Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
With a quick grin, I tow her from the building.
CHAPTER 29
JULIETTE
Even after we make a quick pitstop at my apartment and then his house to grab gloves and a hat, Ryder refuses to tell me what he has up his sleeve. In all honesty, I don’t care. I just enjoy spending time with him. It doesn’t matter what we do or where we go.
The way he looks at me sends shivers careening down my spine and makes my belly do a little flip flop. It’s impossible to imagine another man rousing these kinds of feelings within me.
I’m trying to temper my expectations. Even though he demanded exclusivity, I’m not sure what that means, and I’m hesitant to ask for clarification. I want to ride this wave for as long as possible before it comes to its inevitable end. Then, I’ll pick up the fragmented pieces of my heart and glue them back together again the best I can.
Until then, I try not to focus on it.
There are only two more items on the list.
Skip class (number nine), which is what we’re doing right now. So, that one will definitely get checked off when I return home.
And number five, a romantic date.
I blow out a steady breath, unable to imagine Ryder planning something like that. We’re not actually going out. When sadness tries to push in at the edges, I ignore it. The last thing I want to do is dampen my mood. It takes effort to force myself back to the present as Ryder pulls the truck into the gravel parking lot of a local outdoor skating rink that’s open during the winter months.
After killing the engine, he swivels toward me. “You’ve been awfully quiet. Already having regrets about not attending bio stats?”
I force a bright smile, refusing to admit the truth. I’m sure Ryder’s more than used to girls falling head over heels for him.
The last thing I want to be is one of them.
“No. I just need to text Aaron tonight and ask for notes.”
“Aaron?” I can almost see the wheels in his brain spinning. “Isn’t that the guy you kissed in the hallway?”
“If you mean the kiss you interrupted outside my door, then yes.”
“You still haven’t thanked me for saving you from that unfortunate situation,” he says with a snort.
I arch a brow. “Who said I wanted to be saved?”
A low growl erupts from him as he slides his hand around the back of my head and drags me forward. A second later, his lips crash onto mine before his tongue thrusts inside my mouth.
Like the other night in the locker room, it’s forceful and possessive. As if he’s trying to prove exactly who I belong to. Just as I grow lightheaded from lack of oxygen, he pulls away enough to search my eyes and nip my lower lip with sharp teeth. He sucks the fullness into his mouth before releasing it with a soft pop.
“You were saying?”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
One side of his mouth hitches. “That’s what I thought.”
Even though it’s early afternoon, there’s a dozen or so people on the ice. A few older couples, some parents with preschool aged children, and then a few high school kids.
“You ready?” he asks.
“As I’ll ever be.”
We exit the vehicle before meeting up around the hood. When he reaches out and snags my fingers with his own, I can’t resist dropping my gaze to our clasped hands. A month ago, I couldn’t have dreamed of this happening and now…
Here we are.
My heart clenches.
I don’t want this to ever end.
“Do you remember how to skate?”
I shake that disturbing thought away before running my tongue across the front of my teeth. “It’s been a while. I’m sure I’ll be rusty, which actually means I’ll probably fall on my ass a lot.”
“Guess it’s a good thing you have a professional with you.”
I quirk a brow. “A professional, huh?”
“Yup.” He tugs me to him before dropping a kiss against my lips.
I never realized just how affectionate Ryder is. When I’ve caught sight of him around campus with other girls, they’ve always been the ones hanging on him.
Not the other way around.
We stop at the little wooden shack and grab a pair of rental skates before settling on a bench. Then, we slip off our shoes and slip on the skates, making sure to lace them up tight.
“It’s funny,” I muse. “Skating has never been a huge part of my life. Dad had me take lessons when I was a kid and asked if I wanted to play hockey, but I never had any interest.”
Once he’s finished, he rises to his feet and extends a hand for me to take hold of. “I remember you spending a lot of time at the arena when you were a kid.”
“Yup. Anytime Mav had practice, we were there. I always made sure to bring lots of books to read. Once I was older, I’d bring homework and study on the bleachers, or I’d grab a snack at the concession stand and work at a table in the lobby. It wasn’t so bad.”