Page 14 of On Thin Ice

Finn tried again. “I’m sorry—I should’ve—”

“Should’ve?”

Finn grimaced. “Shouldn’t have come here like this. I should’ve—”

“Shouldn’t have come at all? Yeah, how about we try that one?” Jacob said dryly. He settled back into the hot tub, and Finn knew he was being dismissed.

He didn’t want to be dismissed. Before he’d realized the precarious position Jacob was in, he’d been beyond determined to convince Jacob to change his mind.

Was that possibly harder now? Yes, it was.

But that didn’t change any of the fundamentals.

Finn still wanted Jacob to coach him.

Finn stillneededJacob to coach him.

So instead of leaving, he pushed forward, heading towards the small open gazebo over the hot tub.

Jacob watched him as he walked closer, not saying a word, but his eyes following him with intent.

When Finn got to the edge of the deck, he stopped. Cleared his throat.

“What happened toshouldn’t have come at all?” Jacob asked calmly.

“I came here to ask you a question and I knew I couldn’t just not ask, even if I . . .uh . . .interrupted your . . .um . . .your private time.”

Jacob’s eyebrow lifted. “A guy can’t get naked in his own hot tub on his own goddamn property?”

“Obviously, yes.” Finn didn’t retreat, but he did reposition. “Iamsorry I interrupted uh, your private time. That wasn’t my intention.”

Jacob’s arms spread out onto either side of the edge of the tub, skin damp and rippling with muscle.

Finn swallowed hard. This would be a hell of a lot easier if Jacob wasn’t hot—if Finn wasn’t attracted—if Jacob wasn’tnaked.

But Jacob was hot, Finn was attracted, and Jacob wasdefinitelynaked.

Jacob didn’t seem all that angry anymore. More amused. “You walked into my backyard, whichdoeshave a fence, by the way, so I’m unsure what your intention was.”

“I needed to talk to you. And when I knocked nobody answered, but I did hear the music and I thought—”

“You thought you’d just wander down and see what I was up to?”

“Uh, well, sure? And if you really want to be sure that fence is enough, maybe build it a bit higher next time.”

Jacob picked up his wineglass and sipped the dark red liquid. “So what was important enough for you to jump my fence?”

“Coach me.”

Jacob didn’t look surprised. “I told you no already. Meant it too.”

“Youhaveto,” Finn said. Begged, more accurately.

For the first time since he’d shown up unceremoniously in Jacob’s backyard, he actually looked annoyed. “Oh, I do?”

Okay, he probably shouldn’t have phrased it that way.

“You’re the only one I’ve ever met who was largely unimpressed by my father. I need—Iwant—to know how you do it. I want to know how you never seemed to falter. How you were always able to shake off someone scoring on you and re-focus.”

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