Page 37 of Defensive Zone

Bastard.

“No one is forcing you to skate with me,” she retorted.

“Relax, Gabster. I’m trying to help,” he said.

“You’re a terrible teacher,” she said. Then she spotted Dom skating toward them. “Maybe Dom could help me.”

“Did I hear someone say my name?”

She bit back her grin when she felt Max stiffen.

Ha.

Dom spun and faced them, skating backward.

“Look how talented he is. Maybe it’ll be easier if he shows me,” she said, and Dom preened.

She didn’t stop her laugh that time.

“Baz doesn’t have the temperament to be a teacher,” Dom said, holding out his hand.

Did Max just growl?

“Feral beast,” Gabi swore she heard Dom mutter, and that made her laugh again.

“You have a beautiful laugh, Gabi,” Dom said.

“You’re a terrible flirt,” she replied.

“Go flirt somewhere else, Dom. We’re busy,” Max said.

“Fine. Fine. Good luck with this guy,” Dom said with a laugh before he skated off.

A frustrating thrill rolled through her. Was she reading too much into his high-handedness? And why did she care? She should have been irritated that Max had basically warned off an attractive man who seemed nice.

She was single.

No. She was annoyed.

“What the hell was that about?” she asked, awkwardly shifting to face him.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, putting his other hand on her waist to steady her as he looked down at her. The heat—or irritation, she wasn’t sure which—in his eyes threw her for a second.

“Um. He seems nice and we drive each other crazy, so I assumed you wouldn’t mind passing me off on another player,” she said.

“Passing you off on another player,” he repeated and quirked a brow.

“Okay. Stop. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Now whose mind is in the gutter?”

“Oh my god, you’re exasperating,” she said. She tried to move away from him, but her arms started to flail when she remembered that she was on skates.

Dammit.

“Whoa. Relax. Look. I’ve known you since we were kids. If anyone is going to teach you to skate, it’s going to be me,” Max said.

“Maybe I don’t want you to teach me,” she said.