Free Love and Other Games by Kara Leigh Miller Aria Kane Melinda Dozier Ana Blaze Page A

sign their shirts, hats or magazines. He was living his lifelong dream. All the while this happened, he didn’t take his eye off Nadia. He didn’t want her to run off again, and he knew she would if he hadn’t grabbed her hand and walked her around with him.
    She stood to his side, clutching her palms, holding her stomach or patting her jacket, most likely checking for the torch. He tried to reassure her that he wanted her there, without words since he talked to reporters or officials – with a touch, a nod or a smile. He didn’t doubt one minute that they were meant to meet. For once in his life he believed in fate.
    To win the Olympics and to meet this woman.
    Adam and Chris reveled in his achievement, holding the flag, taking pictures, screaming his name, signing paraphernalia with him. Fans seemed to come from every corner of the event location. It was thrilling at first, but after an hour, he was ready to leave and celebrate with his friends, including Nadia. If he had his way, he’d undress her and devour the sight of her wearing only his Gold medal around her neck and her Sunday panties.
    “Well, folks. I think it’s time to go celebrate. Thank you for your praise and your support. It’s been real.” He saluted them, grabbed Nadia’s hand and strode away, Adam and Chris following his footsteps.
    Nadia didn’t say a word, only squeezed his hand and stared at him wide-eyed. He leaned into her, smelling her sweet scent. “You okay, babe?”
    “It’s all surreal, isn’t it?”
    “Fucking fantastic. You got the torch?”
    Adam and Chris stopped in their tracks. Adam jerked his shoulder so he’d stop. “What torch? What the hell you talking about Trouble?”
    “Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you that we found the torch last night. The lucky one.” Ty shrugged and pulled Nadia to start walking again.
    Chris jerked his other shoulder back and stopped him from walking away again. “You have the legendary torch and you won Gold? Man, you just struck rich.”
    “Yeah, well, we’re just going to go re-hide it and continue on with our lives. Let some other lucky son of a bitch win.”
    “Let me see it.” Chris’s face resembled that of a little boy with a new dog.
    Ty nodded at Nadia and she gingerly took it out of her jacket.
    Both men’s eyes widened and Adam reached out. “You had it the whole time?”
    To the right of them, a couple of guys, some US hockey players if he remembered correctly,  stopped and looked in their direction, so Nadia hid the torch back into her jacket. She bit her lip. “Since yesterday. But I think Ty would’ve won either way. He’s a true athlete.”
    All men turned their head in her direction and Ty lifted her chin to kiss her. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said.”
    Chris moaned and covered his eyes. “All right. Enough of that lovey-dovey crap. I’m going to find Kristen and the boys. You want to meet up at that little bar in town? The one right outside the city?”
    Ty waved them off, pulling Nadia’s body against his. “Yeah, give us an hour. See you there.”
    The snow crackled as they trudged away in the snow, leaving Ty alone at last with Nadia. “So, where should we hide it?”
    “I was thinking back where we found it. As if it never happened.” She brushed his chest with her hand, which drove him nuts. He wanted to be naked, next to her, to really touch her.
    He smirked. “I really like your boss’s office. Such good memories there.”
    She guided him to the Community Center, not saying a word, which was so unlike her. He couldn’t help but feel like something was off. His fingers ached to touch her, to feel her and be close to her, but she seemed distant. Once they stood inside her boss’s office, he looked around the room and back to her. “Hand me the torch.”
    She gave it to him, their fingers brushing and his heart stopped for an instant. When did shit like that happen to him? He really did have feelings for this woman.
    “Actually, I