Not even Devlyn?
“Not even my ex. Not that it would’ve mattered had I offered, because she would’ve worn her son’s.”
It’s like he can hear my thoughts.
His words cause chaos in my head and in my heart. They’re too intense for a fake relationship. I want to lunge at him and kiss the hell out of him for making me feel this desired, but I refrain. There’s PDA and then there’s too much PDA. “Enforcers Number 22.” I brandish my fist in the air. “Go, team, go.”
He frowns like a teacher would frown at a student who blurted out the wrong answer.
I dance from one foot to another. “Are you going to help me put my skates on?”
He holds my gaze for a beat and offers a slow nod. “Sure, let’s get you geared up. Sit on that bench over there.”
“Okay.” My eyes drift to the ice. “That’s a lot of people who are going to witness me landing on my ass in an embarrassing way.”
“The rink is practically empty,” he says. “And trust me, all the kids out there landed on their ass first time on the ice.”
“When you’re a kid, you can bounce back from anything. Not the case when you’re an adult.”
He places his hands on my shoulders. “It’s all a mental game, Goldilocks.”
Must work on my mental game, I guess.
I nod and bounce a few times on the bench. “This butt pad is a lot more comfortable than I imagined.”
Kaz kneels at my feet and rummages through my bag. “It’s a godsend for beginners.”
He pulls out elbow pads and hands them to me. I slide them on. Then, he pulls out knee pads and places them on the bench. He removes my Converse and slips on the knee pads. Next, he pulls out the helmet and places it on my head before snapping the strap under my jaw.
“Your joints and ass are protected.” He taps my head. “And this ensures you won’t crack your skull. Nothing ruins a weekend faster than a trip to the ER. Protection is key.”
I square my shoulders and give him a little salute. “Yes, coach.”
He flattens his lips, his expression unamused. “Oh, you’re going to be one of those students.”
I offer an enthusiastic nod. “Definitely.”
He shakes his head, an amused expression twisting his lips. He pulls out the skates, helps them onto my feet and does up the laces.
I stare down at the pretty white skates.
I balked at the outrageous price, but my fake boyfriend had his boss hat on when he insisted there was no way I was going to use the price tag to wiggle out of learning how to skate.
Sheesh.
“Stand up.” Kaz extends a hand.
I do as I’m told.
I walk on the spot. “Okay, I got a feel of what it’s like to wear skates. I don’t need to go on the ice.”And I don’t need to die today.
“Oh, you’re going on the ice.”
I let out a groan.
A mother holding a little boy’s hand approaches. “I’m sorry to interrupt you—and I’m certain I’m wrong—but you look like Kaz Lindström. You’re his doppelgänger, right?”
His baseball cap was a lousy disguise.
