Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“At times, it’s hard to imagine you being shy, but others…I can see it. Because even now you hold things close to your chest. I think there’s a lot more going on in that head of yours than what you show to the world.”
“Isn’t that true for everyone?” I ask, though his assessment is a little too close to home, making me slightly uncomfortable.
“Yes and no. It feels different with you. You’re so open in some ways—your friendship with Hayes and Donovan, even me to a degree. The way you like to laugh and have a good time. When you dance…Jesus, when you fucking dance it’s like you’re putting it all out there. I think that fools a lot of people.”
But not him? My discomfort grows, but tangled around in that is this…how do I word it…this urge to hear him say more, this desire to see myself in the way Kason is talking about right now. I feel like if I let him, he could see things I don’t want to show, things no one else has ever found, and that, my friends, is scary as fuck.
“Race you to the water.” I push to my feet.
“It’s cold as shit.”
“Big, tough hockey player can’t handle a little cold?” I tease, and so quickly I don’t realize what’s happening at first, Kason is on his feet, lifting me off the sand and running with me toward the water. “Oh my God. What are you doing?”
“Cute, tough dancer can’t handle it?” he jokes back, easing us into the water. The first splash of cold against my skin sends a shock through my system. I tremble and hold on to him tighter.
“Fuck, that’s freezing. This was a terrible idea.”
“It was your idea,” he tosses back.
“Well, you shouldn’t listen to me!”
Kason chuckles, then sets me down, right as a small wave hits me in the chest. I splash water at him, as if he’s not already getting wet as well. He dunks his head under and rises again, shaking the wet strands as we splash and play and float…for about thirty seconds. Okay, it’s longer, but we don’t last more than ten minutes, my balls having pulled up due to the temperature.
“I hate you,” I tease, grabbing my towel and wrapping it around myself.
“Aw, come on. I’ll keep you warm.” He runs his hands up and down my arms, and my pulse stumbles. It’s such a small thing, so simple and easy and…sweet in this way not many people have been to me. Sometimes it’s about the small things, and I haven’t had a lot of big or small things, but this moment with Kason feels like one of them.
He pulls me into his arms, his hands going to my back, rubbing and warming. He smells like saltwater and kindness, his skin warm against mine, but all too quickly it’s over.
“Better?” he asks, and I nod, unsure I have words yet. “Good.”
There are a few more people here now, but as far as I can tell, none of them are paying us any attention. We sit on the blanket he brought, not caring that we’re getting it sandy from our feet.
“What about you?” I ask. “When did you get into yoga?”
“High school. I thought it was dumb at first, but I had a goalie coach who pushed it on me. It really didn’t take long for me to fall in love, and not just because of the benefits to my flexibility and mobility. I like that all the outside shit quiets down in those moments, ya know?”
“Yeah.” I smile. “I know.”
We lie there and chat for a while, easy conversation and lots of Kason laughs that turn into Anthony laughs and sometimes the other way around. Eventually, we pack up and walk toward the boardwalk to find a place for a late lunch. I swear I feel like people are looking at us when we walk by, but Kason doesn’t seem to notice or mind, so I ignore it. We settle on a small sandwich shop and take a seat by the window as we wait for our food.
We’re halfway through our meal when Kason says, “You have a little…” and points to his face.
Because of fucking course I have to be the idiot who gets food on his face when I’m having lunch with the world’s sexiest hockey player.
“Don’t mind me, I’m just a disaster on all levels,” I joke, grabbing my napkin and trying to wipe it away.
“No you’re not.” He takes it from me and wipes whatever is on my face.
I get that same warming feeling I’d gotten when he’d rubbed my back and arms by the water, my pulse pounding in my ears.
Don’t do this. Don’t get so attracted to Kason that you ruin what you have.
Even Malcolm said I was his least favorite, and he’s a terrible person.