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“Of course. Besides, his nephews have really taken in their uncle’s footsteps. You should see the two of them blazing around like bats from hell.”
“Where’s the rink?”
He pointed down the path in the direction I’d been going. “Just keep going that way. You’ll run straight into it. I’m sure you’ll find him there.”
“Do you want me to walk back to the house with you?” I asked, uneasy about leaving a man as sick as him on his own.
“No. I’ll be fine. I just have to get back inside before that daughter-in-law of mine catches me. She thinks I can’t do anything for myself these days.”
I gave him a sweet grin because I didn’t know what else to do and then watched him slowly make his way toward the house with the dogs at his heels. A few more minutes of strolling along the path led me to a more modern-looking building. Light glowed through the frosted windows, which told me someone was in there. This had to be the rink.
I opened the door and was hit with a blast of cold air. It reminded me of the first time Taylor took me skating with him. Our ill-fated first date somehow made me smile when I thought of it now. The sound of blades scraping over ice, harsh breaths, and the occasional grunt sent a thrill through me. I’d definitely hit the jackpot.
Instead of announcing myself, I sat on one of the benches and just watched him. Around and around he went, brow furrowed, focus trained on what he was doing, on pushing himself harder and harder. He’d switched to figure eights, cut corners sharp enough they made my head spin. Then he pulled out his hockey stick and a puck before beginning drills with them. I was in awe as he skated as fast as he could while trying to maintain control of the puck, taking shot after shot into the goal set up at one end. But my favorite thing he did was when he used the end of his stick and bounced the puck over and over and over as he skated. He never took his eyes away from the puck once it was out there.
I don’t think he would have noticed me if it hadn’t been for the delicate little sneeze that escaped me. His gaze laser focused on me; he was breathing hard, drenched in sweat as he skated from one end of the ice to right in front of where I was sitting. He leaned against the boards and gave me a cocky grin.
“Couldn’t get enough of me, I see. One orgasm, and now I have you hooked. Is that it?”
My cheeks burned. “I was out for a walk. I ran into your grandfather, who is a lovely man, and he told me where I’d find you. Aren’t you tired?”
He shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. I had a lot on my mind.”
“You should have woken me up. I could have helped you get back to sleep by relieving some tension.”
Something dark and hungry flashed in his gaze as I watched him. “Really?”
“Yes.”
What was I doing? This was the opposite of establishing boundaries. This was barreling through them at breakneck speed.
“This is a new development I wasn’t expecting. Did you put whiskey in your tea this morning? Is that what’s caused this change of heart? Wait, have you put on that cardamom lip stuff of yours?”
“Taylor, I just want to repay you for what you did...”
His expression shut down. “If you think making you come is a chore, you couldn’t be more wrong. I’m not keeping score. There’s nothing to repay. Don’t do anything you feel obligated to do.”
Then he shoved off the boards and glided away. I felt like an asshole.
“That’s not what I meant,” I called, but he waved his hand.
I’d been dismissed. And I fucking deserved it.
15
BECCA
“I’m sohappy he found you, Becca,” Taylor’s mother said as she placed a mug of tea in front of me. It had been a few days since our arrival, and I was finally used to the time change, if still a little bleary-eyed.
By the time I came downstairs, she’d gotten up and was ready and waiting for me in the breakfast nook. I watched the mist of the morning swirl and dance between blades of grass as two dogs played together. A strange mixture of sadness and contentment washed over me.
“We found each other at just the right time. Although the first time we went out, I thought there was no way I’d see him again.”
She gave me the sweetest smile. “Oh, I’ve heard all about you. He told me the day he met you.”
What? He’d told her about me? Excitement and unease curled in my belly. “Really?”
“Oh, aye. He called me that very night. It was afternoon for him. He said Mum, I met a brilliant woman. She hates me. So obviously I’m going to marry her.” She brought her mug to her lips with a twinkle in her eye.
