She felt a little embarrassed at the show she'd just put on, but as Jake joined her in the middle of the rink, she saw nothing but approval and respect in his eyes.
"That was fantastic," he said. "You never showed me that before."
"I don't know why I did now."
"You let the skater in you come out."
"I thought she was gone."
"She wasn't. How do you feel?"
"Amazing."
"Good. So, want to go slow with me again?" He extended his hand, and she took it.
They skated with the crowd now, and it was as perfect as her unexpected solo. Because she was with Jake. She looked over at him. "Thank you. Not just for bringing me here, for giving me that little push."
"I'm glad you seized the opportunity, and everyone loved the show. You're still good, Hannah. You must have been spectacular when you were a kid. I know you must have told me how skilled you were, but you didn't show off those skills in high school."
"When we went to the rink back then, I was more interested in holding your hand than skating," she admitted. "And maybe it was still too close to the loss of my dad. He was the one who shared my love of skating, who got me on the rink, who drove me to practices. I lost a lot of interest in skating after he died. Tonight, I felt like he was with me. I haven't felt his presence in a very long time. It felt good." She paused, looking at his handsome face. "You feel good, too. So good, I think I want to stop skating now."
His eyes sparkled. "Are you sure? We haven't been here very long."
"I know, but I'm ready to go whenever you are."
"Whatever you want."
They stepped off the ice, put on their boots, and walked in silence back to Jake's apartment. As they went up the stairs, her nerves tightened, and by the time they got into the living room, she was a nervous ball of tension and anticipation.
"Should I take you home?" Jake asked.
The uncertainty in his eyes surprised her. Jake always seemed to know exactly what he was doing and where he wanted to go. While she was often unsure, especially when it came to him. But tonight felt different. She felt different. "Not yet," she said, licking her lips. "I have the ball, and…I want to kiss you good night."
Surprise and desire flared in his gaze. "Okay."
"Actually, that's not true," she said hastily. " I don't want to kiss you and say good night—I want to kiss you and stay a while."
He sucked in a breath. "I was not expecting you to say that."
She took off her coat and tossed it on a nearby chair. "I was not expecting myself to say that, either, but it's the truth. I want us to be honest with each other. It's the only possible way this could ever work."
"I agree," he said, taking off his jacket.
"I told you what I want. What do you want, Jake?"
"You," he said simply. His warm gaze swept across her face. "Not the way we were, Hannah. The way we are. I like this version of you. I like the confident, independent, strong-willed nurse who knows her mind and acts on what she wants and is also the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."
Her heart sang at his words, at the need in his gaze. "I like this version of you, too, Jake. I like how you've made your passion your job, how you care about your employees, how you put yourself out there to people even when they don't deserve it. When we were younger, it always felt like you were trying to outrun a speeding train. You had so many thoughts, so many dreams, but you didn't know where to start. You figured all that out. You took your restlessness all over the world, and it changed you. Now, there's a humbleness to your cockiness that makes me want to throw myself at you."
"I have no idea what that means, but I'll take it," he said with a smile, opening his arms.
She moved forward, putting her arms around his neck, as he pulled her up against his chest.
"I'm nervous," she said.
"Me, too."
"No way. You're fearless."
"Not when it comes to you, Hannah."
His words touched her heart. "Can we really go back, Jake? Everyone says you can't. It's never the same."
"I don't care what everyone says. And I don't want it to be the same. Because we're not the same. We're better." He lowered his head and kissed her.
The touch of his mouth made her gut ache with longing and hunger. All of her remaining doubts fled from her mind. It might be a mistake, but she wasn't going to regret this choice. She wanted to be with Jake again. She wanted a second chance with him, too, even though she didn't want to admit it.
Their kisses went from tender and tentative to deep and compelling. Even though she was nervous as hell to be with him again, she was much more confident than she'd been the first time they'd gotten together. But every touch, every taste, brought back memories. She knew how she wanted him to touch her. And she knew how she wanted to touch him.
"Too many clothes," she murmured as they came up for air. Pulling back from his kiss, she pulled her sweater up over her head, shaking out her hair.
He smiled as his gaze moved to her breasts. She'd filled out since she was a teenager, and she was secretly a little thrilled to show him that.
"Sweet," he said with eager male appreciation, his hands moving to cup her breasts, the lace providing a delicious friction from the sensuous movement of his fingers.
Anticipation shot down her spine as she wanted
