“And she is...free,” Ben said. He straightened, met my gaze, and smiled at me as he slowly zipped my coat all the way up to my chin. “Let’s get you warm.”
“I think she already is,” Zoey gave me a shit-eating grin.
Ben pretended to be oblivious while I shot another glare at her.
It might’ve looked like a shared moment of silliness between friends, but my perimeter was now restored and there was no way I was letting him in.
Chapter Eighteen
“So, I was hoping we could try something fun. It’ll be quick, I promise.”
Ben skated alongside me as we headed back to the players’ box. We’d just finished up our early morning on-ice interview while Neil did a damn good job of filming us while skating backward.
“Remember, no off camera fun allowed,” I wagged a finger at him as I came to a stop.
I realized after I said it that it was too late. Somehow, fixing a flat tire with him had been fun. Going for a walk and getting behind-the-scenesDancing with the Starsgossip had been fun. Watching him eat up my studio time with my dance teacher had been fun. “Fun” was his level set, and when I was with him I had no choice but to partake.
“Oh, this is for the show. I would never force you to enjoy yourself, don’t worry,” he winked at me, and I found it unsettlingly sexy. “I thought it would be cool if you tried speed skating. It could be a silly little interstitial, you know? But no pressure to do it if you don’t want to.”
He looked so hopeful that I felt like I had no choice.
Doing the segment made sense from a show perspective, since it would allow the audience to see Ben in his element doing his thing and me making a fool of myself as I tried to keep up with him. Cute. Silly. I’d been so rigid about what I would and wouldn’t allow in the piece that I sort of felt I owed him the favor of giving it a shot.
“Okay, but without the special skates it’ll just look regular. I guess you can coach me on the posture and stuff, but it won’t be as fish out of water without those long blades.”
“Oh, ye of little faith,” Ben said as he hopped off the ice and wobbled over to his duffel bag in the player’s box. “Check this out.”
He unzipped it and pulled out a pair of speed skates that looked well-loved but serviceable.
“Wait... are they even my size?” I asked, eyeing them suspiciously.
Suddenly I wasn’t so sure about the impromptu lesson.
“Yep.” Ben held them out to me.
“Where did they come from?” I asked.
“Don’t worry, I know people,” he replied. “Are you in?”
I looked at Neil as he skated over to us from where Hailey was on the other side of the ice with a camera on a tripod. We still had about thirty minutes before anyone showed up.
After micromanaging everything, I felt like I needed to let him have a win.
“Sure. I’m in.”
“Let’sgo,” Ben clapped. “Yes! This’ll be cute.” He paused. “Not like in a puppy who can’t walk on wood floors way, though. In a ‘Quinn’s good at everything’ way.”
Neil came to an impressive hockey stop at the boards and balanced the camera on the edge of it. “We doing it?”
“We are,” I said with a grimace as I took the skates from Ben and studied them. “Cut away when I fall, please.”
“Oh come on,” Neil replied. “You’re not a total novice. You obviously have incredible strength and balance. You know your edges. You have spatial awareness, and you understand the ice. You’ll be great.”
I held up a speed skate–clad foot. “Yeah, but what the hell isthis? The blade is so freaking long.”
“And that’s why we go so fast!” Ben laughed. “You’ll see.”
I paused. “Did you bring your skates?”
