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"What?" Blood runs to my face in embarrassment.
“Your knee,” he strains. “I need you to move.”
"Oh, uh, yeah. Sure… Sorry…I’m so sorry!" I get off of him, disappointment and humiliation spreading throughout my chest.Oh, my god! I thought he wanted to kiss me, but he was just dying because I was crushing his nuts! Kill me now!I face away from him, wishing the ice would just open up and suck me inside.
"It’s fine,” he grunts as he straightens up. “I’ll live. What about you?" He holds a hand out to help me. "You didn't get hurt or anything?"
"N-no, I'm fine," I say as I brush away his hand and pick myself up off the ice. I try my best not to look sad or worse, disappointed. But I’m not sure I’m doing a good job of it.
"Sorry. We were about to collide with some kids. I didn't mean to drag you down with me," he says, slightly abashed as he lowers his hands to his sides and gives me an adorably sheepish grin. "I did warn you about my skating skills."
“I’m the one who should be sorry.” I take a deep breath and gather myself before turning back to face him. “I was the one teaching you, so I should have been paying attention to where we were going. I didn’t mean to crush your man parts.”Then continue crushing them while I thought about maybe kissing you…
"I’ll survive," he says as his eyes crinkle up in a small smile. "But, I think that's enough skating excitement for me for one night. You keep going if you like."What? He’s leaving? Oh, no! Did I blow it? Damn it, Bella! The first guy you have reciprocal interest in and you knee him in his ornaments! Great one.
"Oh, I'm all skated out for the night,” I say, trying to keep my sadness and disappointment at bay. "Let's try to get you back to the stands without falling again." I offer a tight smile as I extend my hand for him to take. He looks at it reluctantly, like he doesn’t trust it anymore—not that I blame him, butouch—before taking it and letting me guide him back to the sidelines.
We take off our skates in silence, the lack of words becoming increasingly more awkward the longer we remain seated. I know I should just get up and say goodbye, but neither of us seems to want the night to end while also not knowing what to say. How do you go from flirting up a storm to destroying a man’s gonads in the space of one evening?I have so much regret right now.And I don’t even know how to salvage things from here. I mean, is this it? Are we done now?
As if on cue, my stomach releases a long, empty growl and an idea pops into my head. "So, um…Ryder,” I start, turning my face to meet his. “Have you tried the plum pudding at the Snow Angel Diner?"
He cocks an eyebrow. "Can’t say I've ever tried pudding-anythingbefore. I don't even know what that is."
"Well, you're in luck!" I break into a big smile as hope starts to once again bloom inside my chest. "The diner here makes the most wonderful traditional Christmas treats from around the globe, and the pudding is to die for. Say you’ll let me treat you to some. I mean, it’s the least I can do after reducing your chances of ever becoming a father."Oh, no! What if that’s true?
He chuckles as he shakes his head slightly, then meets my eyes. “You seem rather invested in the state of my crushed sugarplums, honey,” he says, mischief shining in his green gaze.
I can’t help but smirk. “A curvy girl like mealwaysworries about the state of dessert,” I reply, causing Ryder to chuckle yet again.
“You really are something, Bella Fleming. How about I treatyouto a bowl of plum pudding?”
“Yeah? Like…like adate?” I blurt the too-eager question out faster than I can think about how it might be received.
“Is that what you want, honey? To date me?”
“Oh,” I start, moving a little closer so our bodies are touching. “I think I want a lot more than that.”
In response, Ryder stares at me for a long time. Then his eyes drop to my lips, and I lick them, wanting nothing more than for him to do exactly what I think he’s thinking about—since that’s what I’m thinking about too. But then he just grunts and pushes to standing before he holds his hand out to take mine.
“Let’s go get you that pudding,” he says, as I slide my hand into his and our gloved fingers entwine. I’m not ashamed to say that I let out a slight girly-squeal as he hauled me off the bench and we started walking hand in hand toward the diner.Hand in hand.Who knew something so small, so simple, could feel so incredibly intimate.Is it too early to say I’m falling in love?
RYDER
Idrop her hand when we walk into the Snow Angel Diner and grab a corner booth by a window. As tempted as I am to sit right next to Bella, a part of me still wants to maintain some sort of distance—things feel like they’re moving at warp speed ever since I set eyes on her—so I slip into the bench across from her, missing her closeness already.
"Bella, darling!" A middle-aged waitress approaches us almost immediately. "I didn't think you'd be back for the holidays this year. How are you?"
Bella beams and quickly slides back out from the booth to give the waitress a hug. "Ms. Polly! I'm doing well. Mom made me promise to come back every Christmas, so I did."
The waitress lets go of Bella and gives me a once over. "Mr. Wilcox, I presume?”
“Yes, ma'am.” I straighten up and clear my throat.
“You've been in town for months, and I've never seen you come into the diner. Afraid of good food? How's Christmas treating you?"
"I like food just fine, ma’am. Just haven't gotten around to coming here yet. I’m still getting used to the town. I apologize if my eating at home offended you in any way."
"Oh, he's such a gentleman." Polly bursts into a small fit of giggles, then leans into Bella's ear and whispers something that makes her blush red as an apple before she turns back to me. "You can call me Ms. Polly, sugarplum. Everyone in Christmas does."
