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“Well, if I do break my leg, you’re at my beck and call for the next few months until it’s healed.”
He leans over and presses his lips to mine for just a second. “Consider me there either way.”
My heart clenches.
Oh, Ivy. You’re in so deep with someone you barely know. Don’t let yourself get hurt. Don’t let your inexperience in relationships ruin everything.
I wish I could see into the future, but right now I can’t. When something is this strong and this intense this quickly, though, something tells me it can’t last forever. Flames always burn out in the end, even blazing infernos.
And if it’s not my inexperience that leads us to our eventual end, I’m terrified of what it will be.
“Before I let go, find your balance. Don’t lock your knees. Bend them a little.”
I follow that directive, and he nods.
“Good girl.”
Holy fucking hell. The way he rasps those words makes me want to be his good girl.
“You’re not walking when you’re on the ice, you’re gliding. Sweep your feet out to gain speed. Push and glide. Got it?”
He raises his brows expectantly, and I nod. He lets go of my hands, and he’s still skating backward. I bend my knees a little, and I push my foot out like he said. I’m moving. I’m keeping up with him. I’m awkward as hell, but I’m doing it.
I keep my eyes down on my skates and the ice, smiling as I learn a new skill.
“You’ve got it, Ivy! Now push out your right foot.” He skates around me so he’s behind me.
“Where’d you go?” I yell, panicking.
“Right behind you, babe,” he murmurs.
I push my foot out like he said, and I’m moving a little faster. “Oh God, how do I stop?”
“Why do you want to stop?”
“I don’t, but like when it’s time, how do I stop?” I hear the panic in my own voice.
He laughs. “Run into the wall. Run into me, or yell for me. Or make a V with your skates to slow down. Don’t dig too hard or you’ll kiss the ice.”
“I’d rather kiss you,” I murmur.
He swirls around me so fast I barely know what’s happening, and he loops his arms around me, pulling me into him. “That can be arranged.”
His mouth collides down to mine, and for just a moment, I forget I’m on the ice. I forget that we’re married, that I hardly know him, and I give in to the feeling of what feels an awful lot like falling.
He’s letting me in. He’s showing me the best parts of him. He’s being vulnerable with me.
I can’t wait to see where not just the night takes us, but where the next year takes us.
It’s a sweet moment on the ice between us, and he pulls back and takes my hand in his. We skate together, and he goes slow for me as I learn.
He stops to kiss me. He’s patient with me. And at one point, I tell him I want him to show me what he can do on the ice, and he makes sure I’m okay against the wall before he takes off.
His speed and skill are impressive. It was one thing to watch a few clips of him on YouTube. It’s entirely another to actually be here on the ice with him.
It’s raw talent right in front of me, and it’s a huge turn-on, more than I ever possibly could have expected. An ache pulls between my legs as I watch him.
He’s mine. For the next year, he’s my husband. I can’t believe it, and after tonight, I’m ready to be his wife in a whole new way.
