Icebreaker
by Hannah Grace
Published by Pig & Bear Publishing
Book 1 in the Maple Hills Series
Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA.
A competitive figure skater since she was five years old, a full college scholarship thanks to her place on the Maple Hills skating team, and a schedule that would make even the most driven person weep, Stassie comes to win.
No exceptions.
Nathan Hawkins has never had a problem he couldn’t solve. As captain of the Maple Hills Titans, he knows the responsibility of keeping the hockey team on the ice rests on his shoulders.
When a misunderstanding results in the two teams sharing a rink, and Anastasia’s partner gets hurt in the aftermath, Nate finds himself swapping his stick for tights, and one scary coach for an even scarier one.
The pair find themselves stuck together in more ways than one, but it’s fine, because Anastasia doesn’t even like hockey players…right?
Genre:
I'm a sucker for a hockey romance.
I'm an even bigger sucker for books that are shared on #booktok over and over for how hot they are.
So when I saw Icebreaker at Costco, it went right into my cart.
It's been sitting on my shelf for a while, admittedly, because I tend to read on my kindle more than my actual books, but during a recent book buying ban ... ha! yeah right ... I tried to focus on the books on my shelf.
Icebreaker was the winner, and I am SO happy I read this book!
I loved it!
Booktok was not lying when touting how hot this book is. Hannah Grace can write some sizzling chemistry and some delicious sex scenes.
Why isn't anyone talking about the story, though? In my opinion, the story was just as great as the sexy bits!
It was interesting from both POV's.
They each had their own issues to deal with, and watching these two people come together and help one another was great.
It's a sports romance where both MC's are athletes in different sports. Admittedly both ice sports, but that is what makes this so fun to read. Two very different, equally competitive sports, having to share a rink for ice time? With Nathan going into the NHL, and Anastasia working towards the Olympics, the stakes and emotions are high. Their obvious passions for their respective sports was clear from the beginning, and I appreciated that.
It's a bit of a rivals to friends to lovers, which is so much fun.
While Icebreaker is steamy, there is also romance. A slow and steady one, that feels true to two characters who are generally against relationships in this time of their career.
It told a story of two people, going through different types of abuse: Nathan's father and how controlling and manipulative he is, and Ana being emotionally and mentally abused by Aaron. Hell, let's throw physically abused in there as well, considering he manipulated her into starving herself. This is not something I was aware that could even happen, to be honest, so points to Hannah Grace for bringing awareness to something that, from what I've heard, does happen sadly.
If you want to VERY sexy romance that has a story behind it, you will love Icebreaker. With it's fun banter, sizzling chemistry between Ana and Nathan, and healthy dynamics, this is a great romance to escape reality for a bit. I am definitely going to be reading the next Maple Hills book!
Aaron: "What does the planner say you're doing tonight?"
I roll my eyes, ignoring his teasing tone.
Ana: "Getting laid."
Aaron: "Ew."
he says, the tip of his nose wrinkling as he grimaces.
Aaron: "It's bad enough you plan what time you sleep and eat, but do you need to plan having sex?"
Aaron: "I can't believe you're still fucking around with him. He's, like, double your size, how does he not crush you? No, wait. I don't want to know."
Ana: "I know he is."
I giggle, pinching his cheeks until he bats me away.
Ana: "Sorta the whole point."
Ana: "Can she not just be very talented? And not sucking someone's dick?"
Lola: "Anastasia, will you please let me be petty for five minutes and pretend I don't know she's better than me?"
Lola: "Since my bedroom is next to Stassi's and I'm going to be listening to your grunting and balls slapping all night" -
my eyes widen as far as they can go from behind him -
Lola: "Can I have the code for your room, so I don't have to fight for thee shared bathroom at the party at your place?"
Campus housing has electronically coded locks on bedroom doors for security. Ryan's room has a private bathroom, so Lo's request is a good idea since thee bathroom line gets ridiculous the drunker people get.
It's her delivery that's going to require some serious work.
Ryan: "Sure, I'll text it to you. No snooping, Mitchell. I'll know if you have."
She holds up a peace sign.
Lola: "Scout's honor. Enjoy all the sex."
Robbie: "Well, well, well. What happened here, you little ho?"
Henry: "Why did you have sex with Kitty Vincent?"
Henry asks over the rim of his coffee mug.
Henry: "She isn't very nice."
Oh yeah, and the kid has zero filter.
Nathan: "I'm going to pretend I didn't, buddy. She wasn't very excited about it either, and I don't remember one second of it, so it doesn't count."
I shrug, walking over to the living room and throwing myself into a recliner.
Nathan: "How the fuck did you three let this happen?"
Am I old enough to not pass off the blame for my mistake? Sure. Will it stop me from trying? No.
JJ: "I tried to stop you from leaving with her, bro."
JJ blatantly lies, holding up his hands defensively.
JJ: "You said she smelled nice and her ass felt good. Who am I to stand between you and true love?"
Jaiden: "Would you rather ... have a fish head but your body, or would you rather have your head but a fish body?"
At least thirty seconds pass where I stare at him, unable to formulate a response. He taps at the watch on his wrist.
Jaiden: "Tick, tock, Stassie."
Ana: " I don't know."
Jaiden: "Ten, nine, eight, seven ..."
Ana: "Fish head with my body. I think. God, that's disgusting to visualize."
Nathan: "Ask me nicely. Lt me show you how much I like it when you're nice."
Ana: "Why would I do that when I don't like you?"
Her words are strong, but her delivery is strained and wispy, giving her away.
Nathan: "You don't have to like me to scream my name, Anastasia."
I lightly trace her jawline with my nose, enjoying the way her breathing hitches.
Ana: "I could give you a map to my G-spot, and you still wouldn't be able to get my off, Hawkins."
Nathan: "I don't need a map."
Ana: "You do."
My mouth is millimeters from hers and I'm not going to be the one to make the first move. I don't need to be; if she wants me, she's about to show me.
The idea I'd need a map to get her off is laughable. Her thinking I wouldn't spend every moment learning her body better than my own is also laughable.
The thing I light about her is she's competitive, but I'm competitive too; I always have been. It's how I've gotten so good at winning, and right now, we're competing to see who can hold out the longest.
Lowering my voice to a whisper, I give her one last chance.
Nathan: "Let's test that theory, shall we?"
She wiggles in my arms, and I realize she's trying to elbow me in the ribs. I'm too preoccupied trying to open the door with my ass to be worried about her being annoyed. Setting her on the medical bed, I take a step back and as soon as our bodies are apart, she punches me straight in the arm.
Ana: "You can't tell me to shut up, I'm injured."
Nathan: "I'm fucking injured now."
I moan, griping my bicep.
Nathan: "Jesus Christ. Who taught you to throw a punch?"
We're both adults. Sometimes adults let other adults prove they don't need navigational tools to find a G-spot. It's normal.
Nathan: "One day, I'm going to fuck your pretty little mouth, and you're not going to be able to be such a bossy, impatient little brat."
Ana: "Stop looking at my ass, Hawkins."
Nathan: "Stop having an ass that looks like that."
UBER SLUT
Nathan: Where are you going tonight?
Ana: Who is this?
Nathan: You know who it is.
Ana: I think you have the wrong number, sorry.
Nathan: Hmm.
Nathan: Don't think I do. Are you going to a party?
Ana: Meeting some bikers.
Ana: Big Ones.
Ana: Full of sperm.
Nathan: Great choice of film to reference.
Nathan: Such a brat.
Ana: Tell you what, Hawkins. You find me before midnight, and you can finally fuck this 'pretty little mouth' of mine.
Ana: That way I won't be able to be such an 'impatient, bossy, little brat.' Deal?
Nathan: You're going to look so good with my cock in your mouth.
Ana: Happy hunting!
Nathan: "I'm going to fuck you like this tight little pussy is mine. You'll take it like a good girl, won't you?
It's hard to be happy about having the best sex of your life when the guy who you did it with is impossibly annoying.
Ana: "Look at my neck, Nathan!"
I fume, catching my reflection in the mirror when wee step out of the shower. I didn't even think to look last night, but the hickeys are incredibly bold and angry-looking this morning, standing out against my neck.
Ana: "I look like leeches have attacked me! Who are you? Fucking Dracula?"
Nathan: "I'll buy you a scarf when I got to Target,"
he says nonchalantly, examining his handiwork. I watch him in the mirror, the unmistakable look of pride on his face.
Nathan: "Stop being dramatic."
Ana: "Stop being dramatic? If you hand me a scarf, I will strangle you with it."
I shoot back, unraveling my towel to dry myself.
Ana: "I have to teach kids this morning. Do you know what kids notice? Absolutely everything."
Nathan: "You are so full of rage for someone so small and cute,"
he teases, kissing the ugly marks on my neck.
Ana: "I hate you."
Nathan: "No you don't."
Nathan: "I was going to ask if those ridiculously optimistic quotes you post are something to do with therapy, or if you just like catfishing people into thinking you're not the most temperamental, bossy, and terrifying woman they may ever meet."
Ana: "Excuse you. I'm not temperamental or bossy."
Laughing at my shocked face, he kisses my knuckles again.
Nathan: "I feel like the evidence weighs heavily in my favor."
Aaron: "Why do you make such horrible choices? Jesus Christ. It's like you don't respe -"
Lola: "Finish that sentence,"
Lo snarls, storming towards us.
Lola: "I fucking dare you, Carlisle. Finish that sentence and see what choices I make."
So far, Henry hasn't done any studying himself, claiming he prefers to procrastinate until the last minute, then study under duress and feeling of impending doom, but he did draw me a giraffe, which was nice.
Nathan: "I'll kick his ass if you want me to."
His hand cup my cheek and I nuzzle into its warmth.
Ana: "If you hurt him I can't compete at sectionals in two weeks."
Nathan: "Noted."
Ana: "But if we don't qualify and you happen to hit him with your car, that's not my concern."
Nathan: "Also noted."
Nathan: "Do you want to play house?"
Ana: "Huh?"
She sounds confused, which I can't blame her for. Faint crease lines appear beside her eyes as she shoots me a funny look.
Ana: "House?"
Nathan: "Like what you played as a kid,"
Her frown slowly fades, the corners of her lips tug up slightly.
Ana: "And what does that entail? We gonna pretend to be Mom and Dad to the guys?""
Nate: "We forget about the outside world until tomorrow. I mean, if JJ calls you Mommy, I will hurt him, but other than that - what do you call it when you're catfishing? - positive vibes only."
Ana: "Do you have any body fat?"
she huffs, wiggling down my body until she's straddling my hips, sitting up a little so we're face-to-face.
Ana: "It's like laying on pavement. You're absolutely solid."
Closing the laptop and putting it on the floor, I turn all my attention to the beautiful woman on top of me.
My T-shirt is drowning her, which is another thing I love. Weird, I know. It makes me wonder if there's a psychological reason why her wearing my clothes makes me horny.
Nate: "I'm sorry the body I work so hard for doesn't make a good mattress for you."
Henry didn't know where to look when she breezed past him toward the kitchen in my T-shirt. Nobody knew where to look when she physically moaned while biting into the first wing. JJ's mouth opened, but even he thought better of it, which was a relief because we have a game on Saturday, and I'd rather not be down a defenseman.
But nothing can stop Henry and his concerned face. He's been trying hard to not blurt out the first thing that comes into his head, but he doesn't always succeed.
Stassie bites into another wing and his frown deepens.
Henry: "I know I will have to listen to you making that noise later, Stassie. It doesn't seem fair that I have to listen to it over dinner."
JJ: "Fucking hell, Hen."
JJ splutters, spraying his drink all over the kitchen island.
Her mouth hangs open and even I'm unsure how she should respond. That's my cue to get her away from my friends. When she's finished eating and has washed her hands, I drag her back up the stairs.
Thee second I close my bedroom door, she pushes my body against it and wraps her arms around my neck, dragging her face down to hers.
Stassie's soft body molds itself against mine and her fingers sink into my hair.
Nate: "What's the rush?"
I ask, tugging down my sweatpants anyways because I'm not foolish enough to ask too many questions when she's kissing me like that.
Ana: "Henry told me I'm loud when I come, so now I want to do it before he goes to bed."
Jesus Christ.
Nate: "I'm sorry you're embarrassed, but he doesn't get a free pass because he's cute."
Ana: "He is cute."
I nodded in agreement.
Ana: "I love him, Nathan, like, it's becoming a problem. I just wanna squish him. I don't want him to think I got him in trouble."
Nate: "He's very loveable."
He kissed the tip of my nose gently, momentarily distracting me.
Nate: "But if he doesn't learn, he will upset someone one day properly. I worry about how he will get on when we've all graduated, so I have to teach him."
Ana: "As much as I don't like waking up to Henry's guilty face, I like this sexy-but-caring-dad thing you've got going on."
Nate: "Don't even joke, Anastasia."
His whole demeanor changed, and the grinding against me resumed instantly.
Nate: "Because I will put a baby in you right now, and you'll be stuck teaching bratty little skaters like Brady."
Ana: "Get off."
I said playfully, pushing my hands against his chest, ignoring his groan.
Ana: "I need to take my birth control."
Nate: "How much do you like being able to walk straight?"
I tighten my legs around his waist, the anticipation near boiling point.
Ana: "Never been a fan."
Nate: "Good."
Nate: "Such a tight little pussy, Anastasia. All for me."
He pants against my mouth.
Nate: "You think you can get under my skin, mhmm? Do you think I don't see the little game you're playing? It's my cock you come all over. Even when you wanna put another guy's name on your back ... It's my name you fucking scream."
Ana: "I'm trying t o decide whether you put a hockey stick in bed between us or if you're really happy to be waking up beside me."
He rubbed himself against my ass, groaning next to the shell of my hair. He's a vocal guy and it does something to me. It's like he flicks a switch somewhere and suddenly it's Niagara Falls between my legs.
Nate: "If I say it's a hockey stick, will you play with it?"
You know in a movie when there's a red button, but nobody is allowed to touch it, and you scream at the TV when someone inevitably does? Anastasia is my red button. I know I shouldn't touch her, but I want to, and she'll scream at me if I do.
Ana: "Is that supposed to be endearing? Feels a little possessive and toxic."
The corner of my mouth tugs up, loving that this is my day now.
Nate: "Don't give me that shit. I've seen what you have on your smutty bookshelf."
Nate: "How was that?"
He grins.
She kisses her teeth.
Coach: "Like a drunk deer, misguidedly stepping onto a frozen lake."
Ana: "Do they have a lot of drunk deer in Montana, Coach?"
I ask, remembering to say Montana and not Russia at the last second.
Coach: "Do not sass me, Anastasia. Thee pair of you, do it again. Gracefully."
I've done more laps than leaps before Brady is finally satisfied with Nate's version of graceful.
Coach: "Much better, Nathan. You're not playing hockey now. Nobody is going t o attack you on the ice."
Nate: "Respectfully, Coach" - his eyes flick to me quickly -
Nate: "I don't think you can promise me that."
Nate: "She scares the shit out of me. What's with the coat? Does she know we're in California?"
Ana: "Her aesthetic is Cruella de Vil. You'll get used to it."
Lying down on the floor, I raise both of my legs. Using the weight of her body, she holds my legs against herself and leans forward, stretching my hamstrings.
Me moaning with my legs in the air is always t he perfect time for JJ and Henry to get home. It's hard to judge their expressions from my position on the floor, but I hear JJ laughing to himself.
JJ: "Me next, Stassie."
Henry stands beside us, head tilted as he assesses what we're doing.
Henry: "Does it feel weird to be on this side of the body bending, Anastasia?"
She presses down a bit more, making my hamstrings scream. I love it and hate it in equal measure, but the discomfort means I don't register what Henry says until she answers him.
Ana: "You know what, Hen? It does feel weird, yeah."
Not caring t hat he's dripping wet, he stomps across the room, stopping in front of me.
Nate: "Wanna do the no-pants dance with me?"
Ana: "No. I want you to get into bed and go to sleep."
He looks genuinely shocked.
Nate: "Why not?"
Pushing him to the bed, he flops down, not landing anywhere that even resembles a normal sleeping position.
Ana: "Why do you think?"
Thinking on it, the realization kicks in.
Nate: "You're drunk, and I'm sober, so that means ..."
he sings, making an X with his arms.
Nate: "No naked sleepover."
Not fully accurate, but the important parts are right.
Ana: "Bingo. Lie properly, please."
Ignoring me, he yawns and closes his eyes.
Nate: "Drunk people can't give consent, Stas."
Ana: "That's right, bub.""
I pant, lifting his alarmingly heavy legs to try to maneuver him.
Ana: "Nate, can you he - Okay, you're asleep. Great."
Ana: "Why are you staring at me, you big creep?"
She doesn't give me a chance to respond.
Ana: "Don't even try telling me I look beautiful. I can feel dry drool on my cheek."
Nate: "I love it when you talk dirty to me."
Nate: "What did I do to deserve you?"
She kisses the palm of my hand quickly and climbs over me to get out of bed.
Ana: "You're very kind and very pretty."
Nate: "What if I get attacked by a mountain lion and it eats off my face, will you still like me then?"
I can see her trying to suppress a laugh as her lips pull into a tight line.
Ana: "You spend too much time with JJ. He's always asking me shit like this. Uh, will you still be kind when you're faceless?"
I think about it.
Nate: "Yes."
Ana: "I'll still like you."
We pick up the conversation in the kitchen, where everyone is now impatiently waiting around for the pancakes Stassie is making.
JJ: "What if he gets bitten by a shark but survives and has a cool scar, but every full moon he becomes a shark. Will you like him then?"
JJ asks, flinching when he tries to steal a pancake from the pile Stassie is adding to, and she slaps his hand away.
Ana: "When he's a shark, does he live in the sea or is he in a bathtub that I have to refill and stuff?"
Without hesitation, JJ fires back.
JJ: "Sea. You just have to drop him off at Venice Beach before the sun sets."
Ana: "Yeah, I'll still like him."
Plating up the pancakes and passing them around, she covers her own plate in strawberries and syrup. Protein pancakes are her new obsession because it means she no longer has to tolerate the disgusting taste of protein shakes.
Henry's been oddly quiet listening to Robbie, JJ, and Lola round off scenario after scenario to see where the line is. Henry doesn't tend to stay quiet for long.
Henry: "So, what I'm hearing, Stassie, is that as long as Nathan is nice to you, there isn't anything that would make you not like him?"
She shrugs.
Ana: "Uh, I suppose? I don't know. I'm not too worried about him joining the Mafia or having to only wear a clown suit for the rest of his life, so I mean, it's not real, is it?"
Henry: "That sounds like you're in love with him to me."
Nate: "I promise I won't drop you."
She splashes her hands against the water, looking anywhere but at me.
Ana: "It's not only that. Uh, I'm kind of concerned you're going to get an eyeful of what's between my legs. I have to spread my legs wide while I'm above your head."
I've seen her do this one; I'd say her concerns are valid, given the size of her piece of string.
Nate: "You can't show me anything I haven't already seen. You've used my face as a seat, Anastasia. I'm a big fan of your work - arguably your biggest fan."
She mutters, "For fuck's sake," under her breath and turns around to face away from me.
Ana: "What did I do to enjoy you?"
I press my lips against her forehead, thinking about the best way to answer that question. There isn't one, so I'll have to settle.
Nate: "I don't know, but I'd like you if you had crab hands, too."
Ana: "Please, tell me what you want. I want to get you something that will make you happy."
Nate: "You already make me happy. Just let me have you."
Ana: "But you already have me. And you can't unwrap me."
Nate: "I could unwrap you if you'd let me ..."
Nate: "Look at you taking it all like a good fucking girl."
Robbie: "Stas, right hand yellow."
Robbie shouts over JJ and Joe arguing with each other. The second she bends over I realize why all my friends started looking at me the second Robbie called out her move.
Henry huffs as soon as her hand lands on yellow.
Henry: "Anastasia, please get your ass out of my face."
Ana: "Is isn't even in your face!"
Her ass was definitely in his face. To make it worse, her dress is only just covering her ass; if it rises any more, the whole hockey team, plus anyone else watching, is going to see all the hickeys I've left on the inside of her thighs.
Henry: "Nathan,"
he shouts, twisting his neck to find me in the crowd of onlookers.
Henry: "What's your blood pressure like right now?"
Yeah, the kid knows me.
Nate: "Pretty high, buddy."
Henry: "See! Because your ass is in my face. You're going to kill him."
Ana: "You're too big."
Nate: "You can take it, though."
Ana: "You gonna get me a warm cloth like they do in romance novels?"
Nate: "I can offer you some toilet paper and maybe a wet wipe if I have any."
Tutting playfully, she awkwardly stands from the best and waddles toward the bathroom as my cum runs down the inside of her thigh.
Ana: "I'm going to start making you wear condoms again. You're getting too big for your boots."
Nate: "Stop telling me I have a big dick if you don't want me to have a big ego!"
Ana: "I assume you know why I asked Nathan to get you,"
I say, interrupting what will most likely escalate into a nonsensical argument.
He puts his now empty bowl beside him and crosses his legs, leaning back against the bed frame.
Henry: "I hope it's not for a threesome because you're not my type."
Nate's head falls back, his hand rubbing his forehead as he stares at the ceiling, groaning. I hope it's not a migraine, but if anyone is going to induce one today, it'll be Henry. Nate looks back at him.
Nate: "Dude."
Ana: "What do you mean I'm not your type?"
Henry: "You're too short. You're, like, what? Five three? Five four? Gotta be five-nine or above to ride."
A lot of bad stuff has happened recently, and this is by far the absolute worst. I mean, technically I sort of have a boyfriend now, although that word currently makes me feel a little unwell.
Ana: "I want to file a complaint. This is discrimination."
Nate: "Baby, I'm right here."
Nate says, raising an eyebrow.
Henry chuckles, winking at Nate.
Henry: "Yeah, thankfully. I think Anastasia wants me."
Henry: "Lola said I'm not allowed to talk about whether you two love each other or not, but I love you, Anastasia. I was serious when I said I want you to live here. Whether you two are together or not, if you get tired of Nathan you can sleep in my room. I'll get the air mattress again."
Ana: "You're a grumpy gills this morning,"
she chirps, tucking into the fruit salad she paid about fifteen bucks for in the airport shop.
Nate: "Early. Tired."
Ana: "Poor baby,"
she says sarcastically, giggling, and pinching my cheek.
Ana: "Want to sleep on my boobs on the plane?"
Nate: "I obviously wanna sleep on your boobs."
Nate: "Annie?"
She looks at me, her expression serious.
Ana: "Yeah, they call me Annie because I was an orphan."
Colin bursts out laughing as Julia gasps, crossing her arms over her chest.
Julia: "Anastasia Rebecca Allen! We call you Annie because you couldn't spell Anastasia until you were eight!"
Looking at me, she shakes her head.
Julia: "Please don't listen to my daughter."
I can't help but laugh.
Nate: "I have to, ma'am. She's pretty scary when she wants to be; she even has my whole hockey team terrified of her."
Ana: "Are we there yet?"
Nate pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. He doesn't find me funny right now, but the more irritated he gets, the funnier I find it.
Am I ... JJ?
Lowering his head, his nose brushes against mine gently. I can feel his warm breath on my skin, lips an inch from mine, and momentarily, I lose all function.
Nate: "As soon as we're alone"
-he nods toward our driver, who's minding his own business in the front -
Nate: "I'm going to spank you for very time you've asked me that."
My breath catches in my throat, somewhere between a giggle and a gasp, and he closes the gap, making me melt with a kiss. Breaking apart, he presses his forehead to mine.
Ana: "Don't threaten me with a good time, Hawkins."
Leaning back to look at me, his brown eyes lock with mine and I just know. I know I made the right choice to spend the holidays with him.
Nate: "You're so naughty sometimes."
Ana: "Are we nearly there, though?"
His fingers weave between mine in my lap, and he peels out of the window.
Nate: "Two minutes. That still counts, by the way."
Ana: "I was was hoping it would."
Nate: "It's okay, there are people that have it far worse than me. I'm not ignorant enough to think I'm not completely privileged, and it's the definition of first-world problems. But he's taught me everything not to do as a dad ... so our kids will be fine. Wait no, wait, that didn't come out right. Oh God."
Now it's my turn to blush. He's stilled beneath me and neither of us saying anything. What the fuck do you say to that exactly? Wine-drunk Stassie is not the person for this conversation because for some reason what's in my head is not what comes out of my mouth.
Ana: "I want to adopt."
He clings to me a bit tighter.
Nate: "Sounds good to me."
Ana: " I always wanted to anyway but pushing out your big-ass baby would probably wreck my vagina. Like, totally destroy it."
Nate: "Noted."
Nate: "I thought you gave me my present already?"
Rolling my eyes, I climb off him.
Ana: "Coming inside of me is not a freaking Christmas present, Nathan."
Nate: "It makes me feel jolly when I do it."
Ana: "It's not porn. It's a romance book that happens to have a little bit of sex in it."
She tries to hide her face, but I hook my finger under her chin, tilting her face up to mine. I gently press my lips to hers, leaning into her ear to whisper.
Nate: "Anything you read, I'll do to you when we get home."
When I lean back, I can see thousands of possibilities flashing across her face.
Ana: "It's honestly not that kind of book ... but I do have some at home that might be"
-the flush of her cheeks intensifies -
Ana: "of interest to you."
Nate: "I love a woman who enjoys reading."
Nate: "You smell like McDonald's and regret."
He reaches into the drawer and produces a bottle of painkillers.
Ana: "Did I eat McDonald's last night? Or do I naturally smell like a Big Mac?"
He brushes my tangled hair from my face and looks at me so lovingly that, for a second, I forget that I am an actual dumpster fire gremlin right now.
Nate: "You ate twenty chicken nuggets in about four minutes. It was like you were in an eating competition, but you were the only contestant. I've never been more in love with you."
