Page 106 of Kings Don't Break

Men everywhere decide it’s a simple and easy way to spend some time with the special woman in their lives.

I’m not the only King who brings his old lady by. Mace and Sydney show up. Bush and his old lady do too (who also happens to be his wife of sixteen years). Even Ozzie turns up with some chick none of us have ever seen before.

She holds out her hand to shake Korine’s and Sydney’s, then moves onto Bush’s wife.

“I’m Sparkle,” she says, beaming wide.

Korine shakes her hand before glancing over at me and the rest of the guys. I turn to Ozzie with brows raised myself. He gives a shrug.

“I met her at the Titty Bar,” he whispers not-so-subtly.

Sliding my arm around Korine’s shoulders, I break away from the rest of the group. We head to the nearest bench and tie on our ice-skates. Korine smirks over at me, her fingers quick on her laces.

“What’s that smirk for?”

“You don’t remember, do you?”

“Remember what…” Then it hits me, and I smirk too, rubbing at my jaw. “The night we came after-hours to skate.”

“Senior year.”

“Twenty-eight degrees out.”

“My nose was about to snap off.”

“I kept you plenty warm.”

The corner of her lip quirks up. Just slightly. “You did… ’til you fell on your ass.”

“Ten years, and you won’t let me forget.”

“How can I when I’m the better skater?” she asks silkily as she rises up and then pushes off to slide through the open gate and onto the ice.

I rush to catch up with her. Never mind the fact that it’s true—Korine’s always been the superior skater.

We enter the crowded ice rink engaged in our own little battle of wills. Korine’s half a pace ahead of me. I’m coming up from behind, grinning for every quick glance over her shoulder she gives. Her eyes always find mine. A damn diamond-like sparkle in them.

Then she’s speeding up again. I’m scrambling to keep up. We play this game several times ’til I’m winging her on the left and catching her by surprise. Sweet laughter plays from her throat like a night song I could listen to for the rest of my life. Pleasant and musical and so damn infectious that it makes me laugh too.

I push myself harder, the blades of my skates blurs on the ice, and I cut her off. Scooping her gloved hand up in mine, I take control of the moment by dragging her with me. Korine’s such a graceful skater that it doesn’t throw her off for a second. She glides along with me, going where I lead us, weaving between other skaters on the rink.

The light never leaves her face. Neither does the subtle smile that touches her lips. Nothing but trust shines in her eyes.

I turn so that I’m backward, drawing her toward me. We sync up, slowing down, coming together for a kiss on the lips.

My lungs fill with Korine like she’s the air I breathe. An intense feeling that comes on strong and consumes ’til it’s taken over everything. So damn deep it almost hurts.

Just the prospect that one day I could take a breath and Korine wouldn’t be around anymore, terrifies me to my core. It leaves me on edge to the point I’d do anything to make sure it never even comes close to happening.

I want to kiss this woman. Hold this woman. Protect this woman with everything I’ve got.

For as long as I’m alive.

My girl.

We wind up gliding over to our own pocket of the rink where we get a real moment of privacy. I curve my fingers along the shell of her ear, tucking some of her short hairs away, and we share another small laugh about the last time we were here.

“You’ve gotten better,” she says. “Have you been practicing?”