On the Fly (Crimson Romance) by Katie Kenyhercz Page B

the team. It was irrational to be jealous. And yet it took some effort to keep from lacing up a pair of skates and cutting in.
    By four in the afternoon, the crowd thinned, and the meet-and-greet came to a close. Most of the guys finished signing autographs then headed out, themselves. Carter had the longest line of fans, and he remained, signing every last puck and T-shirt. She hung back and waited until the last of the fans filtered out. As he stood, he looked at her then looked some more like it was the first time he’d really seen her that day, which wasn’t all too flattering since she’d done her share of sneaking glances at him.
    “You look … different.”
    She wasn’t sure how to take that, feeling suddenly self-conscious in her T-shirt and jeans. “Oh … ”
    “I like it.”
    “Oh.” The smile crept back onto her face. For a quiet moment, tension lay thick in the air, and Jacey forced herself to look away from him.
    • • •
    Carter studied Jacey from the corner of his vision while he dug in his pocket for his keys. He caught glimpses of her throughout the day, but she was busy talking with potential fans. Up close, he was fascinated. In her business suits and heels she always came across as professional and sexy as hell, but in jeans, a Sinners’ T-shirt and sneakers, she looked innocent and feminine and so much … smaller. He noticed the C on the upper left corner of her shirt and knew his name was on the back. He’d met several women that day wearing the same thing, but on Jacey … He smiled to himself.
    “What?”
    “Nothing. Good turnout today.”
    “Oh … yeah. Not as many as I’d hoped, but I think we can count on them to all be at the game on Monday.”
    “Mmm. You know, a couple women asked me if I was dating you.”
    She froze as if someone pushed her pause button, and he laughed. “You probably shouldn’t call me Carter anymore.” Could that be disappointment on her face? Just in case, he added, “In public.”
    A smile flickered at the corners of her mouth then disappeared. “You’re not the only one denying rumors. The press asked me about it too. In public is the only way I’ll be seeing you from now on.”
    “That’s too bad.” He leaned closer, just a little, crowding her space. He didn’t really know why, just that he couldn’t help himself. She seemed startled, but she didn’t move away.
    “Can you ice skate?”
    “What?” She blinked, and he knew the change of topic caught her off guard. That was good because if she thought too much, she probably wouldn’t agree to his idea.
    “I’ve seen you on land, but it’s a little different. Though I figure, daughter of a hockey team owner, you must have been on the ice once or twice.”
    Jacey stared at him. “Uh … yeah … I guess.”
    “‘Cause I was thinking … the rink’s empty, and there’s not a public session for another hour. I’d like to see what you’ve got.”
    “What?”
    He grinned. “Try to keep up. I’m challenging you to a race.”
    She smiled and shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t have skates.”
    “No problem. The rink rents them out. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”
    “In case you haven’t been paying attention, we should be trying to kill the talk going around about us, not fan the fire. There’s no way we could rationalize chasing each other around an empty rink.”
    “We won’t have to; like you said, it’s empty.”
    “Actually, I was more wondering how I’d rationalize it to myself.”
    “Come on, what’s the harm? It’s just a little race. It’s not like we’re going to get naked on the ice. Unless — ”
    “No! Fine. Race.”
    He couldn’t hold back a grin, even when she punched him in the arm.
    • • •
    Jacey took her time lacing up the rental skates as she sat on the bench, waiting for Carter. This was not a good idea. She must have some subconscious yearning to self destruct. But the way he looked at her … got so close she could barely breathe. It