Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“Seriously?”
“Yep. I realized I love helping the kids. I just hate fundraisers, so this felt like something I’d be into.” He shrugs.
“Oh, you hate fundraisers. Is that so?” I lift my brow. “Was the last one so awful?”
He laughs. “No, Hellfire.” He moves closer and lowers so his mouth is right next to my ear. A shiver works its way through my body at his proximity. For a second, I wonder what he’s doing, and then I can feel a whisper of his breath against my skin. “It wasn’t.”
My lids close, and a small moan escapes my lips.
“Careful.” He pulls away, acting like he’s not the instigator today. Jerk. A damn sexy hot jerk, but still a jerk.
Dane starts to open the door, and my brain catches up with what’s happening. “Wait, you’re going now?”
He turns and peers over his shoulder. “Yeah, why?”
“Is it sketch if I come with you?”
He pauses, then a slow smile rises up his cheeks. “For marketing purposes.”
“Of course. Haven’t you heard? I’m the next Nick Naylor.”
“Nick Naylor sold cigarettes to kids.”
“How convenient. There will be plenty of kids at the youth league.”
“Why not cigars? The ROI is higher.”
“Have you seen the returns on e-cigs?”
He tosses his head back, roaring out a laugh before he sobers. “Seriously, though, make a show of taking pictures when you come. And not just of my ass.”
“What?!”
“I know you look when I turn around.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“Because we work at an ice rink. Reflective surfaces are everywhere.”
“It’ll be hard not to take a picture of your ass, considering there’s about six foot two inches and two hundred pounds of ass in front of me.”
He frowns. “You think I’m only six two?”
Twenty minutes later, I’m stepping into the rink where the youth teams play. The cold air hits my face the closer I get to the ice.
Laughter and shouts echo around the children already on the ice, wobbling in their skates, hockey sticks in their hands.
Aiden must see me because he waves from across the rink. Dane, however, is already in full coach mode.
I wave back before approaching and pull out my phone to take candid pictures and videos.
Dane looks like a natural with the kids. Both boys and girls and their ages seem to be in a range. The one thing they all have in common is that their excitement is palpable.
They all laugh and giggle, and something infectious about it has me grinning as well.
I watch with heart-shaped eyes as he shows the kids how to skate, and the kids copy him.
He skates beside them, guiding them, and as the practice goes on, Dane teaches them how to handle their sticks. He then shows them different techniques and the best ways to control the puck.
He’s phenomenal.
I can’t get over it.
Needing a minute to rein my emotions in, I look down on my phone, but then the boisterous sounds of screams and giggles have me glancing back up.
Now he’s letting them try to score on him.
It’s adorable.
I could watch this all day. Seeing Dane interact with the kids is everything I didn’t know I needed.
It’s amazing.
He’s amazing.
Seeing him today . . . was everything.
“Thanks, Coach!” one of the kids screams as Dane walks off the ice and approaches Aiden. Despite my distance, I can hear them as they speak. I should excuse myself, but I’m curious, so I don’t.
“It reminds me why I originally fell in love with hockey. Thanks for inviting me, man.”
“No problem, Sin. You better come back.”
“Promise.” He continues to walk, and I catch up to him. Together, we leave the rink.
“You’re a natural, Dane. They loved you.”
Dane shrugs, but I don’t miss the smile that crawls up his face.
Like this, he looks beautiful.
A man at peace.
If I’m not careful, this man is exactly the type of man who can break my heart because this is the man I can fall in love with.
43
JOSIE
Another day, another city. The Saints play in Seattle today, and we’re already at the arena. Seeing as I work for the team, I’m just outside the locker room when I see Dane walking off. I have no clue where he’s going, but something about the way he’s stalking off has me concerned.
I follow him as he takes a back hallway, but I have no clue where it leads. How is this a good idea?
Something tells me that my father allows Dane extra wiggle room for the things he can do, and taking a moment before a game might just be one of those things. The game doesn’t start for another hour, so where he’s going is beyond me.
I watch as he opens a door, then follow him through it, but the door isn’t even closed when he spins around and takes a step to cage me in against the wall.
My eyes open wide as my back presses against the brick wall.