Page 120 of Melting the Ice

“I want you,” Brody said, and that had to be enough, for now.

Even if the alternate version was echoing through his head, unspoken.

Chapter Sixteen

“I can’t believe youtalked me into this,” Dean said dubiously. He stared out across the ice. It looked different than it did for Evergreens’ games. No goals. No players. The lights were low and bolstered by banks of soft colored lights flashing across the glistening surface.

Music was playing, and it wasn’t the Evergreens’ goal song. It was bright, happy pop music. Taylor Swift maybe? And the ice wasn’t crowded with hockey players, but Evergreen students, laughing and falling down and skating around in slow circles.

“Oh, you wanted to come, I know you did.” Brody shot him a dimpled smile. “Secretly, maybe.”

“It’s for charity, that’s why I’m here,” Dean said gruffly. Though that wasn’t entirely true, either. He was here because Brody had asked him to come. He hadn’t understood exactly what that meant until they’d arrived and seen the many, many couples together on the ice.

This was totally a date. Or a date-ish kind of thing.

Dean didn’t really do dates, which was probably the reason it hadn’t even occurred to him.

But even though he was new to this—new toallof this—he still wanted to take Brody’s hand. Make sure everyone knew the gorgeous guy they kept eyeing next to him was here withhim. That when Brody left, it would be with him, and he’d be coming home totheirbed.

But instead of reaching for Brody’s hand, Dean shoved his own into his pockets. He didn’t give a shit what anyone thought of him and hereallydidn’t care if they figured who he was, but Brody should get to come out to their classmates and his teammates the way he wanted to, on his own timeline.

“Right. No other reason whatsoever,” Brody teased, giving him a sideways look that made it very clear he knew exactly why Dean was here.

“You said it would be for charity, and a good time,” Dean said. “You didn’t say there’d be ice skating.”

“Ice skating’s not so scary,” Brody said reassuringly. He gestured towards where they’d set up a skate rental in front of the Evergreens’ locker room. “Come on, let’s get you outfitted.”

“You’re going to regret this,” Dean warned again. He’d never been on the ice before, and while he was good on a field, ice was very different. Slippery. And wet. And requiring coordination that Dean was almost one hundred percent sure he did not possess.

“Oh, no, no, I’m definitely not,” Brody said, smiling.

Dean huffed. Worried he was going to humiliate himself. That wouldn’t be so terrible, but what if Brodylaughedat him humiliating himself? Enjoyed this evening because he did?

That would be pretty freaking terrible.

But then Dean reminded himself that this wasBrody. He wouldn’t do that.

As they approached the skate rental, Brody suddenly grabbed his arm and tugged him to the side. “What?” Dean asked. “Am I going to have to do this on one leg now, or something?”

Brody laughed. “No. No. Actually, I wanted to say . . .if you don’t want to do it at all, we don’t have to.”

“But you have to be here.”

“It’sourfundraiser, for the hockey team, so yeah,” Brody said, nodding.

“And if I want to be with you . . .”

Brody’s smile grew. “Oh, you wanna be here with me, huh?”

Dean hadn’t known for sure that he’d do it until this moment, and now he knew he would. Because he loved this man and he was pretty sure they didn’t have unlimited time together. If he wanted to take advantage of what theydidhave, then he’d have to strap those skates on and almost definitely humiliate himself.

“I’m going to ice skate with you, aren’t I?”

Brody nudged him. “You’re the worst. Always answering my question with a question.”

Dean didn’t even know he did that, but he was, wasn’t he? Deflecting, because at the heart of it, he worried that Brody didn’t feel the same bone-deep desperation he did.

He wanted Brody forever. Even if it was insane. Even if it was impossible.

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