Page 121 of Melting the Ice

“I . . .”You can do this. Put yourself out there.After a lifetime of holding everyone at bay, it was hard. Impossible, almost, but if anyone could push him out of that holding pattern, it was the man in front of him. “Yeah, I want to be here with you. All the time, if I’m being honest. I’d do way worse than ice skating.” Dean paused as Brody’s eyes lit up. “But don’t do it, okay? Just . . .take it easy on me.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m gonna.” Brody nudged him, softer and sweeter this time. “And I want to be here with you, too.”

“You invited me.” Dean cleared his throat. “I kinda assumed you did.”

Brody gazed up at him, and it felt like his heart was in his eyes. Just like how Dean felt.

But he’d already said enough, so he said, gruffly, “You ready to skate now?”

“And here I thought I’d have to forcibly drag you onto the ice,” Brody teased as they went over to the skate rental.

Ten minutes later, Dean glanced over as Brody finished tying his own skates on. They were pretty different than Dean’s. Real hockey skates, unlike whatever Dean was wearing.

Brody’s warm brown eyes met his. “You ready to go?” he asked.

Dean sighed, glancing back down at his skates. They felt wobbly, loose, but it also felt like he’d done the best he could to lace them up. He didn’t know what was wrong, only that he should ask Brody for help. But before he could, Brody saw what was wrong.

“Oh no,no,” Brody said under his breath, and before Dean could stop him, he was down on his knees in front of him, re-lacing his skates with quick, expert motions.

There was no time Brody being on his knees in front of him that wouldn’t get him worked up, and today was no exception.

His cock twitched as Brody’s hair, mussed and longer than it had been since they’d met, shone under the lights, calling to him, asking him without words to tangle his hands in it. Pull Brody in closer.

Dean resisted the urge, but when Brody glanced up, he could tell from the heat in his eyes Brody knew just what he’d been thinking.

“There. Now you’re all set,” Brody said, tightening his lace one last bit. He patted him on the knee. Anyone might think itwas just a friendly touch, but Dean knew different from the way Brody’s eyes flashed with an undeniable heat.

“Thanks,” Dean said. He reached out, helping Brody to his feet. When he got to his own, unlike Brody, he wobbled a little.

Or a lot.

Okay, definitely a lot.

“You alright there, big guy?” Brody asked under his breath. He was taking advantage of Dean’s imbalance to lean close, to tuck a hand around his waist, holding him firmly.

“Yeah,” Dean said. “Don’t tell me it’s gonna be easier on the ice.”

“But it will,” Brody promised, and slowly they made their way to the rink.

“Now,” Brody said, “I want you to promise me one thing.”

“Anything,” Dean said, feeling a bit more desperation as the wide expanse of ice stretched out in front of them, shining and undeniably slick. “Just don’t abandon me, okay?”

“See? You got it already. Promise me you won’t try to be a hero. Hang on to me if you need to. You might be a big boy, but I’m strong enough to keep both of us up.”

Brody took the ice first, moving better on it than he had off, if Dean was being honest. He ground his teeth and took his first cautious movement onto it, anddamn, it was slick. Like stepping onto a freshly polished linoleum floor, wet with rain.

He was sure he might’ve just ate it then, but Brody hung on to him tightly, making sure he didn’t, as Dean took one hesitant step and then another.

“No, no, like more of a glide, or a slide,” Brody murmured into his arm. “Like this.”

He demonstrated, moving like he’d been born to move on the ice—and frankly, maybe hehad—and there was no way Dean was going to be able to match his innate grace, but he tried to duplicate the movements anyway.

He didn’t get close, but itwaseasier to move like that. Long strides versus short, uncertain steps. A minute later, they were moving, notfastbut just fast enough to keep up with the flow of traffic around the rink.

“This is . . .nice,” Dean allowed as they neared the end of their first rotation.

Brody chuckled. “Yeah?”

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