Page 128 of Cold As Ice

Why he’d looked so angry to find me sitting with her and Harper.

Why he’d spewed those angry, hurtful words at me.

“Well, I guess that changes things.”

And yet, it didn’t change anything at all.

Austin didn’t want his sister or friends to know about the single mom he’d been sleeping with.

I don’t know what hurt worse. When I thought Rory was the object of his affection, or now that I knew she was his sister.

His family.

And he didn’t think to tell me.

“Look, I’m sorry. Seeing you tonight…” He raked a hand through his hair and ran it down the back of his neck, tension bracketing that gorgeous mouth of his. “It threw me for a loop. Especially seeing you hanging out with my sister.”

“I didn’t know—”

“I know. That’s pretty obvious.”

My cheeks flamed again. But this wasn’t my fault.

“I guess things got messier than either of us planned on,” I said, barely meeting his eyes.

I couldn’t.

Because when I looked at him, all I could see was him kissing me. Making me come apart with his teeth and tongue and those big hockey goalie hands of his.

Time seemed to stop as his fingers brushed my jaw, sliding under my chin and tilting my face to meet his conflicted gaze. “Madison, I—”

“There you are.” Fawn appeared, and Austin let me go, stepping back.

She laced her arm through mine, completely oblivious to the moment Austin and I were having.

Or completely aware.

I arched a brow at her, and she gave me a calculated grin. “Sorry, was I interrupting something?”

Oh, she definitely knew she’d walked in on something. But maybe that was a good thing.

“No,” Austin said before I could answer. “I just wanted to make sure Madi was okay.”

“Madi is fine, thank you,” she sassed. “I’ve got this Hotshot. See you around.” Fawn led me away from him. “What the hell was that?” she hissed the second we were out of earshot.

I dropped my head on her shoulder and let out a weary sigh.

“Honestly, I have no idea.”

* * *

“Here, drink this.” Fawn thrust a bottle of water at me. “It’ll help with the inevitable hangover tomorrow.”

It wasn’t the hangover I was worried about.

It was that awkward moment with Austin. The awkward moment that had very much felt likemore.

“Thanks.” I uncapped the lid and chugged it down, trying to make sense of the night.

---