Page 6 of Ice

Her skin turned pink, but she shook her head. I smiled, happy that she’d been honest rather than trying to be coy about it.

“I’m sorry you had to quit, though.”

“I used to be, too,” I admitted.

“Used to be?”

Smiling, I played with the ends of her hair while I answered, “From now on, I’ll always be grateful that I had to retire.”

Marnie tilted her head to the side, studying me curiously. “Why?”

“Because if I hadn’t, I never would have met you.”

“Oh.” Her expression was shy, even as she beamed at me. It was cute as fuck.

“Can, um, can I ask you another question?” she queried softly.

“Anything.”

Her whole face flushed, traveling down beneath the collar of her shirt and making me wonder just how far it went. “You said you were out of practice.”

I played back our interactions in my head and couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. “What?”

“Um, you said something about flirting and being out of practice.”

“Ah. Yeah,” I acknowledged, remembering my comment from earlier. “That’s not a question, though,” I teased.

“It’s just that…well, I imagine a professional hockey player, especially one as hot as you, has women throwing themselves at you all the time and—”

I placed my finger over her lips as I chuckled. “First of all, I haven’t noticed a woman in a long time because I was too busy focusing on my career. Sure, puck bunnies were always around, but they learned quickly that I wasn’t someone they’d have any luck with.”

Marnie’s lips lifted at the corners, and she lost the tension that had crept into her shoulders.

“Second…you think I’m hot?”

She rolled her eyes and giggled. “Like you don’t know how sexy women think you are.”

Grasping her chin, I looked straight into her eyes when I responded. “I only care about what one woman thinks.”

“B-bu-but you just met me,” she sputtered.

“Didn’t take more than a second to know you were mine, angel.”

Before she could reply, the ambulance came to a stop, and the doors flung open.

Blade glanced in, and his brows went up when he saw Marnie sitting beside me and our hands still melded together.

Marnie tried to untangle her fingers from mine and sighed when I refused to let go. “Hayes, I should probably get out of their way.”

Blade’s lips spread into a grin at her use of my given name. I knew he was gearing up to make a smart-ass comment, so I scowled at him, making him roll his eyes and shrug.

The paramedic who’d ridden with us scooted to the back of the truck and hopped out. Then he held his palm out toward my girl. “Here. I’ll help you down.”

A growl rumbled in my chest, and Blade quickly nudged the guy away, stepping into his spot. “They need to get you out of the truck,” he grumbled at me. Then he reached for Marnie, and I reluctantly let her go. Only because Blade was a happily married man, and I knew he wouldn’t be remotely interested in Marnie. Not that it stopped me from grinding my teeth at seeing another man’s hands on my angel.

As soon as she was steady on the ground, he released her, causing my irrational anger to recede.

My gurney was removed from the truck, and as they wheeled me past Marnie, I reached out and snatched her hand once more, forcing her to come along.

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