Read The Definition of Icing: A Dallas Demons Hockey Romance (Dallas Demons Series) for Free Online

while I’ve been obsessing about the situation, Nate hasn’t given it a second thought?
    Of course he hasn’t, Kenley. Don’t be an idiot. He’s a professional hockey player. Nate isn’t sitting around thinking about the girl he turned down. He’s going to be cool about it because he doesn’t care.
    “Come on, you need to join us,” Kylie says, interrupting my thoughts. “It’s Friday night. Have dinner with us.”
    Okay. Okay. I can be an adult about this and stay. Besides, I like Kylie and Harrison.
    And as long as I don’t think about my whole disaster of asking Nate out, and if I try not to stare at him, I’ll be totally at ease.
    Sure. Easy. Completely manageable.
    At least that’s the lie I’m going to force myself to believe for this entire evening.
    “Okay, I’ll stay,” I say, smiling at Harrison and Kylie. “And you had me at bison tenderloin.”
    “We have salmon, too, if you prefer,” Kylie says.
    “Oh no. The bison. Medium-rare,” I declare, finishing the last of my water.
    I glance at Nate, who is studying his cell. He must feel my eyes on him because he looks up. And the second those gorgeous eyes meet mine, heat flashes in my cheeks. I turn my attention to Harrison and Kylie, like I was never staring at Nate in the first place.
    “Ah, excellent choice,” Harrison says. “That’s how I like mine.”
    “Are you going to make that maple glaze for it?” Kylie asks as she takes things out of the grocery bag.
    “I can,” Harrison says, moving around her and going to the sink.
    “What do you have in mind for sides?” Kylie asks.
    “How about a salad and grilled sweet potatoes?” Harrison says.
    “Perfect,” Kylie says, setting the groceries out on the granite countertop.
    “Hey, Harrison, do you want me to go out and fire up the grill?” Nate asks.
    “That would be awesome,” Harrison says as he dries his hands on a kitchen towel. “We can start on the prep and the grill will be ready when we are.”
    Nate nods. He slips his phone back into his pocket and turns to me. “Wanna come out back with me?”
    Oh no. The last place I want to be is anywhere near Nate, and certainly not alone with him!
    But since I don’t have a choice, I simply nod. “Sure,” I say, making my voice sound cheerful.
    Nate leads me to the patio door and opens it for me, letting me step through first. I pass him and get a drift of that woodsy cologne he wears. Despite his non-interest in me, my stomach does a little flip at the familiar scent.
    “Oh wow,” I say, stepping on to the patio. I see a gorgeous pool, lots of flowers in oranges and pinks, a fire pit with cozy seating all around it. There’s a guest house overlooking the pool, too.
    I also see, to my right, an outdoor kitchen. To my left is another covered seating area, complete with ceiling fans, an outdoor fireplace, and a flat-screen TV.
    “Nice, isn’t it?” he asks.
    “It’s spectacular,” I say honestly.
    Nate moves over to the kitchen area, and I follow him. I position myself at the countertop across from him, needing that buffer as my safety zone. I take a seat on a barstool and anxiously wind my hair with my hands, something I always do when I’m nervous.
    Nate starts the grill, and after he does, he faces me. “I need to apologize to you,” he says quietly.
    Oh no, no, no. Not pity! I won’t have this. I need to stop him.
    “Nate, I should apologize to you,” I blurt out.
    A confused expression passes over his face. “For what?”
    “I should have made my intentions clear,” I say confidently, although I feel anxiety raging within me. “When I asked you to dinner, it was simply a thank you. I’m not interested in dating anyone either. I’m consumed with Confection Consultations, and it gets all my attention. I don’t have time for dating. At all. So it was a dinner invite and nothing more.”
    Nate traces his fingers over his jawline, back and forth, as he takes in my words.
    And that’s the truth.
    Until I