AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He makes a noise like a growl, and I shake with laughter.
“Not funny, Hartley.” His throat works and he studies me warily. “You think you’ll ever want to go skating again?”
I blanche. “Of course. After all the time you put into teaching me?” I slip my hand into his. “Besides, it’s our thing.”
He raises an eyebrow, starting to smile. “Our thing?”
My heart does a little jump, and I nod, smiling back at him. “And seeing you go psycho over me is kind of adorable. You told like, six kids to fuck off.”
He laughs, cringing. “I really did that, didn’t I?”
“Mhm.” God, he’s so pretty like this, shirtless and hair all rumpled. “Careful, Miller. People might think you really like me.”
His gaze swings to mine and his mouth tips up like he has a secret. “I do like you.”
There’s an urgent, insistent hum in my chest, but I just hold his gaze.
“And I think you like me, too,” he says, smiling more, eyes on me like nothing else exists.
I like it when he looks at me like that.
“Hmm.” I smile at him. “Maybe I do.”
He nods, still smiling, before something cold cuts through his gaze and he frowns. “About McKinnon.”
“Ugh.” The noise of disgust slips out as I make a face.
Rory drags a deep breath in and I catch a glimpse of that furious, protective version of him from yesterday. His hand squeezes my thigh, warm and steadying.
“You okay?” he asks in a low voice, watching me.
I have a feeling that if I said no, he’d do whatever it took to make it better. Seeing him lose his mind yesterday was just—
I don’t know what it was. I shouldn’t like it so much, but I do. I love seeing Rory Miller lose his fucking mind over me.
“I’m fine. Connor doesn’t matter. He’s gross and I’m glad you told him to find a new physio.” The breath whooshes out of me. “And for the millionth time, I wonder what the fuck I ever saw in him.”
Rory’s jaw ticks, and it’s laughable how much better a boyfriend he is, even when we’re faking. Even when we’ve moved into something that doesn’t feel like faking.
“But I’m fine. Truly.”
“Good.” He leans forward, careful not to put his weight on my ankle or wrist, and gives me a quick kiss.
When he sits up again, he frowns.
“Why’s it so cold in here?” he demands, stalking over to the thermostat. “I keep turning it up but it’s freezing.” He moves to the radiator, hovering his hand over the elements before giving me an outraged look. “The heat isn’t working.”
I gesture at the front hall closet. “There’s a space heater in there.”
His outraged look intensifies. “Hazel.”
“What?”
He stands, putting his hands on his trim hips, and my gaze lingers on those V muscles pointing into his waistband. Heat builds between my legs and I squeeze my thighs together.
Being around Rory is making me hornier by the second. It’s the way he smells, the way his morning voice sounds, the way he kept a protective arm around me all night.
Even his messed-up bedhead is fucking hot.
