by Kat Mizera
“I’m sure Logan is great, but I’m very busy teaching kindergarten.”
He frowned. “Mommy’s busy with hockey and she found a husband. I don’t think you’re trying very hard.”
“You’re right. I’m probably not trying very hard.”
Thankfully, there was a knock on the door and she hurried to open it for Sara. She was used to her students asking her random questions like that, but being one-on-one with Niko was different and not as easy to put off.
She never planned to have kids, but she didn’t tell people that because they always asked questions she didn’t want to answer. Luckily, tonight she’d been saved by the bell.
Miikka planned to meet Charli on Sunday at what they now called their Starbucks. He’d thought about nothing but her since their conversation about pizza and cheesecake the other night. Though he struggled to flirt in English, he’d understood everything and was so annoyed his sexy, witty or funny answers had all been in Finnish—and in his head. He hadn’t expected their conversation to go from pizza to sex so quickly, but she’d been so cute and he knew without a doubt she’d been embarrassed.
Just thinking about it made him smile and he’d been looking forward to seeing her all week. Though she wasn’t really his type, there was something different about Charli and he couldn’t figure out what it was. She was also the first person he’d met since leaving Finland that didn’t treat him like a second-class citizen. His teammates didn’t, of course, but that was different. They only cared about his skill as a hockey player, and that was something he was good at.
Other than that, he was mostly on his own. He had his friends and family in Finland, but he was only home a few months a year. The rest of the time he was here in the U.S. and mostly alone. He and Logan had become roommates a couple of months ago, and he was a good guy, but he was always on the go, always hooking up with women, always looking for mischief. That had been fun for a couple of years, but now Miikka wanted to settle down with a family of his own more than any of that. Maybe not kids just yet, but a wife and a home and something stable to come home to.
He’d grown up with a tight-knit, loving family and he’d always thought he’d be married by now. It never occurred to him his long-time girlfriend in Finland would dump him, and meeting women here in Alaska was harder than people thought. Sure, he could date women back home, but it took time to meet the right person, get to know them, fall in love…and by the time he met anyone, he had to come back to the U.S. He also came from a relatively small town in eastern Finland called Savonlinna, and there were only about thirty-six thousand residents. Not only did the women crawl out of the woodwork now that he’d made a name for himself playing professional hockey, but everyone at home knew about Jaana. Her presence made it infinitely harder to meet women since many people in their circles knew them both.
As he pulled into the Starbucks parking lot, he spotted Charli getting out of her car and he waved.
“Hi, Miikka.” She waved and fell into step beside him.
“Hi. I’m Miikka Laasonen…”
They both laughed.
They settled at a table they liked in the back once they’d ordered coffee, and Charli pulled some small white note cards out of her bag. “These are flash cards,” she told him. “We’re going to use them for you to read and learn what we call sight words. When I do them in kindergarten, they’re the basics like the, to, be, etc. I’m going to focus more on nouns with you.”
“Nouns?”
She looked it up in Finnish and showed him the translation. “Things like car, truck, hockey puck.”
He grinned. “This word, I know!”
“So I’m going to show you a word on the card and you’re going to read it, pronounce it correctly and tell me what it means. And, I’ve got the Finnish word on the back.”
“Yes?” He was momentarily startled. She’d gone to so much trouble for him and though he’d bought her those tires, it wasn’t about the money for him. The team had inadvertently pushed him into learning better English, and not only had he found a great tutor, he’d found someone who put genuine effort into helping him. She was creating lessons crafted just for him and she’d looked up all the words in Finnish, which had probably taken hours, even with the use of the internet.
“Well, yeah, how else can I teach you? You’re not a kid, so I’m not going to bring picture books with bunnies and puppies.” She smiled. “Why do you look surprised?”
“This is…nice. You are nice.” He wanted to say more, tell her how much he liked her, but he was so self-conscious about his English, he couldn’t bring himself to vocalize those kinds of things. Looking into her eyes was a different type of communication, though. He didn’t have to say anything to see something special, something that moved between them as if it were tangible.
“You’re.”
He snorted. “You’re nice, Char-lot. I thank you for this. I’m learning much quickly.”
“I told you I’d have you ready for your date at the hospital.”
“Yes, but you are… You’re working hard.”
“Paying for those tires was a big help to me,” she said quietly. “And I’m doing my best to repay you with this.”
He typed into his phone and then held it out for her to read:
I would have paid double for how much you’ve taught me without making me feel stupid.
Charli gazed at him in confusion. “Stupid? Why would I make you feel stupid? You’re trying to learn the language. That’s not stupid.”
I’ve been in North America almost a decade and I still don’t speak English. People sometimes look at me funny. But hockey keeps me busy, especially when I was younger, trying to prove myself. It’s different now; I’m established. I still work hard, but I don’t worry about getting cut every day or whether or not I’ll make it to the big leagues. Now I’m there, so I can focus on other things part of the time. Like finally learning English.
“Well, I think you’re doing great. And I get the feeling you know a lot more than you let on. You’re just not comfortable saying the words out loud. That’s why we’re going to practice as much as we can.”
Their eyes locked and for a long moment neither of them moved. The air around them crackled with electricity as he watched her. Her eyes were so blue they mesmerized him. Sitting beside her like this, so close but not touching, was driving him crazy and he didn’t know why. He liked her a lot, even though he barely knew her, and the urge to change that caught him off guard. He had to do something before he imploded, and he slid a little closer to her with his chair. His forearm brushed hers on the table and her lips parted just a tiny bit.
That was his cue.
Holy crap, he was going to do something impulsive. Before he could stop himself, he leaned in to kiss her.
8
He was going to kiss her.
Holy shitballs, he was leaning in but she was too terrified she might be wrong about the kiss to close her eyes. Instead, she sat there, frozen in place, as his lips made contact with hers. One hand reached out to cup her jaw, turning her to just the right angle.
His mouth was soft, and a bit tentative, but the gentler his touch, the more she wanted it. Her eyes fluttered closed of their own volition and she tilted her head. He increased the pressure but kept his mouth closed, grazing her lips with his. A chaste, tender touch of seduction that promised something so much more. Something she hadn’t realized she needed until just now.
“I think maybe this is better than cheesecake,” he whispered against her mouth.
Her eyes opened and she swallowed. “You…um, might be right.”
He lifted a hand, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. “You taste sweet.”
“You taste like coffee.”
“This is good?”
“I love coffee.”
He smiled, sliding his hand over to find hers. “This is nice. I’m sorry I don’t have words to—”
“Don’t apologize. Do you know what ‘a
ctions speak louder than words’ means?”
“Yes, I understand.” He laced his fingers through hers. “We have English lesson and then maybe we kiss again?”
“Definitely.” She dipped her head, ridiculously excited about a sweet, mostly chaste kiss. His hand was dry and warm, engulfing her much smaller one, making her feel wanted. It had been so long since she’d had attention from a man, she’d almost forgotten what it was like, but her body hadn’t. Her body was totally on board for all this hand-holding and kissing and sitting close together in two separate chairs. They were leaning over her laptop, looking at English and Finnish words, talking and smiling, pausing to occasionally gaze into each other’s eyes.
She felt sixteen again, out on a date with a cute guy, butterflies in her stomach and her smile almost permanently affixed to her lips. This was lunacy, but she loved it, and leaned in even closer. Just the brush of his thigh against hers made her heart flutter and when he squeezed her hand, she wondered if he knew how much fun she was having. If she’d had her way, they would have sat at Starbucks all day.
Charli hadn’t stopped smiling since Miikka had kissed her. He’d caught her off guard, because she hadn’t imagined he was interested in her beyond their tutoring arrangement, but she wasn’t complaining. They’d kept everything casual, including when he’d kissed her goodbye, but they had a dinner date tonight and she was excited. Miikka was also coming by her house today to hang out. They’d been busy between his hockey schedule and her trying to make the most of the last two months of the school year, so this was their first opportunity to spend time together. He’d had practice earlier today but they were going to dinner and she’d invited him to come over early so they could have a quick English lesson. He was visiting the children’s hospital tomorrow and she wanted to make sure he was as prepared as possible.
“Hi!” Miikka was grinning when she opened the door. “My name is Miikka Laasonen…”
“You’re going to need a new pickup line,” she said, laughing as he leaned over to brush his lips across hers.
“You will teach me.”
“You’ll.” She led him inside, wondering if he had any idea how much she enjoyed even this small amount of physical contact. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
He merely quirked an eyebrow and she shook her head fondly. “It’s just a fancy way of welcoming you to my house.”
“Is yours or rent?”
“It’s mine. My grandfather left it to me when he died. It’s old and needs a ton of work, but I do a little at a time.” She motioned with her hand. “Some of this stuff has been here since the 1950s and 60s, but I’ve updated it a little. I had a new roof put on when I moved in, had all the plumbing updated last year, and now I’m renovating the master bathroom.”
“You know how?”
She laughed. “I watch a lot of HGTV and tons of YouTube videos. But I haven’t done anything big yet. I’m going to try to retile the master bath. I don’t know if I can, but—”
“I can help. My father is carpenter.”
“I can’t really afford it yet, but when it’s time to buy the tiles, I’ll let you know.”
“This is nice,” he said, fingering the wooden bannister of the stairs. “Good quality.”
“Yeah, the woodwork is all original. The fireplace will be beautiful when I fix it.”
“Oh…” Miikka’s eyes widened. “I love this.” He moved to the fireplace and ran his fingers along the carved mantel. It was scratched and beat-up, but the foundation was there and it would be gorgeous again once she learned how to refinish wood.
“One project at a time,” she said.
“I can show you,” he said, turning to her. “I do this with my father many times.”
“I have to finish the bathroom first,” she said softly. “And you’re busy with hockey now anyway.”
“Show me?”
“Show you…the bathroom?”
He nodded.
“Okay.” She led him up the stairs and through her bedroom. She winced at the unmade bed and the bra she’d tossed haphazardly on the chair, but at least the bathroom was clean and tidy.
“You painted,” he murmured, glancing at the walls. The box containing the new bronze faucet and fixtures was on the counter and he picked it up. “The color is pretty and these will look nice.” He squatted down and opened her cabinet, peering inside.
Great, he had a close-up view of a box of tampons, but he appeared focused on the plumbing.
“The plumbing was all updated,” she said.
“Looks like good job,” he responded. “I can help you replace this.” He got up and motioned to the new faucet.
“Yeah?” She smiled at him. “That would be amazing. I’ll cook you dinner.”
“You cook?” He met her gaze with interest. “I eat.”
She laughed. “But not tonight. Tonight, you owe me dinner. The next time you have a free weekend afternoon, I’ll cook and we can install the new faucet.”
“Okay.” He grinned.
“So, where are we going?” she asked once they were in the car on the way to the restaurant.
He gave her a little grin. “Surprise.”
“Uh-oh. I’m wearing jeans.”
“Jeans are okay.” He reached across the console for her hand. Her fingers curled into his and though her stomach did a little flip of pleasure, it was incredibly comfortable. Before Miikka, she hadn’t held hands with anyone in a long time, but instead of being nervous, she was relaxed. Miikka seemed to have that effect on her and it was one of the things she liked about him. Despite being a professional athlete, he was so down-to-earth she often forgot that about him.
“Your English is coming along nicely,” she said after a few minutes of silence. “You remember almost everything we practice and your vocabulary is already much, much better. Are you reading every night?”
“Yes. Soon, I will memorize Green Eggs and Ham.”
“Excellent.”
When he pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, she laughed, squeezing his hand as she shook her head. “You’re funny!”
He grinned. “Yes. Sometimes.”
He’d brought her to the brand new Cheesecake Factory that had opened and it was equal parts thoughtful, entertaining and meaningful. They’d kissed a few times now, both the first time he’d done it and again after the game the other night, but they hadn’t had much time alone together, and tonight was the first time they were actually out on a date. Bringing her here after their phone conversation about cheesecake and sex meant he paid attention, which was something the previous guys in her life had never done.
“So cheesecake after dinner?” she asked as they walked inside hand in hand.
“I have to try this flavor. White chocolate something.”
“White chocolate raspberry, and yes, you do.”
They were seated and ordered a couple of glasses of wine. She didn’t drink much and he said he tried not to during the playoffs, but one glass wouldn’t hurt.
She took a sip of cabernet and sighed happily. It was a rich, full-flavored cabernet, which was her favorite, even though she’d never tried this kind.
“You like the wine?” he asked.
“It’s really good.”
“One of my favorites.”
“It’s going to be one of mine now too.” Their eyes met across the table and the look they exchanged was so electric, she looked away. She didn’t know what to do about what was happening between them. She wanted to rip his clothes off and kiss every inch of him, but she’d never done that with a guy before. She’d had sex, of course, but she’d never initiated and her experiences were limited to two guys, both of whom had ultimately hurt her. It made her cautious, even with someone as wonderful as Miikka.
“Tell me,” he said slowly. “Why you are single?”
“Dating is hard. I’ve only had two serious boyfriends in my life and both of them hurt me. I guess I’m a little bit afraid now.”
“I�
�m sorry for this.” He reached across the table for her hand. “Are you afraid of me?”
“Not specifically, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried you’ll hurt me too. Or that I’ll get attached and once you don’t need me to teach you English anymore, you’ll move on.”
He frowned. “That is…terrible. I wouldn’t do that. You’re my friend and now maybe something more, but I’ll always be honest. Okay?”
“Okay.” Charli took another sip of wine. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of assholes in the world.”
“You go out with assholes?”
“I’ve gone out with a few,” she admitted, “but I stopped dating after college.”
“You haven’t dated since…college?” He paused. “None?”
“Nope.” She met his gaze. “This is my first date in over three years.”
He looked thoughtful. “I haven’t been on date like this in a long time. It’s difficult for me, because of the language and also because women are more interested in hockey player than Miikka.”
“But you must meet nice women too, right?” she asked softly.
He nodded and smiled. “Yes. Now that I met you.”
9
Miikka hadn’t thought much about the language barrier since he’d met Charli, but tonight he was struggling again. Not because she seemed uncomfortable or unhappy, but because there was so much he wanted to say that he couldn’t articulate in English. Using the translator on his phone was fine for general conversation, but for something personal like this, where they were really getting to know each other, taking the time to type it out would break the intimacy of the moment. He wanted to tell her how much he liked her, how she was the first woman in a long time who made him feel like more than a meal ticket. Even Jaana, towards the end, had been focused on where they would live, what kind of house they would buy, all things related to how much money he made. And that had played a part in their breakup, though he hadn’t admitted that to anyone but his parents.
“I like you too,” she whispered. “I always have so much fun when we’re together, even when we’re just practicing English.”