Heat it Up: Off the Ice - Book One by Stina Lindenblatt Read Free Book Online Page A

come since last week. They’ve obviously been practicing in their free time.
    Nik and I demonstrate the next drill. We both take a yo-yo and I grab a tennis ball. We get the yo-yos going and toss the ball between us. We’re not trying to screw each other up. It also means I need to focus on the ball and not on yesterday’s kiss.
    But tell that to my brain.
    I’ve practiced this skill numerous times with Cody since the accident, helping him improve his coordination. And several of those times I’d fucked girls just before meeting up with him. But this is the first time I’ve had a pair of luscious lips on the brain while doing the drill. Reciting Newton’s laws of motion won’t help me now.
    I’m not the only one who’s distracted. Nik doesn’t seem to be anymore mentally here than I am. He tosses the ball to me but it misses his intended target by a couple of feet and I dive to grab it.
    Call it testosterone and competitive stupidity.
    My bad leg impacts with the hard ground and a grunt jerks from my throat. Pain shoots up my leg and I groan. I lie still for several seconds, the pain temporarily paralyzing me.
    Nik crouches beside me. “You okay?”
    Nodding, I push myself up. While Nik gets the boys moving on the drill, I excuse myself and limp to the locker room to grab some over-the-counter pain meds. The entire way, I curse my leg and the drunk asshole for screwing things up for me.
    Now I have to hope his stupidity doesn’t mess up my plans this afternoon with Sofia.

Chapter Eight
Sofia
    Yesterday’s kiss has turned me into a mess. The entire time I was working, I couldn’t focus on what I was doing. And yesterday, when Joni coughed and interrupted Kyle’s kiss, I wanted to stomp on Joni’s foot for his crappy timing.
    But last night, while the memory of the kiss mocked me, I reminded myself that only I felt that way about it.
    EvenSamantha’s kisses were hotter than yours. I couldn’t help myself.
    Luckily, Kyle and I won’t have to kiss, again. The last thing I need is to embarrass myself again with another one. And the last thing I need is to become a basket case for the rest of the summer because of a single kiss. On the bright side, whenever I need to act sappy on the phone while I fake talk to him, I just have to think about the kiss.
    “Sofia?”
    I blink and return to the real world. Kyle’s in front of me, but unlike yesterday, he isn’t carrying a duffle and his hair isn’t damp. He’s wearing jeans and a plain blue t-shirt that gently hugs his muscles, and enhances the blue in his eyes behind his sexy glasses. The overall effect is enough to knock the air from my lungs.
    I smile at him, hoping he hasn’t noticed me checking him out. Not that it should make a difference. He’s doing the same. His gaze takes in my denim shorts and shell-pink tank top.
    “Have you been to the marketplace on the pier yet?” I ask.
    He shakes his head.
    “You’ll love it.” I always have, ever since I was a kid.
    I lead him along the busy sidewalk, weaving around people hurrying in the opposite direction to where we’re headed. “Thanks for helping me out yesterday.”
    He places his hand on my lower back. My skin tingles at his warm touch. “Did we convince your grandmother?”
    “I’m not sure. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.”
    “Do you think we convinced the grandson?”
    “I don’t think it matters if we convinced him,” I say. “It’s his and my grandmothers who need to be convinced. I doubt he’s even interested.”
    “Oh, I can guarantee he’s interested.” Kyle pauses and lightly grabs my arm, stopping me. “I’m interested in getting to know you better, so why wouldn’t he be interested too?”
    I roll my eyes and start walking. Kyle easily catches up with me in a few strides.
    “Doesn’t matter,” I say. “It’s not going to happen. With either of you.”
    “I don’t get it. You’ve got two guys interested in you, and you’re not interested in either of