Kiss My Ice

2|9

29.

I never in a million years would have thought that I would spend a Sunday morning of my summer vacation at a hockey team practice.

"You have some serious explaining to do missy," Brendon declared, skating up to me as soon as I stepped onto the ice. I couldn't help the smile that pulled my lips. I knew that kissing Aiden on the cheek was going to get a rouse from the boys.

Chris, Nate, and Brett all followed closely behind Brendon. Each of them was also looking at me as though I might have been some kind of alien.

I furrowed my brows, feigning innocence. "What'd I do?"

Chris rolled his eyes. "Don't give us that. You know what we are referring to."

Yep, I did know. I knew that they were hoping that I would indulge them on all the details of what had just happened between Aiden and me. But, like with my parents, I wasn't sure how to explain it. The last time that they knew, I was upset with Aiden for lying to me.

"Come on Zo," Nate pushed, nudging my side. "He can't be a taboo subject anymore if you are kissing him on the cheek."

I licked my lips, adverting my eyes from their anxious stares. "You want to know about Aiden?"

Brendon guffawed. "Duh."

The boys deserved to know that Aiden and I had signed a peace treaty. We would no longer be at each other's throats. I decided that that I would fill them in on the new relationship that was brewing between Aiden and me. I'd happily give them all the personal details after the practice was over.

"I'm sorry boys." I titled my had back to the four guys, my eyes flickered between them.

"You're sorry?" Chris asked.

Brett narrowed his eyes. "For what?

A large, devious grin swept my face. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you." Wiggling my eyebrows, I turned on my skates ready to sprint away from them. "I don't kiss and tell."

I didn't bother to turn my head to see their reactions, but I could almost guarantee that I had left them dumbfounded.

Not too long after that Aiden and the rest of the hockey team had found their way to the ice and the unformal practice had begun. We started off with some warmup laps before the boys jumped into some puck dribbling. Personally, I would have preferred to do just about anything else, but I didn't get a say.

I watch in awe at how easily all of the boys made it seem to guide their pucks around the ice. It was like the were able to control the pucks with their minds. I knew from firsthand experience that it was not as easy as they made it out to be.

"Are you nervous?" A familiar voice asked as he skated up beside me. Josh. I hadn't talked to him since the bonfire.

I gave a slight shrug of my shoulders, watching him with envy as he stopped the puck directly in front of me with his stick. "A little," I admitted. My eyes dropped to the puck on the ice. "Okay a lot."

Josh chuckled. "Don't worry Zoe. No one is going to judge you." I lifted my head to see him smiling. "If anything, we will just judge Aiden on how good of a teacher he was."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Depended on the day."

"You'll be fine," he reassured. "Just give it a try."

Here goes nothing, I thought to myself. Then, adjusting my hands on the hockey still I was given, I braced myself. It'd been a while since I had last had to dribble the puck, but I did remember where Aiden told me to hold it. Even if I absolutely sucked, at least I would be holding the stick correctly.

I took a breath and began to push the puck around the ice. Slowly, but surely, I weaved my way around the little orange cones placed throughout the ice. I was nowhere near as swift and nimble as all the hockey heads, but I had managed to complete the exercise without losing control of the puck.

"That wasn't half bad," Aiden complimented, skating up behind me as I finished weaving the last cone. I lifted my stick up off the ice, watching the puck as it continued to slide a few more feet before it hit the wall and ricochet back toward me.

I smirked up at him. "Well I had a pretty OK teacher."

His lips curved to a smile that made a million butterflies explode inside my stomach. "Just OK?"

I pushed forward on my skates, closing in the remaining distance between us. "Well actually, he was kind of an ass most of the time, but he did have his good moments."

Aiden's dark eyes flashed with mirth. His lip twitched upward. "Yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

My eyes remained on his as I skirted to stop in front of him. The plan was to maintain a moody stare so that we didn't raise any suspicion with the rest of the hockey team. I didn't want everyone else as confused as Chris, Brendon, Nate, and Brett. Aiden on the other hand, he didn't seem to care what anyone thought. He lifted his right hand up to my face, gently tracing my jawline with his pointer finger before he lightly cupped my face. Lifting my chip, he leaned down and pressed his warm lips to mine.

Initially, my first instinct was to pull away. We were in the middle of a practice surrounded by all of his teammates. It was not the ideal place to be. Us kissing was undoubtedly going to stir up a million different questions with everyone.

With all the eyes I was certain were on us, the logical thing would have been to pull away. But the hormonal side of my brain wanted nothing more than to remain right there with Aiden's lips on mine. Since I first saw him on my doorstep this morning, I wanted nothing more than to rush to him and feel his embrace. Now was my chance.

My muscled melted into him, losing every intimidating factor that I had. Our lips moved easily together. Every logical thought was pushed farther from my brain with each second. I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and fully melt into his toned frame.

The longer that I let the kiss go on, the harder it would have been for me to stop. So I did what I had to. I pulled my lips from his and put a stop to our short-lived kiss.

"I sincerely hope that you don't go around kissing people during practices," I teased, earning a grin from Aiden.

"What the actual fuck is going on?" Brendon was the first to ask. "Since when did this happen?"

----

Hey everyone!

I am so sorry that this update is so short. I know that it's long over due too. My computer broke and I just got a new one, so hopefully now I can get the last few chapters out to you guys! 

I hope you are all enjoying! If you are, leave a comment with what you hope happens before the end of the book? 

Do you guys ship Zoe and Aiden together?