Melting the Ice by Jaci Burton Read Free Book Online Page B

work.”
    “I’m sure you do. But the thing is, I promised her I would. And you know how formidable your mom can be. You don’t really want me to tell her I let her down, do you?”
    Carolina frowned. “That sounds an awful lot like blackmail, Drew.”
    “It does, doesn’t it? So let’s go.” He took her hand and pulled her out of the car.
    As they walked along, she looked up at him. “This is why you’re not with your friends watching football.”
    “Huh?”
    “Because of some sense of obligation you feel toward my brother and my mother.”
    “Oh. No, that’s not it.”
    “I can assure you, Drew, that you don’t have to feel obligated. I’d even lie.”
    He stopped and turned to her. “You’d lie to your own mother?”
    “To make this deadline? Yes. So we can go back to the car now, and your conscience would be clear. You can hang out with your friends, and I’ll go to work.”
    She pivoted, but Drew grasped her arm. “Not so fast.”
    She wanted to scream out her frustration. “What? Surely you haven’t suddenly dredged up some long-lost Boy Scout sense of honor, have you?”
    “No. But I did promise your mother. And besides, I agree with her. Gray and your mom both told me you’ve been working nonstop on launching your line for the past two years, even before you quit working for whatever-his-name-is designer.”
    “David Faber.”
    “Yeah, him. So is that true?”
    She stopped, enjoying the feel of warm sunshine on her face, despite the chilly day. “Mostly.”
    “That probably explains why you’re so cranky.”
    Her jaw dropped. “I’m cranky?”
    “Sure you are. Because you’re working all the time and you don’t remember how to go out and have fun.”
    She wanted to kick him right in the balls. “I know how to have fun. I have fun all the time.”
    He led her up the stairs. “Yeah? What was the last fun thing you did?”
    “I . . .” She stopped and thought. “I shopped for fabric.”
    He shook his head. “That’s work-related. Something not related to your job. When was the last time you went to a club, or a movie, or to a friend’s party? Or went out on a date.”
    She opened her mouth to give him an answer, then realized one didn’t immediately come to mind. Okay, so she had been focusing a lot on work. But that was by choice, and sacrifices had to be made when the prize was her own fashion line. “I can’t remember.”
    “Uh-huh. That’s what I thought. And that’s why you’re cranky. You probably haven’t gotten laid in at least a year.”
    She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with him. Besides, it was more like a year and a half, but she was not admitting that, especially not to Drew, the hot stud who probably got laid four times a week. “That’s so not true.”
    He gave her a wry grin that spoke volumes about how he didn’t believe her.
    Damn him.
    She thought they were going to stop at a bistro for some coffee and conversation, so when he took her to the ice rink, she stopped and tugged her hand from his.
    “Oh, I don’t think so.”
    “Why not? It’ll be fun.”
    “Yeah, for you. You skate for a living. I haven’t skated in a very long time.”
    “Come on. It’s like riding a bike. You never forget how.”
    “Wanna bet?”
    “You’re chicken.”
    “I’m also not twelve. That ploy isn’t going to work on me, Drew.”
    “Fine. You hang here. I’ll skate.”
    Oh, sure. And he’d be mobbed by all the attractive women currently skating on the rink, and it would be college all over again.
    No way.
    “Okay, I’ll do this. But no laughing when I fall on my ass.”
    “I don’t intend to let you fall on your ass.”
    She followed him inside and they rented skates. The teenager working the counter recognized Drew immediately.
    “You’re Drew Hogan from the Travelers.”
    Drew gave the kid a wide smile. “I am.” Drew looked at the kid’s name tag. “And you’re Justin.”
    Justin grinned. “So cool. And you’re