condoms?”

  He took a deep breath and opened the door wider. “Now how did you know that?”

  “The French ski team called us. Let me in.” The cynicism of her remark grated on him.

  He clenched his mouth, his hand tightening on the doorknob. “Are you the village police now?”

  “No, but I am responsible for you guys today.” She swung past him, hitting his shoulder with her own. It should’ve made him peeved, but it sent a tingle up his arm instead. He reached over, grabbed her waist and pulled her close.

  “No one’s responsible for me. But I’m glad to see you.” She was damn sexy when she was all riled up. He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. The quick blinking of her eyes told him she liked it as much as he did.

  Adam cleared his throat. “Uh, maybe we should leave.”

  Nadia smiled sweetly at Ty and then backed away from him. He didn’t like the empty feeling he had when she didn’t focus on him and talked to the others instead. “I need to talk to all of you.” She passed out a paper to each person in the room. “Here’s your schedule for the day. There’s been a minor change in your scheduled interview due to a technical difficulty. So, we’ll need to have lunch earlier. It’s eleven o’clock now, do you all want to eat in thirty minutes?”

  “Wow, she’s bossy,” Chris moaned as he reviewed the new schedule. “It’s like my wife’s here with us.”

  Nadia placed her hands on her hips. “You’re infuriating.” She kicked at a cluster of condoms by her feet. “All of you.”

  Ty nodded. “They are a bit aggravating at times. Like when they force you to run around naked in the middle of a Switzerland winter.”

  She stepped on a balloon and it popped. “And what were you going to do with these condoms?”

  Ty tightened his lips before he laughed aloud and angered her more. “You really want to know?”

  She pointed at his chest. “Actually I don’t, but these condoms stay in here. You can do whatever you want in your own room, but don’t bother any other athletes.”

  He raised an eyebrow and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. “Whatever, you say? I have some ideas.”

  That got a couple of snickers from his teammates. Nadia bit her lip and her face turned red. She was hot as hell. All that rolled-up energy that she preserved had to need a release, and he knew exactly how to get rid of it.

  He held up a finger at his friends and pulled Nadia’s hand toward the bathroom. “We need to talk.”

  When he shut the door, he pushed her against the wall and claimed her lips. His hands roamed up her sides and behind her, exploring the hollows of her back. She relinquished herself, abandoning all of her earlier uptightness – squealing at first, but then releasing herself, molding her body against his in the frenzy.

  He finally pulled his lips away from her mouth, but leaned into her ear whispering, “I’ve been dreaming about touching you again.” His tongue caressed the bottom of her ear and then he sucked her earlobe, savoring in the taste. “For two nights now.”

  She let out a little moan, but didn’t say anything in return, only stroking his chest through his shirt.

  “Let me touch you.” His hands roamed to her front and up to undo her jacket zipper. He tugged down slowly and reached into the folds to be closer to her body. Touching, feeling, trying to – “Damn, what do you have on under there?” He placed his other hand against the wall and opened up her jacket wider.

  A twinkle of amusement caught in her eyes. “It’s standard volunteer uniform.”

  “They must think you’re all grannies or something. A vest, a turtleneck and a scarf. How am I supposed to feel you up?” He nipped her ear, her breath tickling his ear. Even with the granny garb, she turned him on more than anything.

  She caressed her cheek against his own, breathing in and sighing out. “Although it sounds entertaining, we do need to get to lunch.”

  He pulled the front of her shirt from her pants. “Just one look.”

  Nadia swiped his hand away and re-tucked her shirt. “We can’t be late. I’m never late. Maybe later.”

  “There’s no maybe about it.” His large hand took her face gently. “You. Me. Skin. Later.” He leaned in, kissed her soft lips, bit her bottom lip and pulled back.

  The longing in her eyes met his, and for a second he knew he almost had her. But in the next instant, she moved out of his grasp and tightened her belt. “I have a job to do.”

  Ty reached over and slapped her butt. “I do too, Lucky Lady. You.” He stood up straight and walked out of the bathroom. “Okay, come on, dipwads. We have lunch and an interview to attend to.”

  ***

  Nadia watched the last of the interviews from the Media Pavilion. Ty and his teammates sat at a long table with an Olympics tapestry behind them. The red, white and blue US team jackets they wore accentuated the colors that cascaded from the logo. What captivated her most was the constant smile Ty wore on his face. With each question, he had a quick comeback and his green eyes glowed under the lights – crinkling at the corners as he smiled. Every now and then, he’d peer her way, checking if she was still there, she guessed. He was every bit of professional with the interviews and she learned a lot about him. More about his business, Madsen’s Mittens, more about his training and about his family life in Colorado.

 
The interviewer, a pretty woman with long dark hair and an annoying fake smile, asked her final question, “Ty, we’ve got to ask. Is there anyone special in your life?”

  He sat up straighter while the guys around him grinned. For a second, jealousy engulfed her. Maybe he did have someone special in America. Before she could think more about that tragic thought, he answered. “Well, I have met someone pretty special here in Switzerland.” Then he held his chin up to look at her and winked.

  All bodies and faces turned to look at her. The annoying news lady placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head. “Is that her?”

  Nadia froze. She didn’t want to be on the news and she didn’t want people to think they were a couple – or did she? It was too much. She took a deep breath, walked backwards toward the exit and then sprinted out of the building.

  Before she could count to ten, footsteps sounded behind her. A quick pace that she wouldn’t be able to outrun. For some reason she needed to get away – away from this jealousy that she never felt – never – and away from those endearing green eyes that captivated every emotion.

  “Hey, slow down.” Ty’s hand grabbed her arm and swished her around.

  “Why did you say that?” Her face warmed, from his touch or from her baffling feelings, she didn’t know. “Why did you say that to a news person – for the world to hear?” She shook off his arm. “Unbelievable.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “You’re pretty special, Nadia.”

  Then he had to go around and say sweet things like that. It infuriated her. Infuriated, yet filled her heart with a tingling sensation that wouldn’t go away.

  “You’re maddening, you know that? You can’t go around saying stuff like that.”

  “Why are you so upset? Most women would be thrilled to hear it.” A shadow of annoyance crossed his face.

  “Oh, who’s got a big head around here?” She boldly met his eyes.

  He grinned and winked. “You should know.”

  She stamped her foot. “Urgh. You have to go around talking like that when I never know if you’re serious or not. One minute you’re joking and the next you’re as straight as a flag pole.”

  “Uh, thanks?” He reached for her arm again but she pulled back. He stiffened as if she had struck him. “I don’t get you either, Nadia. Why do you keep pulling away from me when you know you want me?”

  Without thinking, Nadia scooped the snow off the planter next to her into her palm and swished it into Ty’s face. She stood still, astonished at her own audacity.

  He ran his hand down his face wiping it clear and widened his eyes. “No, you didn’t.” He shook his head, to rid of the snow on the edges of his curls. “You’re gonna pay for that – you know that, right?”

  She stood still, knowing that she just started war. Looking around for more snow to grab and not reaching any in time, she answered, “What do you mean?” Maybe if she played the innocent, he would be gentle on her.

  In two seconds, she ran and he followed, yelling, “You started it.”

  She ducked behind a tree as a snowball flew past her head. She couldn’t help but laugh. “You call that a throw?” Kneeling down she grabbed a handful of snow and rounded it into a ball. She peeked from behind the tree and Ty had a mound of snowballs around him already.

  He motioned for her to come to him with his pointer finger. “You might as well give up. I have you surrounded.” He picked up a ball and aimed, getting her right in the face, a deep guttural laugh falling from his lips.

  “Siech!” She squealed. She swiped the snow off her face and planned a comeback. She packed the snowball in her palm and threw it. And missed, of course.

  Ty’s laughter echoed around her and instead of irking her, an eager affection overwhelmed her. Then he shouted, “You’re cute when you speak your language. Come out, come out, wherever you are.”

  The next thing she knew, Ty hurled ball after ball into her and she was covered in snow. Giggles overcame her. She threw her head back letting the tears fall – tears from laughing so hard. When was the last time this happened to her? Not since she was a carefree child, when she laughed like that often until pressure, studies, and work got in the way and made her forget. Once the laughter with Ty started, she couldn’t stop.

  Ty captured her and pulled her to the ground, both laughing until their sides hurt. He tugged her closer once they settled down and reached over, wiping the snow off her nose. “You are one damn confusing woman, you know that?”

  She rested on her elbow and looked at his smiling eyes. A desire to kiss him had her leaning down. He reached up, placed both palms on her cheeks and shook his head. “Damn, you’re hot.” He wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her tighter against his chest. His lips played with hers and opened her mouth with a gentle force. Their tongues searched each other with a fervor that had built up since the last time they were body to body. His hand moved down and rubbed the bottom of her back, slowly moving to her butt, rubbing and kneading. She didn’t give a damn if they were outside where people could walk by any minute. She wanted to be with this man any way she could have him.

  A low moan fell from his throat and she pulled back, sucking his bottom lip. When the kiss finished, she observed his face, not smiling this time, but full of wanting and desire. In that instant, she knew she’d be in his bed again – soon.

  “Does that mean you forgive me now?” He rubbed her back, his fingers sending electrical jolts to her system, even through her hooded jacket and vest.

  “It means … I don’t know what it means. I just have so much fun around you.”

  He yanked up her jacket collar and kissed her nose. “You’re a lot of fun, too, even if you think you’re not.”

  She lay back on the ground and let his words sink in. This guy was more than she initially thought. He was fun, silly, caring, gentle, successful – like a whole Mr. Right rolled up into a nice little snow ball. She had to think more about what all these feelings meant. Since when did she want to sleep with a man she just met? Since when did she relegate work to second place? Maybe she should make a pros and cons list back at her dorm, before she let anything more frivolous happen. She shouldn’t let her overemotional needs take over right now. “Let’s make snow angels.”

  “Snow angels?”

  “Yeah.” She flapped her arms and legs at the side and began to make her shape.

  Ty joined her and again she found herself laughing. Before she knew it, there was a group of men standing over them, the clicks of their cameras ricocheting in the empty space around them.

  Chris’s voice boomed. “How sweet. They’re making little snow angels.”

  Ty sat up onto his elbows, his brows pinched together. “Stop it, asshole.”

  Adam patted Chris on the chest. “Yeah, let the lovebirds do their cute little mating ritual.” He pulled Chris’s phone down and then pointed at Ty. “Don’t forget we practice at The Pipe in thirty minutes.” Adam winked and walked away, leaving footprints in the fresh snow.

  “Later.” Chris called as he followed with one last click of his camera.

  Ty got up and held out his hand. “Let me walk you back.”

  “But your practice.”

  He looked at his watch. “I still have time to walk you back like a gentleman.”

  He crooked her arm through his elbow and escorted her down the path. After a minute, he finally broke the silence. “You know, we may seem like jackasses all the time, but we’re also serious about what we do. We worked hard to get to where we’re at – at the freaking Olympics – believe me. Our lives are this sport.”

  “You must be good if you made it this far.”

  “We made it by working our asses off. But I want you to know I take this seriously. It’s my life.”

  “I know.” She nodded. And she did. More than he understood.

  “And being here gives us the chance to relax a bit. Party a little bit. Take it easy. We made it this far – to the top – so
why not enjoy the time too. But believe me, when it’s time to practice, I’m all there. This sport is my life. I’m not always a jokester. ”

  “And that’s why you’re named Trouble, right?” She smiled.

  “That and other things. You’ve seen enough of Trouble to know.”

  “I’ve seen a good amount of Trouble and I’d like to see more.” She squeezed his hand.

  He stopped in his tracks, studying her. “Are you for real?”

  “Absolutely.” She reached up and took his head in her palms. “All of you.”

  He swooped her up and pulled her body around him, placing his lips on hers for a demanding kiss. His hands explored the hollows of her back and she buried her hands in his thick hair. Just. So. Right.

  She showered kisses around his lips and along his angular jaw, wanting to taste him everywhere. When a couple of volunteers walked by, snickering, he pulled back, his breathing heavy. For once, she really didn’t care. She bit her lip. “You have to practice.”

  He looked up at the sky and back at her, a slow smile forming. “Will you come see me at the Qualifying Round tomorrow?”

  She nodded. “I’ll do my best to be there.”

  “It’ll mean a lot to me if you do.” He leaned against the dorm building.

  “I’ll be there.” She stroked his cheek. “Thank you for today. I enjoyed hanging out with you boys.”

  He backed away and pointed. “I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Bye, Trouble.” She waved and he ran off, somehow providing her with the perfect view of his tight ass in those baggy ski pants that sat low on his hips. She definitely wanted to see all of him – starting with that.

  Chapter Five

  Nadia tugged Lara’s arm and steered her through the crowd to the front. An announcer’s voice boomed overhead echoing times and different athletes names – but she didn’t hear Ty’s name yet. She was relieved, because she came a little late – thanks to Lara – and she didn’t want to miss any action from her sexy snowboarder. The last qualifying round was a big deal and she wanted to show her support to Ty. How she’d do it, she didn’t know.