Icing Up Love (Insta Love Shy Girl Romance 1)

CHAPTER TWO

* Nolan *

I didn’t mean to be holding her so close. When she spun, my instinct was to grab her so that she didn’t slip on the snowy concrete. I’m not the type of guy to go around grabbing strange women, I just felt the most unbelievable protective urges for this sweet, curvy blonde girl who was trembling in my arms.

I stepped back, holding her by the elbows to make sure that she was steady, but putting some space between us so that I didn’t frighten her.

“Why…” She paused. The half-formed question hung in the air between us, and I wasn’t even sure I had an answer.

“Sharolyn, I promise I’m not a crazy stalker type,” I tried to grin to put her at ease. “I think you’re absolutely fascinating, and couldn’t let you get away without asking you out

for coffee.”

She blushed so prettily that I wanted to take a photo so I could stare at her forever.

“So, I know you’re probably tired after working a long day, but may I take you out for coffee, or dinner, or anything you want?” I asked.

Sharolyn looked up at me, her eyes bright from the glow of the street lights, her sweet lips so inviting they were almost taunting me to kiss her. “I guess… I could go for a quick dinner,” she said quietly.

“You said something about having stage fright from just talking to people,” I said gently. “You seem a bit shy, and I don’t want to be too forward, but I swear that you can talk to me,” I grinned.

She nodded, and I realized I was still holding her elbows, but her hands were now gripping my forearms as she leaned toward me very slightly.

“Is this your neighborhood?” I asked. She nodded. “Is there anywhere around here you’d like to go?”

Sharolyn cocked her head, flashing me the most charming smile as she nodded. She led me up the street, and we admired the holiday lights for a few blocks until we entered a small pub called Jimmy’s. She glanced at me as we walked in the door. “Is this okay? It’s not very stylish, but the food is really good.”

“I love trying new restaurants,” I smiled. We were seated in a large half-circle booth in the back, and I slid in beside her, likely closer than I should have been. But the pull to be against her was overwhelming.

I would have thought that she’d smell like sugar or something from the pastries she’d been working on all day. But she smelled green, like a blend of rosemary, pine, and mint.

She ordered tea and a burger, and I was delighted that she wasn’t one of those fussy girls who eat nothing but salad in front of a man.

“Well, I got through the speech thanks to you,” I said. “Thank you for that.”

“I’m glad,” she said. Her voice was so gentle, sweet. Everything about her was precious, from her tiny straight nose to her little silver star earrings. “So, um, your brother was running the event. Do you two work together?”

I chuckled. “He trots me out when he thinks it’s handy to put my name on the program.” I searched her eyes, and she seemed confused. “I used to be a hockey player,” I explained. “Now I do some Junior League coaching, and team-building work for various corporations.”

“I’m sorry I don’t know anything about sports,” she said. “Are you one of those players where everybody knows your name?”

I shook my head as her tea and my coffee arrived. “I was the new guy with great potential until my knee got twisted in a fight.”

Her eyes grew wide. “I’m so sorry.”

I shrugged. “These things happen.”

“Do you enjoy doing these speeches?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, it’s really interesting finding new ways to get other people’s teams fired up. But my brother is setting me up with a TV gig through one of his old university buddies. They want me to do a weekly half-hour talk show with a few other guys about strengthening teams, motivation, communication, and how putting kids in sports can teach some important life skills if you keep it fun and not crazily competitive.”

Setting her teacup down, she leaned in. “You get an adrenaline rush in front of big crowds. Do you get that, or stage fright or anything in front of cameras?”

“Not at all. They tell me I’m good on camera. And I’m great with small groups. I don’t know why I get fired up when it’s more than a hundred. I guess it’s just that I want my energy to be huge to reach them all.” I leaned a little closer, and flashed her a wink. “I can see what you’re doing – you keep asking me questions quickly so that I won’t ask you about yourself. Sneaky. I like smart women.”

Sharolyn’s cheeks stained pink again just as our food arrived.

“What are you doing for the holidays?” I asked, wanting to start with something simple to put her at ease.