“You feel incredible,” he pants. “You—God, Lyse—you’re everything.”
My nails scrape down his back, hips rising to meet every thrust, our bodies locked in rhythm. His hand fines the place where we’re joined, thumb circling my clit in time with his movements. The pleasure builds, hot and unbearable.
“I’m gonna, oh God, Mateo, I’m gonna come.”
“Come for me,” he groans. “Let me feel you fall apart.”
And I do. I shatter around him, my whole body locking up as waves of pleasure crash through me. I cry out his name, clutching him tighter, the orgasm ripping through me like astorm. I don’t come down gently. I fall hard, breath stolen, vision blurred.
He follows seconds later, thrusts turning erratic, hips stuttering. His voice breaks as he groans into my neck, his release crashing into him. I feel him pulse inside me, his entire body trembling with the force of it.
We collapse into each other, chests heaving, sweat cooling between our skin. His head drops to my shoulder. My fingers trace his spine, lazy and tender, trying to memorize the moment. The weight of him, the warmth, the safety. Neither of us speaks for a while.
Then, softly, he murmurs, “I didn’t think I could ever feel like this again.”
I smile, brushing back the damp hair from his forehead. “You can. You do. With me.”
He shifts onto his side, pulling me with him, keeping me tucked tightly against his chest. Our legs tangle. His hand rests on my waist, thumb rubbing slow, aimless circles.
“I never planned for any of this,” he says, voice low. “But you…you’re the best thing I never saw coming.”
Tears sting my eyes again, this time for a different reason. “You’ve got me,” I whisper, kissing the corner of his mouth. “Completely.”
By the time the sun rises, the world outside looks like a snow globe. Thick flurries are still falling, blanketing the rooftops and trees in white. Everything is still and soft, the kind of morning that makes you want to stay in bed all day. But Maya has other plans.
“SNOW DAY!” she shrieks, bounding into our room with mismatched socks and a sparkly unicorn sweater that’s three sizes too big.
Mateo groans beside me, lifting one arm dramatically over his face. “What time is it?”
“Time to play in the snow!” Maya answers cheerfully, tugging at the covers. “Come on! Come on!”
He peeks out from under his arms. “Don’t you want pancakes first?”
Maya pauses. “Okay, but snow after.”
I sit up, laughing. “Deal.”
An hour later, pancakes have been devoured. Cocoa mugs are empty. Maya has dressed herself in no less than four layers of clothes, insisting it’s her “snow armor.” Mateo is pulling on his boots at the front door while I zip Maya’s puffy pink coat.
“Do we have enough gloves?” I ask, checking the tote by the door.
Mateo lifts one of Maya’s sparkly mittens. “One glove only.”
“Sorry, Mami!” Maya says with a grin.
We finally manage to get out the door, bundled head to toe. The snow is deep, up to Maya’s knees in some places, and still falling gently. The whole neighborhood is hushed beneath the weight of winter, but there’s a buzz of life in the town square. Everyone in this town loves a good snowstorm.
“Where to first?” I ask,
“SLEDS!” Maya squeals.
Mateo slaps his glove against his palm. “To the hill it is.”
Lake City’s park has been transformed into a winter playground. Kids are running wild, their squeals echoing against the buildings. Someone’s set up a temporary sleddinghill using hay bales and packed snow. A small group is building an igloo near the gazebo, and there’s even a hot cocoa stand staffed by the high school drama club.
Maya clutches her sled to her chest. “Come on, come one!” she says, already running ahead.
We take turns going down the hill with her. First me, then Mateo, then all three of us in a tangled, laughing heap. At one point, Mateo pretends to fall off and flops backward dramatically into a snowbank. Maya throws herself on top of him and announces she’s conquered the Fire Knight of Snow Valley.
