Avalanche Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Avalanche

  Copyright

  Thank You!

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Avalanche

  By Dakota Rebel

  Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

  www.supernovaindie.com

  Powered by Your Imagination

  Avalanche

  by

  Dakota Rebel

  Cordelia:

  I’d crushed on James “Avalanche” Pryor since I was seventeen years old. We were both competing in the International Winter Games, but since I was just a kid, I never even tried to talk to him. But this year…he sought me out.

  Now I’m falling in love with a legend, but I don’t know if he’s just looking for a short-term fling, or if he really wants more. All I know for sure is that if he asked, I’d be his forever.

  James:

  The teenage girl that had taken up far too many of my thoughts is all grown up and sexy as hell. When I saw her standing across the room, it was as if a tractor beam was drawing me to her, and I was helpless to resist.

  I don’t have long to convince her that she’s mine, but I’ll be damned if I ever let her go.

  Copyright

  © 2019, Dakota Rebel

  Avalanche

  Cover Art by Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

  Edited by Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

  Electronic Format ISBN: 978-1-62344-322-1

  Published by: Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

  Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

  Thank You!

  Thank you for your purchase of Avalanche! I hope you just love Cordelia and James. If you did, it would mean the world to me if you could pop over and leave a review.

  If you’re interested in reading more of my stories, or you just want to hang out, stop by my website, sign up for my newsletter, or come stalk me on social.

  Chapter One

  ~ Cordelia ~

  Ugh, why am I even here?

  I stared into the red plastic cup full of warm beer I hadn’t touched. I’d just turned twenty-one, and I wasn’t much of a drinker, but the minute I’d stepped into the room, I was handed a draught and encouraged to have fun.

  Right. Have fun in a crowd of drunk athletes. Not fucking likely.

  Seriously, I had no idea what had possessed me to sneak out of my room and come downstairs. I had practice in five hours, and there was no way my uncle, who happened to be my coach, wouldn’t know I hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

  But damn it, I was an adult, fighting for a gold medal for my country. Didn’t that deserve a little fun? Here I was, in a room with the best athletes in the world, and I was too shy to even attempt to talk to anyone.

  I’d seen a few of the girls I was competing against, wandering around, flirting with skiers and hockey players, but poor little Delia had set up shop in the corner and just watched.

  “Hey there.”

  I jumped at the sound of a man’s voice in my ear, making me slosh beer all over myself. Damn it.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, looking around until he found a discarded towel and handed it to me. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  I looked warily at the towel, not wanting to know what else it had been used for. Against my better judgment, I used it to mop up as best I could.

  “It’s fine,” I assured him. “I just didn’t see you.”

  When I turned to face him, my heart leapt to my throat, and I felt a very unfamiliar down-low tickle. I’d heard of lust, had even read about it in a few romance novels I’d stolen from my older sister back in junior high. But this… I’d never felt this.

  James “Avalanche” Pryor, the most decorated snowboarder on the planet, stood there, smiling at me, speaking to me, as if I mattered. What the hell?

  “You’re Cordelia Quinn, aren’t you?” he asked, his blue eyes seeming to stare into my soul.

  “Yes,” I confirmed. “And you’re Avalanche.”

  “James is fine.” He smiled, the dimple in his cheek even more pronounced in person than it was on the Wheaties box.

  “Right.” Stupid. “James. Lovely to meet you.”

  “You, too. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at one of these.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I was too young to come to the parties at the previous games.” I still felt too young to be here, but I wasn’t about to share that with him.

  “Right.” He ran his fingers through his deep auburn hair. “You don’t look like you want to be here now.”

  “Oh, I don’t,” I agreed. Why had I said that? He was talking to me. If he knew I wanted to leave, he’d probably stop. And I didn’t want that. Not at all.

  “Do you want to get out of here?” he asked.

  “I can stay,” I said. “I’m an adult.”

  What in the actual fuck, Delia? Who talks like that? I was making a complete ass out of myself. Not that it mattered. He was probably just checking that I was old enough to be there. I’m sure none of the older athletes wanted to get busted for contributing to a minor or anything.

  “I just meant, maybe we could go for a walk,” he said, chuckling. “It’s kind of loud in here, and you seem uncomfortable. Can I at least take you back to your dorm?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “That’s really nice of you.”

  We gathered our coats, and he held the door open for me then fell into step beside me as I walked toward the figure skating dorms on the other side of the camp.

  The International Winter Games were being held in Vancouver, and it was colder then I’d never felt. Granted, it was February in Canada, but last time I’d competed in the games, it had been in Sochi, where they’d had to make snow.

  “How’s training going?” James asked me.

  “Good,” I said, smiling despite my discomfort at being alone with him. “My coach is determined, and the other girls are actually really nice. It’s not totally cutthroat like other years. So, it’s nice. What about you? Going to get another gold for the USA?”

  “Naturally,” he said. There was no arrogance in his tone, just a surety I wished I felt. But he’d won so many times in the past, it probably wasn’t as big of a deal for him anymore. “You took bronze last year, right?”

  “Silver,” I corrected, completely unable to hide my own smugness. “Sorry, it was a really big deal for me. It was my first medal.”

  “You going for gold?”

  “I always go for gold,” I assured him.

  “That a girl.” He knocked his shoulder against mine, and it made me smile. “When do you compete?”

  “Saturday at two. You?”

  “Saturday at noon,” he said. “Sounds like we’ve got some time this week.”

  We’d reached my dorm and hovered at the entrance. I stood there shivering, but I really didn’t want to go in. I liked hanging out with him. He didn’t seem like the other athletes. They could all be really crude or arrogant. But James
was just…sweet.

  “I mean, I’ve got practice and stuff,” I said, unsure what he was getting at.

  “Well, yeah. Me, too. But maybe, I could call you? Take you out sometime?”

  Wait.

  What?

  Did James Pryor seriously just ask me on a date? Like, the two of us, alone somewhere, eating a meal possibly? Coffee. Talking more? Kissing?

  “Cordelia?”

  “What? Yes. Sorry.” I fought to keep from tilting my head like a dog as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. “Yes. You can call me. I’d like that.”

  “Great.” He gave me that brilliant smile again, and I swear to all that is holy my knees actually went weak and almost buckled on me. “Give me your phone.”

  I unlocked it and handed it to him. He added himself to my contacts then shot himself a text before handing it back.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow, and we’ll set something up.”

  “Okay.”

  He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “It’s a date.”

  Then he put his hands in his pockets, turned around and walked back toward the party.

  I stared at the phone in my hand for a full minute before remembering that I needed to get inside. Avalanche planned to call me tomorrow. James Pryor had my number and would probably even use it. I had James “Avalanche” Pryor’s phone number.

  Was this real life?

  Chapter Two

  ~ James ~

  I couldn’t believe my luck when I’d seen Cordelia Quinn standing all alone at the party. She looked just as beautiful as she had at the last Winter Games, but this time, she was all grown up.

  The first time I’d ever seen her, she’d been a shy, seventeen-year-old, skating her heart out on the ice. I’d desperately wanted to talk to her then, but I knew the timing wasn’t right. I’d been twenty at the time and those three years difference were pretty important back then.

  Now that she was an adult, those years meant nothing.

  For months, I’d wanted to call her, but there never seemed to be time. It felt as if every hour of every day had been spent training…and thinking about her. Plus, I never knew what I’d say. We’d never actually met, so calling her out of the blue to ask her out would have seemed weird.

  Now, though, everything I’d worked for was in my sights. The games were finally here…and so was she.

  It had taken every ounce of my willpower not to pull her into my arms and kiss her senseless when I’d walked her back to her dorm. I just knew her tiny body would fit perfectly against mine. But I didn’t want to be too forward. So, I’d settled for a peck on the cheek and the promise of a date.

  Her reputation as a shy, polite, slightly sheltered girl seemed on point. I’d have to tread lightly with her to avoid scaring her off. For the last four years, I’d known she would be the only woman for me, and it wouldn’t do to have her running off because I did something stupid. We’d have our whole lives for me to kiss her, touch her, bury my nose in her hair, carry her to bed… Damn it. I had to stop thinking like this. At least for now. Date first; devour later.

  I was so lost in thought about her I hadn’t realized I’d walked back to my room, instead of returning to the party as I’d intended. Oh well, now that Cordelia was gone, there was nothing for me there anyway.

  When I got upstairs, Mike, my coach, was lying on the sofa, reading.

  “You’re back early,” he said, setting down his book.

  “Yeah,” I agreed. I tossed aside my coat and dropped into an armchair. “I walked Cordelia Quinn back to her dorm and didn’t feel much like partying anymore.”

  “Cordelia Quinn? The figure skater you’ve been obsessing over for the last four years?”

  “I have not obsessed,” I argued.

  “Okay.” Mike snorted. “Whatever you say.”

  “Just because I like her doesn’t mean it’s an obsession. We’re gonna go out sometime this week. Get coffee. Talk. Like normal people.”

  “First of all, you’re not normal people. You’re both world-famous athletes. So, if you go out, make sure you stay on campus or you’re likely to get mobbed.”

  “What do you mean if we go out? We are going out.” I stared at him incredulously. There was no way I’d miss this date.

  “Her uncle is her trainer, and from what I understand, he’s a fucking tyrant. I’m shocked she was even out on a Monday night. Her schedule is insane. I heard he’s booked the ice for every available hour he could get. Even made the committee open it two hours early every morning. That poor girl eats, sleeps and skates. That’s it.” Mike picked up his book and reopened it. “So, good luck with that.”

  “She’s going out with me,” I repeated firmly. “I’ve waited four years for her. I’m not waiting any longer.”

  I went to my room and got ready for bed. When I laid down, I grabbed my phone and texted Cordelia.

  Are you still awake?

  Yes, she answered immediately.

  Thanks for letting me walk you home.

  Thank you. It was nice of you not to let me walk back alone in the dark.

  Do you want to grab a coffee tomorrow?

  There was a long pause, three little dots hovering then disappearing a few times before her answer finally came through.

  I have training most of the day tomorrow

  What about when you break for lunch? I could meet you in the cafeteria.

  I watched the dots again, wondering if she was about to decline

  Ok, she answered. We break at eleven a.m.

  It’s a date then. Sweet Dreams.

  Goodnight, James

  I set down the phone and rolled into my blankets. Lunch with a hundred other athletes wasn’t really what I’d hoped for, but it was better than nothing.

  As I lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, I wondered if her uncle would be a problem for me. I mean, we all had to train, but surely, she was allowed some time off. Rest was just as important as practice. With four full days between now and her competition, she’d need downtime for recovery, and I wanted to be there every minute she could stand.

  Mike was probably just overreacting. The coaches could be as bad as the athletes, casting aspersions at each other left and right, just to get under each other’s skin. It was probably nothing.

  Yeah. Everything would be great.

  Chapter Three

  ~ Cordelia ~

  “Again!” Charlie yelled at me as I spun past him. “Where the hell is your head today, Delia? You had that jump down months ago. You’re skating like a God damned penguin out there.”

  “What time is it?” I asked, skidding to a stop in front of my uncle and trying not to sound overly excited.

  “It’s almost eleven,” he said, looking at his watch. “We’ve got the ice for five more minutes. Go hit that spin, or we’ll be back here tonight, doing it again.”

  I blew out a sigh as I skated away. Picking up speed, I forced my thoughts away from James, knowing he was what was so distracting. Not that I could admit that to Charlie. He’d throw a conniption if he knew I was meeting a guy for lunch.

  Not that I wasn’t allowed to date. I was an adult. But he worked me really hard, and he didn’t like me doing much that wasn’t skating or sleeping.

  He even used to set my diet and eating schedule until my mom found out and threw her own massive tantrum. But he pretty much controlled the rest of my life, since it always revolved around skating.

  I didn’t know how to tell any of them that my heart just wasn’t in it. And it had nothing to do with James. If anything, meeting James had lit a fire in me to try harder. If I could win the gold, maybe everyone would back the fuck off for a change. If I could prove I was the best, maybe they’d let me breathe. Have a life. Go on this date.

  Forcing my legs to hit a speed I was way too tired to hit, I jumped and spun, making my turn perfectly. The sharp sound of blade tip on ice was like a symphony to my ears. I’d nailed the landing.

  I could go see Ja
mes.

  “Finally,” Charlie barked. “Go hit the showers and get something to eat. You’re in the gym at eleven forty-five.”

  “No!” Damn it. I hadn’t actually meant to argue out loud.

  “Excuse me.”

  “Look, Charlie. I’m exhausted.”

  “Yeah, that’ll happen when you sneak out and go to parties in the middle of the night.”

  “I didn’t sneak out,” I protested. “I went out, like the grown-ass woman I am. And I was back before midnight. So please, just give me some time today. I’m working my ass off. I need a break.”

  “Fine,” he agreed. “But we’ve got the ice at six tonight, so you’d better be laced up and ready to go.”

  “Deal!” I hugged him, even though his concession hadn’t exactly been a big one. Then I hopped off the ice, put on my blade covers and waddled to the locker room to get ready for my date.

  * * * *

  The cafeteria wasn’t too busy this early, so I was able to spot James right away. He straddled a bench, his back to the entrance, talking with another man I didn’t recognize.

  I took a steadying breath and forced myself to walk slowly over to him because honestly, I just wanted to run full out and launch myself at him. I’d spent an hour in bed the night before just replaying the small kiss on the cheek he’d given me. I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to really be kissed by him.

  “Princess!” He got to his feet and looked down at me, a huge grin on his face.

  “Princess?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Sorry, is it too soon for nicknames?”

  “Most people call me Delia,” I said with a laugh.

  “Okay,” he shrugged. “Princess it is. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving,” I admitted. I’d been training for five straight hours, and I’d skipped breakfast because my stomach was still full of butterflies from meeting James.

  We walked to the cafeteria line, and I smiled when I saw Emmaline wiping down the counters.

  “Emmaline!” I said, rushing over to give her a hug. “How are you doing today?”