Page 35 of Ice Cold Chemistry
“Yeah.” She glances up at me. “You’re actually pretty good at this.”
“I’m not, but thanks.”
She laughs—really laughs—and something in my chest loosens.
We’re almost to the door when Logan appears, blocking our path with wide eyes and a huge grin.
“Dude.” He looks at me, then at Winnie, then at my hand on her back. “Dude.”
“Move, Logan.”
“When did this happen?Howdid this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it’s none of your business.”
“We’re teammates! We’re supposed to share things!”
“We’re not sharing this.” I steer Winnie around him. “Find someone else to gossip with.”
“This is the best day of my life!” he calls after us. “I’m so happy for you guys! Banks has a girlfriend! Someone alert the media!”
“I’m going to kill him,” I mutter.
“He seems supportive,” Winnie offers.
“He seems like a golden retriever who got into the espresso.”
She laughs again, and I realize I like making her laugh. I like it a lot.
We stop outside the training room. She turns to face me, and we’re standing closer than we probably need to. I can see the gold flecks in her blue eyes and the slight flush on her cheeks from laughing.
“Thank you,” she says. “For the chicken. And the… dramatic rescue.”
“It wasn’t dramatic.”
“You sat down and claimed me like I was the last slice of pizza.”
“You said the pizza comparison was weird.”
“It was weird. It’s still weird.” But she’s smiling. “Same time tomorrow?”
“What?”
“Lunch. I mean, if you’re eating in the cafeteria.”
“Sure,” I say. “Tomorrow.”
“Okay.” She hesitates, then reaches up and touches my jaw briefly, just brushing her fingers against my stubble. “For the people watching,” she whispers.
There are definitely people watching. I can see them through the glass, pretending not to stare.
But here’s the thing—I don’t care about them. All I can focus on is the soft pressure of her fingertips, the way she’s looking at me, the slight catch in her breath, and the way she has to lift up on her toes to reach me.
“Right,” I manage. “For appearances.”
She smiles, soft and quick, then disappears into the training room.
I stand there for a moment, my hand raised to my jaw where she touched me. My skin tingles, andmy heart is doing something weird. I feel like I’ve been hit with a puck to the chest, except there’s no pain—just this strange, spreading warmth.
