Page 33 of On Thin Ice (Calgary Mounties #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

I DON'T SHARE

Adele

Several hours later, I drive to Buck’s and sit in the car park, staring at the door with a pit of dread in my stomach.

I don’t want to see Ben. The months apart have done nothing but confirm that I truly was done with that relationship long before it was over. I haven’t missed him and rarely think about him.

Other than when I get mad at the idea that he might have cheated on me while we were together.

Finally deciding it’s best to give Lincoln some warning in case Ben messages him, I shoot off a text letting him know that I’m catching up with his friend, before reluctantly climbing out of the car.

The game would be in the third period by now, so he probably won’t even see my message until after I’ve left, anyway.

And hopefully Ben doesn’t say anything to him.

I walk in the door and look around, searching for Ben’s familiar blond head amongst the small crowd. Spying him sitting in a booth towards the back, I weave my way through the tables of people with their eyes trained on the screen where the game is playing, stopping when I get to Ben’s side .

He’s alone, so at least I don’t have to worry about him parading his new girlfriend in my face.

“Hey,” I say, and his gaze flicks from the screen to my face.

“Hey,” he replies, watching as I slide into the seat across from him. “You look good.”

“Thanks.” My mouth feels dry, and I’m relieved when Naomi appears with her notepad and pen in hand.

“Hey you. What can I get you?” She looks between Ben and myself with a wary expression, and I realize it probably looks like I’m playing up behind Lincoln’s back with my ex.

“I’ll grab a coke and a pepperoni pizza,” I reply, nodding towards the board of specials above the bar.

“Coming right up. That boyfriend of yours joining you?”

Yep, she definitely thinks I’m cheating on Lincoln.

“No, he’s playing still,” I reply, pointing to the screen, where Lincoln has just hopped over the boards alongside Seth and Riley for their next shift on the ice. “But he knows where I am once he’s done.”

She considers me for a moment before nodding and heading back to the bar to put in my order.

“She obviously thinks you’re stepping out on O’Malley,” Ben observes.

I grimace. Guess we’re going there straight away, then.

“I guess.”

He cocks his head to the side. “So how long have you guys been seeing each other?” His tone is weary, and I scan his face, wondering if this is about to turn into an argument.

Maybe I should have waited before ordering food…

“A few months,” I reply, and he nods.

“I guess it was only a matter of time. You guys are pretty well suited together.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing bad, Addie. I didn’t ask you to meet so I could ream you out about him. We’ve both moved on.”

I sit back, crossing my arms while I look at him across the table. “And how soon did you move on?”

He mirrors my body language, a smirk crossing his face. “Is that your way of asking if things between Melissa and I started before we broke up?”

I shrug. “Can you blame me for having questions?”

He sighs, dropping the bravado. “I didn’t cheat on you, Addie. Melissa and I went for drinks about a week after you came and got your things. Before that, things were strictly professional between the two of us. I guess it’s much the same for you and Lincoln.”

Hearing him acknowledge how it might have looked for me gives me a little relief.

Whether he’s being entirely truthful or not, I realize I don’t actually care anymore.

I just want to be able to exist in the same space as him without things being uncomfortable, and it seems like he’s mostly okay with me and Lincoln being together.

The knot of tension in my stomach loosens a little, and I nod. “Yeah. Something like that.”

He tilts his head, looking like he’s thinking about his next words carefully.

“I wanted to see you to say that you were right. About us, I mean. Things were over between us months before the wedding, but I was too stubborn to see it properly. Instead, I clung tighter and that probably drove you even further away.”

As I let his words roll over me, the guilt that has niggled in the back of my mind at how things went down between us finally dissipates. Having him acknowledge that his actions played a part in it all feels like he’s giving me permission to forgive myself for being such a shitty fiancée.

“We clearly wanted different things, and I think the people we’re with now can give us what we weren’t able to give each other.”

I nod. “So, Melissa is ready for babies and all that?”

He huffs a laugh. “Yeah. We moved in together a few weeks ago and are already trying.”

I feel my eyes widen. “Jesus.” I catch myself and attempt to cover up my fumble. “I mean, that’s great.”

It’s Ben’s turn to laugh now. “It’s okay. You don’t have to pretend that you’re happy for us.”

I sigh. “I’m not pretending. I’m glad you’ve found someone who’s on the same page as you.”

“And I feel the same way about you. I think you and O’Malley work well together.

If anyone is going to make Lincoln O’Malley finally realize that a relationship isn’t actually as scary as he thinks, it’s you.

We might not have wanted the same thing when it came to having a family, but we had fun together.

You were always meant for someone spontaneous like him. Not someone boring like me.”

A protective feeling overcomes me, and I shake my head.

“You aren’t boring, Ben. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to settle down and have a family.

It just isn’t something I want for myself.

It took a while for me to realize that, because everyone just expects women to want babies and the whole white picket fence thing.

But I truly have no interest in being a mother.

A cool aunt, maybe. But yeah, kids aren’t in my future. ”

He grins. “Yeah. It took me a little while to see it from your point of view. And I’m glad we broke up before we made it down the aisle and realized we weren’t suited.

Probably would have been easier if we hadn’t come to that realization while we were on a tropical island surrounded by your entire family, though. ” He shakes his head.

“Yeah, that part kind of sucked, didn’t it? ”

Naomi arrives with my drink and raises an eyebrow when Ben doubles over, laughing hard.

“Ah, yeah. You could say that.”

I grin, and we fall into easy conversation for the next few minutes until the game is over and my pizza arrives.

On the TV above the bar, the camera zooms in on Lincoln and Seth as they tap helmets with Dean in front of the net, celebrating another easy win.

I stare at the screen, mesmerized by just how attractive Lincoln is.

Even though he’s a sweaty mess after skating hard for the last period, his handsome face is still drawing the attention of a few of the other female patrons around us.

I overhear one of them comment on how he can get sweaty with her any time, and I can’t help but smirk.

They can lust after him all they want.

But I’m the one who gets down and dirty between the sheets with that man.

Ben and I say goodbye an hour later, and I drive home feeling lighter than I have in a while.

As I turn into my street, I’m surprised to see Lincoln’s car outside my building, and pull up behind him, rather than drive into the garage.

The path is a little icy after the snow that fell earlier today, and I make my way cautiously towards the passenger door, knocking on the window.

Lincoln looks up from his phone, getting out when he sees me, and rounds the front of the car with a scowl firmly in place as he runs his eyes over me.

Confused, I scan his face. “Hey. Everything okay?”

“I don’t know, you tell me. I get off the ice to a message that you’re catching up with your ex like it’s no big deal.” The muscle in his jaw tenses while his eyes demand answers .

“Um… It wasn’t a big deal. Ben wanted to catch up while he was here, and I thought it would be good to clear the air between us.”

He continues to watch me, his muscles coiled so tight that he looks like he’s about to snap.

I’ve never seen him like this, and I have to admit, something about the glint in his eye sends a thrill down my spine. Lincoln O’Malley jealous is sexy as hell.

“And did you clear the air?” he asks, his voice dangerously low.

I have to fight to keep the smirk off my face. “We did.”

“And what did you talk about?”

I shrug. “Just that we did the right thing breaking up. And how happy he is that he’s trying to have babies with the woman he’s with now. Oh, and he thinks you and I are just right for each other.”

He considers my words carefully, as if trying to work out if I’m lying or not.

I step closer to him, placing my hand on his chest and looking up at him through lowered lashes. “Why’d you really come here?”

The muscle in his jaw tenses, and he swallows hard. “I don’t know.”

“I think you’re jealous.” I bite my lip, my insides lighting up when his gaze locks on the movement and that jaw muscle spasms.

“Why would I be jealous?” he asks, his gaze turning almost feral when I run my tongue across my lower lip.

“You tell me? Because I thought this was just meaningless, no strings attached sex between a fake boyfriend and fake girlfriend?”

“Does this feel fake to you, Addie?” He yanks me in close, grabbing my hand and holding it against his crutch .

His erection presses against the zip of his suit pants.

I continue to play with fire, running my hand over the fabric covering him, and he sucks in a breath. “Nope. Definitely doesn’t feel fake, Linc. So, what are you going to do about it?”

His control snaps and his other hand comes up to grip the back of my head, pulling my face to his. “I’m going to fuck you so hard that you’re going to be thinking ‘Ben who?’ Buckle up, Addie. Because you’re mine and I don’t share.”

With those words, he crushes his mouth to mine, and every part of my body melts from the heat of that kiss.