Shit. She probably was. They were always taken. He’d developed a complex about it. Or did he aim for women that were unavailable, or didn’t want him back?
Clinging to his shoulders with an iron grip, she redirected her gaze from her wobbly skates and looked up at him again. Eyes locked onto his, she worked her rosy, plump lower lip between her teeth. That spectacular zing shot through him again—and he suspected her too, as she was suddenly off balance again. Feet wavering, she shrieked and giggled with a throaty laugh as she attempted to steady herself.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, knowing she was going to fall again at the rate she was going. Before he could lock his grip, her feet slid out from under her and pulled them both down to the ice. With a thud against the ice that jarred his already unsteady brain, he landed on his back... with her sprawled on top of him.
She managed to apologize, but it was barely comprehensible through her hysterical laughter.
Lying on the freezing ground, a gorgeous stranger clinging to him with impressively strong and wiry limbs, Grady found himself lost in hysterics right along with her, his own belly laugh unfamiliar and... altering. She tried to pull herself off of him, but slipped and narrowly missed jabbing her knee into his groin. He reached out to block her knee and found his hand clutched around her thigh.
“Sorry,” she managed as she calmed her giggle fit. She rolled off him and dropped flat on her back at his side, their feet still entangled.
Grady turned his head and grinned over at her. “I may be going out on a limb here, but is this your first time on the ice?”
Again, there went the rich, honest giggle. “Yes. Again, I’m so, so sorry. I had visions of gracefully spinning pirouettes around the rink. Not sure why, as I can’t manage a pirouette on land. I hope I haven’t chipped my ischial tuberosity.” She winced as she pushed herself up to a sitting position and gazed wistfully around the rink, those mysterious eyes-of-many-colors sparkling in amusement.
He sat up on his elbows and watched, fascinated, as she seemed totally at ease with her awkwardness. Gorgeous, good sense of humor, intelligent, witty... hell, she was absolutely taken. That’s the way this worked. He was interested. She was unavailable.
And for the first time in documented history, his infamous eloquence failed him. Okay, probably not the first time, but between his mother and his high school guidance counselor, he’d been forced into studying law because it would be cruel to deprive the world of his silver tongue. And now, the most appealing woman he’d ever seen had her legs wrapped around him, and he was utterly speechless. “So... what brings you to Foothills?” he inquired, terrified to move, lest she stop touching him.
At his question, she scowled. “It’s... complicated.”
Great. Complicated. It always was. Why couldn’t he be a woman’s complication for once?
On that note, he untangled their limbs and skates and stood up. She checked her hands and feet on the slick surface, debating how to stand up. He extended his hand and coached her through it. “Let’s try this again.”
She took his hands, and that electric shock zapped through him again, no less stirring. As he pulled her to stand, he wrapped both arms securely around her waist. Fuck, she fit against him like she was built to stand and hug him all day.
And he was officially a sap.
Her feet wiggled, and she looked about to crash again.
“Easy there. Lock your ankles and hold your feet still. Don’t move yet.”
That laugh resonated over him. “I’m trying. Okay. Ankles locked. I’m pretending these are heels instead of skates, if you think that might help?” She was staring at her feet as if commanding them to obey.
“I guess I couldn’t say if that strategy works, as I’ve never worn heels.” He grinned with the corner of his mouth, hoping to hear that laugh again.
She didn’t disappoint. With a delicious giggle, she held tighter, so the reaction wouldn’t destabilize her precarious posture. Still looking down at their feet, she giggled again. “I think you would have to special order high heels to fit those big feet in.”
All the air rushed from his lungs... and the blood rushed south, and his chest vibrated with a desperately horny laugh. “Wow. You went there, didn’t you?”
A snorty chortle chirped from her lips as she wiggled against him, clinging and risking taking them both crashing to the ground again. “Dammit, you know what I mean.”
“I hope so.”
Calming herself enough to look him in the eye, she chewed that lip again. “Well, you didn’t drop me and skate away in horror, so that’s a plus. Not everyone appreciates my dopey humor.”
“My gloves are big too, if you were wondering.” He winked.
“Good thing we don’t know each other, or I suspect you’d never let me live this down.” She grinned, flushed as she calmed the giggle fit.
“Yeah, good thing,” he murmured, an ache brewing deep in his belly. “Anyway, it’s a good ten feet back to the wall. Or do you think you’re up to trying a lap?”
“I’m sure you don’t have time to—”
“I’ve got time.” Shit, he probably sounded as desperate as he was. One lap. And he could cling to remembering the thrill of her in his arms for the rest of eternity. Or convince her to ditch that complication. He really was an ass. A pathetically sentimental ass.
“Okay. What do I do?”
