On his way to realizing his Olympic dream, Tom Alan Baranowski finds himself in the midst of a dilemma. His traditional Japanese coach is insisting upon an arranged marriage between his biological daughter Erika and adopted son Tom Alan, who are partners on the ice. Tom Alan loves Erika, and his coach literally saved his life, rescuing him from an abusive home. How can he say no?<br><br>Somewhat resigned to his “not so bad” fate, everything changes when Tom Alan meets British ice dancer Milo Fisher. The spark between them is almost hot enough to melt the ice beneath their blades, and the two fall into an affair.<br><br>What about Erika? What about loyalty? What about gold? For Tom Alan, the impossible throw quadruple jump is suddenly the least difficult thing in his life.

Quadruple Flip

“Being away from you, it’s different. It’s only fair to tell you that I’m kind of…”


“Out of Sight, Out of Mind Booger?”


“‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind Booger’!” Milo said it with theatrical faux shock and horror. At least Tom Alan hoped it was faux. He didn’t really mean to call Milo that name. Even if it was true, it wasn’t nice. Even if he was about to be hurt.


“No,” Tom Alan said quickly. “No. Someone called you that and I…”


“I know who it was. It was Thor, that sizzling hot piece of pint-size gymnast,” Milo said with a heaping dose of humor. “Wasn’t it? I’ll bend that sexy pretzel boy into a position he’ll never get out of, I will.”


Tom Alan still wouldn’t throw Ben under the bus.


There was a lengthy silence, then, “You and Benny got pretty tight?” Milo asked.


There was a loud sigh. “He knows all your secrets?”


Chapter 53