I open my mouth to accept the offering, nipping at her fingers as she plops it into my mouth.
Giggling, she breaks off some for herself.
“This is wonderful,” she says softly.
“It is.”
“No.” She gives me another bite. “I mean, this time with you. The snow starting to fall. That stuffed cow in your pocket?—”
I pat said pocket. “Is that what that is?”
A grin. Another proffered bite of funnel cake. “Treats and trinkets, soft music and cool air and a hot hockey player to keep me warm.”
“Now we’re talking.” I break off a bite, pop it into my mouth, reach for another?—
Her hand snags my wrist, and I start to lift my free palm in surrender, a promise to leave her treat for her rising in my throat.
“You’re wonderful, Colt,” she murmurs. “You. All that you are. All that you make me feel.”
“Baby—” I begin, seeing her eyes glimmer with emotion.
“Dance with me?” she asks, blinking rapidly.
“Always, starfire.” I turn toward the dance floor, the soft music lending itself to holding her close and drying those tears of hers.
“No,” she says and before I can ask her to explain, she’s tossing the remains of the funnel cake in the trash and tugging me out from under the tent.
Into the powder floating from the sky.
She flows into my arms like she’s never been hurt, like she’s never been scared of my touch…like she’s never spent a moment anywhere else except my embrace.
“You’re beautiful.”
“And you’re wonderful,” she says again and I feel the same burst of pleasure, of warmth, of…discomfort as I do every time she says that.
“I know you don’t believe me yet.”
I freeze, the music flowing around us, the snow continuing to fall.
“That’s okay. I’m looking forward to convincing you.”
“Kylie—”
She shifts closer. “Shh. Don’t fight it.”
“Baby—”
“I said, don’t fight it.”
“Bossy.” I kiss a snowflake off the tip of her nose and she smiles.
“Yup.” She settles her head on my chest and starts swaying. “And you like it.”
I inhale the sweet, floral scent of her, feel the softness of her body pillowed against mine, and know that it’s not just that I like it.
I love it.
I love every single part of Kylie Connors.
