Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
MAISY
Sterling pulls my truck into the parking lot of the outdoor skating rink in town. I stay quiet as I stare out the window at the strings of lights twinkling above the ice and the couples gliding hand in hand, cheeks pink, and scarves fluttering while they laugh.
It’s Couples Night, and the irony of being here with Sterling isn’t lost on me.
We haven’t talked about what happened between us the other night during the blackout, but it’s been replaying in my mind like a broken record. The feel of his mouth, his hands, the need that nearly consumed me whole. It’s becoming painfully unbearable just being around him after that.
“Remind me again why we agreed to this?” I mutter as I watch a couple on the ice spin in each other’s arms like they’re rehearsing a figure skating routine.
“Because your brother asked us to wingman for him tonight,” Sterling replies calmly, watching the same couple.
Levi called bright and early yesterday morning to check if Sterling and I had survived the blackout, and before hanging up, he casually begged us to team up and wingman him on a date with—as he put it—”the hottest girl on the planet.”
I blow out a frustrated breath. “Of all the places Levi could’ve picked for a fake double date, he had to pick the rink?” I push the door open, my boots sinking into the snow as I hop out.
Sterling rounds the car, meeting me at the back with a lazy grin. “Remind me again why you hate skating?”
I shake my head quickly. “The idea of falling flat on rock hard ice sounds like a terrible plan. Especially after the accident.”
“Don’t worry,” he says, taking my hand in his as we start walking to the skate rental booth. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”
I look down at our joined hands, basking in the warmth, and then back up at him. “What are you doing?”
“Pretty sure this is called holding hands, Maisy,” he deadpans.
“I can see that,” I shoot back. “But why?”
He lifts my hand to his mouth and presses a slow kiss to the back of it, causing my entire body to burn up, like there’s a fire racing under my skin.
“Because we’re supposed to be pretending that we’re here for a double date with your brother and some girl,” he says, that smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.
“Okay,” I breathe, trying not to let my knees buckle. “But shouldn’t you save that for when they’re actually watching?”
He stops us in the middle of the lot, his hand leaving mine and sliding up the side of my neck, pulling me closer until his forehead rests against mine. His breath ghosts over my lips, not quite a kiss, but so damn close my body screams for it.
“Your heart’s beating so fast,” he whispers, eyes closed, a smile grazing his lips as his thumb gently strokes the side of my neck where my pulse is pounding.
Heat flares up my neck, blooming into my cheeks, and words clog my throat.
His voice dips lower. “Your brother’s going to kick my ass for getting this close to you, but I’m starting to not care.”
The spell breaks when Sterling finally pulls back, his gaze moving beyond me.
I turn, finding Levi standing stiff near the skate rental booth with a blonde woman straight out of a ski-bunny calendar—designer cropped jacket, blown-out hair, and lips that look freshly injected.
Levi’s hands are balled into fists, and the way his eyes shift between me and Sterling makes my stomach drop.
“How long has he been standing there?” I murmur.
“I noticed him around when I got out of the car,” Sterling says casually, his palm reclaiming mine.
Levi’s gaze drops pointedly to our hands as we walk up, tension crackling in the air.
“Sorry we’re late,” I say quickly, hoping to smooth things over. “I had to wait for the shower water to heat up after Sterling’s hour-long shower.”
Levi doesn’t answer, still locked in some silent battle of wills with Sterling. I turn to the blonde, desperate for relief, but instead of helping, she’s staring at Sterling like he’s her dessert. My stomach sours instantly. She’s supposed to be on a date with my brother, not drooling over mine.
Before I can think better of it, I drop Sterling’s hand and wrap my arms around his waist instead. His arm circles me without hesitation, pulling me tight against his side, and I lean into him deliberately.
The blonde’s eyes cut to me, narrowing as if she’s been caught. She clutches Levi’s arm with nails sharp enough to draw blood.
“Babe,” she whines in a singsong Australian accent. “You haven’t introduced me.”
Levi clears his throat, shooting me a stern look when he realizes I’ve wrapped myself around Sterling.
“Right. This is my sister, Maisy,” he says, waving in my direction. “Maisy, this is…”
His eyes go round, and I realize he’s forgotten her name.
Typical Levi.
“Bri—”
Her head whips in his direction, eyes narrowed. It’s definitely not whatever the hell he was just about to say. He clears his throat and puts on his most flirtatious grin before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into his side.
“This is my beautiful date.”
Wow. Somehow, that actually works and she melts into him. I roll my eyes, slowly stepping out of Sterling’s hold and straightening when he offers his hand out to her.
“I’m Sterling,” he says as she wraps her talons around his hand, giving him a suggestive smile. “I don’t think I caught your name.”
“Oh.” She giggles, her gaze still sticky on him. “I’m Courtney.”
Levi shoots Sterling a thankful look, like he didn’t just look ready to murder him a minute ago.
We make our way over to the skate rental booth, each of us getting a pair before heading to the benches outside the rink. Everyone laces up quickly except me, my fingers fumbling.
“Jeez, Maisy,” Levi groans. “You’re slower than the five-year-olds here.”
I look up and glare at him, biting my tongue so I don’t embarrass him in front of Courtney. Not that it matters because she’s back to ogling Sterling right in front of me.
“You know I hate skating,” I mutter.
He rolls his eyes. “Grow up.”
Before I can explode, Sterling steps between us. “How about you and Courtney hit the ice first,” Sterling suggests. “I’ll help get Maisy’s skates on.”
Levi doesn’t think twice as he takes hold of Courtney’s hand and drags her onto the ice. I watch as they effortlessly skate off just like everybody else on the rink, and I feel anxiety building in my chest.
“I don’t think I can do this,” I whisper.
“Yes, you can.” Sterling crouches in front of me, steady hands on my ankle as he props my skate on his thigh and tightens the laces for me. His head is bent, but his voice is low and sure. “You’re the bravest person I know, Mais.”
“I could get hurt,” I whisper.
He pauses, tying off the lace before moving to the other foot. “I won’t let that happen.”
“But what if—”
“Maisy.” His tone turns sharp as he tugs the lace firmly. His eyes flick up, steadily. “If you fall, then you land on me. I won’t let you get hurt.”
The conviction in his voice makes my chest ache.
“Okay,” I whisper.
Sterling pulls me up, holding both my hands as we step toward the rink. The cold air nips my cheeks, the sound of blades scraping the ice filling my ears. He guides me as we make our way onto the ice, skating backward while I cling to his forearms, stiff and shaky like a newborn deer.
He steers us away from the edge, closer to the middle of the rink where couples and children glide slow and easy. “Ready to finally skate?”
“I’m ready for this date to be over,” I mutter.
He glides closer to me now, our chests almost touching as I grip onto him. “Aw come on,” he says in a low, teasing voice. “You used to love our dates. Especially the happy endings.”
I let out a slow, measured breath as I hold his gaze. The ache between my thighs already feels torturous as I remember us getting lost in each other's bodies after every date all those years ago.
“Are we going to talk about it?” I finally ask.
His brows lift. “Talk about what?”
I force myself to look away, eyes catching on Courtney giggling as Levi shows off some spin. My throat tightens. “About what happened…during Candyland.”
His hand slides under my chin, tilting my face back to him. His eyes hold mine with intensity. “Do you want to talk about it?”
My eyes dip down, but a small nudge of his hand has them focusing back on Sterling’s face. “I don’t know,” I admit, voice cracking. “I kinda feel like we should.”
Sterling nods, but something catches his attention behind me. I turn to look and find Levi and Courtney skating toward us now.
“Talk about it on the drive home?” he suggests quietly.
I nod just as they reach us.
“Look at you,” Levi says, half surprised, half impressed. “Didn’t think you’d make it past the railing, sis.”
Courtney giggles, twirling her blonde hair around a manicured finger. “She’s lucky to have such a strong boyfriend,” she purrs, her eyes darting to Sterling like she’s testing how far she can push me.
My jaw tightens, and before I can stop myself, I press closer into him, and he responds instantly, sliding an arm around my waist to steady me, but the pressure of his hand against my hip feels anything but casual.
“Oh they’re not—” Levi stops himself remembering that he asked Sterling and I to fake date for this. “She is lucky, isn’t she?” he says instead, before pulling Courtney off to the side again to show off some more.
Sterling dips his head slightly, his breath brushing over the shell of my ear. “Relax,” he murmurs, only for me to hear. “Eyes on me, Mais. Not them.”
My chest squeezes, and I realize it’s not just the skating making my pulse go haywire—it’s him. Always him.
After a few more show-off tricks, Levi swoops in, takes Courtney’s hand, and skates them both toward the far end of the rink.
I track them with my eyes, frowning when they keep going, ducking past the gate that leads off the ice where they remove their skates in a hurry before rushing into the woods beside the rink.
Sterling notices too. “Are they seriously—”
“Yep,” I cut in, my lip curling in disgust. “Heading off to do God knows what in the trees like a pair of teenagers.”
Sterling shakes his head, amused. “Guess it’s just us then.”
“Guess so.”
He takes both my hands in his, skating backwards with effortless ease. “Come on, Mais. Let’s do a lap.”
My knees lock in protest. “Sterling—”
“Relax. I’ve got you.” His sure tone makes me want to believe him even when I know I’m seconds from disaster.
We glide past couples holding hands and kids darting between legs, the air thick with the scent of hot chocolate and woodsmoke.
For half a second, I almost feel like I’m actually enjoying skating, and then a blur of puffy jackets rockets past us.
Two kids racing each other, weaving dangerously close.
One cuts right behind Sterling, who’s still skating backward, and panic shoots through me as my balance wobbles.
“Sterling!”
He moves faster than I thought possible, spinning us so his body takes the fall. We crash onto the ice, but instead of pain, I land squarely on top of him, his arms tight around me.
“Told you I wouldn’t let you get hurt,” he groans moments later, wincing with a crooked grin.
My breath catches. My palms are splayed against his chest, his heartbeat hammering under my hands, and his face is so close—close enough that one wrong move and I’d be kissing him again.
And I want to. God, I want to.
But I just swallow, my cheeks flaming as I scramble off of him and onto my knees. “Are you okay?”
He chuckles, breath fogging in the night air as he sits up. “I’ll be fine.” He rubs the back of his head as he looks around. “If I know Levi, I don’t think he’s going to come back. Want to get out of here?”
I let out a relieved sigh. “I thought you’d never ask.”