“After you.” His naughty grin reappeared, and his eyes changed back to their normal mischievous glint. He was laying down the charm like it was molasses. If I had a choice, I would have stayed in the car.

Conceding, I took his hand firmly. No softness for him. I tried not to focus on the firm grip he had, or the warmth of his fingers while he pulled me out of the car and laced his fingers with mine. Handholding? For Brent Vaughn?

I forced myself to think about the night air being cool against my neck and the faint scent of trees around us. Not on the warm feeling in my stomach. No, I listened for distant hums of cars and life around me instead of the man who had me out here all alone. Not the nervous energy I had brewing or the way he was looking at me.

Why did he look at me that way?

“You wanted to haul me here in my pajamas?” I asked, definitely not focusing on the fact that we were holding hands and walking quickly toward this dark building.

“Yep,” he replied coolly, gripping my hand a bit tighter.

“Where are we?” I fidgeted with my necklace with my free hand, wondering what awaited us inside.

He flashed a teasing smile over his shoulder. “You’ll see.”

The building was dark—like, dark, dark. It could have been abandoned for all I knew. Confusion washed over me as I wondered what the hell plans he had made for the night. The door creaked open, revealing a too dark hallway.

The entire place was pitch black.

I’m so dead for real this time. Kelly, I am so sorry.

I thought I smelled...popcorn?

He dragged me through a series of endless and dark hallways while our shoes squeaked on linoleum. He stopped to present me with a final door and opened it to reveal an empty ice-skating lobby with a single flickering light.

The door to the rink opened and even cooler air washed over me. Nostalgia crept up and for a moment, I could vividly remember my mom.

The vast open space waited for me. The ice perfectly smoothed by a Zamboni awaited.

I felt like I was home for a moment.

Brent broke the silence. “Just the two of us here tonight.”

“I guess I’m too embarrassing to be seen with you around other people.” I let a smart-ass remark slip while I took in my surroundings. It happened when I wasn’t paying too much attention to someone talking. I was focused on the feeling of good times.

The smell of a skating rink stayed the same no matter which rink you went to. They all just felt the same. And I felt like I was a kid again with my mom.

God, how I missed her.

“What’s your skate size?” He brushed off my remark. Nothing could break that iron ego of his.