Page 46 of Ties of Bargains

“I don’t know how to ice skate.” She tromped through the snow and paused at his side, staring down at the second set of skates.

“Really?” Harm barely paused in buckling on his skate.

“I was born a summer fae, and I usually try to minimize the amount of time I spend in Winter Courts while on missions.” Val wiggled her fingers in her gloves. The cold already nipped at her nose and worked through her clothing.

Harm pushed to his feet on the ice, moving like he had been born on skates. He spun to face her, sticking within their ten feet limit. “Come on. Surely you of all people aren’t scared of ice skating.”

“I’m not scared.” Val stated the words, but shenudged the second set of skates with the toe of her boot. She was in no hurry to try them on.

“You taught me to fight with a knife. I can teach you to ice skate.” Harm held his arms out to her. “Besides, ice skating involves sharp, shiny blades strapped to your boots. Surely that’s something that appeals to you.”

When he put it that way…Val sighed and perched on the rock, reaching for one of the skates. “Fine. Just give me a moment.”

She strapped the skates on as tightly as she could. She didn’t want them coming off. Once done, she planted her feet on the ice and tried to stand. The blades slid on the ice, threatening to take her feet right out from under her.

Harm skated closer and took her hands. “I have you. Try to stand now.”

Gripping his hands, Val levered herself upright. She bit down on a shriek as her feet slipped. Only Harm’s firm grasp on her hands kept her from falling on her rear on the ice.

“It’s all right. I have you.” Harm somehow remained firm on his feet. “Gather your feet beneath you. I know you have good balance. Stand lightly, like you’re about to start a fight.”

Val scrambled for a few seconds, her weight hanging from her grip on Harm. She finally managed to get her feet under her, shifting her weight so that she balanced more solidly on the far-too-thin blades.

She could do this. She just had to get her balance right.

Tentatively, she straightened up from her crouch and eased one of her feet forward.

“That’s it.” Harm slowly skated backwards, his movements both graceful and powerful. “Just glide on the ice.”

Val pushed her other foot forward, feeling the way the blade moved over the ice beneath. As she gained a better sense for the interaction of ice and skate, she found a better rhythm, her movements more sure.

Harm’s grin widened as he continued to skate backward, gripping her hands. “I was right, wasn’t I? This is more fun than trudging through snow, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.” Val probably should let go of his hands. But his mittened hands were warm over hers, his grip steady even as they skated.

And it made her think that she might be in more danger of falling than ever.

Harm shouldn’t letthe feel of her hands in his go to his head. Nor dwell too much on that trusting look she’d given him when she put her hands in his.

Still, his heart was soaring, and he tried to tell himself it was because he was on skates again. But if that was all it was, then he would’ve let go of her hands and skated to the full extent the ten-foot rope allowed.

Instead, he kept holding her hands and skating at that slow, easy pace while Val got a sense of the ice.

He shouldn’t confuse thisthingbetween them. She was only with him because of a magical cord and amission to deliver him to his destination. Once they arrived at the dragon’s mountain, she would leave, and he’d never see her again.

But maybe it was all right that this wouldn’t last. He could still enjoy this moment, still let himself fall just a little, even knowing how it would end. She’d shown him how to be stronger, more genuine, and he’d leave the Fae Realm the better for it.

Could he leave her better for having known him? Right now, all he wanted to do was make her smile. A true, genuine smile of joy and happiness, not merely one of those tight, smirking smiles. Not that he disliked those smirks either. But he’d seen so very little joy from Val.

Harm picked up the pace of his skating, and Val easily matched him, her grip on his hands loosening as she didn’t need to lean on him as much. Daisy happily loped alongside the river, bounding through snowbanks and sniffing along rabbit trails.

Val released one of his hands and picked up her pace even more. Her brown eyes held the hint of a sparkle, the curve of a smile on her mouth. Not quite the full smile he was hoping to see, but it was enough. “Is that as fast as you can go?”

“Not at all.” Harm spun to face forward and put more power into his glide, shooting across the ice.

Val matched him, and soon the two of them were flying over the ice, the breeze of their passing whipping at their scarves. The cold scoured Harm’s cheeks and nose. He didn’t try to stifle his grin at the exhilarationof the speed. He might have even chuckled under his breath.

Val’s black hair streamed behind her, her smile growing the faster they went.

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