“You know how to put them on, right?”
“I think so.”
“The trick is to lace them up tight. That way your ankles are supported better.”
She nodded and he quickly put his skates on. Once he finished, he checked on her. She had tangled the long laces and was tugging on a knot. He knelt in front of her and took over, noticing the pink socks.
“Kittens today, huh?” How many types did the woman own?
She shrugged. “Guess I was in a kitten mood.”
“Let me know if it’s too tight, I don’t need to cut off your circulation.”
“Okay.”
Sarah was rather quiet, but John supposed it had more to do with the weather or her fear of another attack than anything else. But if that was the case, wouldn’t she have asked to drive?
He finished lacing her boots, rose, and offered his hands. She grabbed on tightly and stood, wobbling on her skates. He slid his arm around her waist and steadily walked her over to the rink.
She stopped at the ice’s edge.
“Come on, Sarah. I promise, I won’t let you go.”
Her whole body shook and the scent of fear emanated from her. Maybe it wasn’t just the cold. Maybe it was the skates. She wrapped her arm around his waist and her other hand held onto the arm he had wrapped around her. She must have thought he would let her go. No way would he do that. He had promised. Plus, he enjoyed holding her.
She placed one foot onto the ice, then the other, as if she were testing its solidity. Her legs were a bit wobbly at first, and her feet scissored a few times, but she managed to attain her balance. Soon she was gliding, and with each glide, her grip became less tight.
At the mid-way point she said, “I think I’ve got it now. Just hold my hand, okay?”
As much as he hated letting her go, her confidence was more important. He slowly released her waist and held her hand. Her feet scissored briefly, but she brought them under control. Each unaided glide across the ice made her smile grow. A couple of times she lost her balance and squeezed his hand, but for the most part she was doing well on her own. He was proud of her.
As they came full circle, she raised her free hand and cheered, “I made it!”
The movement caused her to lose her balance and her feet slipped out from under her. Her free hand clawed at thin air and he quickly grabbed her around the waist, steadying her.
“You kept your promise,” she said, holding tightly onto his arms.
“I always do.”
Her feet were still slipping and she laughed. “Maybe I should have waited to celebrate after I sat down.”
“You want to celebrate?” He lifted her enough to clear her feet off the ground and twirled her around. In the process, she put her arms around his neck and giggled like a little girl. She was so soft and her fragrance so enchanting, he didn’t want to let her go. When he stopped twirling, their faces were inches apart and he gazed into her eyes. She glanced briefly at his lips before meeting his eyes once more. Did she want him to kiss her? Was she daring him to do it? If only he could read her mind.
Chapter 8
It would have been awkward to ask, “Would you kiss me?” So Sarah did the next best thing. She kissed him.
When their lips touched, her heart raced, but he felt cold at first. Like ice. Well, they were outside on a skating rink, what did she expect? Hers were probably frozen, too. She pulled back and stared into his eyes. Instead of sparkling from the lights, an iridescence radiated from them as if they were glowing from inside.
John slid his hand behind her head and claimed her mouth with his. What started out cold quickly became oh-my-God hot. She welcomed his tongue as he aggressively explored her mouth. He tasted good, like cinnamon candy, and she suckled. She couldn’t get close enough and silently cursed their coats. Parts of her body tightened and throbbed.
Kids nearby snickered.
Crap. They were outside. In public.
She broke away, but before she could say anything, someone collided into John and as he fell forward, he quickly twisted his body. He landed with a thwack, but kept his arms around her, protecting her from the ice.
He wasn’t moving. She’d landed with her face buried in his chest, and she squirmed and looked up. “John? Are you alright?”
He wore a silly grin and raised his eyebrows. “Couldn’t be better.”
What did he mean by that? He couldn’t be comfortable with her on top of him. She moved to get off when her leg rubbed against something hard. He uttered a moan that sounded more like pleasure than pain.
Hard. Pleasure.
Oh my God, oh my God. As she struggled to stand, she kept rubbing against him. How big was he? Each touch sent shivers through her body. Damn, just touching him got her excited. She’d climb off him, but his arms were like a vise holding her.
He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, “As much as I’m enjoying this, if you keep it up, I’ll surely embarrass you. Just lay still for a minute.”
Unfortunately, they’d already drawn a crowd. “I think it’s too late. At least try to sit up.”
A skater approached, waving his arms as if trying to regain his balance. And he was headed for them. As Sarah prepared for the impending crash, John stood and whooshed her safely out of the line of fire.
“That was close. You okay?” he asked.
Damn, that was some fast moving. If only she could be so coordinated. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You want to try and make it around the ice again?”
Skate. Ugh. What she really wanted was another scorching kiss from him, but if that wasn’t going to happen, she’d settle for his touch.
After two more trips, her feet and ankles protested the abuse and her face was numb from the cold.
“You ready to quit?” he asked.
Thankful she didn’t have to bring it up, she nodded.
She sat on the bench and worked at untying her laces while John left to fetch their shoes. She had one boot unlaced by the time he returned.
She yanked the skate off and the cold air attacked her socked foot. “Thanks, John. I had fun tonight.”
He straightened from untying his boots and stared at her. “Did you really? Or are you just saying that?”
The question caught her off guard. She might never request to skate again, but she’d do anything that included him holding her. “I had fun with you. But maybe next time we can find something to do indoors?”
He went back to his boots and laughed. “I think I can manage that. I’m sorry you didn’t like skating, but thanks for trying.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised an eyebrow as if taunting her to deny it. Damn, she couldn’t do that, not without lying anyway. “You’re welcome.” She bent over and worked on the other skate while John chuckled.
What a relief to get those heavy things off. When she stood and started walking, she almost glided across the ground. It amazed her how she’d adjusted in such a short time.
Sort of like how her body adjusted to John. The longer she touched him, the calmer her heart beat. Of course, being covered in coats and gloves, they hadn’t had much skin contact. Except for that kiss, that wonderful, electric kiss. Maybe she would have to get used to him all over again, but she could live with that. What’s a heart attack—or two or three—when it felt so good?
During the walk back to Wings, she relived kissing him. His lips were everything she dreamed of and better. It certainly kept her mind off turning into a Popsicle.
He unlocked the door to the staircase. “Can you stay a little longer? It’s not too late for you is it?”
She should go home, it would be the sensible thing to do. But she’d been doing sensible all her life. Besides, there wasn’t any place she’d rather be. “I can stay.”
He grinned. “Great.”
Once inside his warm apartment, Sarah took off her winter gear while John shed his own. She shook with excitement, and a bi
t of nerves, but when he faced her and stared at her with those beautiful blue eyes, desire raced through her and shooed any nervousness away.
In one step, he captured her face and bent down for a kiss. A tingling sensation rode through every nerve. Why had she thought her body was used to him? Like before, he explored her mouth with his tongue, searing her. She grabbed those massive shoulders of his and melted against him. Oh God, she loved the way he kissed.
Slowly, he backed her to the couch, where he lowered her to the cushions. She felt nothing but his lips and hard body.
John left a fiery trail of kisses to her neck, where he stopped to nuzzle. He licked her, which got her juices flowing. Damn. Who knew that was a sensitive spot? When he fondled her breast, she arched into his hand. Even with all the layers she wore, her nipples hardened at his touch and the lower half of her body tightened. The man practically burned a hole through her clothes.
He grabbed her hip, rubbing his erection against her thigh. God, she wanted him. Her heart nearly exploded from the excitement of it all. He could take her now and she’d let him. But was she moving too fast? No, she was thinking too much. Let him do whatever. But she’d let Steven do whatever and look where that had landed her.
Damn! It took a tremendous amount of willpower to push gently on his chest, when she really wanted to hold him closer.
John pulled back. He looked stricken and he was panting as hard as she was. He shot up off the couch. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. It won’t happen again.”
She didn’t want it to never happen again, just not now. “What? Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry.” She sat up and lowered her head. “I feel like I led you on.”
He sat beside her, tugged on her chin, and kissed her forehead, nearly igniting her all over again. “No, you just wanted to kiss. I got carried away, and I’m sorry.”
John put his arm around her shoulder. Sarah smiled up at him, relieved. Whenever she had tried to stop Steven, he’d never listened. Instead, he’d always managed to talk her into whatever it was he wanted. Looking back, she could see Steven had never cared about her feelings at all.
“Maybe we both got carried away. I do like you, John. I’m sorry I’m not more like Lori.”
He laid two fingers over her mouth, hushing her. “If you were more like Lori, you wouldn’t be here. I like you Sarah. Don’t ever apologize for being you.”
Why couldn’t she have met John first? He really was the sweetest man; there wasn’t anything phony about him. But instead, her history with men overtook common sense and that little voice in her head said, “He’s going to hurt you like Steven did.”
So, she couldn’t trust her body. Not yet.
“I should go home. It’s been a long day.”
“I understand.” He stood and offered his hand.
Reluctantly, she took it. She didn’t want to leave. She wished she didn’t have to leave. But taking it slow was better. Smarter.
* * * *
After agreeing to another date on Sunday—which Sarah would plan—John waited until she drove away before he discreetly followed, wanting to make sure Steven wasn’t lurking around her apartment building. Maybe she hadn’t seen the bastard earlier, but why chance it?
Once she made it inside her apartment, John thoroughly inspected the area. No sign of the creep, and a good thing, too, who knew what John would do to the guy? That man didn’t deserve his freedom.
John took his time walking back to Wings. Damn, he was still hard for her. Her scent refused to leave.
Thank goodness she’d had the presence of mind to stop him. Bad enough his fangs had emerged while he nuzzled her, he’d nearly made love to her right there on the couch. With her around, his other head did all the thinking.
Keeping his secret was harder than he imagined, but oh, so worth it. He just needed to take it slow. Steven had certainly scarred her and he would do his best not to do the same. That included getting her involved in the relationship. He got the impression she’d never made any kind of decisions before, and had seemed surprised when he asked her to choose what they would do on their next date. He couldn’t wait to see what she came up with. Hell, he couldn’t wait to see her again.
Chapter 9
Sarah whipped the scarf around her neck and was out the door before securing her coat. She’d been waiting all day to visit John and finally she could leave. As she approached her car, there, standing beside it, was Steven. She froze. Crap.
How the hell had he found out where she lived? Was he here to hurt her again? Part of her wanted to go to him and punch him silly, tell him he had no right to stalk her. The other, sensible part told her to turn on her heels and head back to her apartment. She listened to sensible. She’d tell John something came up, just not what that something was.
“Sarah, wait. Don’t go.”
She stopped. If she didn’t confront him now, he’d only come back. Shoving her hands inside the coat pockets, she faced him. “What do you want?”
When he advanced, she stepped back, putting her hands out in a stop motion. It worked. He halted.
“I’m not here to hurt you, I came to apologize. I was drinking too much, I know that now. I overreacted. Please forgive me. It won’t happen again, I promise.”
She’d heard it all before, but not quite as robotic, as if he’d been reciting a speech. Either he’d lost his touch or she’d finally woken up. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you. And if you try anything like it again, then I’m contacting the police. Do you understand?”
“Please, Sarah, I mean it this time. I still love you. I only want you back. We’ll have all the babies you want. Please come back to me.”
How dare he bring that up? She’d had enough. “It’s over, Steven. Go away and leave me alone.”
He took a step forward and she retreated, cringing. If he took another step, she would scream. No way would he hit her again.
He put his hands up, surrendering. “Okay, Sarah, I’ll leave for now. But I’m not giving up on us. You’ll see, you need me.” He got into his car and drove away.
She trembled all over. After spending several moments taking long, deep breaths, she got the shaking under control and hightailed it out of there. Steven might return sooner rather than later.
She parked in the alley behind Wings as John had suggested, her hands still shaking as she pulled the key from the ignition. If she went inside like this… Damn. John picked up on her moods quicker than anyone she knew. No way would she tell him about Steven. He’d gone away without incident, which was fine with her, but John might not be so forgiving. Why test him?
After a few deep breaths, she got out of the car. The nippy breeze slapped her face, but also helped clear her head. She opened the trunk and pulled out a shopping bag. She almost felt normal, if there was such a thing anymore. Rushing to get out of the cold, she hurried up the wooden steps to the back door. As she stepped on the middle board, it crackled a split second before giving away. She grabbed the rickety handrail. If she’d been falling, it would have surely fallen apart. John might want to think about fixing this thing before someone got hurt.
She patted her racing heart and entered the building. Toasty air greeted her. She shrugged the coat off as she passed John’s office.
What kind of work did he do in there? Feeling for the light switch, she flipped it up, but nothing happened. Didn’t any of his lights work? Afraid she might bump into something and disturb it—not to mention hurt herself—she settled for leaning against the door jam and letting the hall light illuminate the room. She could make out the desk, and there appeared to be a lamp on it. Picturing John at work inside the small office made her smile.
“You okay?” John asked.
Sarah twirled at the sound of his voice. He always surprised her. But okay? Far from it. She needed an excuse that didn’t include Steven. “Your…your step is loose outside and your handrail’s about ready to come off. It startled me is all.”
H
e sprinted to her and grabbed her shoulders. “What? I thought I fixed those. Did you hurt yourself?”
“No, no. I’m fine. Really.” She looked up at his beautiful face. How did she get so lucky to find someone like him?
“I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure to fix them later.” He caressed her cheek and her heart went wild. Zeroing in on his lips, she rose on her toes, but before she could reach her destination, he cupped her face and kissed her forehead before gently pushing her away. “What’s in the bag?”
What kind of kiss was that? Putting the bag behind her back, she said, “Don’t I get a kiss hello? My lips work.”
John frowned. “It’s not that I don’t want to kiss you.”
She palmed his face. “Sometimes willpower is knowing when to stop, not avoiding it completely. I don’t want to be avoided.”
“I don’t want to avoid you, either.”
Bending down ever so slowly, he pressed his lips to hers. What started out light and sweet, grew hungry and urgent and she welcomed it. He could kiss her forever and she wouldn’t care.
His eyes shone from within as he gazed into hers. “How was that?”
Too short. A sigh escaped. “Much better. See, I knew you could do it.”
He peered over her shoulder. “Now are you going to show me what you brought?”
* * * *
Sarah’s warmth lingered on John’s lips. Damn, he wished he could kiss her forever, but that wasn’t very likely, or wise. He peeked inside the bag and raised his eyebrows. “Board games?”
She grinned. “Yes. You said to pick something safe and we can play them indoors.”
“How did you think playing board games alone in my apartment would be safe?” When he thought safe, he pictured being out in public. Some place he would be forced to keep his hands to himself. Which was unrealistic since he couldn’t go out until the sun set. Shit.
The grin on her face vanished, replaced with a furrowed brow. She lowered her head. “Should of known I’d come up with something stupid.”
He was an idiot. She’d made such an effort and he’d just shot it all to hell. He had to fix this, and fast.
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