I drag my eyes away from the ice. “But shouldn’t I see what I’m doing?”
“Looking down just throws off your balance.” He gives me a gentle tug, pulling me closer to the slick surface. “I promise I’m not going to let you fall.”
I take a tentative step forward.
“At least not yet.”
My second foot joins the first on the ice just as I catch the meaning of his words. I wobble literally the second both skates hit the ice, but true to his word, Grayson doesn’t let me fall. Although he does flash me a cocky grin.
“Good. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“I’m literally just standing here.”
“Standing is the first step.” He tugs on my arms just a tad, and because I’m standing stiff as a board, I glide closer to him. “Bend your knees a little.”
I follow his directions, my hands hanging on to his perfect, flannel-clad forearms.
“I’m going to skate you around a bit, just so you get comfortable on the ice, okay?”
“Do I have a choice?”
He smiles, and it’s a wide, genuine grin. “You’re the one who wrote the scene, Harper.”
“Yes, well, I wrote a lot of things in this movie that I’m coming to regret.”
He leans into me, his mouth brushing the shell of my ear. “In all the times I’ve made you come, you never once seemed to regret it.”
I throw him a look dripping with disdain. “Really?”
He shrugs. “You set me up for that one.”
“I think I would rather skate than listen to junior high–level sex jokes.”
“All right then.”
Before I can protest, Grayson effortlessly pushes off, skating backward and pulling me along for the ride whether I want to go or not.
And once I get over the initial shock of the burst of cold air on my cheeks, it’s not so bad. I mean, it’s not fun or anything, waltzing around on the ice, but with Grayson’s strong arms supporting me, it’s maybe not as terrible as I made it out to be in my head.
There might even be a sincere smile on my face as we glide around, and I’m sure it has nothing to do with the way Grayson’s eyes stay locked on mine.
We do a couple of laps before he guides us to a gentle stop.
“Good.” He pulls away from me a bit. “Now, keep your knees bent. We’re going to practice moving.”
“Or—another option—we just stick to gliding for awhile. I’m sure that’s all the scene really needs, and I am the writer of said scene so I’m pretty sure we can just cut now and call it a day.”
“What are you afraid of, Emmy?”
“Falling on my ass and breaking all my bones?”
“Didn’t I already promise you wouldn’t break anything essential?”
“I think I’m more worried about an ankle or an arm than breaking my vagina, West.”
He pulls me into him, close enough so our hips are pressed together. “You’re going to have to trust me, Harper.”
I let out a long-suffering sigh, which only makes him smile. “Fine. Impart your vast knowledge and wisdom, Obi-Wan.”
