and showed him the translation. “Things like car, truck, hockey puck.”
He grinned. “This word, I know!”
“So I’m going to show you a word on the card and you’re going to read it, pronounce it correctly and tell me what it means. And, I’ve got the Finnish word on the back.”
“Yes?” He was momentarily startled. She’d gone to so much trouble for him and though he’d bought her those tires, it wasn’t about the money for him. The team had inadvertently pushed him into learning better English, and not only had he found a great tutor, he’d found someone who put genuine effort into helping him. She was creating lessons crafted just for him and she’d looked up all the words in Finnish, which had probably taken hours, even with the use of the internet.
“Well, yeah, how else can I teach you? You’re not a kid, so I’m not going to bring picture books with bunnies and puppies.” She smiled. “Why do you look surprised?”
“This is…nice. You are nice.” He wanted to say more, tell her how much he liked her, but he was so self-conscious about his English, he couldn’t bring himself to vocalize those kinds of things. Looking into her eyes was a different type of communication, though. He didn’t have to say anything to see something special, something that moved between them as if it were tangible.
“You’re.”
He snorted. “You’re nice, Char-lot. I thank you for this. I’m learning much quickly.”
“I told you I’d have you ready for your date at the hospital.”
“Yes, but you are… You’re working hard.”
“Paying for those tires was a big help to me,” she said quietly. “And I’m doing my best to repay you with this.”
He typed into his phone and then held it out for her to read:
I would have paid double for how much you’ve taught me without making me feel stupid.
Charli gazed at him in confusion. “Stupid? Why would I make you feel stupid? You’re trying to learn the language. That’s not stupid.”
I’ve been in North America almost a decade and I still don’t speak English. People sometimes look at me funny. But hockey keeps me busy, especially when I was younger, trying to prove myself. It’s different now; I’m established. I still work hard, but I don’t worry about getting cut every day or whether or not I’ll make it to the big leagues. Now I’m there, so I can focus on other things part of the time. Like finally learning English.
“Well, I think you’re doing great. And I get the feeling you know a lot more than you let on. You’re just not comfortable saying the words out loud. That’s why we’re going to practice as much as we can.”
Their eyes locked and for a long moment neither of them moved. The air around them crackled with electricity as he watched her. Her eyes were so blue they mesmerized him. Sitting beside her like this, so close but not touching, was driving him crazy and he didn’t know why. He liked her a lot, even though he barely knew her, and the urge to change that caught him off guard. He had to do something before he imploded, and he slid a little closer to her with his chair. His forearm brushed hers on the table and her lips parted just a tiny bit.
That was his cue.
Holy crap, he was going to do something impulsive. Before he could stop himself, he leaned in to kiss her.
8
He was going to kiss her.
Holy shitballs, he was leaning in but she was too terrified she might be wrong about the kiss to close her eyes. Instead, she sat there, frozen in place, as his lips made contact with hers. One hand reached out to cup her jaw, turning her to just the right angle.
His mouth was soft, and a bit tentative, but the gentler his touch, the more she wanted it. Her eyes fluttered closed of their own volition and she tilted her head. He increased the pressure but kept his mouth closed, grazing her lips with his. A chaste, tender touch of seduction that promised something so much more. Something she hadn’t realized she needed until just now.
“I think maybe this is better than cheesecake,” he whispered against her mouth.
Her eyes opened and she swallowed. “You…um, might be right.”
He lifted a hand, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. “You taste sweet.”
“You taste like coffee.”
“This is good?”
“I love coffee.”
He smiled, sliding his hand over to find hers. “This