Jaci Burton - Melting the Ice

The waiter stood by while Carolina perused the menu. She was suddenly starving, so she chose a baked chicken breast with asparagus and rice.

“You don’t have to sit here with me while I eat.”

He cocked a brow. “Trying to get rid of me?”

“Not at all. I just know you’ve all eaten already. I’m sure you’re busy, too.”

“No game today. I’m all yours.”

She leveled a smile at him. “Thank you.”

“About that. I have to apologize to you.”

“For what?”

“For bailing on you.”

Confused, she frowned at him. “You showed up today. Even with a car accident. My God, Drew, you ran three blocks.”

“Not that. The advertising campaign.”

“Oh.”

“I was in my own head about the road games, trying to figure out what was going on and looking for something, anything—anyone—to blame.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “I blamed you.”

“Me? Why?”

He shrugged. “Because you were as convenient an excuse as anything else. Sometimes, in sports, they say dating a woman during the season is bad luck.”

“Oh. And you think I’m your bad luck charm.”

“Something like that.”

“Okay.” So this was his breakup conversation. At least she was getting honesty from him, a reason behind his recent behavior. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense to her, but it was better than a disappearing act with no explanation.

“The problem was, it wasn’t you. It was all me.” He pointed to his temple. “It was all in my head. Still is. Whatever problem the team is having winning road games, it isn’t you causing it.”

“Good to know.”

He grasped her hand. “I’m sorry I let you down, Lina. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. I acted like a selfish jackass and I hope you can forgive me.”

Oh. So it wasn’t a breakup conversation. It was an apology, and one she hadn’t expected from Drew.

“There’s nothing to forgive.”

“I know you had to scramble to find someone else to do the photo shoot.”

“Drew, I—”

“I know it came in the middle of you preparing for the biggest debut of your life.”

“Drew, really, I—”

“And that makes me the shittiest boyfriend in the world.”

Boyfriend? He’d called himself her boyfriend? They’d never once defined their relationship.

“You’re my boyfriend?”

“I don’t know. Lover? The guy who’s in love with you. Whatever you want to call me, I suck at it.”

She shuddered in a breath. He loved her? “You love me?”

“Shit. I told you I suck at this.” He took her hand. “Yes. I love you. I should have told you sooner, Lina. Not that I deserve to have your love after what I did to you. I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. And I promised you I wouldn’t let you down again. I’m not a guy who goes back on his promises. Can you ever forgive me for that?”

She was so overcome by his words that all she could do was stare at him.

“This isn’t going like I thought it would. You could say something. Kick me to the curb, tell me to go fuck myself. Or tell me you forgive me. Something.”

She laughed. “I’m sorry. I was just stunned there for a moment. Of course I forgive you. We all go through things that are tough and emotional, and sometimes we take them out on the people we care about the most. First, I haven’t done the photo shoot yet.”

“You haven’t?”

“No. I decided to delay it until after Fashion Week. I did find someone else to do the shoot, but Drew, no one could replace you. Not in my head. I could only see you in those shots. You’re my perfect model for the print ad. I kept hoping you’d come around and maybe that’s why I delayed it until after the show. I kept hoping you’d change your mind.”

He lifted her hands and kissed them. “I’m a jerk.”

She laughed. “No, you’re not. Okay, sometimes you are. Sometimes I am, too. I can be self-absorbed and too into my own work. But the one thing that has consumed me for the past several months, sometimes to the detriment of my own work, has been you. I’m in love with you, Drew. I think about you all the time.”

He got up and came around to her side of the table, then pulled her into his arms and laid a kiss on her that left her breathless and dizzy. And despite being in a public restaurant, he continued to kiss her, framing her face with his hands, until she was certain that he was most definitely in love with her, because no man would kiss a woman like that in public unless he had genuine feelings for her. Because there was suddenly applause and catcalls and whistles, and when he pulled away, he ignored them all, focusing only on her as he smiled.

“I love you, Lina.”

She licked her lips, feeling as if this day couldn’t possibly get any better. “I love you, too, Drew.”

The waiter brought her food. Funnily enough, her near starvation of a few minutes ago had dissipated. But she ate anyway, while Drew watched her.

“You’re watching me eat,” she said.

“Yeah. So?”

“It’s a little disconcerting.”

He picked up the fork and scooped rice onto it. “Now I’m feeding you. Better?”

He slid the fork between her lips. She closed her mouth over it, but then found him watching her mouth.

“Now it just looks dirty.”

“Stop, or you’ll make me hard.”

She laughed, pushed him away, and finished her meal. They left the restaurant and went back to her apartment.

“When is your next game?” she asked as he opened the door for her.

“Tomorrow night.”

“Road game or home game?”

“Road game. New Jersey.”

He helped her with her coat. She turned to face him. “At least we have tonight together.”

He slipped his arms around her. “Yeah, we do, and it’s been too damn long since we were together. I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you, too. Now kiss me, undress me, and make love to me.”

“I’m all over that.” He gave her a wickedly sexy half smile she’d also missed—the one that tugged at her insides and turned her into mush.

He brushed his lips over hers, then pressed harder, opening her mouth and sliding his tongue over hers. She wound her hand around the nape of his neck to draw him closer, needing his hands, his mouth on hers, that connection they always forged that was emotional as well as physical.

The way he touched her, moving his hands over her body as if he were exploring her for the first time, never failed to send her nerve endings into overdrive. Her nipples peaked hard and tingled as he wound his hands down her sides and over her butt.

He dragged his lips over her jaw and across her neck, his hand roaming up her back to reach for the zipper on her dress. She shivered as he pulled the zipper down.

“Cold?” he asked.

“A little.”

“Come on. Let’s go to your bedroom.”

He took her hand and led her into the bedroom, stopping next to her bed. He turned her around and pulled the dress from her shoulders, kissing the top of her spine. Goose bumps pricked her skin, but this time it wasn’t from the cold. She pulled the long sleeves of her dress from her arms, then let the dress pool to the floor.

“Now there’s an outfit,” he said.

She looked down at her peach and cream lace and satin bra and panties, and the heels she still wore. She sat on the bed and lifted her foot for him to remove her shoe. He took one shoe off, then massaged her foot.

“Oh, God, that feels so good.”

“You were on your feet all day.” He took the other shoe off, holding the stiletto heel in his hand. “How do you women walk in these things?”

“We make sacrifices for the sake of beauty and to make our legs look good.”