Page 73 of Sporting Goods

“If you ask me, they’ll probably just bench him if they’re afraid of him getting hurt.”

Fucking great.I shook my head. “Thank you for letting me know. And about Logan. I don’t plan on hurting him. It was just…”

Marty held up his hand. “It’s not my business, you do what feels right, when it feels right. I’m just looking out.” he winked.

Regardless of his kind words, the pressure was on high.

“Anyway, I’m going to turn down the lights a bit so no one thinks we’re open and then I’ll head out. I think Logan should be here soon.”

I nodded absently and swallowed, feeling anxious.

After he’d gone, I finished tying my skates in what little light I had—almost none actually, and went onto the ice. It was so dark in the bleachers, it felt eerie sitting out there. The bright sleet had a little reflection off from the few rink lights that were on. Still, not enough to see much past a few feet from me.

I skated for a few minutes on my own, feeling my body temperature warm up.

There was another scrape against the ice that wasn’t mine. I turned but it was hard to tell where it came from.

“Logan?”

“Expecting someone else?”

I turned at the sound of his sweet, rugged voice. But the arms that wrapped around me came from behind.

If I thought I was warm before, I was wrong. This was warmth. This was the kind of warmth that you feel everywhere with just someone’s presence. The kind that sent tingles.

His breath was on my neck. “Who turned out the lights in here?”

“Someone’s brilliant and very dangerous idea.”

He spun me and winked. “I suspected you wouldn’t bring Jax with you today.”

“Um…yeah,” I slid his hands off me and missed him instantly. “There’s a reason for that.”

Logan’s eyes searched mine and I knew he knew there was something behind them. But he reached back for my hands, tightening his grip. “I’m sure there is, and I want to hear it. But right now, let’s take advantage,” he whispered and tugged me behind him as he skated the length of the rink.

When we neared the wall at full speed, I braced myself, suddenly forgetting how to do this on my own. But I didn’t need to. Logan shifted and spun me, keeping one hand on mine and the other on my waist. The cool air whizzing past me only intensified the heat from his hands where they rested.

He smelled good.

Like leather. Clean leather and eucalyptus.

With him still gliding close behind me, his hands spread forward around me, wrapping me in his arms.

“Why are we here, Logan? Why are the lights out?”

I couldn’t see him, but I felt him smiling. “It’s an old trick that Marty taught me. To get comfortable on the ice, to trust it. To let it guide you. To know you’re safe.”

“Logan,” I whispered.

He hummed in response.

“I think he lied to you. You’re not safe skating around in the dark.”

He laughed and twisted me to face him.“You are.”

“I know.” There was a bitterness in my voice that I even heard.

His brows knitted for a second but he chose to ignore it and leaned in, kissing me lightly.

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