Chapter 16

"There's definitely a smell about this place," I mumble, running my sleeved arm over my face. I try to cover my nose without making it look like I'm covering my nose. "It's worth the smell of teen body odor embedded in the walls and skating rink food to kick your ass in Skee-ball."

Liam frowns as I shake my fistful of tickets in his face. "You cheat," he growls.

"You throw too hard. You have to have a gentle touch. It's all in the wrist."

He puts his hands on his hip and looks out at the skating rink where a few middle-aged couples are holding hands, trying to relive their youth. "I have a gentle touch."

"You weren't so gentle when you put your cuffs on me when you took me in."

He turns to me, and his forehead wrinkles like I hurt him. "Did I hurt you?" he asks, his voice husky.

I shrug and take a drink from the slush he bought me. He held up his end of the deal on buying the cherry flavor for me. "A little. I wouldn't classify you as gentle."

He smells good tonight. Like…let me lick you to see if you taste like a pine forest type of good. This infernal man has me doing mental whiplash. One minute he hates me for my job. The next minute he looks at me like I'm lunch and he's starving.

And what was up with that ring comment at dinner?

I put on a cool face, but that comment made me tingle right down to my toes. If he wasn't the guy that tried to ruin my business and is making me appear in court, he'd be my ideal guy. Tall. Gorgeous. Sexy. Good job. He's obviously alpha about protecting and providing for a woman. He wouldn't let me pay for dinner, not even my share, and he grabbed the ticket from the waitress before I could get a finger on it. He wouldn't even let me leave a tip.

I was totally joking about him having to buy me a slushy. I've always been a girl that could pay for my own dates. At the very least, I contributed with something like dessert or movie popcorn. The money coming in the last couple of weeks is more than I forecasted as word gets around about my truck.

This is a man that would take care of me if I let him.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you, Lorelei. I've never been trained to be super gentle when cuffing someone. Cuffing a criminal requires a firm grasp." He looks away and runs his hand down his scruffy face. Fuck, I love that scruff and wonder what it'd feel like on my inner thighs. Does he look a woman in the eye as he goes…

My thoughts trail away because he takes my hand. It's gentle and warm, and he slides his fingers between mine. I think my eyes even flutter a little. "I promise to be gentle from now on."

Yeah, I'm going to need him to fuck me hard if we ever get there, but I can't answer him because my mouth is cotton. His hand feels so damn right in mine. Even though his hand is substantially bigger and more masculine, a vein running up his tan hand into his chiseled forearms, I can't help but run my thumb over the top of his fingers. He inhales sharply and blows it out as he looks away.

"Well, since we're already holding hands, do you want to couple skate?" I ask.

He chuckles. "I haven't done this in something like fifteen years. What if I fall on my ass?"

"Then I'll laugh hysterically and take a picture for my Instagram. Hell, I may even go live."

"At least you're honest," he mumbles as I pull him along in his skates. He wobbles and reaches for the nearest wall. I'm not exactly a professional, so I'm grateful for the wall as I get my bearings.

I give him a few seconds and then silently pull him out to the rink, both of us taking baby steps in the skates. Like the gentleman he is, he lets me have the side closest to the wall, even though this was my idea. The disco ball turns over the rink, making little lights sparkle and trail over the path in front of us. His left arm is out, maintaining his balance, and a look of concentration is etched on his forehead. Thankfully, we both stay upright.

Nobody laughs or points as we circle the rink. Other couples our age or older sail by us, but we're certainly not the only people stumbling. Some even hug the wall, laughing as we go by them.

He holds my hand the whole way around as we circle the rink several times. After the third time around, we get our groove, speeding up a little. His body relaxes next to mine.

"My legs are going to hurt tomorrow," he says. "New activity and all. I lift, but I haven't used these muscles in a long time."

"Thanks for coming."

"Do you do this often? You seemed excited to come."

"No," I shrug. "I just wanted to see if you'd do it. You don't strike me as the crab restaurant and roller rink kind of guy. I'm actually surprised you played along."

"So, it was a test?" he asks, smiling. "Did I pass?"

"You passed."

We skate in silence for a few minutes. "Liam?" I ask, thinking about if I want to even ask my next question. He watches the floor in front of him but leans toward me a little. "What happens in court next week?"

"I don't know," he says with a grimace. "I know I'm going to have to go and face you, and I don't know how I'll face you in court when things have obviously changed between us since I took you to the station."

"Would you say you like me more now?" I ask, pasting on a debutante smile that he doesn't even notice.

"I know you better. I know you're not outright malicious like some drug dealers. I know you're beautiful, and I flat-out love your dog."

"I knew it. This is all a ruse to get to my dog."

He laughs a little, and I squeeze his hand harder. The pressure causes him to stumble, but he rights himself before falling and bringing me down with him. "Have you had enough?" I ask.

"Have you had enough? This is my test. Did I skate enough to earn a gold star?"

"I think you can take me back to my house now. I won't torture you any longer."

We stop at the nearest corner and hug the wall. Shimmers from the disco ball cross his face, and he turns my hand over, placing a kiss in the palm of my hand.

"Why did you do that?" I ask.

"I just wanted to kiss your hand, I guess. I've been holding it for the last twenty minutes."

"No, seriously. Why did you do that? We just played eight rounds of Skee-ball, and do you know where those balls have been?"

"Shit," he mumbles under his breath. "I can't do anything right when it comes to you."

I laugh and roll us over to the skate rental counter to get our shoes back. "You'll need to sanitize your mouth now, Liam. It's filthy."

"You have no idea."

When we pull into my driveway, I see Bogey at the window. He licks the glass and wags his tail at us as Liam insists on coming to my side of the car and opening the door for me. "Your protector is excited to see you."

"He's excited to see both of us. I've never seen him take so well to someone," I say. "You know he's the only reason I agreed to a date. Dogs can tell when people are good or bad. I guess you aren't so bad. It looks like he finagled his way out of the kennel, though."

"Can I walk you to the door?"

"Sure," I shrug, trying to be cool.

My stomach flutters, and a quick glance at Liam shows him flexing his jaw like he's chewing on his cheek. Why is this walk-to-the-door moment so awkward on every first date? It's been awkward since high school. Do I kiss him? Do I wait for him to kiss me? Do I want him to kiss me?

I totally want him to kiss me. If nothing else, I want to know what Liam Lane tastes like and how warm his mouth feels on mine. If it's a shitty kiss, I can remove all thoughts of him from my mind.

Please let it be a shitty kiss. I send a prayer up to whatever deity is in charge of my life. If he kisses me and it's bad, I won't think of it when I see him in court next week. I'll simply move on with my life and write Liam Lane off as a douchebag that tried to destroy my business but has a pretty face and a warm hand. I'll chalk the kitchen counter episode as a fluke and move on with my life, certain to never let another man spank me with a belt.

"I'll see you later, Lorelei. I had fun. I hope you did."

He's not going to kiss me. My stomach drops, and it's everything I can do to not let my face show disappointment. I overcompensate, giving a toothy grin and nodding as I fumble with my keys.

"Here, let me." He takes my keys from me and opens the door. "You have problems with keys."

"You're a distraction," I say as he moves away from me. Too far away.

"I'm the distraction? You have no idea, ma'am." He backs away a little, but he looks at my lips. "I'll see you later."

I nod. "Good night, Officer Lane."

"Good night, Ms. Rogers."

He turns and walks away, and I push my door open, breathing out a sigh of disappointment. Bogey greets me and wags his tail, but he also yips at something behind me. It takes a moment to realize my storm door is opening wider, and I turn around to find Liam an inch from me.

"Did you f-forget something?" I ask, my voice shaking.

"I sure fucking did," he says, cupping my cheek. Fuck, that hand is even warmer on my face than in my palm. "I forgot to do something I've wanted to do since the first time I saw your boob hang out that damn drug den window."

I don't sass him back or ask what he's talking about. I don't play coy because I've wanted to kiss this asshole since the first time he poked his head through my window and took my last damn cupcake.

He brings his lips to mine, and my knees turn weak. All hope that this guy doesn't know how to kiss a woman flies out the window as I wrap my arms around his neck. His lips move over mine, hungry but not rude. I open my lips a little, and his tongue respectfully searches my mouth. He hums a little at my taste, probably enjoying the remnants of cherry slush the same I'm enjoying the beer he had with dinner. His lips are warm against mine, but it's his body that sets me off.

I curl into his body like I'm butter melting into him. He lifts me a little since he's so tall, and I hold on to his neck for dear life before letting go and relaxing into his kiss, letting him hold me however he wants. I run my hands down his chest and feel every pectoral and every abdominal muscle as my hands finally rest against his belt. He whimpers a little when I stop there, and I feel him harden against my stomach.

I pull away, but he doesn't like that I break the kiss. He places tiny kisses against my lips, his eyes still closed and his forehead resting against mine. "Do you want to come inside?" I ask.

"No," he mumbles against my lips.

I shake my head a moment. Did I really get denied here? "No?"

"No, sweetheart. I want you to miss every inch of me tonight. Consider it my own test."

He kisses me on the forehead one last time and pries himself away from my body. His eyes are hooded, and if he isn't going to fuck me, he's going to go home and jerk his dick off to get our kiss out of his mind. Maybe he's fine with that. As for me, my poor vibrator has no idea what it's in for tonight.

"You're evil," I yell as he walks away from me.

"See you soon, Lorelei. One way or another," he calls over his shoulder as he gets into his car.