Suddenly, I had the urge to get on that ice.

No. You know what? More than an urge. I had to get out there. It was now or never.

I brought my hand down onto the bar, snapping Avery to attention. "We're going ice skating."

The noise startled her, and she had her hand over her heart as she asked, "Now?"

"C'mon. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I don't know, Zac. Isn't it illegal or something?"

"Who's going to arrest us? The park ranger? He's a twenty-two year old kid in a golf cart who happens to drink at my pub. I think we're covered if we get caught."

"It's not just that. I'm-"

"Drunk?"

"Sort of, but I don't know how to skate very well even when I'm sober."

She said that last part shyly, and my mouth dropped as I took in the information. "You're kidding! You've grown up around hockey your whole life and you never learned how to skate? I find that pretty hard to believe."

"Well, my father was too interested in making sure his players could skate. Not his daughter."

That was pretty much the saddest thing I ever heard. I told you her father was a dick.

Avery must have seen my face fall at her revelation, and quickly covered, "What am I saying? You actually want to go skating and I'm debating you about it? Oh my God, Zac. I'm so sorry. I forgot you haven't"

She trailed off, probably realizing that she was dancing too close to pity.

I think we've all learned how well I handle being pitied.

"Alright. That's it. No more arguments, no more excuses. You and I are getting out on that ice now. Move it, Brooks!"

I shuffled her to her feet and grabbed her scarf. She groaned in protest as I wrapped it around her neck, tying it into a loose knot at her throat. It may have been the booze, but I found myself staring at the little spot of exposed skin, wondering what she would do if I just lowered my head and pressed my lips to the sweet, soft, inviting hollow of her throat.

I raised my eyes as her brows raised, looking at me blankly. Her lips pressed into a tight line as she swallowed hard.

Then she let out with a nervous giggle as she grabbed her coat, breaking the moment.

I directed her into the alcove that separated the restaurant from the bar. Pulling open the closet door, I rifled through the wooden box of skates on the floor until I came up with my old practice blades. They were filthy and frayed, stiff from misuse after so many years. But they'd be able to get the job done.

"Here," I said, handing them over to Avery. "These are from when I was twelve. They should fit good enough."

She inspected them in her hands before holding them next to her feet as I plucked my skates off the hook on the wall. I had a quick moment of apprehension as I ran my fingers over the patterned leather in my hands. I almost changed my mind.

But there was Avery, standing there all proud and excited. I didn't want to let her down.

We escaped out the alcove door, onto the deck, the cold smacking us in the face as we tied on our skates. When I was finished, I looked over at Avery.

She was sitting on the bench seat next to me, biting her lip to keep from grinning. "They look good on you."

I shot her a smirk and replied, "Everything looks good on me, baby."

She rolled her eyes as I laughed.

The lake had frozen over days ago, and thankfully, it hadn't snowed. So, there was no shoveling required before we could head out onto the ice, take advantage of the endless sheet of glass.

I left Avery on the safety of the deck while I stood at the bottom of the stairs and took a huge inhale, looking over the expanse of my surroundings, psyching myself up to make my next move.

And then, for the first time in almost five years I stepped out onto the ice.

From the first clink of my blades, I was overwhelmed. I ventured out aways in a large circle, testing the surface, which I soon discovered had to be at least a foot thick.

A rush of memories flooded my brain and filled my entire being. I immediately felt my father out there with me, saw visions of him teaching me how to skate when I was little, cheering me on as a teenager.

By the time I came back to Avery, I was smiling. "You ready?"

She responded with a hesitant grin and a nod of her head. I held my arms out for her and she took them as I helped her down the steps. Once on the ice, she seized my jacket in a death-grip as I skated backwards, letting her get the feel of it. She almost wiped out a couple times, but I always caught her.

Her ankles kept turning in and I tried not to laugh. "Easy, Drunky," I busted.

It took a while, but once she seemed a bit more surefooted, I said, "I'm going to let go, okay? I'll stay right here, so if you feel like you're going to fall, just grab hold."

Very tentatively, I released my grip on her, keeping my arms stretched out toward her just in case. She was unsteady at first, but holy hell, she was getting it! A rush of pride washed through me as I thought, I did this. I taught her how to skate. I was more than a little proud of myself.

And her.

"Holy shit, Ave! You're doing it! Look at you!"

She started to pick up a little speed, and I was about to tell her not to get so cocky when "Race ya!" she called out, leaving me standing there staring at thin air, at the spot she just occupied.

I watched her take off down the lake, her little skirt flying around her legs, her sweater-tights a receding gray blur.

"Oh you lying, faking phony!"

I chased after her; she had one hell of a head start but she was no match for me. I gave her scarf a tug as I zoomed by, and once I was on open ground, picked up even more speed.

My legs moved on their own as I kicked off and pushed myself to go as fast as my aching knee would allow. The chill was slashing against my face, my nose was leaking, my eyes were tearing up from the cold and I felt fucking phenomenal.

How could I have denied myself this part of me for all those years? Because that's what this was: A part of me. The air, the ice. The skates at my feet were an extension of my body, two limbs I'd cut off years ago.

Once I neared the bridge, I skidded out, kicking up a spray of mist against the moonlight. I watched it settle as I tried to catch my breath. The cold filled my lungs in a soothing chill only to be exhaled in a cloudy haze. It was quiet, and the calm allowed me to realize I was at peace.

I wasn't a very spiritual guy, but for the first time in my life, I was suddenly one with everything around me. The fog rising off the lake, the smell of the winter crisp in the air, the distant sound of animals in the trees, the scrape of blades against the ice Avery skating in my direction.

She slowed her pace and did a full circle around me, eyeing me up cautiously, seemingly tuned in to my epiphany. Her breath came out in a smoky cloud as she smiled and said, "You're happy."

She'd said that to me once before, five years ago on this very night. And I was happy. I was then, and I was now. How did she always know?

"Yes. I'm happy. Happier than I've ever been in my life."

Happy? I was practically manic. My goddamn heart was practically beating out of my chest to see her standing there smiling, proud that she was able to share this moment with me.

The look in her eyes was almost as elated as mine, and in my euphoria, I found my blades sliding closer toward her. I let my vision drop to her lips, clearly offering an invitation, even though I wasn't exactly sure she'd accept.

She hadn't come to me over all these past months, why would she do it now? Would the fact that her divorce was finally official change that? Would a signed piece of paper make any difference between us?

I sure as hell hoped so.

I mean, Christ. She'd essentially been "single" since the spring. And yet, I gave her the space to let her figure everything out on her own. Gave her the time to decide not only to come to me, but come to me for more than just a distraction from her troubles.

And here I was, still waiting.

Our eyes were locked together as our heated breaths fogged the space between us, caught in a standoff, each waiting for the other to come to some sort of resolve. But as much as I was dying to get my lips on her at that second, I didn't move in for the kill.

The decision was still hers to make.

She took a deep breath as her eyelids lowered to my mouth, and then before I could register what was happening she was gone.

Apparently, her decision was to skate back toward the bar.

After we'd shaken off the cold and stripped down to a single layer of clothing, we pulled a couch over to the fire and tried to thaw out. I loaned her a pair of my slippers which looked like cinderblocks on her tiny feet, and I watched in amusement as she wiggled them from the ends of her toes, her feet stretched out toward the flames.

"That was fun," she let out on a sigh.

"Of course it was. You and I always have fun on New Year's Eve." Her mouth dipped open as I shot her a wicked smirk.

That's right. I went there.

"I thought it was Christmas Eve," she said, trying to sound unaffected.

"It was New Year's. Trust me."

She stared into the fire, saying, "I'm surprised you remember."

"I'm surprised you don't."

Her eyes dropped to her hands as she picked at a fingernail and said softly, "I did. I do. Of course I do."

There was an awkward silence between us as our one night rolled around in our minds. I started to think that that's all we would ever have. Isn't there some sort of point of no return? Can two people be friends for so long that they simply skip over their window of opportunity? Does another one ever open?

Avery's voice broke my train of thought. "It's kind of dangerous for me to be here alone with you."

I shifted my focus away from the fireplace and asked, "Why's that?" even though I already knew the answer. I was trying to psych myself up for the Big Letdown, the speech where she told me what a great friend I was, but that I really needed to back the hell off.

But she didn't elaborate. Instead, she took a deep breath and changed the subject.

"Cute shoes," she busted, nodding at my slippered feet. I gave a chuckle and wiggled my toes at her comment. Her eyes met mine as her lips curled into a mischievous grin. "Wanna fuck?"

Chapter Twenty-Four.

We tore at each other on our way up the stairs, never breaking contact with our lips as we ripped off our clothes. A scarf here, a sock there; leaving a trail of debauchery all the way up to my apartment.

Once we reached the landing, I almost tripped on a stack of boxes in my blinders-on focus on Avery's body, her lips. I guided her over a pile of papers before sweeping my apartment door open and backing her into my living room.

The bed was about twenty feet too far away, so I drew us both down to lie on the couch, Avery's body under mine. I pulled off her sweater, she unbuttoned my jeans. Our mouths were a sloppy tangle of tongue, teeth, lips, gasping breaths, and giggles? Holy shit. We were both laughing. Both of us reveling in the pure joy that we were giving one another. I didn't think there was ever a time when I laughed during sex before.

Avery wriggled out from underneath me, and I sat up on the couch, feeling a physical ache from the loss of her body under my hands. She stood facing me with a sly smile, and I swear, looking at her standing there wearing just a bra, mini skirt, and that dirty grin, I almost came. She was so gorgeous, so playful and sexy, she pretty much broke my heart.

She feathered a hand down her chest to her stomach and back up to her neck again, her eyes never leaving mine until she turned her back to me. She reached up to undo her bra then held it out to her side before casually dropping it to the floor. Fuck.

She shot me a sly look over her shoulder, and my mouth went dry. That devilish grin was still playing at her lips when she suggested, "You should really be more naked right now."

She didn't need to ask me twice. I stripped off my T-shirt as she unzipped her skirt, but then my body became paralyzed in the act of pulling off my jeans, my hands frozen at my waist as I watched her slide that little skirt and her knit tights down her legs. Slowly.

Holy shit, she was trying to kill me. The luscious round curves of her ass came into view, her little white thong taunting me. I ran a tongue over my lips in anticipation, dying to get my mouth on her once again.

Avery turned toward me just then, and goddammit, hooked her thumbs into the strings at her hips, lowering her panties to the floor.

A lot of girls are self-conscious about their bodies, and most of the time, they really don't need to be. Men love women's bodies, especially when they're naked. We're just so grateful that you're letting us see you without any clothes on that we don't think to analyze all those imperfections you've convinced yourself you have. To us, you're beautiful. And the most attractive thing about a woman is when she knows she's beautiful, too.

So, I didn't know if the booze was having a calming effect on Avery or if she'd just grown confident in recent years, but she stood there for an extra minute to let me get a good look at her. My eyes ran down the length of her body then back up again, taking in every inch of her creamy skin, the pink tips of her perfect-handful breasts, the landing strip between her legs.

She was so fucking beautiful. Her body, yes, of course. But her mind, her heart. And even though every inch of her delectable flesh was within my grasp, I found myself mesmerized most of all by those topaz eyes staring into my soul.

She let me have my fill before kneeling on the floor between my legs, running a hand up my chest and pulling at my neck, lowering my face closer to hers. For all her sexy display, the kiss was soft, sweet, unhurried, and I marveled at how with a beautiful naked woman on her knees before me, the most prevalent emotion I was feeling wasn't lust, but Nope. Not going there.

"You're so beautiful," I said before becoming conscious I was even speaking at all.

She raised an eyebrow and shot back, "I bet you say that to every girl that gets naked in your apartment."

"Well, I figure it's only common courtesy."

She laughed and gave my chest a smack. "Jerk. And why are your pants still on?"

I remedied that issue in about one-point-five seconds.

Avery's hand slipped down my front before she followed her touch with her eyes. It was strange and disconcerting to give up my usual control, sitting there sprawled across the couch at her mercy. My brain was hesitant, but another body part wasn't feeling quite so apprehensive. Either that, or it was scared stiff. She ran her palm over its length, then shot me another one of those evil grins.

Fuck.