He smiled. “That’s good.” He paused. “I’ve been burnt a few times, Kyla. I kind of have a hard time trusting women.”

“Me?” she asked quietly.

“No. Not you. Never you. That’s why…I―”

“Jesus.” Someone slapped Tag on the back and Kyla looked up to see Logan standing there grinning. “Would you two get a room?”

Heat scorched her cheeks, but she smiled back at Logan. His grin held warm affection.

“Shaddup,” Tag said mildly. His hand slid down Kyla’s bare arm until it clasped her hand in a warm grip.

“Or should I say a tent,” Logan added with a wicked little lift of one eyebrow that reminded her of Tag.

“Uh…” Bereft of words, she looked at Tag, who was grinning broadly. He shrugged as he met her eyes. Logan moved away to talk to someone else.

“I said nothing,” he murmured in her ear. “I can’t help it if people noticed things.”

“Like your mother,” she added. She bit her lip. “Tag…”

“I know. I’m not taking this lightly, Kyla.” He regarded her seriously, turning to face her, holding both her hands with his. Once again, he seemed to know what she was thinking.

“Your mom talked to me,” she said. “Up at the lake. I felt horrible because she thought there was something between us and she was all happy about it. I had to tell her it wasn’t really anything. If we mess this up…”

“I know. I hear you. I’m picking up what you’re putting down.”

She laughed reluctantly. “Seriously, Tag.”

“I am serious. As serious as a game misconduct. No, as serious as a full-season suspension. I know what this means. I know the consequences of things going wrong, believe me. But Kyla…I need you.” He paused and she saw the vulnerability in his eyes, the same as she felt. “I never thought I’d say this. I want a relationship. It’s true, I wasn’t looking for one, but…well, I want one with you.”

The vulnerability she saw somehow reassured her and made her want to reassure him. “Oh me too,” she said in a rush. “I never realized what it would be like…”

They were both dancing around it, like two players squaring off for a fight, both knowing it was too soon to be talking about love and forever, but knowing they both felt it.

“This isn’t the place to be talking about this stuff,” she whispered.

“Kyla.”

“What?”

“Wanna go on a date with me?”

A bubble of joy rose up inside her and made her laugh. “A date?”

“Yeah. You know. Like a couple. Maybe dinner. I know this really cool place on Portage, across from Assiniboine Park. Tiny little place, great food. Tomorrow night.”

She lowered her eyelashes, breathed in the smell of him, absorbed the warmth of his body. “Oh. A date.” She smiled and tipped her head back. “I’d like that. But just so you know…I don’t put out on the first date.”

He laughed and brushed his mouth over hers. “We’ll see about that.”