Page 64 of Iced Out

God, those fucking dimples. They do something stupid to my brain. Short circuit it or something. Plus, his smile and laugh, a killer combination not many people could withstand.

Or maybe it’s just…him.

Everything about him.

To the point where the urge to kiss him is overwhelming. Stupidly so. And even though I know there’s no reason to act on the urge other than pure desire, I still want to.

I ache to.

And that’s all it takes.

“Fuck it,” I mutter.

My hand slides around the back of his neck, and I haul his mouth to mine in a scorching kiss. One that…fuck, it makes me want him all the more. And in all the ways I know I shouldn’t.

His tongue slides past my lips, warring with mine in a way that makes my toes curl inside my skates. My body crowds against his, crushing him to the wall of the rink so our bodies align. Even through our jackets and clothes, I feel the strong, powerful lines of his muscles pressed against mine.

His arms weave their way up, wrapping around my neck, my hands moving to cup his face, tilting his chin for better access. Deeper, because nothing seems like enough.

I’m drowning in him. So much so, I don’t care if it might go against the rules we’ve set out. Nor do I give a flying fuck about kissing him in public, where anyone can watch or judge or feel forced to shield their children’s eyes.

It’s not like we’re fucking it out right here on the rink. It’s a kiss.

One I couldn’t not steal while the opportunity presented itself.

And if any of them knew Quinton de Haas the way I’m starting to, they’d understand exactly why.

I pull back before too long, not wanting things to get so heated we can’t skate out of here without putting on a show for everyone more than we already have. His forehead presses against mine, the puffs of air leaving our lips intertwining in a single cloud.

“What was that for?” he asks, slightly breathless. When he pulls back, his blue eyes shimmer with a mixture of amusement and desire. “And how the hell do I get more of it?”

“It was…a thank you,” I whisper, deciding that would be the best way to label it.

“For letting you win?”

A soft laugh escapes from me, because I won fair and square. “For making me live a little. Let loose. All the crap you seem to think is so important.”

A small smile tilts the corners of his lips. “Well, I’m just glad we discovered you know how to.”

Boy have we ever discovered. I don’t think I’ve smiled or laughed as much as I have today, and it’s only just begun. It’s almost as if spending time with him outside the arena has lightened my soul somehow, allowing me to step back and breathe. Enjoy myself, if only for a moment, instead of being weighed down by the pressures I’ve put myself under.

So we keep skating and laughing and having fun, letting ourselves just exist in a circumstance where we’re not enemies or rivals or teammates. We’re not in this thing way deeper than we should be.

For one afternoon, we’re just two guys doing their best to live a little.

As our time comes to an end, the sun’s already set and the cool night’s air fills our lungs, and I discover I’m not ready for this to be over. I’m not ready to say goodbye.

From the look in his eyes as we leave the park, neither is he.

I open my mouth, about to offer the option of grabbing dinner and prolonging the inevitable for a little while longer, but he says something first.

“You probably need to get back to your parents, but…thank you. I needed this more than I realized.”

Quinton shoves his hands into his jacket pockets and rocks back on his feet, awkwardness settling between us for the first time all day. Which is a surprise, considering how easy things have been between us all day.

But then I recognize the swirling in my gut as anticipation. The same kind I had the first time we hooked up after the frat house bathroom.

The same kind you get at the end of a first date, and you know you’re supposed to go in for a kiss, but you’re not sure if the other person wants you to. So then, you just flounder.

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