I purse my lips, as if I’m thinking, but the truth is, I already have my plan locked and loaded. I shrug. “Maybe.”
Cross sighs loudly and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Get in the car, Scarlett.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep my smile at bay. “Fine.”
His eyes snap to mine with surprise, and that’s when I let my lips curve.
“But you’re going to have to catch me first.”
And with that, I spin and take off through the trees.
[ 23 ]
CROSS
She disappears into the trees,and I spare only a moment to shrug out of my sweatshirt. I toss it on the trunk of the car, crack my neck, then take off after her.
There’s a hint of a path through the underbrush. My feet slide on damp leaves and snow. The snow is nowhere near as thick under the cover of the forest. The branches overhead seem to lean in, blocking the little light we have left in the day.
I spot a flash of movement ahead and pick up speed.
What will I do when I catch her?
Adrenaline bursts through me, lending power to my sore muscles. She’s fast, but she’s no match for my long stride. She glances back at the sound of my footsteps and shoots forward.
I laugh. I can’t help it. I come so close I could grab her, but all I do is reach out and let my fingers graze the back of her neck.
She screams and swerves through the trees, losing me for a moment when I go around a thick trunk.
Okay, enough.
I sprint forward and reach. I grasp her coat, slowing her enough to spin her around. I propel her into a tree, and she lets out anoofwhen her back hits the bark. She glares up at me, but I’m right there.
Nowhere to go.
And, unfortunately, my dick is hard.
God damn it, why is she so alluring? Why can I not get her out of my head? And worse…why is she tempting me like this?
“What’s wrong, Cross?” she breathes. “Can’t handle the heat?”
I lean down and kiss her. My teeth catch her lower lip, and she moans. The sound goes straight through me, and I rock my hips into her. She can feel what she does to me–she can’t miss it.
But the thought of some asshole touching her without consent, taking that away from her, makes me hesitate.
I pull back an inch. My lips hover over hers, but I open my eyes and wait until she does the same.
“I can take you back to the car…or you can say yes to what happens next.”
She swallows, and a myriad of emotions flutters across her face. Her jaw sets, and she nods firmly. “I’m saying yes, Cross.”
She shifts her weight, and her knee suddenly connects with my inner thigh. I let out a hiss, my grasp on her weakening.
In a flash, she slips free. “But you’ll have to try harder!”
I groan. That wastoo closefor comfort. She almost rendered me unable to speak. Still, the contact gives me a wicked Charlie horse, and I take a few staggered steps before I can actually pick up a jog.
Then a run.
