BLAZE: Enemies to Lovers College Hockey Romance by Eddie Cleveland (ebook reader macos .txt) 📕

This street is dead. I tug Prissy by the hand, walking toward the outdoor arena.

“What are you doing?”

“Come on.” I keep walking. “Let me show you the basics.”

“What, we don’t have skates. It’s not even open,” Prissy protests, looking around like a fugitive.

“We don’t need them, I can still show you some things.”

“Yeah, that didn’t turn out so great last time. Another fall like that and I’ll snap my tailbone.”

“I promise I won’t let go of you, no matter what.”

“It’s closed.”

“Pfft. You think that little wall can keep us out?”

“See, this is why I shouldn’t have gone so easy on you. I let you have a beer or two, and now you want me to break the law with you? “

“Break the law? Chill. Come on, just trust me.”

We reach the edge of the rink. I plant my hands on the edge and swing my ass up, balancing on the wall. “I’ll help you over.” I hold my hand out to her.

Prissy bites her lip and frowns. She looks up at me, then glances around the neighborhood again and sighs. “Okay, but not for long. And you can’t let go of my hand… ever.”

“I promise.”

She puts her gloved hand in mine, and I pull her up with me. I circle her waist with my free hand as she finds her balance. It takes a bit, but she gets herself turned around so her feet are dangling over the ice, and I ease her down. She grabs the top of the wall with one hand and keeps her other one squeezed in mine, and I jump down, joining her.

“Alright, that was probably the toughest part, honestly,” I try to erase the worry etched on Prissy’s face. Even though it’s dark, the moon is doing a fine job of reminding me how fucking sexy she is.

“Somehow I doubt that.” She looks down at the ice and barely shuffles forward.

“No, seriously. This is easy. Look, just push off with this foot and let yourself glide across. Like this.” I push forward under control, taking Prissy along for the ride.

“Oh!” She stiffens up behind me.

“Relax.” I come to a stop and hold her steady. “Now you try.”

“I don’t think that was much of a lesson. Like, I know I’ve been skating since I was born or whatever, but how about you just levitate across this ice like me.” She does a bad job mocking me.

“Don’t be scared.” I can see what’s really going on here. “I promise, I got you. Just try.”

Prissy takes a deep breath. She looks out at the scratch-covered ice and then up to the sky. I’m not sure if she’s soaking in the moon and stars or praying.

“Fine. I’ll try,” she finally responds.

She places her foot diagonal, like I did, but wobbles a bit. She doesn’t have the boards to push off, and she doesn’t have the skill to do it without them, so she uses me instead. Prissy drops my hand and pushes back against me and then frantically grasps for me behind her when she starts to ease forward like the world’s slowest curling rock.

I grab a hold and easily move forward at her pace just walking next to her.

“There. Happy?” She looks over at me.

“I’m proud of you.” Prissy searches my face like she’s not sure if there’s a punchline coming. There isn’t.

“I’m proud of me too.” She nods.

“Good. Now hold on.” I grab her other hand pulling her in until her face is less than a foot from mine. I lean in slowly, and she moves her head back a bit, expecting my kiss. Instead, I hold her tightly and swirl her around in a circle, sliding her across the ice. She struggles to keep her balance, but finds her flow when I twirl her around.

“Stop,” she begs. “Too many circles. I’m getting dizzy,” Prissy cries out.

“Alright, I got you.” I pull her in tight to me. Prissy looks up at me, and this time I can’t fucking keep my lips off her. Not when she looks at me like that. Her mouth is soft and warm, and I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with my cock, but that’s apparently enough. It pulses and goes half hard just from a kiss.

It’s not enough to kiss her. I want to possess her mouth. Her heat radiates out, warming my skin. I turn her toward the boards and push her up against them, pinning her there with my hips. My cock surges, and my mind snaps. I don’t care if it’s winter or that we’re on public property. I want to fuck her. Right now.

“Beowulf! Baayyy-O-Wolf!” A man’s voice shatters the silence, cutting through the night air. He whistles and carries on, getting louder as he comes closer to the arena. I tuck Prissy into me, and we move back into the shadows as a man with wispy white hair, wearing a plaid housecoat under his thick parka and pinstripe pajamas stick out of the tops of his winter boots.

“Beo-woof.” Once he stops yelling, I can make out the dog-friendly pronunciation. “What are you doing?” A huge, square-headed Bull Mastiff comes thundering down the sidewalk. He looks like he’s going to bowl over the old man and keep on going, but at the last second he stops and sits at his feet.

“Beo-woof, how could you run off like that? You had me worried sick.” The man gently scolds his huge dog. The pup tilts its head, but it’s mouth is open in a giant doggy grin that shows absolutely zero remorse for his adventure. “Okay, let’s get you home. If you do that again, you won’t get your bedtime biscuit, and I mean it this time.” He keeps scolding him as he clips on his leash and leads him away down the sidewalk.

Beo-woof is wagging his tail like he just had the best night of his life.

“We should go.” I look down at Prissy