“Hold on tight,” I say.
Her legs squeeze my waist. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
With my hands on her ass, I haul her further up. “Here we go.”
I skate at a moderate pace, zigzagging through kids and parents who stare at us with excitement flashing in their eyes.
“How is it so far?”
“We’re not at heaven’s door yet, so I’d say, you’re doing okay.”
I pinch her ass.
“Hey!”
I speed up.
She intakes a sharp breath.
I whip around a group of four girls, and they all giggle.
I flip around and skate backwards.
Harley pulls her head back and opens her arms out. “I’m flying. I’m Rose and you’re Jack and this is Titanic on ice.”
“Nana loved that movie.” A pang of sadness hits me like it does every time I think of her.
“Your grandmother had great taste.”
I can only manage to nod. “Do you want me to go faster?”
Her arms tighten around me. “Hell, no. This is enough excitement for me. If you go any faster, we’ll crash into an iceberg, you’ll die, and I’ll end up being a one-hundred-year-old woman, retelling the story of how the love of her life refused to get on the damn door with her—even though there was plenty of room—and robbed her of her happy ever after.”
She’s a dichotomy. She’s all sunshine, but sometimes, there’s a dark, ominous cloud looming over her head.
My forehead touches her helmet. “Thanks for trusting me.”
“I feel safe when I’m with you.”
Her words tug at my core, soothing the part of me that yearns to protect her. To make her mine.
All my good intentions go flying out the window. I don’t care about prying eyes. Or that everyone in this arena has a camera.
I kiss Harley like her life depends on it.
She pulls away from me. “Best. Lesson. Ever.”
“You know what comes after the lesson?”
She shakes her head.
“The best thing you can do for your muscles is to take a hot shower. And to be eco-conscious, I suggest we take one together.”
“Man, I love ice skating.”
Chapter 46
Better Than a Book Boyfriend
