Page 163 of Skate the Line

Except, there won’t be anagain.

The few times we’ve crossed the line are a few times too many. We’re both mature enough to recognize that.

“Go Blue Devils!”

I spin at the sound of Ellie’s high-pitched cheer. Hot coffee splashes out of my mug and onto my hand. A hiss slips from in between my teeth, and the mug clanks to the counter.

Rhodes is over to me in seconds. He takes my hand in his and inspects it with that heavy browline of his.

“You okay?”

I nod quickly. “I’m…” I clear my throat and push thoughts of last night out of my head. “I’m fine.”

Our eyes meet, and I freeze. His lip tugs at the side, and it’s obvious that he’s thinking about last night too.

How can we not?

We’retouching.

Finally, he drops my hand and walks back over to Ellie. I regain my composure quickly and grab my phone as a distraction.

La, la, la. Nothing to see here.

I’m staring at my phone, but I can’t comprehend anything on the screen.

My mind is too captivated by Rhodes’s voice and his conversation with Ellie about the game.

I glance at the two of them sitting at the island. Rhodes steals some pancakes from her plate.

Before I know what I’m doing, I’m placing a plate of blueberry pancakes in front of him.

He looks at it and then to me. Something unreadable flashes across his face.

“I made enough for you too,” I say. “Gotta get you ready for the game.” I wink at him, attempting to be casual.

He is stoic.

What is he thinking?

He stares at me for so long I grow uncomfortable.

Eventually, he takes a bite of his pancake, and now I’m the one who can’t stop staring.

His eyes close, and he inhales. It’s scarily similar to what he looked like last night when he was dick-deep inside of me.

My face grows warm.

I quickly put my back to him.

He chuckles, but I choose to ignore it and pull up our schedule for the day as a distraction.

“So…” I turn and land on Ellie instead of Rhodes, which is difficult because he’s standing above her, braiding her hair with concentration.

“Yeah?” he asks, not bothering to look up from his task.

It’s cute, watching him focus on something so insignificant to many, yet it means so much to him.

“Today is the anniversary of Marco’s wife’s…”

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