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She laughed, her cheeks rosy in the cold air. “Suit yourself. It’s a pretty sweet ride.”
“Hop on. Don’t worry, we’re not going far.”
“Who said I’m worried?” she asked, kicking her leg over the bike in one smooth motion, wrapping her arms around my waist. It was clearly not her first time on a motorcycle.
“Hang on.” I revved the bike and she gripped me tighter, pressing her body against me as the bike vibrated beneath us. We eased our way out onto the main road, and I drove through town, slower than I normally would so I wouldn’t frighten her. The cold air felt great on my face, calming my rattled nerves, and I couldn’t help but grin as Delaney squeezed me at every bump in the road.
Too soon, we pulled up to the Christmas Village, but I managed to score a primo spot near the entrance. I parked the bike, helping Delaney dismount, then I grabbed her hand and we walked into the village.
“It never disappoints,” Delaney said, sighing happily as we walked in under the canopy of white lights and garland. “Peachtree Grove outdoes itself every year, I swear.”
“Do you remember the time that kid drove the Zamboni through the fence and almost knocked down the town Christmas tree?”
Delaney giggled, shaking her head. “I do. I was in the sixth grade, I think, and Lindsey and I were just about to hop on the ice when that happened. We were lucky we didn’t get run over.”
“Geez, you were only in the sixth grade?” I asked, rubbing my jaw. “I was a senior in high school.”
“Yep. You’re robbing the cradle, old man.” She jabbed me in the ribs, her eyes gleaming under the white twinkly lights. “I hope you can keep up with me.”
With that comment, she sprinted off towards the ice-skating rink, dragging me after her. I didn’t mind her taking the lead; the view was great from behind. Delaney leaned against the white picket fence, her hands on her knees, catching her breath. I wasn’t all that winded, since I jogged five miles a day. Plus, I had much longer legs.
“What was that about old?” I teased, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her in close.
She lifted her chin and gazed up at me, her ocean blue eyes serious. “Fine. Comment amended to say ‘old-but-still-fit man.’”
“I’ll take that, I guess,” I said, grabbing her by the hips, pressing my lips to hers. Her mouth was warm and sweet, tasting like vanilla, and I took my time kissing her right there next to the rink.
Finally breaking the kiss, I asked, “Have you caught your breath yet? You ready to skate?”
“You’re not helping my breathing, but yes, I can skate.”
She pivoted, heading towards the check-in to pick up skates, arms at a determined ninety-degree angle. I followed behind her, a bemused grin on my face. Delaney was nothing if not spunky and it was damn cute.
“What size shoe do you wear?” She squinted down at my feet, sizing them up like a shoe salesperson.
“Eleven.”
“And I’ll take a seven, please,” she told the teenager behind the counter.
“Here you go. Have fun!”
Delaney handed me my skates and we headed over to a bench to lace up.
“You any good at this?” I asked, glancing over as she tied a neat, loopy bow at the top of her skate.
“Pretty good. I’ve skated with Mars every winter at Rockefeller Center. I’m not doing double axels, but I should stay upright.” She tucked her boots into the cubby under the bench. “How about you?”
“I’m decent. Don’t expect any fancy spins, but I can hold my own. You ready?”
I stood up, offering her my hand. She linked her fingers through mine and we gingerly made our way over to the side of the rink. It was still pretty empty, save for a group of teen girls and a young family or two, so we had a lot of room to move. The cold surface glistened, ready to be marked up by our skates. Mariah Carey belted out what she wanted for Christmas as I held Delaney’s hand, guiding her onto the ice. She took a few seconds to adjust to the slick surface, then she took off, her wavy hair flowing behind her. She did a quick loop around the rink, acting like she owned the place, and I instantly knew I was outmatched. She probably skated every weekend back in NYC.
Delaney did a spin, her head thrown back, gazing up into the dark night sky. She was totally free and unfettered, arms flung out to the side as she spun around and around. God, she was sexy.
I made my way over to her, waited until she stopped spinning. Then I skated close to her, snagging her by the waist and winding my arm around her.
“You done showing off yet?” I asked, nuzzling her neck. “We get it. You can skate. You’re damn near a professional. In fact, I’m surprised you’re not trying out for the next Winter Olympics.”
She grinned, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Who says I’m not?”
