17. Rachel

17

RACHEL

I ’d shut my office door behind me in hopes of getting some quiet. Some peace, just me, before I eventually had to head home for the night. So the knock that came from my door wasn’t exactly a welcome sound. I sighed, going to open it, expecting Jerry or one of the other suits I worked alongside on the behind-the-scenes side of Santas’ stuff. But instead, dressed down in a comfy sweatshirt with his hair still dark and dripping from the shower, I found none other than Sawyer Finnegan.

He smelled incredible too. Clean, a little cologne but not enough that it was overpowering, something like cedar and warm skin. All man. It was unfair.

“Get your coat,” he told me gruffly. “We’re going skating.”

My brow wrinkled. “Excuse me?”

“I promised skating lessons, and I’m finally making good on that. Unless you don’t want to learn anymore.”

“I do,” I hurried to say. Though if I was honest with myself, I cared a lot more about spending time with Sawyer and all his good-smelling sexy glory, despite the oddly intense energy he was giving off just now, than I did about learning to skate. “But…they’re doing the ice tonight. You know. Um, Zamboni…ing.”

Sawyer’s lips twitched behind his facial hair. “I’ve never heard that made into a verb before. Much less a gerund.”

Ugh, he would be the type of jock who still knows what a gerund is. Why was that hot? For someone who had been so recently and thoroughly laid, apparently I was still pretty thirsty.

“You know what I mean,” I grumbled, and Sawyer cracked a real smile. “We can’t skate here. Not tonight.”

“Yeah, well,” Sawyer said, smoothing a hand over his beard with a shrug, “I know a guy.”

“What does that mean?”

“Are you in or not?” he countered. I hesitated for a second. But I knew my answer before I said it. Curiosity alone would have had me following Sawyer out of the ice center tonight in a heartbeat.

“Fine. Lead the way, Finnegan.”

I followed Sawyer out of the ice center, my curiosity winning out over any logical reservations I should’ve had. The night air was crisp, a sharp contrast to the warm, stuffy office I’d been hiding out in. My breath misted in front of me as I pulled on my coat and caught up to Sawyer, who was already striding ahead like a man on a mission.

When we reached the parking lot, he stopped in front of a sleek, black Audi—definitely one of the nicer cars I’d ever seen in Mistletoe. My eyebrows shot up, and before I could stop myself, I let out an appreciative whistle.

“This yours?” I asked, running my hand along the smooth, shiny surface. The clean lines, the understated but powerful design—I could nerd out over this car for hours.

Sawyer glanced at me, a half smile playing on his lips. “Yeah. You like it?”

“Like it?” I said, my voice rising with excitement. “This is an Audi RS7. It’s got a twin-turbo V8 engine, right? Almost 600 horsepower. You know how fast this thing can go?” I circled around the front, eyeing the car like it was a prize at an auto show.

Sawyer’s smile widened, and I could see he was enjoying this side of me. “I didn’t realize you were a car nerd.”

I shrugged, trying to play it cool even though I was geeking out inside. “Not a lot of people around here to talk about cars with.”

“Well, feel free to nerd out all you want.” He unlocked the doors, and I slid into the passenger seat, immediately feeling the plush leather against my skin. The car purred to life as Sawyer started the engine, the deep, growling sound sending a little thrill through me.

It was hard to believe I was more excited about the car than about going skating with Sawyer. Well, almost. I still had that incredible kiss playing through my head on repeat, and since I’d already embraced the chaos of sleeping with two players, I could hardly cling to my so-called professional ethics.

Sawyer drove us through the winding streets of Mistletoe, the town’s Christmas decorations twinkling in the night, making everything feel undeniably magical no matter how much of a Scrooge I supposedly was. I tried not to stare too much at him as he drove, the way his hands gripped the steering wheel confidently, the slight tension in his jaw that hinted he wasn’t as relaxed as he seemed. The man had a damn good profile, because of course he did.

We pulled up to the town’s outdoor ice rink, the one they set up every winter in the center of Mistletoe. It wasn’t open to the public yet, and the gates were still closed, but the ice gleamed under the overhead lights, freshly smoothed.

“How did you…?” I started to ask, but Sawyer just gave me a knowing look.

“I told you. I know a guy.”

Of course he did. Sawyer Finnegan didn’t seem like a social butterfly, but he was the kind of guy who could get things done without making a big deal about it. Besides, being a player on the Santas gave him a lot of social currency around these parts. He confirmed my suspicion, adding, “The guy who does the ice is a big fan of the team. Lets me know when it’s ready for skating but not open to the whole town yet. So…we’ve got the place to ourselves.”

He grabbed a pair of skates from the back of his car and handed one to me too—a slightly beat-up looking pair, but certainly serviceable. “I pulled these from the storage earlier,” he explained. “Hope they fit.”

I took the skates, glancing between them and him. “You really thought of everything, huh?”

Sawyer shrugged again, but this time there was a faint flush on his cheeks. “Figured you might want to avoid falling flat on your face in front of everyone when the rink opens to the public.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide my smile. “Thoughtful. If a little self-serving.”

“Me? Never.”

We laced up our skates and made our way to the ice. It was quiet, the only sound the slight scuff of our blades as we stepped onto the pristine surface. For a moment, I just stood there, taking it all in. The town square was lit up with holiday lights, a few snowflakes starting to fall, and we had the whole rink to ourselves.

It was…romantic. And I didn’t know how to feel about that.

Sawyer skated easily, his movements smooth and practiced, while I wobbled on the ice, trying not to fall. He noticed and skated back to me, extending a hand.

“Here,” he said softly. “Let me help you.”

I hesitated for a second before taking his hand. His grip was warm and steady, and I felt a strange sense of comfort as he guided me across the ice, showing me how to balance, how to push off without flailing my arms like a maniac.

“You’re a good teacher,” I muttered, focusing on not tripping over my own feet.

“Patience is key,” he replied. “Besides, you’re doing better than I expected.”

We skated in silence for a while, the tension between us thick but unspoken. Finally, I couldn’t help but ask, “You were a little…off at the game tonight. Something going on?”

Sawyer slowed, his expression clouding as he exhaled heavily. “Yeah. Just found out my ex-wife is pregnant.”

“Oh,” I said, unsure of what to say. “That’s…complicated.”

“Yeah,” he said, voice quieter now. “She never seemed too stoked about kids when we were married. And now, she’s having one with the big-shot NHL player she left me for.” He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Kind of funny how life works.”

“I get it,” I said softly. “My ex cheated on me too. We dated in college. Perfect guy on paper, but…yeah.” I shrugged, trying to keep my voice light, but the memory still stung, even after all this time. Matt and I hadn’t been together for months even before graduation, and I genuinely didn’t want him back, especially after having experienced much better sexual attention from two hotter guys recently.

Sawyer gave me a look, his expression softening. “Guess we’ve both been burned, huh?”

“Yeah.” I laughed, but it came out more bitter than I intended. “I’m not really one for relationships anymore. They just seem…messy.”

He nodded, and for a moment, we were just two people standing on the ice, both a little broken, both a little hesitant to try again.

“That kiss,” I started, feeling the tension between us shift as I addressed it out loud for the first time. I could have almost convinced myself it hadn’t happened were it not for Sawyer’s noticeable change, the way his hazel eyes darted down to my lips as if he was considering taking them with his own once again. I struggled to speak. “On the ice that morning. That…wasn’t messy.”

Sawyer’s eyes darkened, his gaze locking with mine, intense and searching. “No, it wasn’t.”

“There was no drama,” I thought out loud in front of him, feeling the way he was subtly tugging me closer to him until we were flush against one another. My heart rate was picking up speed, and heat pooled in my belly just at the memory of his strong arms around me, his sensuous lips on mine. “We were able to be normal at work. Even though we’re…clearly attracted to one another.”

He nodded, his expression urging me to say more. Maybe so he wouldn’t have to. Maybe so I’d give him permission to do what he clearly wanted—what I wanted too. I could feel the heat building between us, the pull that I’d been trying to ignore since the moment we met.

“I think we’re aligned here,” I told him carefully. “About what we want from each other.”

“Say it, then,” he dared me. “What do you want, Rachel?”

“Nothing serious. No strings,” I answered.

“That’s what you don’t want,” he half growled, tightening his hold on me, his arm around my waist like a vice. I wasn’t mad about it. I wanted to be close enough to crawl into his skin, or if I was honest, I wanted him inside me. His mouth was millimeters from mine when he said again, “Tell me what you want.”

So that was exactly what I said. My voice barely a whisper, my lips by his ear, I told Sawyer what we both wanted to hear. “I want you inside me.”

His response, a low hum in his throat that I felt rumble through both of us, was the perfect agreement. He added, “Your place or mine?”

“Mine.”

Sawyer didn’t need to be asked twice.