Page 14 of Touchdown Under the Mistletoe
I swallow. Is Beau right? Were we really looking at each other like that? WasI?
“Sure, keep telling yourself you weren’t,” Beau says with a laugh and steps onto the ice. “I’ll be out here when you’re ready to stop pretending.”
Riley and I exchange a look, but neither of us comments on her brother’s remarks.
I stand up and offer Riley my hand. “Come on. Let’s show your brother how it’s done.”
She takes my hand, and even through our gloves, I can feel the warmth of her palm against mine. As soon as we hit the ice, she tightens her grip.
“I probably should’ve told you, but I’m still the worst ice skater in town.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
And I mean it. I keep a firm grip on her hand as we glide onto the ice. Well, I glide; she mostly wobbles. Her other hand immediately shoots out to grab my arm for extra stability.
“Okay, this was a terrible idea. Why did I agree to this?” she asks, her legs doing this awkward spread thing that makes her look like a newborn deer.
“Because you wanted to hang out with me.”
“That was clearly a lapse in judgment.”
“Come on, you’re doing great. Just relax. Don’t fight it.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re basically a professional athlete.”
“Okay, fair point. But skating isn’t that different from walking,” I tell her.
We make it about ten feet before her skate catches on something, and she tips forward. I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her back against me before she can face-plant on the ice.
“Whoa, careful,” I say.
She’s pressed against my chest now, breathing hard, and I can feel her heart racing. Or maybe that’s my heart. Hard to tell when we’re this close together.
“Thanks. You’re a hero,” she says as she tilts her head back to look at me.
There’s a teasing edge to her voice, but her eyes are serious and search mine for something I’m not sure I should give her.
Not when pictures of Sienna and me are plastered all over social media. Not when I’m leaving in three days. Not when everything about this is complicated in ways I can’t explain to Riley without violating the terms of my contract.
So I force myself to step back and put a safer distance between us. I still hold on to her hand, though. “Come on. Let’s try again. Slower this time.”
We continue around the rink, and gradually, Riley starts to relax. Her movements become less jerky, and pretty soon she’s actually skating.
“See? You’re getting the hang of it,” I say.
“I’m not falling, which is different from getting it, but I’ll take the win.”
Beau zooms past us, skating backward with his arms crossed, showing off his incredible skills. “You guys are adorable, by the way.”
Riley rolls her eyes but doesn’t serve him with a clever comeback. We make another lap around the rink, and her grip on my hand loosens slightly.
“You know what? This isn’t so bad,” she admits.
“Told you so.”
She laughs. “Don’t get cocky. I’m still one wrong move away from breaking a bone.”
“I won’t let that happen, Riley. I promised.”
