Page 28 of Ice Contact

“I thought things between Chelsea and I were good. Until I got home from practice one day and picked up her MacBook to start planning a surprise party for her birthday. There, on herscreen, was a string of text messages from a contact saved as ‘Spam Risk.’ The messages were racy, but the icing on the cake was her trying to figure out how to tell me she was pregnant withhisbaby. My heart sunk straight to the pit of my stomach, and all I could think is well, cat’s out of the bag now, Chels.”

My heart drops at the pain Hayes must be going through. I want to take this grief from him, but the only thing I can think to do is grasp his hand tighter and I rub my thumb across his knuckles.

“After I confronted her about it, she blamed me for being away so much. She said she was lonely. Then she had thenerveto ask me for money to help her with the security deposit on a new place because baby daddyBrianwas between jobs.

“As much as it hurt, and God, did it hurt, looking back it was for the best. She was living off my salary and trying to be an influencer. I’m not even sure if she cared about me or just thought I would be her sugar daddy and get her more social media followers.” He sighs, his head dropping back as he closes his eyes. “The timing of me signing with the Riders was a good excuse to get out of town and away from that train wreck. Get a fresh start.”

“Oh my God, Hayes, that’s awful! I can’t imagine what that must have felt like. That’s way worse than Cayden treating me like shit.”

He lets out a small chuckle. “It’s not a contest, Olivia. It sucked, that’s for sure, but like I said, I can relate. From what it sounds like, we’ve both had some shitty relationships, and it’s probably a good thing they are over,” he says, looking out toward the water again, a small smile on his face. “Had things not ended with her, I might never have moved to Milwaukee. I might never have ended up at some bar, hearing a gorgeous voice coming from the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I wouldn’t be sitting here with her at this very moment.”

The rapid fluttering in my heart floats deep into my core at his words, my breath catching in my chest.

I can hardly find the breath to speak, staring at the ebb and flow of the water, willing my lungs to find some air. “You…you think I’m beautiful?”

He drops my hand, gripping my chin and tilting it towards him. “How many times do I need to tell you I don’t hand out compliments unless I mean them? Not only are you beautiful, you arethemost beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on. As if I needed another reason to want to kiss you every time I see you; you are smart, funny, and insanely talented. You deserve to be with someone who appreciates that and wants to spend time with you.”

My heart soars at his words, excitement building in my chest. “You want to kiss me again?”

“Out of that entire speech,that’swhat you picked up on?” he says, laughing.

I bite my lip, trapped in Hayes’ orbit. His pull. His everything. “I only asked because…I’d like for you to kiss me again.”

I have no idea where this boldness is coming from, but it’s pouring out of me like a dam that’s suddenly broken wide open.

And there is no holding back this water.

Hayes leans toward me and places his other hand on my cheek, gently dragging his thumb across my lower lip as I shudder at his touch.

“Olivia, I could kiss these lips all day and never come up for air.” My heart races as he leans in, pressing his lips to mine. He’s gentle, delicate - cradling me as if I’m the most precious thing he’s ever held. Calming every fear, every worry, every bit of self-doubt constantly plaguing my mind. He’s kissing me with a quiet passion in my favorite spot in the city. It feels like it’s just thetwo of us on earth. Everything else fades away as I run my hand through his tousled hair, exploring his mouth with my tongue.

But it’s not enough.

My emotions and hormones are raging like wildfire.I need more.More of Hayes. More of this. More of everything. I pull back from the kiss, not giving myself time to second guess as I straddle him on the picnic bench. I drop my forehead against his, instantly enveloped by his woodsy spice smell.God, I could drown in this man’s scent.I lean in to kiss him as he wraps his arms around my back, pulling me tight against him.

Oh my God.I canfeelhis excitement pressing against me. I wiggle, just a little, to let him know, and nowhe’sthe one moaning. Knowing I am turning him on is getting me even more worked up. I can’t stop my hips from grinding against him again, teasing both of us.

God, he feels so good pressed against me like this.

“Olivia…” He moans my name, interrupting the kiss. “I do not want to stop what we are doing foranyreason. But…we are in public. And seeing as there are people on the beach, it might be a crime for me to walk back to my car with what’s happening in my pants right now.”

I giggle, letting my head fall to his shoulder. “Good point. I guess I got a little carried away there.” I bite my lower lip in attempt to hide the embarrassed grin on my face. I have zero regrets about what happened, ignoring the voice in my head, sounding a lot like Cayden, telling me I’mtoo much.

He leans in to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Alright, let’s get out of here. But could you walk in front of me? Kind of like a shield in case anyone sees us.”

I laugh hysterically, crawling off his lap and offering him a hand. “I’m happy to serve as your boner shield anytime.”

22

hayes

As we walk back to the car, two things are on my mind. First, the girl holding my hand, who is the best part of Milwaukee, is shielding me from a world of embarrassment. Second, a long list of things I’d like her to do with what she’s shielding.

But it dawns on me that I fly out in the morning for a road trip for the rest of the week.Fuck. I don’t want to come across as being too forward, she’s got a lot going on emotionally, and I want to give her space, but I also don’t want to drop her off at her house. I don’t want this night to end before I’m gone for five days. I slow my steps as we near the car, an idea popping into my head. Hopping into the driver’s seat, I wonder…would she go for it?Only one way to find out.

“I have another question for you, and again, you can say no if you aren’t comfortable.” I glance at Olivia as we drive out of the park, my dick twitching at the thought of what I’m about to ask. “How would you feel about coming over to my place and staying the night? I know that probably sounds presumptuous, and I promise we don’t have to do anything other than hang out and talk until we fall asleep, but I leave in the morning for a road trip. I’ll be gone most of the week, and I…I don’t want to miss another moment with you.”

Olivia is quiet for a moment, her fingernails nervously tapping out a rhythm on the door handle, my palms fucking sweating while gripping the steering wheel as I wait for the gears in her mind to stop turning.

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