Shadows and Doubts

He was done talking about his past. Having lived it was punishment enough.

“Do you still plan to play broomball on Thursday?” he asked, switching subjects on her.

The thought of Eden on the ice throwing elbows and insults blew another understandable misconception about her right out of the air like a clay pigeon. As much as he wanted to advise her against going, he couldn’t help smiling at the image he had of her out there.

“I can’t let my team down, but I’ll be careful.” She stood and began clearing the dishes.

He rose to help. “Then I’ll be there.”

“You think that’s necessary?” She set their empty bowls and plates in the sink and ran water over them.

“Yes. But it’s also an opportunity.”

“Hm.” She pondered that a moment then asked, “Are you having more tea?”

He set his empty cup on the counter and backed away. “I should go.” Lingering would be too easy. Acting on the attraction that was growing with every interaction they had even harder to avoid. “Thanks for the meal. It doesn’t count, you know,” he told her with a teasing smile.

Eden laughed. “I never said it did. Close my case then you’ll get the real meal.”

“I don’t know how you’re going to top this one.”

“Just wait,” she promised with a beguiling look in her eyes.

“Well, I’d say that’s incentive.”

“Exactly how I meant it.”

She followed him down the steps and waited while he put his shoes on. They were cold and damp, inside and out. The downside of hating winter boots almost as much as he hated galoshes, or worse, rubbers.

He put on his coat. Eden tugged his scarf off the smaller hook and stepped forward to loop it behind his neck while he zipped up. She didn’t move back. If anything, she seemed to tip closer so that her chest was practically touching his.

Glen cocked an eyebrow at her and she gazed placidly back as if she weren’t challenging a professional line and stirring up all kinds of mischief for him.

“I can’t,” he told her, his regret absolutely genuine. “I’m already on thin ice with the department.”

“Can’t what?” the vixen asked in a husky whisper, the challenge, shit, the invitation as heavy as his balls. Damn her sexy smile.

“This. Not yet. We can’t.” His words came out as an apologetic plea.

It was enough. They stared into each other’s eyes, mutually acknowledging this was going to happen. They were going to happen.

“Funny,” he said with a little snort. “Bedford wondered whether we’d slept together yet.”

“Did he?” She didn’t sound surprised, more like impressed. “What did you say?”

Facing into the light like this, her eyes shimmered. It was mesmerizing.

“I don’t remember,” he said.

“Liar.” She smiled. “In any case, you should go.”

He really should.

“You’re right,” he said just above a whisper, his lips mere inches from hers.

“I’ll be at the rink by seven on Thursday night. See you then?”

How did she make such a simple statement sound loaded with potential?

“Don’t look for me.”

Her brows shot up. “O-kay.”

Her reaction amused him. “Just trust that I’ll be patrolling the periphery and watching for trouble.”

“And I’m to pretend I’m not aware you’re close but out of reach. Again. We seem to have a theme going here.”

“Evidently.” He dipped toward her, tantalizingly close, and the fractals of her eyes reminded him of the frost patterns on the inside of his dark windshield. A windshield right outside, where he should be.

“Goodnight, Eden.”

Her kissable mouth twitched with a smile and she took a step away. “Glen.”

He reached blindly for the doorknob but instead of turning to it when he found it, he muttered a frustrated, “Ah, shit,” and spun back, caught her around the waist, and dragged Eden flush against him. She arched backward over his arm as he kissed the living hell out of that beautiful mouth of hers.

There was a sense of relief, triumph even, as her gasp of surprise turned into a rumble of pure pleasure. She drove her hands into his hair and gripped him by the head as she kissed him back, her response as potent as his.

When they finally eased apart to catch their breath, both were staring at the other and panting in mild surprise. It was Eden who started giggling first. Once she let loose, he was gone, laughing along and shaking his head.

“That was…” he began then let the thought go.

“Incredible?” she asked, glowing even as she fanned herself.

“I was going to say ill-advised, but let’s go with your answer. I like it better.”

“Ha!” She laughed. “Guess I’ll see you Thursday.”

He turned back from checking the dark street. “Don’t—”

“Give you up,” she finished for him and rolled her eyes. “I won’t. But you don’t make things easy, do you?”

“You must have talked to my captain.” Snorting at his own joke, Gold ducked out into the cold.

ISBN: 1717220525