“A shower?” His lips stretch into a grin. “Do you have that many compliments to give?” Even though he’s holding onto the wall for dear life, Caleb is strutting toward me like a man who knows how charming he can be.
“If I do have compliments for you, I’m keeping them to myself. Your ego doesn’t need any more stroking.”
“My ego?” His brows raise. “I’m holding onto a wall so I don’t face plant. I have zero game right now.”
“Do you want some help?” I slowly glide toward him, the tips of my skates hitting into his, putting our faces mere inches apart.
“I thought you’d never ask.”There’s a rough quality to his words that sends my stomach swooping.
His gaze stays on me as he lets go of the wall and places his hands on my hips. He’s wearing gloves and I’m wearing a coat, so it makes absolutely no sense why I feel Caleb’s touch so severely, but I do. His fingers press against my waist in a way that drives my senses crazy. The man has more game than he even realizes. I rest my hands on top of his, holding them against my body. A few of my fingers hook over his, and I slowly skate backwards, pulling him along.
“Look who’s the show-off now.” Caleb’s blue eyes squint into a playful glare that’s more flirtatious than it should be.
“Aunt Summer,” my nephew Max says as he skates by, holding Brian’s hand. “I’m beating you!”
I’m grateful for the interruption. We all could use a grounding reminder of what we’re doing here.
Caleb’s here in place of Justin.
The touching and flirting areforJustin’s sake so he can win over my family.
Got to keep some perspective here.
“Way to go, buddy.” I smile at Max as he passes then I shift my eyes to Caleb’s skates. It’s a safer place to stare than directly at his blue eyes or handsome face.
“You’re getting better. You havesomecoordination.”
“I think I look better climbing ice than skating on it.”
No, I can confirm he looks pretty good doing both.
Don’t think about it.
“How did you get into all your outdoor sports?” Casual small talk is the key to keeping things casual.
“I don’t know.” He shrugs with a boyish smile that my heart begs me to commit to memory. “I’ve always loved the rush that comes from doing something challenging and dangerous, something not everyone can do.”
“Would you say you’re an adrenaline junkie?”
“I used to be.”
“And you're not anymore?”
“I used to live for the excitement of an intense moment, the feeling that my own strength and skill saved me from danger during high-risk activities. The more tricks I nailed, the more I wanted to do something bigger and get a bigger rush. I was addicted to the high and the endorphins that came with it. I thought if I stopped planning and throwing new tricks, I wouldn’t be happy. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to find something else that would fill my life with as much thrill, uncertainty, and excitement.”
“Did you find something?”
Caleb stares back at me. It’s more than the usual conversation eye contact. It’s different and loaded with feeling. “I think I have.”
I swallow, sensing the weight of his words—they’re heavy.
Thanks for nothing, small talk.
I lose focus, and the back of my skate catches the ice. Down I go, falling backward, dragging Caleb with me. My butt lands first, breaking my fall, but that doesn’t stop my head from smacking the ice too. Caleb lands on top of me, watching the whole thing play out.
“Summer!” One hand goes behind my head while he shakes his glove off his other hand. “Are you okay?” The now glove-free fingers caress my cheek.
“Ow!” I groan, shifting my eyes to his. “I think my head cracked the ice.”
