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She inhales a steadying breath. “Let’s do it, hockey man.”
June
Assoonasmyblades hit the ice, I know I’m going to suck at ice skating. Still, I’ve never been one to shy away from trying something new. I step forward, gripping Duke’s forearms. Offhand, I notice again what fantastic arms and shoulders he has. Like everything else on him, they’re muscular, perfectly shaped. But I can’t think about that too long because I’m too busy trying to stay upright.
Duke chuckles at my wobbling, but he doesn’t let go of my arms. He doesn’t seem to mind how hard I lean on him, either. “You’ve never skated before?” he asks.
“Shush,” I tell him, focusing on the ice in front of my feet. “No talking. I need to concentrate.”
“Just relax.”
“If I relax, I’ll fall.” We haven’t even gone halfway around the rink, and my feet already hurt.
He lifts a shoulder. “I fall all the time.”
I jerk my gaze up to his, which moves my head, almost throwing me off-balance. My fingers tighten on him. “No, you don’t.”
“Well, not as much anymore. But I used to.”
“Yeah, but you’re naturally athletic.” I’ve never seen him do one clumsy thing. He moves like a man who’s completely comfortable in his body. Even the fall he took at the game the other night was graceful. “I’m definitely not.”
“Well, you’re naturally wonderful,” he fires back, and I’m so surprised by the comment, I lose my balance.
I stumble forward, and Duke catches me before I hit the ice. I can feel his muscular arms around me, pulling me up against his chest. The heat radiating off his body is intoxicating, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. My heart rate spikes as I look up at him, our faces only inches apart. His breath is warm against my face.
My brain floods with images of last night. Not just the sex, though that was the best of my life. But I can’t stop thinking of holding him, of waking up in the dark next to his warm, sleep-softened body. It felt so good. I wanted to stay, and that’s why I crept into the quiet hallway and back to my room, the same as I did the first time we made love. I need to be very careful with those urges. We slept together, and it was amazing. That doesn’t mean this is a serious thing. I care about Duke, and Tabby has my heart. It’s important I proceed with caution. I haven’t even told him I can’t take his money any longer. There are so many details we need to work out.
“You okay?” he asks, one hand resting on the small of my back.
I look up at him, getting lost in his light eyes. “Yeah,” I whisper, feeling a flush creep up my neck. His muscles tense beneath my fingers as he steadies me. For a moment, we stand there, looking at each other. Then, slowly, he steps back.
“Thanks,” I say, my voice a little breathless.
He smiles down at me, and my heart flutters in my chest. “Anytime,” he replies, still grinning at me. “Are you ready to try it without holding on to me?”
“Absolutely not,” I answer quickly, and he laughs.
“Sounds good. I like to hold you, anyway.”
“Are you flirting with me?” I tease, trying to break the tension. We’re in public. We need to be discreet.
“That depends. Do you like it?” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“I do.”
“Then yes.” He nods solemnly. “I am.”
I laugh, which makes me unbalanced again, and I grip his hands. “Duke York, you’re almost charming when you want to be.”
At that, he performs some sort of twist and dips me into his arms, like we’re ballroom dancing. My hair cascades toward the ice. My breath hitches, and I can feel the heat spreading through my body. We’re still in public, but I can’t seem to care. Not when Duke is holding me like this with that look on his face. I don’t understand what’s happening between us, but it’s heady and addictive. “I’m not charming,” he whispers. “You’ve charmed me.”
As he lifts me back up, I can feel my cheeks flush with heat. I can see on his face that he wants to kiss me, and I want him to.
Tabby skids to a stop next to us. “Whatchu guys doing?” she asks, and we step apart so fast, I’m surprised I don’t wipe out again.
“Nothing, baby,” Duke says. “Just helping June out.”
“He’s going to help me get off the ice. My legs are killing me.” It’s the truth, but I also need a break from being so close to him, or I’m going to end up in some PDA.
