“I was thinking it would be a shame to close now,” Nash said. “And I was thinking – we’ve got a lot of lights at the back. Including a couple of floodlights. Let’s rig them up and stay open for a couple more hours.” Jackson broke into a grin and laid his hands on their backs.
“If you folks don’t mind staying? That would be amazing. I’ll pay you overtime, of course.”
“It would be my pleasure,” Kenzie said.
“Okay, Kenzie-meister. Let’s get those lights rigged up.” Nash was already running over to the storage shed.
The combination of floodlights and overhead lights worked perfectly, and when darkness fell, the rink was illuminated.
“I hadn’t even thought that the rink would be busiest in the evening. But when the kids are back at school next week, I think their moms will bring them by after school,” Nash said.
“True. I think our evenings and weekends are about to get a lot busier,” Kenzie replied.
“That’s okay with me. As long as I’m with you,” Nash replied, and Kenzie made a fake vomiting noise.
“Jackson’s going to have to hire some more staff if it stays this busy,” she said.
They ended up closing at eight, as the last happy kids made their way off the ice.
“We killed it today,” Jackson said, beaming. “Sales have been great too. Lots of folks bought something from the garden center when they were done with skating. Best day we’ve had since Supermart started selling garden equipment.”
“And it’s only going to get better,” Nash said.
“You guys have been amazing. I can’t thank you enough.” Jackson surprised Kenzie by pulling each of them into a bear hug, before going inside to cash up.
“Gives you a warm, glowy feeling, doesn’t it?” Nash said, a little misty-eyed. Kenzie did a double take.
“I can never tell when you’re kidding, and when you’re serious.”
“I’m always serious when it comes to Jackson. I owe him more than I can say,” Nash replied, without a trace of his usual jokiness. “I feel buzzed. Let’s go for a quick skate.”
“No, I think I’ll just head home.”
“Come on, Kenz. Don’t be such a party pooper.”
“I’m tired, Nash.” His eyes widened.
“You can’t skate, can you?”
“No, I’ve never tried,” she admitted.
“I’m going to teach you, starting right now.”
“No. Not tonight. Really.”
“Kenzie, what are you going to do if a child falls on the ice? You won’t be able to go and help it. And how will you feel then?” She sighed.
“Okay, you’re right. But just a few minutes tonight.”
“Great! What’s your size?”
“Six,” she said and winced, feeling like she was telling him something intimate.
Full of energy now, he picked out a nice pair of skates in her size, and insisted on kneeling at her feet and helping her to put them on. She stood up. They felt very wobbly and unstable.
“Come over to the handrail,” Nash said, holding a hand out to her. She ignored it and staggered over by herself. But as soon as she stepped out onto the ice, her feet slipped from under her, and she clung onto the rail for dear life. Nash made a sound like a swiftly suppressed laugh.
“Come on, Kenz. Take my arm. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Ever.”
“I’m fine. I’ll just hold onto the rail until I get my balance.”
“And you’ll learn a lot slower. And it’ll be a real long time before you’re capable of rescuing anybody. Just hold my arm. I’ll be able to guide you around in a natural skating position.” With a groan of resignation, Kenzie let go of the rail and clung onto Nash’s arm instead. “Yeah, just not so tight that you cut off my blood supply.”
“Shut up, Nash,” Kenzie said harshly, to cover the shock of Nash’s bicep bulging beneath his jacket. She knew he was stacked from his photos on Shiftr, of course, but she’d kind of pushed the images out of her mind.
“Okay, nice and easy. Just trust me.” Nash glided away from the rail, and Kenzie had no option than to go with him. Her feet slid and skidded, but little by little, she learned how to make them both go in the same direction at the same time and she gradually straightened up and stopped panicking. Nash moved slowly, but fluidly, and before she knew it they’d completed one lap of the rink. He kept speaking to her, reassuring her.
“You’re doing great, Kenzie. Let’s go again.” This time she didn’t cling to him so tight, but she felt reassured by his muscular bulk. She trusted that he’d protect her and stop her from falling flat on her face.
They did three more rounds, and then he unhooked his arm from hers.
“One final round – by yourself,” he said. “I’ll be right here beside you, don’t worry.” Immediately, she stiffened. I have to do this, she told herself. On wobblier legs than before, she began to skate on her own. At first it was good; she felt light and free on the shimmering ice. But then she took a bend too fast, started to panic, and, instead of reaching for Nash, she decided to make for the guard rail. Her skates went off in opposite directions and she lost her balance and started to tumble.
“Ooh-eeeh!” she yelled as the ice came closer and closer to her face. And then a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist, and she was falling backward. She braced herself for a hard impact, but it didn’t come. Instead, she landed on something warm and firm, but soft at the same time.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” Nash said, close to her ear.
“Okay,” she muttered, flailing like a bug that’d been tipped on its back and couldn’t get up again. He turned her in his arms until she was facing him.
“Are you hurt?” His face was now inches from hers, and his cobalt blue eyes were full of concern.
“No, I – I’m fine,” she faltered. She realized at the same time that his hand was on the nape of her neck, gently stroking her hair, and that his full lips were inching toward her own. And suddenly, they were kissing. Had she lowered her lips to his? She had no idea. All she knew was that Nash’s mouth felt amazing against her own. When his lips parted, hers did the same, and they were kissing passionately, frenching like teenagers, as if they couldn’t get enough of each other. This is Nash. You’re kissing Nash, a voice in her head piped up. Shut up, she told it. Nash’s tongue was in her mouth, dancing around her own; his thigh had slipped between her legs, and that tender spot between her thighs was feeling awful nice. And his big, strong hands were running up and down her back, pausing just before they reached her ass. She wanted more. She wished they were alone together in a nice, cozy room, and that he was ripping her clothes off, that she was running her hands all over his hard body.
He took hold of her head with both hands, and drew away from the kiss.
“Kenzie, you’re incredible,” he murmured. “I knew it. I knew we were meant to be together, even before the app told us so.”
“I – I need to get up,” Kenzie said.
“Oh, sure.” He helped her to her feet and led her off the ice. As she sat on a bench and removed her skates, she avoided meeting his eye. But when she looked up, his face was full of excitement.
“Hey, shall we go get dinner in town? Maybe have a few beers?” She swallowed. She was cold and tired, and already wondering what the hell she’d been doing.
“Thanks, but I think I need to get home. I’m not feeling so crash hot.” His forehead crinkled in concern.
“Are you sick? Did you hit your head when you went down?”
“No, not at all. You saved me from concussion. I’m just super tired. Good night, Nash.”
“Tomorrow night then? I’ll take you to my favorite steakhouse. My treat.” He looked as excited as a puppy waiting to receive a new toy.
“It’s not happening, Nash,” she said, biting back a stab of guilt.
“But why?” He rubbed at the back of his head. “You just kissed me like – like you wanted to eat me! And now you
’re telling me it’s not happening? What’s wrong, Kenzie? You know we’re right for each other.”
“We’re not suited at all, Nash! We argue all day, every day. We have nothing in common.” He took a step closer to her.
“But you want me. I could feel it in your body; I can see it in your eyes right now. Everything else we can work on.”
“It’s been a while for me, that’s all. I think I just got a little confused, and overexcited about the day we just had.”
“I’m a good guy, Kenzie. Why can’t you just give me a chance?” Kenzie groaned.
“You’re just not a guy I’d go for. You’ve been less of a caveman lately, I grant that. But I’ve already found someone else. He’s sensitive and amazing, and we talk about everything together.” His lip curled in disgust, which actually looked quite sexy.
“So you’re together?”
“It’s heading in that direction.”
“I don’t believe you, Kenzie. No way would you have kissed me like that if you were into another guy. I know you. I know you’re not that kind of girl.”
“You know nothing about me, Nash! For all you know, I could be dating ten guys! Don’t you dare try to make out that you have some claim on me.” And before he had a chance to say anything else, she whirled around and strode through the parking lot, not stopping until she was inside her car.
11
“You’re mine, Kenzie Winters,” Nash muttered after her retreating back. “You’re my mate. It might take you a little longer to realize it, but I’m a patient wolf, and I’m not going anywhere.” He could feel it with every nerve of his body. She had completely transformed when they started kissing. There was nothing prissy and buttoned up about the way her tongue had slid into his mouth. Her kisses still burned on his lips, and his nostrils were full of the incredible smell of her. When he thought about those sweet thighs, wrapped around his own so fiercely while she rubbed up against him, he almost shot his load right there. He’d known it – known there was more to Kenzie than the serious image she projected. There was a lot of passion inside her, and he was going to be the one to unlock it.
But first, to deal with that loser that she was allegedly dating. At the thought of him, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Was it someone from Shiftr? He didn’t believe it. He’d never smelled another man on her. Knowing Kenzie, she was just trying to throw him off the scent, because she didn’t want to admit to herself that she liked him.
His mind was full of her as he drove home, and it wasn’t until he entered his cabin and saw his laptop that he remembered his conversation with his online friend. In the past days, ever since Kenzie had popped up on Shiftr, he’d been feeling very torn. Last night, when AdventureGirl told him that she was in danger, his protective instincts had kicked in and he knew that he wanted to help her. He suddenly didn’t care about shattering the fantasy that he’d built up about her. Whether she was 25 or 85, he didn’t care. All he knew was that he wanted to save her from whatever danger she was in. He wasn’t surprised that she’d run off when he suggested meeting. It was a pretty big deal after all.
He opened the website. She wasn’t online, but it was late. He left it open while he allowed his wolf to burst out of him, bristling and hungry.
An hour later he was back from the forest, having eaten his fill and tired his wolf enough that it might let him sleep tonight. AdventureGirl still wasn’t online. A feeling of unease twisted in his gut. He sent her a personal message:
“Maybe if you could tell me more about the danger you’re in, I can figure out a way to help you. I’m strong, agile and –”
He paused. How could he explain that he had incredible eyesight and an unrivalled sense of smell? That his teeth could snap a prey animal’s neck in a second? That no human was a match for him in a one-on-one fight?
“ – have experience in the personal protection field,” he wrote at last, and winced. Another lie. But it was as close to the truth as he could make it. Before he wrote something even more cringy, he hit send, and closed his laptop down for the night.
Kenzie sat on her sofa, eating a ham and mushroom pizza while staring blankly at the wall in front of her. I just kissed Nash, was the only thought in her mind, playing on an endless loop. It had been the hottest kiss of her life. And it could never happen again.
She had no explanation for it. Except that she’d been very tired, and emotionally drained after such a long day. And the sensation of Nash’s body protecting her on the ice had felt good in that moment. Damn him. Why did he have to be so good-looking? And why did he have those weird moments where he stopped acting like an overgrown teenager, and was nice and caring?
When she finished eating she got ready for bed quickly and climbed in between her soft, fluffy sheets, sighing as they received her tired body. She wanted to go straight to sleep, but her brain had other ideas. She’d managed not to open her laptop when she got home, avoiding MisunderstoodGuy’s suggestion to meet and resisting the urge to check whether there was still a bounty on her head. Of course there was; there was no way her cousin would stop until he got what he wanted.
She tossed and turned as she tried to get to sleep, feeling like the walls were closing in on her. She’d come to Hope Valley in the hope of starting a new life for herself. But the Internet made it so much more likely that her cousin would catch up with her at some point. And she’d just sabotaged herself by making her job at Jackson’s a whole lot harder as well.
And then a realization hit her like a lightning bolt, and she suddenly figured out what would solve both problems at the same time.
She turned on her bedside lamp and reached for her phone.
She hadn’t been on Shiftr for days, and there was a flurry of new messages waiting for her. Her lips curved into a grin as she read through them:
Hey, beautiful. Looks like we’re a perfect match. Wanna chat?
Tell me what would be your perfect date, and I’ll take you there.
I love your smile.
Hi, sexy. As soon as I saw you, I knew I wanted you to be the mother of my cubs.
Do you want to go on a date?
Hello, I think I love you.
Hey sexy, where have you been all my life?
Do you want to join my clan?
By the time she was done, her cheeks were aching from smiling and laughing so much. Some of the messages were unbelievably cheesy, but kind of endearing with it. She got the impression that these shape shifter men weren’t too experienced at wooing women, but this somehow made them seem more genuine. It seemed incredible that these hot, sexy guys might be shy to speak to her. Chubby Kenzie, who’d always thought she’d be lucky to get a guy who was kind, never mind good looking.
But she didn’t have time to waste on self-doubt. She needed to get herself a husband, and soon. Then her cousin would no longer be able to force her to marry him. And she’d be able to get over her dumb attraction to Nash.
She opened up a spreadsheet and entered the names of all the guys who’d messaged her, together with their compatibility rating, and then she sorted them into descending order. Her best match was 87%. He was a coyote shifter named Walt. He was tall and thickset, with a thatch of unruly dark blonde hair. In his main profile photo he was wearing a cowboy hat, stone washed jeans, and a pair of chaps. “Quirky,” she murmured. He reminded her a little of the cowboys back home, and that wasn’t a good thing. But he was undeniably hot. A pair of narrow blue eyes blazed from beneath thick eyebrows, and a heavy jaw hinted at a confident persona. His message said: “Hey there, beautiful. I’m not one for chatting much online, but if you like the look of my profile, hit me up and maybe you and I can go for drinks to get to know one another a little better.”
She liked it. It wasn’t too pretentious, or ridiculously corny. Smiling to herself, she replied: “I like your profile. When are you free for drinks?”
Her second best match at 85% was a bear shifter named Olsen. He had short black hair and burning black eyes, and
an expression that indicated a generous spirit. He was also very thickset, with big chunky muscles. I think I prefer Nash’s physique to theirs, she mused. Then mentally slapped herself. It was like complaining that somebody had bought her a Ferrari instead of a Lamborghini. They were both insanely hot guys. Olsen’s message said: “Hi there, I think we have some friends in common. Would you like to go out for a beer sometime?” She grinned. He must be friends with Connor. She replied: “We might :-) Sure thing! When are you free?”
Suddenly, she felt like a kid in a candy store. She was tempted to message all of these guys back and organize dates with them. But she didn’t exactly have a lot of free time right now. If the ice rink stayed as busy as it was today, it looked like she’d be working late nights and weekends. Start with these two guys, and see how you go from there, she told herself.
Sleepy at last, she shut down the app contentedly. With a little luck, these tense, lonely nights would soon be a thing of the past.
12
The following day was crazy busy. Everyone who’d skated the previous day had apparently told their friends about the rink, and they were slammed all day long. They even ran out of skates, and had to get people to line up and wait for a slot. By midafternoon, Jackson had called up a few friends of his, and a kid called Russell turned up to work on the rink, while Nash and Kenzie took turns at working in the hut and tending the garden center. Jackson was delighted. Sales were amazing too, and he was having to restock two weeks earlier than usual.
Kenzie had been dreading seeing Nash, but he was acting very weird – correction, he’s acting normal. As if nothing happened last night, she thought to herself. Maybe he’d had time to think, and decided he didn’t like kissing her that much after all. Well that was just fine by her.
She was so busy that she didn’t get to look at her phone all day, until she had a brief respite from customers around 4pm. She opened Shiftr and her tummy flipped at the sight of a new message alert. It was from the coyote shifter and it said: “How’s about Saturday, 5pm? Rusty’s Bar – right on the edge of the national park.” She grinned, and started to tap out a reply.
Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love (Nash) BBW Wolf Shifter Romance (Hope Valley BBW Dating App Romance Book 10) Page 8
