“I also,” he leaned close to me, which wasn’t hard in his car, and his breath skimmed across my bare collarbone, “really like these shoes you keep wearing.” His fingers grazed over my knee and I held my breath so I didn’t start hyperventilating.
“They’re Avery’s,” I squeaked, “but she gave them to me.”
“You’ll have to thank her for me,” he whispered, brushing my hair off my shoulder, and my pulse accelerated.
“Mhmm, I can do that,” my eyes followed his fingers as they skimmed down my neck.
He leaned even closer, and I thought this was it, he’s going to kiss me.
But instead, he grinned cockily, and slid back to his side of the car. “We’ve got some roller skating to do.”
I squished my eyes closed and took a deep breath.
Damn him for getting me all worked up like that. It wasn’t fair.
When I opened my eyes, he was already out of the car, and closing the door.
I scurried after him as fast as I could.
He held the door for me and I followed him to where we paid for our skates.
Luckily, I outsmarted him by cutting in front of him, to pay for my own roller skates.
“That won’t happen again,” he whispered in my ear as we walked away from the counter. “I’m onto you,” he narrowed his eyes as he walked backwards, passed me.
I sat down on a bench and pulled off my shoes, then realized, I didn’t have socks. I sighed in disgust.
“I’m not wearing socks and that’s not exactly something I carry around in my purse,” I grumbled, glaring at my bare feet, and then at the skates I knew were far from sanitary.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered,” Trace winked, sitting down beside me, and handing me a pair of socks. “They’re clean but they’ll be a little big on you.”
“I’ll make do,” I smiled gratefully at him, taking the wadded up ball of socks from his hand. “I hope you’re prepared to handle my suckiness.” I looked out onto the rink where a group of teenagers was skating. It was clear they knew what they were doing and that scared me further. I’d fall flat on my butt as soon as I set foot on the rink.
“That’s what the beginner’s rink is for,” he pointed to a different rink on our right.
It was full of small children and their parents.
“Great,” I rolled my eyes. “This is going to be wonderful.”
“You’re the one that wanted to do it, so stop complaining,” he bent to lace up his skates. “We’ll have fun and I won’t let you fall.”
He was probably right. I wouldn’t fall. Why? Because I’d be crawled halfway up his body, holding on for dear life.
I had put roller-skating on my list, because I’d always wanted to do it when I was younger. Now, looking at the four wheels on the bottom of the skates and the slippery wood floor, I didn’t think it was a good idea. I had already proven myself to be clumsy around Trace, and this would make it worse.
“Ready?” He asked me.
There was nothing I could do to stall.
“Yeah,” I mumbled reluctantly.
Trace held out a hand for me and I placed mine in it. His hand was warm and rough from hard work.
“I won’t let you go,” he promised, guiding me across the carpeted floor.
This wasn’t so bad, but I knew the carpet was giving me false hope.
Trace stepped onto the rink first and my heart began to race in fear.