“Fiji, the Maldives, Mexico…” I trail off. I could list all the places my parents have taken Thea and me, but I don’t want to make this about me. “How’s your arm, by the way?”
“Just a little sore.” Her gaze flicks to her covered arm then back at me. In spite of the frosty weather, the way she looks at me makes my body blister. “How’s yours?”
“Sore, very sore.”
She pins me with a disbelieving look. “You don’t feel it anymore, do you?”
I hold back my smile. “No, I don’t but I think everything I drank played a role in that.”
Anna scoffs. “We drank just about the same.”
“But I’m also taller and weigh over two hundred pounds,” I point out.
“Is it that or because you get hit so much on the ice, you hardly feel it now?” she says as we stop in front of a booth that sells candles. She picks up one on display, inhales it, then holds it up for me to smell. I shake my head at the peppermint scent, and she scrunches her nose in agreement. “But I suppose the gear is there to protect you. So even with all of it on, does it hurt when you get struck with a puck?”
She picks up another, inhales it, then does a double take on the label, smelling it again. Meanwhile, I’m still stuck on what she said. I love that she looked me up and watched my games.
A megawatt smile spreads across my face. “Yeah, it hurts, especially if it gets you where the gear doesn’t cover.”
I grab her hand, lifting the candle to my nose. I take a whiff and then another but a long one, my lungs filling up with whatever the scent is. It smells like whatever Anna has on, and I glance at the label.’TIS THE SEASONit’s called.
“Smells good.” I tentatively let go of her hand, grabbing two brand-new candles from the shelf. Never cared for candles, but I guess I’ll make this one the exception.
“It—what are you doing?” Her gaze flicks to them as she places the other back.
“I’m buying them.”
“Why?”
“Because you like it. I like it. And when you like something, you buy it.”
She doesn’t look as amused as I do. “You don’t have to be a smartass. You don’t?—”
I lean down, my lips over her ear, hand clutching her waist. I make it quick because the sales lady stalls just a few feet away, watching us. “Don’t play the ‘poor, woe is me, don’t buy me that because I’m an independent woman’ bullshit. I’m not trying to be a pretentious, shallow asshole, but if I have to, I will. I’m buying it because I have the money, so don’t be a brat and justaccept it. And remember, I’m your boyfriend. If I want to spoil my girlfriend, I will.”
I squeeze her gently once before I let her go.
She rolls her eyes but I can see the way her lips subtly jerk up. “I am an independent woman, and I do know how to accept things. I just don’t usually have someone wanting to buy me things. But whatever, it’s your money and just so you know, one candle is forty dollars.”
“And this jacket was three grand, so what’s your point?” I toss out.
“Do you even like candles?”
She picks up another, sniffs it, then holds it up to my nose.
“No, but I like this one.” I shrug. It’s okay, but I don’t think I’ll like another as much as the one that reminds me of her.
She grins, putting it back and picks up a few more that we smell. Once we’re done and I go to pay, she doesn’t fight me.
“This better not be some charity thing. I swear if there’s a camera crew following me, I’ll kill you,” she threatens when we step out of the booth, jabbing a finger at my chest.
“Don’t worry, I already ticked off doing charity this year. Remember the auction?” I say, getting a glare and middle finger from her. I laugh, hooking my cold one around hers. “That’s not very nice of you. You do that again and you’ll end up on the naughty list.”
“Find me there next to you.” Her cheek twitches, and she squeezes my finger.
“Next to you?” I hum, doing a long and slow perusal of her body. “I’m fine with that.”
Something sparks in her eyes, and I wonder,pathetically, if she feels what I feel. I desperately want her to.
