beat, but she knew she had to do this. She had to take a chance and find out if this thing between them was real, otherwise, she’d spend the rest of her life wondering what if and regretting not making a move. Sure, she ran the risk of losing a good friend, but the risk of not doing anything to make this relationship permanent because she was afraid to take a chance was far worse.
“I was thinking about Kate,” she began.
“What about her?”
“Well,” she started but stopped speaking when he inched back to see her.
“Well what?” he pressed.
She waved a hand around. “This is all so romantic and everything, but I have to write a happy ending for Kate.”
He grinned, and like he was reading her innermost thoughts, asked, “And you can’t write a happy ending for Kate if you’ve never experienced it yourself, right?”
“Right.”
When she looked into his eyes, she caught the promise of something far more intimate than a night on the skating rink.
“I was thinking the same thing,” he said.
“You were?”
“Yeah, I was. Come on.” He led her to the bench, and they both removed their skates. He grabbed them and tossed them over his shoulder.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To give you everything you need so Kate can have her happy ending.”
“You know Kate’s not real, right?” she teased.
His mouth turned up at the corner. “Whatever you say, Gracie.”
He led her inside the building instead of taking the walking path around it to the parking lot.
“But your truck is that way,” she said, pointing to the front doors.
“Too far,” he murmured, and that’s when she noticed he was talking through clenched teeth, his body so taut it seemed to be taking a great deal of effort for him to keep his composure.
Her breath caught in her throat, and a shiver of anticipation tore through her as he walked up to the counter to book them in. She glanced around the bustling lobby, then turned to him when he grabbed her hand and led her to the closest elevator. When they reached the fourth floor and the doors pinged open, he grabbed her hand and practically dragged her off.
“This way,” he said, his voice so hoarse she barely recognized it.
He found their room and slipped in the key card. When the little green light flashed, he pushed it open and looked at her.
Grace stood there for a moment, unable to breathe. “So this is happening. It’s really happening,” she whispered.
Nate paused and inched back, his expression dead serious. “You do want this, right?”
She took in the intent look on his face and knew there was nothing she wanted more. “Yes,” she whispered, so breathless she could barely get that one word out.
“Then yes, it’s happening,” he said, the pleasure in his voice exciting her all the more. He grabbed her, pulled her inside, and locked the door behind them. He flicked the lights on, and she blinked against the brightness.
Silence fell over them as his lips found hers, and he gave her a gentle, almost loving kiss. One that held far more emotion than any other he’d given her. She resisted the urge to pinch herself, because if this was a dream, she sure as hell did not want to wake up.
“Gracie,” he growled, his tongue tracing her bottom lip, a long, slow sweep filled with tenderness as he trailed the backs of his fingers down her cheek. Heat radiated from his hands, burning through her body. “Do you have any idea how good you taste?”
His hands went to her zipper, and he peeled her coat off, letting it fall to the floor. Then he quickly removed his winter wear and pulled her to him again, his hands roaming urgently over her curves. He explored her body, touching her all over, and all the while, she just stood there, her brain too shocked, too surprised by this turn of events to think with any sort of clarity.
He inched back, his gaze moving over her face. “Touch
“I was thinking about Kate,” she began.
“What about her?”
“Well,” she started but stopped speaking when he inched back to see her.
“Well what?” he pressed.
She waved a hand around. “This is all so romantic and everything, but I have to write a happy ending for Kate.”
He grinned, and like he was reading her innermost thoughts, asked, “And you can’t write a happy ending for Kate if you’ve never experienced it yourself, right?”
“Right.”
When she looked into his eyes, she caught the promise of something far more intimate than a night on the skating rink.
“I was thinking the same thing,” he said.
“You were?”
“Yeah, I was. Come on.” He led her to the bench, and they both removed their skates. He grabbed them and tossed them over his shoulder.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To give you everything you need so Kate can have her happy ending.”
“You know Kate’s not real, right?” she teased.
His mouth turned up at the corner. “Whatever you say, Gracie.”
He led her inside the building instead of taking the walking path around it to the parking lot.
“But your truck is that way,” she said, pointing to the front doors.
“Too far,” he murmured, and that’s when she noticed he was talking through clenched teeth, his body so taut it seemed to be taking a great deal of effort for him to keep his composure.
Her breath caught in her throat, and a shiver of anticipation tore through her as he walked up to the counter to book them in. She glanced around the bustling lobby, then turned to him when he grabbed her hand and led her to the closest elevator. When they reached the fourth floor and the doors pinged open, he grabbed her hand and practically dragged her off.
“This way,” he said, his voice so hoarse she barely recognized it.
He found their room and slipped in the key card. When the little green light flashed, he pushed it open and looked at her.
Grace stood there for a moment, unable to breathe. “So this is happening. It’s really happening,” she whispered.
Nate paused and inched back, his expression dead serious. “You do want this, right?”
She took in the intent look on his face and knew there was nothing she wanted more. “Yes,” she whispered, so breathless she could barely get that one word out.
“Then yes, it’s happening,” he said, the pleasure in his voice exciting her all the more. He grabbed her, pulled her inside, and locked the door behind them. He flicked the lights on, and she blinked against the brightness.
Silence fell over them as his lips found hers, and he gave her a gentle, almost loving kiss. One that held far more emotion than any other he’d given her. She resisted the urge to pinch herself, because if this was a dream, she sure as hell did not want to wake up.
“Gracie,” he growled, his tongue tracing her bottom lip, a long, slow sweep filled with tenderness as he trailed the backs of his fingers down her cheek. Heat radiated from his hands, burning through her body. “Do you have any idea how good you taste?”
His hands went to her zipper, and he peeled her coat off, letting it fall to the floor. Then he quickly removed his winter wear and pulled her to him again, his hands roaming urgently over her curves. He explored her body, touching her all over, and all the while, she just stood there, her brain too shocked, too surprised by this turn of events to think with any sort of clarity.
He inched back, his gaze moving over her face. “Touch
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