“No, and no. Now, I need to head home.”
“How am I going to reach the Zamboni safely?”
Now was my chance to return to my normally scheduled life. “You’re a big boy. You’ll figure that out.” Before he had a chance to try to entice me again with his sizzling good looks and way too charming demeanor, I made it to the area just beyond the ice. Thankfully, he didn’t try to stop me.
Just before I disappeared from sight, I did the unthinkable. I turned to see if he’d made it safely off the ice.
Watching him struggle, even with boots on, his body swaying back and forth as he slipped caused serious giggles to rush to the surface. He threw his arms over his head, dropping accidentally to one knee with a brutally hard thud.
“Oh,” I hissed, pressing my hand over my lips. The fall was very hard.
He struggled, still flailing his arms as he tried to stand. When his body pitched forward once again, I couldn’t stand to see him fall on his face. Even if the guy had been annoying, I wasn’t that kind of terrible person.
Rushing forward, I caught him just before he was ready to take a dive into the ice. When I did, the only reason the weight of him didn’t plunge us to the ice once again was the half wall flanking the visitor’s area. But where the structure stopped us from moving, it also pushed the full weight of him against me.
The blow could be considered crushing for some. For me, I was instantly pushed into a fiery moment where desire was so overwhelming I couldn’t think straight.
With me leaning over the wall, his huge form standing over me, he dropped his head even more until our lips were almost touching. I pressed one hand against his chest, in the opening of his jacket kneading his muscles through the shirt. Breathing was difficult to a point I was close to wheezing.
My reaction was ridiculous, too girlie and too soft, but his aura was overwhelming.
I was certain the man was going to kiss me, but instead, he grinned. “I guess we’ll need to stop meeting like this.”
“I guess we will.” I didn’t realize I’d licked my lips until his gaze lowered to my mouth. His chest rose and fell and I’ll be damned if he didn’t lift his arm as if he was going to touch my face.
But he pulled away, lifting me to an upright position. “Sorry about that. You didn’t need to rescue me.”
Chuckling, I gripped both his arms to steady him. “Apparently, I do. Let’s get you off the ice.” He allowed me to guide him to the observation area where I gently eased him onto a bench where I sat beside him. “You’re not destined to be a skater.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh, I think I do.”
“What if I could prove you wrong?”
He was certainly one persistent man. “Now, how would you do that?”
As he leaned over, his facial expression turned thoughtful. “You could teach me how to skate. I mean just thirty minutes or so. Then I could practice on my own.”
I’d never had a man come close to begging me for anything before. This was honestly kind of unique and I liked it. While he definitely gave off arrogant vibes, there was also something quite puppy-like about him. A golden retriever center with a wolf exterior.
I liked that.
“A lesson, huh? Now, what would my payment be?”
The consternation on his face was equally enjoyable. “I know. A drink. With me. Just one.”
“I’m not worth more than one?” I walked into that one on purpose. Maybe a lesson would allow me an excuse of having a drink with him. Then he would no longer be a stranger.
His eyes opened wide and when he placed his hand on his heart, I thought for certain he was going to burst into tears. “Oh, I feel the pinprick of your knife.”
“Trust me, buddy. If I wanted you to feel my knife’s blade, you would. Skating lesson for a drink.”
“I think that’s fair. More than fair actually.” The slow and steady grin crossing his face was wider than the ones I’d seen before.
“Okay. One lesson. One drink. That’s it. You’ll be on your own from there.”
“Fair enough. What’s your name? I mean I could call you my fairy princess all night. That fits you.”
