Page 44 of Rinkmates

It’s official. That ass is my weak point, but as soon as I see the hulking man standing next to her, my dick takes a nosedive.

There’s another figure skater, one arm wrapped around her, grinning like he’s the luckiest man alive. And I think he is.

Jealousy rips through me, hot and sharp.

What the hell? Who is this guy? I need to talk to her about making our relationship public, posting something on myInstagramtogether, and she’s showcasing my ass with another man.

Suddenly a shriek pierces the air—Liora’s voice, coming from the bathroom. Startled, I stuff the photo into my hoodie’s pocket and ran down the hall to her room.

“Lia? You okay in there?” I blurt out, knocking on the door. Damn it. I didn’t mean to call her that. It’s that stupid nicknameI made up when I was a teenager. Whatever. Now I have to stick with it and pretend it means nothing.

“No, and never call me Lia again, but shit, everything’s ruined!” There’s a pause and I hear water streaming. “Come in! Hurry!”

I jiggle the handle of the door, but it’s locked. Of course it is.

Worry clawsat mychest.

I need to get to her, now. “Why do you always lock your door?”

“Because I want to keep your nosy self out!” Or rather her secret werewolf self in.

“Well look where this gets you. Just tell me you have clothes on. Please.”

“Riley! The shower it’s—”

“Lia?”

Since I can’t hear her anymore, my mind races, a sick feeling rising in my gut. She’s clearly in trouble. I need to man up and get to her, busted door be damned.

I take a step back, steel my resolve, and prepare to bust my way in, praying she’s all right…I slam my shoulder against the door once, twice, until the latch gives way with a splintering crack. Stumbling into the bathroom, I’m met with a scene of utter chaos.

The shower head lies in pieces on the tiled floor, water gushing out of it like a broken dam. Below lies the shattered faucet handle, and I have no idea what the fuck had happened. The once-clean tiles are now slippery with inches of water, making it dangerous to walk across. And there, in the midst of the chaos, stands Liora—a slender frame shrouded in nothing but a damp towel, her hair plastered against her face as she desperately tries to stop the broken pipe from spewing more water. And I know I should be frantic about the water damagingmy apartment, but all I can think of is that she’ll ruin me if that flimsy towel loses its grip where she tucked the ends in.

“Riley! Help me!” she yells, her fingers grasping onto the valve as if trying to hold back a raging river. “The shower just—exploded!”

“Jesus,” I say and finally wade through the toe-high flood toward the main valve under the sink. The damage is already done as water seeps out of the bathroom and into her bedroom, creating a chaotic mess.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I manage to shut off the water supply and turn back to Liora, my heart clenching at how small and vulnerable she looks, shivering in her tiny towel. Water drips from her lashes as she blinks up at me. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I’ve done. I just took a shower and then, well, the shower head exploded, and that thing went off and my shower is different and I didn’t know where—”

I get up again and walk over to her. My heart flutters at the sight of that scared look on her face, making me want to touch her shoulders. But she’s all wet, and I’m basically dumbstruck already, so I force my hand to slide into my jeans pockets and stay the fuck there.

“Calm down. It’s okay. There must be something with the pipes. Don’t worry, I’ll get a plumber and it’s done before you can saytide.”

And there’s that little signature frown of hers again and I’m back to feeling comfortable. I can’t cope with scared Liora, but angry Liora I know.

“I just damaged your entire bathroom, Ri.” It’s the first time she’s used that nickname, and my heart rate picks up. I’ve never liked my name—Riley. It always sounded too nice and fluffy for someone as broken as I am. “I should help clean up and pay for the repairs and—”

“Don’t start with that. I’m your landlord, aren’t I? So if there’s a broken shower, I’ll handle it. Now, come on, let’s get you out of here.” I guide her by the elbow, careful to avoid any more slips. But as we step into the hallway, I mutter a curse under my breath.

The water soaked the carpet of her bedroom. Fuck. She can’t sleep in here tonight. I quickly pull the door shut, stemming the spread onto my hardwood floors in the hallway.

“My clothes,” Liora says, trying to grip the door handle, but I hold her back.

“Hey, hey, we don’t want any water in the hallway,” I say. “You can borrow something of mine for now. We’ll fix it. Don’t worry.”

“I-I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say. I—”

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