“Eight minutes!” I heard Instructor Allen yell, right before I was lifted into muscular arms.
“That’s my badass girl!” Jesse tossed me into the air, then gave me a firm kiss. “I need you to promise me you won’t do anything like that again without me. My heart can’t handle the stress of you rushing into danger alone!”
“Put her the fuck down! She’s bleeding, and we need to take her to the infirmary.” John pulled me into his arms, then cradled me against his chest. “And you know she can’t make that kindof promise, all of this shit is to get ready for initiation. Take reassurance in the fact that our girl kicked ass!”
I felt a hand softly tug my ponytail. When I looked over, I saw my Frosty smiling at me with approval. My chest swelled with pride as I grinned back at him. I knew he wasn’t the type to give his approval unless you’d truly earned it.
The adrenaline I’d been high on left me suddenly, and I felt utterly exhausted. Right before my eyes drifted closed, I was almost certain I saw Sly Iverson in the crowd blowing me a kiss.
Shit, I most definitely had a concussion. The fact that he whispered encouragement before I ran the course was unbelievable enough. Blowing me a kiss? No way that happened.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a room in the infirmary with the lights dimmed. I felt renewed, and my leg was healed entirely, along with the cuts and scrapes from the killer tree.
“I’m glad to see those beautiful amber eyes open.” Jesse, who was sitting on the edge of my bed, leaned over and kissed the end of my nose.
“Is our girl awake?” John walked into the room with three coffees.
The aroma was heavenly, “I hope one of those is for me?”
“Of course it is. Frosty told us how much you loved coffee.” John set one of the cups on the bedside table.
“I don’t usually approve of your caffeine consumption, but today I realize you could benefit from a boost." The man himself entered, holding a bag that emitted the most inviting smells.
“Tell me that’s donuts from Java and Jam. And how did you get a fresh batch so late in the evening?” I held a hand to my chest, like the drama llama I was. Hmm, that could be why Jasmine and I got along so well.
Frosty smiled at me indulgently, “Would I go anywhere else? And I have my ways.”
When he leaned down to hand me the bag, I pulled him in and brushed my lips over his - soft, testing - then began to lean back, breath shaky and eyes half-lidded. But his hand caught the nape of my neck, holding me there, and he deepened the kiss with quiet, unspoken hunger, stealing the breath from my lungs.
When he finally pulled back, it was only far enough to break the kiss, his breath hot against my parted lips. His hand still cradled my neck, thumb brushing my skin like he wasn’t ready to let go. My chest rose against his with each unsteady breath, and for a heartbeat, neither of us moved – caught between restraint and the promise of more.
“That’s enough. You need to rest.” I could see from the heat in his eyes that pulling away had been the last thing he wanted to do.
“His nickname doesn’t suit himat all,” I said, still in a daze of desire.
Frosty chuckled darkly, “You’ll soon find out just how true that is.”
“Next time, I get to bring the donuts," Jesse grumbled, smoothing my hair back before handing me one of the heavenly treats.
Frosty smiled smugly, “Bring all you want, you’ll never top my skills. I’m far superior to most Aurathions at everything, as I’ve repeatedly told you.”
“Except modesty,” John smirked.
Frosty shrugged his shoulders, “I’ve always thought modesty was only employed by those who were not confident in their skills.”
“You would,” John smirked. “How do you feel?” He shoved his brother out of the way and took a seat on my bed.
“I actually feel really good.” I ate the donut in seconds, then made grabby hands for my coffee.
John picked it up but held it just out of my reach. “Frosty isn’t the only one who wants a reward.”
I smiled softly and barely had time to breathe his name before his hand cupped my jaw, and his mouth pressed against mine. There was nothing gentle about it—only heat and desperation, as if he’d been holding back for too long. When he finally pulled away, his breath was ragged, his forehead resting against mine, and I could still taste everything he hadn’t said.
It felt like coming home.
When he leaned back, tears came to my eyes for some crazy reason. The stress from the day and the affection my guys were showing me were my undoing.
“What’s wrong, my sweet girl?” John caught a tear on his finger and brought it to his mouth.
