I look back up at him. “I’m glad you don’t.”
He smooths my hair away from my face. “What do you want to do today? I have until four to do whatever you want.”
I think for a few minutes before I say, “I want to go to the Miami Beach Boardwalk.”
We’re at our second and final Florida stop of the tour, so we might as well enjoy the beach while we can.
“Done. But first…”
Before I can take my next breath, I’m on my back with Nate settling between my legs. The exact place I wished we could stay forever.
“Nate, I’m not rollerblading.”I slam my hands on my hips and purse my lips in annoyance.
“Yes, you are.” He gives me a wide, boyish grin as he holds up the rental rollerblades. “It’s been forever since I’ve done it. It’ll be fun. I promise.”
“Breaking bones is not my definition of fun,” I grumble as I take the skates from him.
He presses an affectionate kiss to my forehead as his hand snakes around me and squeezes my butt cheek. “I’m getting you all of the safety equipment available. You aren’t allowed to hurt yourself. That would severely impede all the deviant things I have planned for you later.”
I laugh as I shake my head and step away from him to sit on a nearby bench to put the skates on. We just finished a delicious lunch at a restaurant on the boardwalk before wandering hand-in-hand and looking at a few of the shops, before Nate pulled me to a stop in front of the booth offering roller skate and roller blade rentals.
The sun is warm and the air balmy as I bend over to remove my sneaker. Before I can pull it off my foot, Nate is kneeling on one knee in front of me, pushing my hands away from my shoe.
“Let me.” His voice is low and deep, causing my core to heat as his strong fingers wrap around my calf and he pulls off my sneakers.
A smile slips across my face as he carefully pulls on the kneepads and helps me slip my foot into the roller blade. His fingers nimbly tighten the laces before his hands slide up my legs. My breath catches as he clasps my thigh right above my knees. His gaze is intense when it connects with mine, and his grip on my thighs tightens slightly. “Is that too tight?”
The bolt of arousal at our intimate moment has me only able to answer with a small shake of my head.
The corner of his lips twitch up and he grabs the wrist guards and holds each one up for me to slip my hands into. After he secures them, he puts a helmet on my head and snaps it around my chin. He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip before sitting next to me to get himself ready. My heart is racing before we even start skating from his careful attention.
After he gives our shoes to the man working the rental booth, Nate takes my hand and pulls me to standing. I have rollerbladed, but it’s been fifteen years or more. It takes me a few moments to get my balance, Nate never letting go of my hands until I’m sure. I give him a small nod and an uncertain smile. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”
His grin is wide and infectious. “You’ll do great. And I won’t let you fall. Come on.”
He shifts to my side as we skate slowly down the boardwalk, his grip strong and reassuring. I have no doubt that he could skate much faster than what we’re doing, but he never complains. Just keeps with my slow pace, giving me encouraging words occasionally.
My cheeks hurt from how much I’m smiling as he teases me about my stiff, jerky movements as I attempt to keep myself upright, all the while his hand squeezes mine to help support and steady me. The breeze cools my skin as we glide past the crowd, happiness making me feel as light as the puffy clouds dotting the sky above us.
It’s refreshing to have someone whose sole focus is on making sure I’m okay, even if it’s as simple as during skating. Usually, I have to be the one taking care of someone else, so I relish this moment when I can release some control. I lovethat he seems to not see it as a burden and is thoroughly enjoying doing that for me.
After forty-five minutes of skating, he points to an ice cream stand. “Let’s get some ice cream. We’ve earned a treat.”
I nod enthusiastically. He helps me sit on a bench and presses a kiss on my lips. My hand finds his cheek as he deepens it, and I momentarily forget we’re surrounded by people. As he slowly pulls away, he gives me a lopsided grin, running his thumb across my bottom lip. With one last quick kiss, he leaves me to go order.
Once he’s settled on the bench next to me, he hands me my cone and rests his arm on the bench behind my back, his fingers lightly grazing across the skin of my arm as he casually licks his ice cream cone.
I soften into his side as I do the same.
“Have you talked to your brother recently?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I find Nate watching me, affection and kindness in his eyes. “I talked to him last night.”
His thumb brushes across my chin, wiping what I assume is a rogue drop of ice cream from it, then slipping his thumb into his mouth to lick it clean. “How’s he doing?”
I face forward and stare across the beach. It’s so beautiful here. And with Nate at my side, I allow myself another moment of pretend. “He’s alright, I guess. Besides being mad that he has to be in inpatient treatment, it’s sometimes hard to gauge where his mind is at times. I got a call from his treatment team the other day. They explained they wanted to extend his inpatient time from thirty days to at least forty-five but would reassess as they got closer to that time.”
The combination of the rhythmic circles Nate’s fingersare making on my arm and the ice cream causes goosebumps to rise on my arms.
