by L. P. Dover
I could hear his truck pulling into the driveway, so I hurried downstairs and opened the door. He walked up and I held the door open for him. The smell of his cologne drifted in with the wind and I breathed it in. Before I met Kellan and his friends, I imagined hockey players in my mind as big, burly dudes who were grungy and smelled bad. In college, I had friends who were rugby players and they were like that. I guess I assumed it’d be the same type of guy playing hockey. Boy, was I wrong.
Kellan leaned down, brushing his lips against mine. “You ready?”
Keys in hand, I nodded. “Yep.” I locked the door behind us and walked down to his truck. “So what are we doing today?”
He opened the truck door and smiled. “I thought I’d teach you how to ice skate. I reserved the rink so it’ll be just us.”
My heart stopped and I froze. I hadn’t been on the ice in years, not since my parents died. I had no clue where my skates were, but I’d hoped Cole’s parents got them out of my house in Salem. They probably gave them away and just the thought of that broke my heart. Was I ready to get back on the ice? I guess we were about to find out.
“That sounds like fun. Hopefully I won’t bust my ass.”
“Don’t worry,” he said with a chuckle. “You can hold my hand.”
I hopped into his truck. “I might just have to.” As we started to leave I gasped. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I quit my job today.”
His eyes widened. “You did?” When I nodded, a sly smile spread across his face. “Good, that means I can see you whenever I want now.”
I shook my head and laughed. “I still have to make time for those clients you sent me.”
“Yeah, but you’ll be seeing them during the day.” Reaching for my hand, he brought it to his lips. “Although, there is someone who wants you to come over to his house tonight.”
“Who, you? Is this your way of trying to seduce me?”
He snickered. “By taking you to my dad’s house? I don’t think so. But if you want me to seduce you, I can.”
My cheeks flamed and I knew I was beet red. “I thought you were trying to make a joke.”
“Oh, I know. I thought it was funny seeing you turn all shades of red.”
I smacked his arm. “Asshole. So what does your dad want?”
“To look at his house, mainly his bedroom.” My eyes went wide and he cleared his throat. “Yeah, I know, kind of awkward right? Now that he’s seeing Maggie, he wants to make sure his house is perfect.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Especially his bedroom,” I added with a wide grin. “That’s one of the most important rooms in the house. You wouldn’t believe the number of clients I had who wanted to have a sexier bedroom. It can seriously spice up a relationship.”
He bit his lip. “Then maybe you should come over tonight and inspect my room. I’m starting to think I should hire you now.”
“If we have time tonight, we should stop by before you take me home. I’m sure I can spice it up.” It was bold, but I said it. I’d been craving his touch for days, and a part of me was ready to take the next step, but the other was still afraid. Whatever happened, I was going to trust my heart and go with it.
Sighing, he glanced at me and then back at the road. “I’m not rushing you, buttercup. I’ll go at your pace.”
I squeezed his hand. “I know, and I respect that. It’s just been a long time since I’ve opened myself up to someone. Trust is a hard thing to come by.”
He nodded. “I agree. It’s taken my dad years to start dating again, so I can’t imagine what it’s like for you.”
We pulled up to the rink and I took a deep breath. I thought he was going to take us to the rink he practiced at, but it was the other one in Charlotte, the one my mother used to take me to. Kellan opened his door, and when I didn’t move, he laughed. “I promise I won’t let you fall and break anything. Besides, it’ll just be us in there. If you get embarrassed, I won’t make fun of you too much.”
“Ha-ha,” I said, giving him an evil glare. I hopped out and watched him grab his skates from the backseat. “What if they don’t have my size? I have big feet.” From the look on his face, no amount of excuses were going to help me.
Shaking his head, he slung his skates over his shoulder. “You’ll be fine. If they don’t have your size you can wear a pair of men’s.”
He reached for my hand and we walked inside. I’d never had the rink all to myself before. Seeing the smooth ice and how it was going to feel to glide across it brought back all the memories from my past. All that was missing was my mother, watching me through the glass. There was a girl standing behind the rental counter and her eyes lit up when she saw us. She had dark blond hair and a young face, most likely midteens by the look of her.
“Hey,” she called out. “Long time no see.”
We walked up to her and Kellan fist-bumped her. “How’s high school treating ya?” Kellan asked.
She shrugged. “It’s school. Need I say more?”
They both laughed and I couldn’t help but smile. Kellan put his arm around me and pulled me in close. “Aubrey, this is Kristen. She’s the one I was telling you about on the phone.”
“You talked about me?” I gasped.
Aubrey snickered. “It was all good stuff, I promise. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, holding out her hand. “Your boyfriend’s pretty popular around here.”
I grinned up at him. “Is he now?”
Aubrey kept talking. “Yep. During off-season, he gives hockey lessons to kids. They love him to death.”
My mouth dropped open in shock. “I’m impressed.”
Kellan shrugged. “As a kid, one of my favorite players did the same thing up in Vermont. I want to do what he did, give back to the community.”
“That’s really generous of you. I might have to watch you in action.”
He winked. “Maybe you can join in. First,” he said, nodding at Aubrey, “we need to teach you how to skate. Have you been on the ice before?”
I looked over at the smooth ice, trying my best not to smile. “A couple of times.”
Aubrey set a pair of skates on the counter that looked brand-new. “You’ll get the hang of it in no time.”
Kellan handed her a large amount of money and winked. “Thanks, peanut.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be back in the office if you need me. I have a research paper to write.”
She walked off and I took the skates. “You seem to know her pretty well,” I noticed.
He sat down to take off his shoes. “Her father owns this place. He’s a big hockey fan. Aubrey took a few of my hockey classes, but she’s more into figure skating. She’s a good kid.”
Sitting across from him, I unlaced the skates and put them on. “This place must have some money. These are brand-new.” Kellan tried to hide his smile and failed; it was almost like he knew something I didn’t. “Why do you look like that?”
He finished tying his skates. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Then he looked down at my untied laces. “Do you need help with those?”
He bent down, but I waved him off. “I got it. Why don’t you go ahead and get on the ice. I’ll be out there in just a minute.”
“You sure?”
“Yep, it won’t take long.” Gaze narrowed, he got up and took the ice. I could hear his skates as they soared across the ice. I missed that sound. The skates on my feet were the same kind my mother got me, except these were brand-new. It was going to hurt like a bitch skating in them. It usually took at least a minimum of ten days to break in a new pair.
Once my skates were tied, I took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”
Kellan skated around the ice, his movements fluid and fast. I’d never seen him skate in person, but I was mesmerized. He caught me staring and slid to a stop by the door. “You ready?”
I held out my hand. “Don’t let me fall.”
His fingers intertwined with mine. “Never.”
I knew
he wouldn’t, but I wasn’t ready to let him know I could skate. I slid over to him and his grip tightened on my hand. “Are you nervous?”
Closing my eyes, I smiled. “No.”
He pulled me along slowly. “All right, just let your feet glide. Once you get your balance, you can try on your own.”
“I kind of like where I’m at,” I said, gazing down at our clasped hands.
“And that works, too. You’re doing really well, though.” We skated around the rink a few times and I even tripped, wanting to see what he’d do. He steadied me every time. “Wanna take a break? I can get us some water.”
“Sure. How long do we have the rink to ourselves?” I said.
He pulled out his phone. “A little over an hour. Why? Are you ready to go? It looked like you were having fun.”
“Oh I am. I’m glad we have more time.”
We skated to the exit and he placed my hands on the side. “Better hang on so you don’t fall,” he teased with a wink. Leaning down, he kissed my lips, gently sucking the bottom one between his teeth. “I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared down the hallway Aubrey had gone. My lips tingled from his kiss, my heart feeling something it’d never felt before. I felt alive when I was with him. Gazing out at the ice, I didn’t know if I could take the first step on my own. It’d been so long. My favorite song to skate to was “The Power of Love” by Céline Dion. Grabbing my phone, I found the song and turned up the volume. I hadn’t listened to it in years, but the second I heard her voice it was like everything came back to me. Swallowing hard, I took the first step and soared across the ice, letting the music move me. The new skates hurt my feet, but I pushed through it. It was like I could feel my mother’s presence, watching me. I wanted to skate for her, to let her know that I hadn’t given up.
Even though it’d been years, I still remembered my routine to the song. I’d skated it so much that the moves just came to me; even my lutz was executed perfectly for the most part. I was a little rusty but it felt like I never spent a day away from the ice. Once the song finished, I stopped in the middle of the rink and stood there, the sound of my heart beating was all I could hear—at least until a squeal came from the other end of the ice, catching me off guard.
Turning around, I saw Kellan and Aubrey staring at me with their mouths gaping open, but then I lost my footing and fell straight onto my backside. “Ow,” I groaned.
Kellan took off toward me and held out his hand. “What the hell was all of that?” he demanded, his expression one of awe.
I grabbed his hand and he helped me up. Aubrey put on a pair of skates and hurried out to us. “You were amazing,” she gushed. “Your lutz was perfect.”
“Thanks,” I replied sheepishly. Kellan stared at me, waiting for an explanation. “I kind of grew up on skates. My mother used to bring me here as a kid.”
Aubrey giggled and clapped her hands. “This is great. Do you think you could help me teach my class next session? It’s two days a week for an hour each time. It won’t start until after Christmas.”
The thought of being able to skate again was a dream come true. “I would love to.”
“Great,” she squealed, backing away. “This is so awesome. Well, I’ll let you two get back to your date now.”
She hurried off and I faced Kellan, biting my lip nervously. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth. I honestly didn’t know everything would come back the way it did.”
He looked down at my skates. “You looked amazing. I almost didn’t recognize you. I thought someone else had taken the ice.”
I laughed. “It felt great to skate again. I haven’t been here since I was in high school. It was something my mother and I did together. After my parents died, I gave it up.”
Reaching for my hands, he pulled me along the ice, gaze narrowed. “So when you kept tripping, that was intentional, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” I confessed. “I wanted to see if you’d keep your word.”
“On what, not letting you fall?” I nodded in reply and he came to a stop, his arms wrapping around my waist. I looked into his stormy gray gaze and melted into his embrace. “I’m good at keeping my word, Kristen. When I tell you something, it’s because I mean it. I know you have a bad past, but you don’t have to be scared when you’re with me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“I know,” I whispered. “I can see it in your eyes.”
Bringing his hands to my face, he caressed my cheeks as he kissed me. We kissed until I completely lost track of time. My whole body tingled and I wanted more, but he pulled back. “It’s time to go, buttercup. Our time’s running out.”
Hand in hand, we skated off the ice, and I knew without a doubt that I’d found the place I belonged. It was good to be back home.
—
“Thanks for helping me, young lady,” Graham said. The sun had finally set by the time we walked outside. The night air was cool and there was a light drizzle. We needed the rain.
I turned to Graham and smiled. “Any time. And thank you for dinner; it was excellent.” Kellan and I showed up at his house and he had dinner all cooked for us. We had grilled barbecued chicken, baked potatoes, and salad; it was delicious.
Graham put an arm around Kellan’s shoulders. “You are welcome, my dear. I enjoyed having you both over. We should do it again soon. Maybe next time I can invite Maggie over.”
“That’d be great. Since I’m not working tomorrow, I can help with your house if you want me to. That way you can bring her over for that romantic evening I know you want.” Kellan wasn’t in the room when Graham confided in me. He and Maggie hadn’t been intimate yet, but they wanted to be. A nice romantic atmosphere is what Graham wanted, but nothing feminine. That wasn’t his style. There wasn’t much that needed to be done. Graham already had the nice furniture; he just needed to spruce it up a bit and add some color. I was curious to see what kind of style Kellan had.
Graham nodded. “Yes, please. The sooner the better.”
“At least now you can ask her to come over sooner than planned.” I winked and waggled my eyebrows at Kellan.
He chuckled. “All right, I don’t need to hear anymore. You ready to go?”
The rain started to come down harder. “Yep. Just make sure the doors are unlocked so we don’t get soaked.”
Kellan and I waved at his dad and then we ran to his truck. I was already drenched by the time we got inside. “Wow, that’s insane. I’m drenched.” And I was freezing. Thunder rumbled and the sky lit up with flashes of light. The rain came down so hard that Kellan had to put the wipers on full force as we drove to his house. Even then, we couldn’t see a thing.
“Jesus Christ, I can’t see shit,” Kellan grumbled.
“How far away is your house?”
He pointed down the road. “Just a few more houses down.” The rain sounded like tiny rocks slamming against the roof of the truck, it was so loud. “All right, we’re here.” He had a two-story brick house with black shutters, a newly built home that was right on the lake just like his father’s house. It wasn’t huge like you’d imagine it’d be with him making good money.
He pressed a button that was on his dash and his garage door opened. When we pulled in, I looked around. He had a sport bike that was parked in the corner along with a golf cart. “Your dad’s?” I asked, pointing to it.
Kellan chuckled. “His house doesn’t have a closed-in garage so he keeps it here. I don’t think he’s ridden in it for years.”
We got out of his truck and headed inside. It was dark so I couldn’t see anything. Kellan walked farther into the room, but I stayed by the door until I could see. “I used to drive the golf cart when I’d go golfing with my mom. I threw her out once by accident.”
The lights turned on and Kellan appeared across the room. “That doesn’t surprise me,” he laughed. “I saw the way you drove the go-kart.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m a good driver, mean ass.” We were in his kit
chen, which had marble countertops and all new appliances. I half expected to see beer cans everywhere, but it was very clean. “Your kitchen’s nice. Do you have a maid?”
He took off his wet shirt and my breath caught. Keeping his gaze on mine, he closed the distance between us. “Is it hard to believe I clean my own house?”
I wanted to run my fingers down his bare chest. “Kind of.”
“I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself, buttercup. Do you want to see the rest of the house?”
“Sure,” I whispered breathlessly. We walked through the living room and I smiled. “That’s classic.”
Kellan followed my line of sight and chuckled. Above his mantel were two crisscrossed hockey sticks. “We’ve won the Stanley Cup twice and those are the sticks I used in both games.”
“What happens if you win the Cup again? Where will that stick go?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. We have to get to the playoffs first.”
“Do you think you will?”
“I hope so. Our team’s pretty solid. You’ll see this weekend.”
I walked around his living room, reading every award plaque that hung on his walls. “I’m excited about the games. I get to see you in action.”
He came up behind me and put his arms around my waist, pressing his lips against my neck; I shivered. “So what do you think? Is it too masculine in here for you?”
He trailed his lips up my neck and I sucked in a breath. I stood there, frozen in place, as my body tingled from his touch. “Not at all,” I murmured. “It shows your personality and love for the sport. You have pride in your team. There’s nothing I would want to change about that. Your bedroom, on the other hand, is a different story.”
“Would you like to see it?” he asked, nipping the tender flesh behind my ear.
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
His hands slid down my hips and I could feel his arousal pressing into my ass. Everything inside of me trembled. I hadn’t felt that kind of desire in a really long time. Turning me around, he grabbed the back of my neck, holding me against his mouth as he kissed me. It was like everything inside of us exploded in that moment. I could feel his need; it matched my own.
