Page 80 of Irresistibly Risky

Is her trust truly that thin?

I know the answer. I’ve known it for weeks. Now I have to figure out a way to change that.

I arrive at the rink and discover that her car is the only one there. That instantly drives me crazy. Does she have any clue how vulnerable that makes her? This is where she had to go?

But it’s more than that, and it’s more than her being alone in this building.

It’s Joe. I need to learn once and for all just what he did to her before I seek him out and ruin his life for ruining hers.

I enter the dark building, past the spectator area, and over to the glowing ice, illuminated by a few soft bulbs overhead. Wynter is aimlessly gliding around the ice, staring down at her phone. I watch her for a moment, her face splotchy and her eyes red-rimmed. Has it not reached her giant brain yet that I fucking love her and would never, could never hurt her?

I step onto the ice, walking carefully in her direction when she catches sight of me and drops her phone. The phone cracks immediately, the glass splintering. But her eyes never leave mine.

“What are you doing here?”

I don’t stop until my good hand dives into her hair and my bad one does its best to wrap around her waist, and then I’m pulling her into my body and slamming my lips down on hers. I kiss her deeply, her head angled, her back arched, her body knitted against mine. My tongue sweeps against hers, claiming, possessing, telling her with unequivocal certainty that I am hers and no one else’s.

She kisses me back, which feels like a miracle, and then after a few minutes, I pull back and hold her face in the palm of my hand. “You ran. So I did what I always do with you. I chased.”

Her head tilts up toward the rafter-exposed ceiling, her eyes glassing over. “You weren’t having sex with that woman.”

Somehow it doesn’t come out as a question, though I answer her all the same. “No.”

She gulps and nods. “I knew it. I mean, I didn’t know it. It took me longer than it should have to realize that. I saw her on your lap. Both of you half-naked. She was bouncing. I heard you. I heard her. And my brain short-circuited.”

“Sara is one of my trainers. It was groans of pain and overworked muscles. Trust me, it was awful and not the least bit pleasurable.”

Another nod. “I overreacted, and I ran, but… part of me knew that whatever I was seeing wasn’t what was actually happening. It just took me a bit to grasp that because it didn’t look good. And I think I’m…”

“You think you’re what?”

She shakes her head, refusing to answer.

“Sara’s married to a woman, and they have three boys together—which I secretly love because they torture and abuse her the way she tortures and abuses me.”

A shaky laugh. “I’m sorry I ran.”

“Look at me, Wynter.” I force her stormy green gaze to mine. “Don’t apologize for running and don’t apologize for caring enough about me to be hurt and upset. I’ll continue chasing because you’re worth catching.”

I want to tell her. I want to look into her eyes and tell her that I think I’m in love with her. That I think I’ve been in love with her since she walked into the bathroom of a club and smiled at me.

Except I can’t force the words out.

I’ve never said them to a woman before, and once I do, once I set them free and they become hers, there is no more trying. There is no more attempting to see where this goes. I’ll need her more than I already do, and that will scare her. It’s too much too soon, and too far too fast.

So instead, I seal my lips and I leave it at that.

Her body leans into mine, her hand climbing up my back and into my hair. I press my forehead to hers, and she emits a soft sigh that turns into a gentle hum.

“What I was going to say before is, I think I’m pretty messed up. I have a serious fear of abandonment along with some massive, preconceived notions that I’ll be cheated on. I don’t think all men are evil, but I don’t trust them either.”

“Will you explain why to me?”

“Here?” She laughs the word and then pulls back, looking around at the abandoned ice rink surrounding us.

“Yes. I can’t tell you how sore I am, and the cold air feels amazing. I’m honestly contemplating lying down on the ice and watching you skate. You ran out before I could take an ice bath or even a shower after. I’m positive I don’t smell very good right now.”

She smiles up at me. “You actually smell pretty good. Even your sweat is sweet.” She kisses my neck. “You lie down on the ice, and I’ll skate and talk.”

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