I give her another squeeze, reluctant to let go. “You won’t. And I’ve got you.”
Holding her hand in mine, I lead us over to the rental counter, where we tell them our sizes and get our skates. Her palm is sweaty as I take her over to a bench in the empty changing area.
“Want me to help you put them on?”
She shakes her head quickly. “That’ll only make me more flustered.” When I give her a curious look, she says, “Max helped me with my sandals when we walked on the beach yesterday, and something about it felt like it went beyond fake boyfriend duties.”
“Ah. Okay.” I keep my expression neutral as my mind fills with an image of Max bending at her feet, touching her bare skin, and the jealousy that hits me takes me by surprise. I don’t get jealous of my twin—at least I hadn’t until now.
To push away these unwelcome thoughts, I remind myself of the real reason I’m here. I’m going to be a good date to Callie, but I need to keep my head on the bigger picture.
When our skates are on, I check to make sure her laces are tight, being careful not to touch anything except her skates, both for her sake and mine.
There’ll be no avoiding holding her hand, though. I hold mine out to her. “Let’s practice here on the carpet.”
Not quite meeting my eyes, she takes my offered hand and gets to her feet. I give her a moment to find her balance, and it strikes me as ironic that she’s now the unsteady one, when it’s me who falls over in yoga class.
Her grip on my hand is light as we glide away from the bench.
“You know there’s no money involved in skating, right? No betting.”
She turns to me, eyes pinched in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“I think I’m being hustled.” When she continues to frown, I say, “Look at you. Perfectly steady. No wobbling at all.”
“We’re on the carpet, Miles.” After she says my name, she looks around, worried that someone will have heard her, but there’s no one in earshot.
“Still.”
She lets go of my hand and moves ahead of me, giving me the perfect opportunity to check out her ass. Of course, it looks just as good in denim shorts as it does in yoga pants. Her legs are incredible, too, but I don’t allow myself to look for long.
She does two loops around the changing area before venturing to the edge of the uncarpeted path that leads to the rink. There, she waits for me, and reaches for my arm when I’m close.
“Relax. I’ve got you. Not that you need me.”
She’s shakier when we skate onto the smooth surface, but nowhere near as bad as she claims to be. Out on the rink, I keep her arm tucked around mine, and lead her around the edge until she’s moving more steadily.
After we’ve made one lap, her sister glides over to us with her groom following close behind. “Hello, you two,” Sadie says, a big grin on her face.
As Callie returns her greeting, Sadie looks back and forth between me and Callie and the spot where our arms are linked. She smirks at us, looking playful, then gives Callie a wink before skating off.
I bend to Callie’s ear. “What was that about? You said you told her we’re not really a couple, didn’t you?”
Callie looks completely flustered. “I’ll tell you later.”
We make a few more laps, with Callie growing steadier on her wheels with each one. When I skate backwards in front of her, still holding her hand, she mouths, “Show-off,” and the way she laughs has me smiling wide.
It’s so easy to forget my mission when I’m with her. Too easy.
She swivels her hips and my eyes follow every curve. I swing around so that I’m behind her and put my hands on her hips, because I can’t resist touching her.
She looks up at me over her shoulder with those big, brown eyes, and something squeezes in my chest.
I never have a problem staying professional. I’ve never been so conflicted.
CHAPTER 30
CALLIE
