“Not much of a party girl?”
“I used to be,” she said with a wistful tone. “When I lived in New York, we went out all the time. But I don’t really have a lot of friends here. Most of my old friends are married and have children.”
“Same with me,” he said with a shrug.
A long silence grew between them as she sipped at her coffee. “So...so what do you do about it? I mean, how do you deal when you’re...lonely? You have family, right?”
Thom shook his head. “Sure. But we really don’t see each other that often. My brothers come to the games now and then. And we get together over the holidays at my grandmother’s place.” Thom drew a deep breath. “It’s better to be alone, I think. No complications.”
“Sometimes complications are nice,” she said softly.
He’d never been very comfortable expressing his deepest thoughts, and now was no exception. Thom wanted to try again, to make her understand. Somehow it seemed important that Malin knew exactly who he was. But he was afraid the more he talked, the more she’d start to think he was too damaged.
He quickly stood, rubbing his hands together. “So, I’ve made us breakfast. I don’t know when you need to be at work, but—”
“I don’t have to go to the office to work,” Malin said. “I can work from anywhere that has internet. But I do want to stop at home and grab a few things, like clothes and my toothbrush.”
“And I need to get a workout in and some ice time.”
“And we should talk about a plan of attack,” Malin added.
“Why are you doing this for me?” he asked, meeting her gaze.
“I thought I explained. Because the fans love you. And you belong here in Minneapolis.”
“Your father doesn’t agree.”
“He’s stubborn and a complete control freak. But I believe I can change his mind as long as you behave yourself.”
“And you’re going to see that I do?”
Malin nodded. “I’ve got a lot of ideas.”
“And you’re sure that the only way to make this work is for you to live here? With me?”
She paused. “Yes, that would be advisable. At least until I can...you know.”
“Trust me to be good?”
“Yes,” she said, tipping her chin up and meeting his gaze. “I want to help you. I think I can.”
She stood up, her body brushing against his. Their legs were caught between the coffee table and the sofa as both of them tried to avoid contact. Instead, their legs got tangled, and Malin began to lose her balance.
Thom grabbed her waist, but she was already falling backward onto the wide sofa. He landed on top of her, absorbing most of his weight with his arms. For a moment, neither one of them moved.
Their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly, as if her every curve had been sculpted especially for him. Thom reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. Their color in the low light of the morning was stunningly vivid, a pale blue.
“God, you are beautiful,” he murmured.
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she teased.
Thom shook his head. “If I have, I’m sure I didn’t mean it...until now.”
It seemed the most natural thing to do next was to kiss her. He couldn’t seem to keep himself from touching her. But he also wanted her to trust him.
“Since we’ll be living together, perhaps we should try to defuse the...tension now,” he suggested.
“You may be right,” she breathed.
He moved slowly, giving her every chance to refuse. Nothing in her expression displayed a negative response. “Oh, hell, why not?” he muttered as he bent over her.
Thom brushed his lips against hers in a gentle test. She responded immediately. Her fingers slipped around his nape and a shiver raced through his body. Every nerve came alive and every sensation was magnified until he felt as if a simple touch could send him over the edge.
The kiss spun out like a spell around them, washing away any hesitation that either of them possessed. This was what he craved, yet until this very moment, he hadn’t known it. There was a sweet warmth in her kiss and in the way her body responded to his.
She arched against him, pressing her soft curves against his muscle and bone. And whether it was just a temporary slip or something building between them, Thom didn’t care. For now, he’d be satisfied to take anything she offered.
When he finally drew back, his gaze skimmed her perfect features. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at him, wide-eyed and breathless. Her lips were damp and he stole one more kiss, sending her an apologetic smile.
Malin opened her mouth and he waited for a reprimand, but then she snapped it shut, her brow furrowing. Thom slowly got to his feet, then held his hand out for her. When she stood beside him, he distractedly smoothed her mussed hair and dragged his thumb across her lips. She tried to speak again, but he pressed his index finger against her mouth to stop her.
“All we were doing was defusing the tension. Now we can forget that happened. We don’t have to talk about it. You don’t have to be angry with me. We’ll let that one go by.” He started toward the kitchen. “I’ll just get breakfast.”
When he got to the kitchen, Thom opened the refrigerator and put his head inside, drawing a deep breath of the cold air. His head cleared, yet he couldn’t forget what he’d just done. Why should he? It was obvious there was a powerful attraction between them. As much as Malin might want to deny it, that didn’t change the fact it was there.
And why not act on it a bit more? Flirtation was a far cry from seduction. And Thom certainly had the self-control to stop before things got out of hand. He’d be the perfect gentleman.
“Can I help you with anything?” Malin stood at the kitchen island, her face flushed and her eyes bright.
“There’s juice in the fridge,” he said as he ladled oatmeal into two bowls. “And grab the blueberries from the freezer.”
She fetched a few more items for him, then perched on a stool, watching him silently. He glanced over his shoulder, then cursed beneath his breath. “Do you want me to apologize? I will if you want me to. But I’m not sorry I kissed you. I enjoyed it and I think you did, too.”
“I did,” she said.
“Do you want me to promise it won’t happen again? That would be another lie. It might happen. It might not. I prefer to leave my options open.”
“I thought we were defusing the...tension,” she said.
“It might need more defusing.”
He set the oatmeal in front of her, sprinkled the blueberries on top, then squeezed honey over it all. She stared down at the bowl and grimaced.
“It’s healthy,” he said. “I eat it every day.”
“It looks like wallpaper paste,” she said.
“What do you usually eat for breakfast?”
“I usually grab a candy bar from the vending machine,” she admitted.
He pulled the salmon from the oven and placed it on the counter. “Believe me, you’ll enjoy this. And you won’t be hungry again in twenty minutes.”
“You eat fish for breakfast?” she asked.
“Or chicken. You have to have some protein, too.” He chuckled. “You’d better enjoy