Page 29 of Craving Her Christmas Boss

She really ought to move away. She really ought. But one more lap wouldn’t hurt—would it?

One lap later she forced her flustered self to skate to the rail and jerked her head back to the rink. ‘Show me how it’s done properly.’ She needed him to move awaynow, or she was in grave danger of moving his hands south into more intimate places. His body was harder than the ice they were skating on and burning hotter than the sun—despite their layers of clothing.

‘You’ve accused me of showing off once already,’ he protested, still deliciously close to her. ‘I’m not risking that again.’

‘I won’t say that this time. Show me. I can feel you reining yourself in.’

‘Oh, I am. But not about the skating.’

‘Go burn some energy, then.’

He looked tempted.

‘Go on. Go. It’ll take me forever to get these skates off anyway.’

‘Okay, then. Just a couple of minutes.’

He went with her to the exit, made sure she was fine sitting on one of the benches and able to get her boots off. Laughing, she shooed him away. Watched him and promptly forgot about undoing her laces.

How could such a big guy look so graceful? How did he glide so smoothly like that? He was fast, fluid. She wasn’t the only one watching him. Some kids were pointing him out to each other. Others on the ice moved, giving him a clear run on the outer edge of the rink.

His hair was wind-whipped, his eyes glowing. Colour tinged his cheeks, but best of all was the wide white smile and the sheer joy emanating from him. He seemed so in tune—with his body, with his place in the world. Confident, assured, capable, free—happy doing what he liked to do. Simple. He scared her. He really scared her. That carefree approach—enjoying every moment in life to its full and not worrying about tomorrow. But then, he had never had to worry about tomorrow.

Sliding to a stop with a harsh scrape, he called over the barrier to her. ‘What’s that look for?’

‘I’m feeling sorry for your mother. It must have been hell giving birth to you with those ice skates attached to your feet.’

He laughed.

She shook her head. ‘Seriously. You’re good.’

Seriously, he was gorgeous.

‘You’re not bad yourself.’

‘Ha.’

The wintry Edinburgh afternoon sky was darkening. And she was having very bad thoughts of hot baths and even hotter bodies. ‘I should get —’

‘I’ll walk with you.’ He knew. ‘Don’t want you slipping and grazing your knee down the hill.’

‘Thank you.’ She was only slightly sarcastic.

‘Means I get to hold your hand some more.’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘A man’s got to take what he can get.’

‘You think?’

‘Hell, yes.’

She shivered, all hot and cold and going crazy.

He pulled her into the café at the bottom of the hill. ‘I can think of a better way of warming you up from the inside out, but I think this is the only way you’re going to let me today.’

Her reply was simply to order coffee.

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