Page 26 of When the Ice Melts

CHAPTER 7

Darius stole a sidewaysglance at Addisyn as he pulled up in front of his trim yellow abode. “Well.” He cleared his throat. “Here we are.”

He watched her expression register surprise and delight as she gazed at the house. “You have a lovely home.”

Not as lovely as you are, girl, he wanted to whisper. It was no use telling himself to be careful, to take it slow, to watch his step. He might as well shout the same advice to a man caught in a whitewater river—because he was caught up and borne along by a current of emotions too strong for him to fight.

Every glance from her eyes was like another hook in his soul, pulling him closer to her. Did she feel it too? Or was she entirely unconscious of the power she had over him?

“This was my parents’ house.” Darius hopped out of the car and ran around to open her door. As if he were a real gentleman. What a joke.

She stepped out slowly, her beautiful eyes still absorbing the surroundings. “So do your parents live with you now?”

“No.” That answer would never get easier for him. Darius jammed his hands in the back pockets of his khaki pants as he strolled up the walk beside her. “They—they passed away. It’s been five years ago now. Car crash.”

Concern for him widened Addisyn’s eyes. “Oh. I’m so sorry.”

“Me too.” Tears pricked his eyes. He still couldn’t think of his parents without tears. His two best friends, gone in a single moment. He pushed the door open and stood aside so Addisyn could enter.

“So you inherited their house?”

“Yup. Lived here ever since.” He darted ahead of her, flipping on light switches, finding a piano radio station on Pandora.

He sneaked another look at her as she stood in the center of the living room. She’d seemed quieter than normal on the drive here—almost distant. Even now, he could feel the space of her reserve. What could be wrong? He cleared his throat and absentmindedly smoothed his hair. He’d pulled it back into a short ponytail for this evening, with the help of a lot of hair gel.

“Well.” He rubbed his hands together and gave his best “host” smile. Maybe Addisyn was just nervous. He could relate. “As you can probably smell, dinner is ready.”

He marched to the kitchen and opened the oven door. A wave of steamy fragrance issued out. Addisyn wandered after him to the kitchen and grinned. “Sure smells good. Maybe you really can cook.”

He returned the grin. “I’m good at it. See here?” He proudly produced the pan. “Baked salmon and roasted vegetables. Then after dinner we have some of my famous two-ingredient cookies.”

“Two ingredients?” She cocked her head charmingly.

He winked and glanced elaborately around, as if checking for eavesdroppers. “It’s a secret. They’re just oatmeal and banana.”

“Wow!” Her laugh was like a string of bells. “You know more about finding your way around a kitchen than I expected.” Her gaze focused as she studied his face, peering deep into his soul.

He could feel the red staining his face. “Yeah, a little.” His hands wobbled as he placed the salmon on a cooling rack.

This girl had a lasso on his heart, and she was pulling it tighter with her every breath. And he noticed something even stranger.

He didn’t mind.

ADDISYN WATCHED DARIUSwith new eyes as he loaded two plates with generous portions of salmon and vegetables, along with a side salad. That lean yet muscular build—those unusual eyes—how could she not have remembered?

She waited as he pulled out a chair for her and then sat down himself. He was quite the gentleman, she had to admit.

He picked up a fork and smiled awkwardly at her. Maybe he sensed she had something she wanted to say.

“Darius,” she began.

“Yeah?” He was giving her his full attention.

She took a sip of water. Why was it so hard to get right to this? “You have a secret you didn’t mention to me.”

Darius put down his fork and stared at her.

She braced herself with a deep breath.Here goes!She matched his gaze. “You, Darius Andrew Payne, are a world-renowned ice skater, Canadian national champion—and a two-time Olympian.”