“Who knew you trash-talk while playing board games?”Phoebe says with a laugh.“You’re such a goof.When you started doing thedun dun, dun dunmusic from Jaws and sent my blue guy back with a giantchomp, I thought I’d pee myself.”
I shrug.“There’s lots you don’t know about me yet, Phoebe.”Then I wink.
And she blushes.
Yes!I made Phoebe blush.That’s good, right?
We end up playing four rounds of Aggravation, and she wins one.I didn’t let her win.But I didn’t make her lose either.
“What do you want to do next?”I ask.
“How cold was it outside?”
“I thought it was pleasant, but I run warm.It wasn’t windy.Check the weather app.”
She grabs her phone.“Wow, it’s almost fifty out.How does it go from blizzard to pleasant in twelve hours?”She gives a chuckle while shaking her head.“New Jersey weather is so funky.”
“Do you want to go for a walk?I’ve shoveled the porch and walkway.If it’s that warm, the snow should be melting and be okay to walk in.Do you have boots?”
“Yeah, let me get them on, then I’ll be ready to go.I don’t need to look good.No one’s going to see me.”
“I think you look good, Phoebe.”
She presses an unexpected kiss to my cheek as she walks by.If I’d known it was coming, I’d have turned my head to get it on the lips.I hate wasted opportunities.
“You’re so sweet, Ollie.”
That’s awesome.But for once, I want to hear,You’re so sexy, Ollie.I want you, Ollie.I love you, Ollie.
I want to hear her say those things so badly, it’s a real physical ache in my gut.But how hard am I willing to work for it?I’m here to play hockey so well the Devil Birds keep me and the Sasquatch kick themselves for letting me go.I didn’t come here with any romantic expectations.But I’d also never flirted with her like I have today.Flirted successfully.If there’s a chance she wants to keep me too, I’m willing to work as hard off the ice as I do on it.
12
PHOEBE
When I was a girl,I loved horses.I read everything I could about them, and I took riding lessons.When I hit five foot one in fifth grade, I knew I wasn’t going to be a jockey.I grew up on the Main Line outside of Philadelphia in the shadow of the famous Devon Horse Show.I know Ollie’s a Bigfoot shifter, but I’m going to treat him like a horse that needs to be saddle-broken.First you get them used to the scent of you and being touched by you.Then you increase the contact, like kissing and hugging.The goal is to get them comfortable with you and even initiate contact with you.And then you climb on and ride.
So I’m going to start breaking Ollie with cheek kisses and light touches.Good food.Okay, I don’t want to break him.I want tobuildhim.Build up his confidence, build up his experience, build up his desire for me, build his love for me.
Before we leave, he changes into jeans.I’m sad the gray joggers are going, but he’s way too distracting in them.I know he’s not trying to show off his goods, but he’s naturally blessed, and joggers aren’t known for their support.
“Ready to go?”he asks as he exits the bedroom.His jeans hug his muscular thighs and apple ass magnificently, so I’m not mad at them.
He helps me into my coat, and we walk outside.
“Ooh, it’s nice out!”I exclaim as we start walking down the center of the snow-covered drive toward the main road after retrieving my sunglasses and his new Devil Birds baseball cap from my car.It’s a stretch past empty houses, most of them elevated on stilts or platforms.The snowy marshes on either side are so peaceful.We’re walking side by side, our bare hands brushing every few steps.After a few brushes, Ollie grasps my hand and interlaces our fingers.It’s my uninjured hand, so I give a gentle squeeze when I look up at him.The way his mouth quirks into a little grin when he squeezes back makes my tummy flip.
We walk hand in hand for a few minutes, not saying anything.I don’t want to ruin the moment by breaking the spell, but eventually, I can’t hold it in any longer.
I whisper, “It’s like we’re in a snow globe and we’re the only people inside.It’s magical.”
Ollie stops and turns to me.He raises our clasped hands to his hoodie-covered chest and covers my hand with his.His free hand gently rests against my face, his thumb cool as it brushes along my cheek.
“It’s like a dream come true,” he says softly.
We gaze into each other’s eyes, and I don’t see any questions or uncertainty.I only see sincerity and calm.It could be a moment or a week that we stand there before he starts to lower his head toward mine.Slowly, so slowly.I want to reach up and grab him by the back of his neck and drag him down to me, but I know I need to be patient.I close my eyes as he gets closer, and his breath feathers across my face.
Honk!
