Chapter 8
EIGHT
AUGUST
“You stay here. I want to see if I can make it around on my own.” Quinn presses her hands against my chest until I glide back into the wall.
I chuckle at her demanding tone but switch to a contrite nod when she raises an eyebrow at me. “Show me what you can do.”
She isn’t graceful. Growing up around people who are used to ice, I’ve seen plenty of girls skate as smooth as dancers. On solid ground, Quinn can put their majestic movements to shame. But here? She’s as clumsy as a newborn deer.
Still, the sight of her choppy glide hits me with a strong wave of pride.
An hour ago, she was scared to put one blade on the glassy surface without clutching the wall in a death grip.
When I offered her my hand, she let go, albeit reluctantly.
It took a few turns for her to stop squeaking in surprise whenever someone passed us.
Quinn started to relax into things when I asked her questions. Talking kept her mind off her feet.
Plus, I got to learn more about the copper-headed beauty. Like how she and her sisters grew up in Phoenix and now she rents a house with the younger one.
The idea of living with a sibling appeals to me. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have that type of connection with someone.
Quinn clutched my arm and told me about some of their silly traditions. Apparently, the two of them have superhero movie nights every Tuesday. My date got animated when she related her family’s history with comics.
“My dad went to a convention, and he saw this woman dressed up like his favorite villain. She had on a green spandex body suit, covered in fake leaves, and some glorious red hair.” Quinn tossed her own fiery mane over her shoulder while she told the story.
“That was my mom. The two of them geeked out together, and they’ve been wildly in love ever since.
” She rolled her eyes as a smile creased her cheeks.
And something clicked in my brain.
“Quinn?” I asked.
There went that lovely eyebrow, swooping up in question.
“What are your sisters’ names again?”
She groaned, covering her eyes with her hand, and then she immediately lost her balance and slipped down to one knee.
Without losing a beat, I bent over to wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her up and supporting her weight until she had her footing again. With her body pressed flush against mine, I could almost imagine a caress of warmth from her. But that had to be in my head.
And because she would need a certain level of expertise to navigate the ice while wrapped around me, I reluctantly let her go.
“Thanks.” Quinn squeezed my hand before stretching her arm out for better balance.
“I guess you picked up on our namesakes. Harley and Quinn. Then there’s Cat, who, luckily, is the last of us or else our sibling would have been called Woman.
Or maybe Penguin. My dad fell in love with a villain, so he decided to name his daughters after a few more. ”
From her light tone, I got the sense that Quinn enjoyed the story of their names.
“Do you have any weird family?”
I laughed then at her hopeful expression. If she was concerned I was too normal for her, she had a huge surprise coming. But even if things worked out between us, that reveal would come way down the line. Way, way, way down the line.
Instead, I answered as best as I could, “I’m an only child, so no weird siblings.
My cousin though, he’s a character. Kind of a cocky bastard, but in a way that you can’t help but love him.
I moved here to be closer to him and the group of friends he always talks about.
Since I grew up with just my parents, the idea of a huge family has always fascinated me. ”
Over the hour, we continued trading stories back and forth—hers all about life with her sisters in Phoenix and mine poor attempts at describing life in Anchorage.
All the while, I kept my ice stifled, even as the magic tried to spill out every time Quinn smiled up at me or squinted her eyes closed in laughter.
Now I see another of her joyous grins as she stumble-skates toward me, having successfully completed her first solo trip around the rink.
“I did it!” She pumps her arms in the air, barely ten feet away from me.
And the universe decides to flip her the middle finger in the form of a kid in a hockey jersey zipping in front of her.
Quinn’s face registers surprise before she twists in a clumsy attempt to keep upright. If I were closer, I could catch her. Instead, she lands with a hard thwack against the ice.
I wince in pity for her plump ass, specifically the right cheek, which takes the brunt of the impact.
“Shit. Quinn, are you okay?” I skate to her side, arms held out for her to use as support.
She grimaces. “I think I broke my butt.”
Fuck. Tailbone injuries are hell to deal with. I bruised mine when I was thirteen, and it was one of the worst pains I’d experienced. If Quinn broke hers … let’s just say, it’s unlikely I’ll get a second date.
And I really want a second date.
“How bad does it hurt? Do you need me to carry you off the ice?” Not a lot of guys would be able to make that offer, but there’s not a single time I’ve felt unsteady on this slick surface. I was probably skating before I could walk.
“Help me up.” Quinn grips my arms, and I gently pull her into a standing position, keeping an eye out for any indication that she’ll go crashing back down. “Give it to me straight.” Her tone catches my attention, and I search her serious face.
“What’s that now?”
“You know what I’m asking.” Her bottom lip quivers, and my heart just about shatters at the sight. Then she clarifies, “Did I flatten my ass?”
“Wh-what?”
“Stop putting off the inevitable and tell me!” Quinn grabs one of my hands, and with no qualms about being in public, she presses my palm onto her round butt cheek.
The only thing stopping me from squeezing is the knowledge that she’s going to be bruised from her fall. Instead, I glance down and meet her mischievous eyes, which twinkle with hidden humor.
Somehow, I keep an answering grin off my face. Playing along, I shake my head in mock worry as I rub the area. “I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. I think you need to remove these pants so I can perform a more thorough inspection.”
A throat pointedly clears just behind my back, and I whip my head around to see a woman with a young girl clutching her hand. The mother glares at me before skating by us.
A solid weight presses into my chest. Quinn buries her head in my shirt as her entire body shakes with suppressed giggles. And just like that, my embarrassment fades. I wrap my arms around her and skate backward toward the exit, letting the redhead have her fun at my expense.
I’d do a hell of a lot more embarrassing things to hear Quinn’s laughter.
My date only gives a slight wince when she settles on the wooden bench to remove her skates. I sit next to her, close enough that we brush arms, but not so close that I’m crowding her.
“Thanks for bringing me here.” Quinn tilts her head enough to give me a grin as she unties her laces.
All I can manage is a grunt because I’m waging a war in my mind.
This was a perfectly acceptable first date.
I should tell her goodbye, promise to meet up with her soon, and then go back to my place to deal with all this pent-up lust. Dating a human is going to require some practice.
I’m positive the main reason things went well today was because I bundled her up in an extra layer of clothes.
Added protection against my unappealing icy habit.
On the other hand, every molecule in my body wants to pull her onto my lap, use my frosty hand to soothe the bruise forming on her ass and my mouth to devour her inviting lips.
I risk another glance Quinn’s way, only to catch her pressing the overly long sleeves of my sweatshirt to her nose again, eyes closed as she breathes in deep.
My mouth moves before my brain can launch another protest. “Do you like soup?”