But on the whole, she was charmed beyond belief. Truly, in disbelief over his sweet nature.
I puffed my lip out. “Poor thing doesn’t want to hurt you.”
Gabi shrugged. “He doesn’t get that Iwantto be hurt.”
“If you wanted to be hurt, you’d go out on the ice and he knows that.”
“You are so damn annoying!” Gabi said, punching me in the shoulder.
“Ow! I’m fragile!”
“Right, I forget you’re the one that dishes out the blows,” she said, raising her eyebrows at me.
“It’s really a shame you’re not into me,” I sighed. “We could really have something special. I like to give and you like to take.”
“Nope. Just goofy dudes who are too nice for their own good for me,” she huffed. “We’re not going to last much longer if we don’t meet in the middle. He’s got all that brawn and won’t give me any of it.” Nik skated our way and Gabi started whining at him. “No. No. Please don’t. Nikki.”
And yet, her broad smile was unstoppable when he skated onto the bench area.
“Hi, Mara,” he said. “Mind if I take her?”
“Be my guest,” I said, gesturing to Gabi.
“Fine,” Gabi groaned, but if I knew anything about her, she was entirely melting. She delicately put her hands in his as he stepped her out onto the ice.
“Camera down, O’Connell.” The gruff voice I knew all too well approached, spraying ice just to the right of me.
“Why?” I called back. “I’m fine here. I’m getting good pictures.”
“Camera down, or else.”
“Or else what?” I challenged him.
Jack leaned across the wall to grumble at me. “Or else I’ll be totally obedient and you’ll hate that.”
I clutched both sides of his face to kiss him, knowing that would embarrass him, but instead, he had a face-splitting grin. “Camera away, sweetheart. I’ve got something to show you.”
I conceded, putting the camera in its bag behind me. When I straightened and turned back his way, Jack’s hands groped my butt, tugging me flush with the wall. “Over we go.”
And over I did go, Jack lifting me to his shoulder and taking off skating. I squealed and beat his back as I was helplessly draped over him. “No! This is not something to show me!”
“I’m showing you how fast I go,” he laughed, securing me by clutching my thigh. “Hold on tight.”
I heard a “go, Mommy!” from Aspen as we sped by, Nikki and Gabi standing with our kids. My stomach was a knotted mess as it felt both intrinsically dangerous and so safe. His arm went to his shoulder to support my upper body as he skidded to a stop, making sure I didn’t fall off from the force. I slid down the front of his body, and he held me up so I could stand on his skates.
Jack’s eyes moved over my face as he panted from hauling my ass all over the rink, essentially speed skating a circle.
“I was fine being on the sidelines, Jack.”
Jack held back a big smile. “You don’t belong on the sidelines, Mara. You’re always the main event.”
Tingles rippled through my body at his sweet words and I raised on my toes and hooked an arm behind his neck.
Jack’s eyes searched mine as he laughed, looking down at me so affectionately, and I felt it. We were in love with each other. I loved Jack Leroy, and I had no doubt that he loved me too.
Surely we’d had enough time. Surely he knew I wasn’t going to run off. Surely he knew I was in it for the long haul, and not just as part of a mutually beneficial arrangement. Surely he knew I loved him for who he was, and not just what he could provide me.
His kiss at that moment was everything. It was the joy and the pain, the late night confessions and the way we cared for each other. It was the birds and the laughs and the power struggles and bickering.
