He looked down at their intertwined fingers, his mouth parting slightly, as if he wanted to speak but was being cautious. She knew exactly what was on his mind, because the same thing was running through hers. God help her, but she wanted this man in her bed again.
He was arrogant, yes, and pushy sometimes. But he also turned her on in the fiercest way, and every time he fixed those midnight-blue eyes on her, every time he wrapped those big arms around her, she melted.
They slowed their pace, and she forced her thoughts away from the dangerous territory they’d crossed into and tried to come up with a neutral topic of conversation. One that didn’t make her think of Brody, naked and hard as he devoured her body with his tongue.
“When did you start playing?” she finally asked, deciding his career was as safe a subject as any.
“Pretty much the second I could walk, I was learning to skate. My dad used to take me to this outdoor rink near our house in Michigan.” He chuckled. “Well, it wasn’t much of a rink. Just a crappy pond that froze over every winter. My parents couldn’t afford the membership fee for a real arena, so I used to practice my slap shots out on that pond while my dad sat on a folding chair in the snow and read car magazines.”
“Did you play on a school team?”
“Uh, what team wasn’t I on?” He dropped her hand and began skating lazy circles around her. “In high school I played hockey, rugby and baseball in the spring. Oh, and I was on the lacrosse team until the practices started to interfere with my hockey schedule.”
“Huh. So you were one of those guys. I bet you were voted Most Likely to Become a Pro Athlete in your high school yearbook.”
“Actually, I was.”
He told her a bit about his early years in the league, then made her laugh with some anecdotes about his parents and their overwhelming pride in him. At times a twinge of bitterness seeped into his voice, giving her the feeling that his childhood was tougher than he let on, but she didn’t pry. She remembered him telling her money had been tight for his family, and it was obviously something he didn’t like talking about.
A few minutes later, a cramp seized her leg and she wobbled to a stop, leaning against the splintered sideboards as she rubbed the back of her thigh. On the West Coast she jogged every morning before heading over to the university, but she was obviously not in the great shape she’d believed herself to be in. Her legs were aching and they’d only been skating around for twenty minutes.
“Wanna take a break?” Brody offered.
“Please.”
They stepped off the ice and climbed up to the bleachers. Brody was an expert when it came to walking on skates. She wasn’t so fortunate. She almost pitched forward a half-dozen times before she finally sank down on the bench and exhaled with relief.
“I think I pulled a muscle in my butt,” she grumbled.
“Want me to rub the kinks out?”
She stiffened, wishing his voice didn’t contain that husky note of erotic promise. Damn it. She couldn’t fall into bed with him again. As thrilling as it would be to continue exploring the sexual canvas they seemed so skilled at painting together, she couldn’t help remembering what had happened the last time she’d given in.
As if sensing her concerns, Brody let out an unsteady breath. “I’m sorry about the other night, Hayden. I acted like an ass.”
She didn’t reply, just offered a pointed nod.
“I know I’m rough around the edges. I’m demanding, I like getting my way and I’m definitely not the kind of man who’s content with playing second fiddle.” He held up his hand before she could cut in. “I shouldn’t have hassled you about, you know, Doug—” he said the name like it was contagious “—but damn it, Hayden, it drives me crazy knowing there’s someone else in your life. I’m not used to sharing.”
“You’re not sharing. Doug and I are on a break.”
“There’s a giant difference between a break and a breakup.” He frowned. “Do you think you’ll go back to him?”
“I don’t know.” Deep down, though, she knew the answer to that question and it probably wasn’t one Doug was going to like. But she couldn’t talk about it, not now, and definitely not with Brody.
She could tell he wasn’t happy with her answer, but instead of challenging her the way he had two nights ago, he simply nodded. “Guess I’ll have to live it with then. And I can live with it, especially if it means I get to spend more time with you.”
“But why? What do you see in me that makes you so sure we should pursue this?” She wasn’t prone to insecurities, but she couldn’t quite figure out why this sexy giant of a man wanted her and not some supermodel.