carefully onto the ice, gliding back and forth while she waited for Jack.
Finally, he had the laces on his skates tied but he didn’t join her. Instead, he reclined against the bench, legs stretched out, arms folded, and gazed at her.
Aha, he’s going to back out after all
. He was not the man she’d thought he was. Shame, it could have been fun.
She skated backwards in a wide arc, coming to a stop in front of him, head tilted and hands on hips. “If I remember correctly, I did say on the ice—but hey, if you’re worried!”
Slowly, Jack shook his head. “You drive a hard bargain.”
Reluctantly, he dragged his legs up under him and gingerly made his way through the snow to the edge of the iced pond. He managed to avoid falling on his bum, and wobbled to a rigid standstill.
He looked at Katherine and gave her a toothy grin. “I’m on the ice!” he announced triumphantly.
“Yes, I’m glad we didn’t have a protracted debate about that. I’m getting cold Mr Riley; you’ve kept your end of the bargain. I’ll be seeing you.” Taking off, she waved and called out, “Hope you find your girl.” She glanced over her shoulder and quickly clapped a gloved hand over her mouth to stop her laughter from echoing across the ice. Teetering on his blades, Jack struggled to keep his balance. She thought it unfair to take advantage of his lack of skill, and skated around the pond to make her way back towards him.
Jack’s head snapped left and right. She saw a flash of his “Oh crap” expression. Finding a soft place to land wasn’t going to happen. His arms windmilled. His torso swayed. He was about to crash.
Katherine increased her speed, racing to approach him from behind and grab his coat.
“Whoa!”
Jack hollered, trying to keep his balance as he glanced over his shoulder. “Katherine, thank God you’re back.”
“Happy to see me?” she quipped.
“
Definitely
. You wouldn’t want to miss my elaborate triple flip.”
Despite herself, she laughed. “If you stop wobbling all over the place, I’ll show you the basics.”
“Stop wobbling? Right! I can do that. Give me a minute.” Jack centred himself and stood rigidly over his skates.
“Not like you’ve got a pole up your …” She gave him a playful thump on the arm.
“Be nice.” He quirked an eyebrow at her.
“It’s no different to skiing. All you have to do is find your balance. Okay, the first thing I want you to do is relax and bend the knees a little.” She slipped her arm around his waist, but his bulky sheepskin jacket made it impossible to grab hold of him properly. She dared to manoeuvre her hand underneath it and, to her delight, found his warm, soft sweater. Her hand fastened to his side, her breath caught in her throat, her fingers and palm tingled as she made contact with the hard muscles underneath. The tingle grew into a full-blown thrill that bubbled through her body, pooling and fluttering in her abdomen.
What the …? My reaction is absurd
. She moved her hand away, and he tottered, so she dug her fingers into his side.
“
Hmmm
, that’s nice,” Jack rumbled, smiling. “Skating could be lots of fun. I can see that.”
“Don’t get smart or I’ll leave you here in the middle of the pond to find your own way back.”
“Yes, miss,” Jack said, fooling around.
“I’ll ignore that too. Just as well I’m an amicable person,” she mumbled.
And in control of my hormones
. “Now concentrate, tip your body forward a bit, push out with the right foot while lifting the left skate off the ice. Not that much! Okay, now bring the left down and push off. That’s it. See? Get the rhythm going. It’s more like cross-country skiing.”
“If you say so, but the idea of standing on two thin blades, purely for enjoyment, escapes me. Correction, used to escape me,” he said, beaming at her.
“Right. Shall we get on with it?” she said, ignoring his blatant innuendos.
Within fifteen minutes, Jack was showing signs of
Finally, he had the laces on his skates tied but he didn’t join her. Instead, he reclined against the bench, legs stretched out, arms folded, and gazed at her.
Aha, he’s going to back out after all
. He was not the man she’d thought he was. Shame, it could have been fun.
She skated backwards in a wide arc, coming to a stop in front of him, head tilted and hands on hips. “If I remember correctly, I did say on the ice—but hey, if you’re worried!”
Slowly, Jack shook his head. “You drive a hard bargain.”
Reluctantly, he dragged his legs up under him and gingerly made his way through the snow to the edge of the iced pond. He managed to avoid falling on his bum, and wobbled to a rigid standstill.
He looked at Katherine and gave her a toothy grin. “I’m on the ice!” he announced triumphantly.
“Yes, I’m glad we didn’t have a protracted debate about that. I’m getting cold Mr Riley; you’ve kept your end of the bargain. I’ll be seeing you.” Taking off, she waved and called out, “Hope you find your girl.” She glanced over her shoulder and quickly clapped a gloved hand over her mouth to stop her laughter from echoing across the ice. Teetering on his blades, Jack struggled to keep his balance. She thought it unfair to take advantage of his lack of skill, and skated around the pond to make her way back towards him.
Jack’s head snapped left and right. She saw a flash of his “Oh crap” expression. Finding a soft place to land wasn’t going to happen. His arms windmilled. His torso swayed. He was about to crash.
Katherine increased her speed, racing to approach him from behind and grab his coat.
“Whoa!”
Jack hollered, trying to keep his balance as he glanced over his shoulder. “Katherine, thank God you’re back.”
“Happy to see me?” she quipped.
“
Definitely
. You wouldn’t want to miss my elaborate triple flip.”
Despite herself, she laughed. “If you stop wobbling all over the place, I’ll show you the basics.”
“Stop wobbling? Right! I can do that. Give me a minute.” Jack centred himself and stood rigidly over his skates.
“Not like you’ve got a pole up your …” She gave him a playful thump on the arm.
“Be nice.” He quirked an eyebrow at her.
“It’s no different to skiing. All you have to do is find your balance. Okay, the first thing I want you to do is relax and bend the knees a little.” She slipped her arm around his waist, but his bulky sheepskin jacket made it impossible to grab hold of him properly. She dared to manoeuvre her hand underneath it and, to her delight, found his warm, soft sweater. Her hand fastened to his side, her breath caught in her throat, her fingers and palm tingled as she made contact with the hard muscles underneath. The tingle grew into a full-blown thrill that bubbled through her body, pooling and fluttering in her abdomen.
What the …? My reaction is absurd
. She moved her hand away, and he tottered, so she dug her fingers into his side.
“
Hmmm
, that’s nice,” Jack rumbled, smiling. “Skating could be lots of fun. I can see that.”
“Don’t get smart or I’ll leave you here in the middle of the pond to find your own way back.”
“Yes, miss,” Jack said, fooling around.
“I’ll ignore that too. Just as well I’m an amicable person,” she mumbled.
And in control of my hormones
. “Now concentrate, tip your body forward a bit, push out with the right foot while lifting the left skate off the ice. Not that much! Okay, now bring the left down and push off. That’s it. See? Get the rhythm going. It’s more like cross-country skiing.”
“If you say so, but the idea of standing on two thin blades, purely for enjoyment, escapes me. Correction, used to escape me,” he said, beaming at her.
“Right. Shall we get on with it?” she said, ignoring his blatant innuendos.
Within fifteen minutes, Jack was showing signs of
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