“I imagine you’ve taught lots of women to skate,” she said dryly.
“One or two,” he said with a smile.
They rented skates for her at the shack beside the pond. Sierra looked at the sign readingMiracle Lake, and asked, “Where’s the lake?”
“You’re looking at it.”
She looked at the small, frozen body of water. “It’s a pond.” A large pond, but a pond nonetheless.
“To us it’s a lake.”
*
Sierra didn’t seemtoo sure about ice-skating but Connor really had taught a few people in the past. Plus, he knew she kept in shape—after all, he’d run with her. She looked fit, that was for sure. Besides that, she seemed athletic so he wasn’t worried about her.
This was all part of his master plan to show her that they could date and have a relationship outside of sex. And when the sex happened, which he hoped like hell it would, it would be great. Of course, he thought it would be great whenever it happened. Immediately would be good. But he didn’t want this to be like nearly all his previous relationships, if you could call them that.
It was the damnedest thing. He, Connor McFarland, had finally fallen, and fallen hard for a woman. He hadn’t even been tempted to have a more permanent relationship since he left Afghanistan. But it seemed like the longer he knew Sierra the more he wanted her. He owed it to both of them to find out if his feelings were real or simply infatuation because he was making their one night together to have been more than it was.
Besides, he wasn’t at all sure of Sierra’s feelings. He knew there was sexual attraction on both sides, but he wasn’t at all sure Sierra was up for a more serious relationship. She’d told him in Las Vegas that she still had feelings for her scumbucket ex-husband. He doubted that had changed. Not in just a few months. Still, it could happen.
“Ready?” he asked after she laced up her skates.
“I’m not sure I can even stand up on these.”
“Sure you can. I’ve seen you wear those skinny, sky-high heels. This isn’t much different.”
She snorted but allowed him to help her up.
“You don’t have weak ankles, do you?”
“No.”
“Good.” He gave her some pointers and held on to her while she walked a little on the ground by the lake. Then he led her out to the ice and held on again while she got the feel of standing on the ice in her skates.
She took to it quicker than he’d thought she would. After half an hour she was able to skate with him, slowly. Another fifteen minutes and he decided she needed a break. “Let’s go get some hot chocolate.”
“Not yet.”
“It’s supposed to be fun. I haven’t seen you smile yet.”
She glanced at him. “It is fun. But I have to concentrate to learn.”
“Okay, a little longer and then we’re taking a break.”
“Let go of me. I can do it on my own.”
She had to try sometime. He released her. She took a few wobbly steps, then one glide, two glides—and fell flat on her ass.
“That’s good.”
“Ha-ha.”
“I mean it.” He reached out a hand to help her up. “Learning to skate is hard.”
“You don’t have any problems.”
“I’ve also been skating a long time.”
