Tripping (Iced #2) - Kristine Allen Page 0,27

of his eyes. When I didn’t reply, he cleared his throat.

“Well, since you have your sister here, I’ll let you rest.”

“Oh, don’t mind me. I’m going to the guest room to read,” Crimson airily announced with a bright smile before she spun on her heel and went down the short hall to the bedrooms.

“Um, do you want me to make you something? Do you need some painkillers?” The furrow of his brows had me wanting to rub it away with my fingertips.

“I’m good,” I replied, but he still removed a bottle of water from the package and handed it over to me. An awkward silence ensued as I wallowed in my embarrassment over ruining our date that day. Then my discomfort increased as I wondered if it was actually a date. He’d said we could be friends, and he’d never said that changed.

Except after the way he felt between my legs the other night, I had a hard time putting him in a friendship-only box. Despite my adamant determination to have nothing to do with another hockey player, he drew me in. Each stroke of his tongue was burned in my memory. The feel of his hands tangled in my hair still tingled on my scalp.

“You can sit down if you want,” I offered, and he sat on the middle cushion next to me. One leg cocked and his arm resting on the couch back, he turned sideways to face me.

“I’m so sorry I ruined today,” I finally blurted. He again got that surprised look on his face, like the one he got when my sister teased him.

“What are you talking about?” Honest confusion crinkled the corners of his eyes as he squinted at me.

“If I was any normal woman, I would’ve been able to learn to skate, and we could’ve had fun. Instead, you brought me.” I shrugged and broke eye contact.

“Are you serious right now? You think I’m upset with you for getting hurt?”

“Well, maybe not upset but disappointed. I’m so embarrassed,” I said as I palmed my face.

The seat shifted, and his warmth touched me though his body made no contact with mine. When his fingers rested under my chin to gently turn my face his way, my insides went all fluttery, and a tickling tingle started between my legs.

God, don’t let me fall for another hockey player.

Except God wasn’t listening, because my foot got closer to the edge of that slippery slope, and I knew I was in trouble. If I didn’t get a handle on my emotions, I would fall completely over the edge with no chance of saving myself.

“Bleu. I’m not upset that skating isn’t your thing. I only took you because my buddy Alex took his girl, Sydney, when they first started dating. She thought it was romantic, so I thought it might work for me. It was pretty dumb of me to think that way, and I’m the one who should apologize.” The spot under my chin where the side of his finger rested was burning at his touch. So much so that I was in danger of going up in flames.

Through all of his speech, what stuck in my head was the part where he thought it would be “romantic.”

“Wait, so was that an actual date? Like boy/girl date? Not just as friends?” I cautiously questioned. As I waited for his reply, I held my breath.

“If you’re asking that, I did a real shit job of it. I’m not great at this. My dates have consisted of someone to attend a function, and that’s about it. There isn’t much to plan with something like that.”

In my head I heard the screeching of brakes, and my heart started to pound. Was that what I wanted? My heart said hell no, but my brain was listing all the reasons he was different from Richard.

My tongue was frozen. Words eluded me.

When I didn’t reply, he took a deep breath and let it out on a heavy sigh. “How about if I run you a bath? You can sit in the warm water and relax. I got some badass bath bombs—at least that’s what the chick at the store said.”

The green-eyed monster surfaced, because I was sure the salesgirl was all too happy to help him. Even if they had no idea he was a famous NHL star, he was fucking gorgeous. Taking a mental step back, I beat that little monster back into its hiding place. There was no room for it when it