Page 103 of Off The Ice

“You knowme,” I assured her.

“I feel like I do,” she agreed. “Sometimes.”

Sometimes.

I wanted her to know me. Really, deeply know me. But I played a part in that, and I knew, despite everything, there were still parts of myself I was keeping guarded. Things I tried to shove away, even from myself.

But if I wanted her to know me, to let her in all the way, I had to own up to everything I was keeping buried. And I guess part of that was admitting how I felt abouther.

“Cassie, I—”

“Brynn!” Coach’s voice interrupted, and the both of us sprang apart, apparently unaware of how close our faces had leaned in toward each other.

His voice yanked me back as surely as if he’d grabbed me by the hair and pulled.

I exhaled, turning to face him.

“Coach,” I said by way of greeting.

“What the hell is this I hear about you not doing the auction tonight?” His face was contorted in the signature angry scowl that only I drew out of him.

“Didn’t you hear, Coach?” Brody interjected with a grin. “Liam’s got himself a girlfriend. Pretty serious, too, by the looks of it. He promised I could be his best man.”

Cassie shifted beside me, choking on the water she was sipping.

I shot Brody a glare, promising I’d pay him back for that one later.

“Then why is this the first I’m hearing of the girl if it’s so serious?”

“Liam’s private,” Brody offered with a shrug.

“He is. Annoyingly so,” Maggie agreed.

“Yeah, right, Hayes.” Coach glared at Brody. “Becauseyou’dnever cover up for him.”

“No, it’s true,” Brody reassured him. “They’re living together and everything.”

At that, Coach did a double take, finally taking in Cassie for the first time.

“Hm,” he said, watching both of us with scrutinizing eyes.

Cassie’s chair scraped against the floor as she shifted closer to me,

“Sir, I’msosorry I inconvenienced you tonight. But it really is true. We’ve been living together for almost a month now. And even though I know it would be good for the team, I just can’t stand the thought of him being with another woman, even if itisfor charity.”

At that point, her head came down to rest against my shoulder, and I fucking lost it.

I could smell the lavender scent from her hair as it brushed against my skin. My hand moved up of its own accord to hold heragainst me as if I could keep her there forever if only I didn’t let go.

“Please don’t be mad at Liam because of me.”

Her hand reached up to cup my cheek while she stared Coach down with those big fucking blue eyes that I knew had to power to melt even the strongest of men.

She was going above and beyond to sell this performance, and all the while, I was sitting there like an idiot who couldn’t form a single fucking sentence while she was touching me like that.

“Please don’t bid him off on me,” she begged, fluttering her eyes at Coach while she cuddled up against me, her hand now tracing circles on my chest.

Coach stared dumbfounded, as if he, too, couldn’t process the luck I was having with this beautiful girl beside me.

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