“Oh. No. No, no, no.”
She shrieked just as he leaped, knocking her flat into the snow.
“Riggs! Off!”
Rush’s voice cracked across the frozen yard, and Riggs immediately froze—but not before one bony leg caught her in the stomach. Lily yelped, twisting to escape, but the massive dog was having none of it. She let out a breathless laugh as Riggs, tail wagging wildly, his massive paws on both of her shoulders, stared down at her.
“Riggs! You big oaf—get off!” It came out more of a breathless giggle than a command.
But he wasn’t listening anyway. He was too delighted. He licked the snow straight off her face, wagging his tail so hard his entire body wriggled with happiness above her. She buried her hands in the warm underbelly of the dog and pushed. He didn’t budge. Instead, he lay down on her, nearly crushing her with his weight, and licked another slow, deliberate path over her face before sitting back with a pleased doggy grin.
Her lungs, already wheezy from the cold, constricted even more under his weight, but she didn’t care. She stroked his soft fur and grinned back at him.
“Off!”
Rush’s voice cut sharply through theair.
The dog’s weight vanished instantly. Lily curled into a ball with a groan.
“Lily!” Rush’s voice was tight with concern. And then he was by her side, brushing the hair off her face and turning her over.
Lily blinked up at him while she caught her breath. “I’m fine,” she managed, still breathless.
His broad shoulders, encased in his sheepskin jacket, blocked out the sky, and the world narrowed to the two of them in the crystalized snow globe they were in. This close, she could see the different shades of gray in his eyes as he looked her over matter-of-factly.
Rush exhaled sharply, his frown deepening between his brows as she lay silently taking him in. She should probably reassure him, say something light. But she was distracted.
By the way the winter light caught on the perfect, individual snowflakes dotting his hat and the thick black hair that curled around the edges. She wanted to reach up, to take his hat off, and feel the silky-looking strands between her fingers. He had beautiful eyelashes, framing the most gorgeous pair of clear gray eyes she’d ever seen.
His square jawline, covered in the kind of scruff that made her want to run her fingers over it, flexed as his gloved hands skimmed lightly over her arms, waist, shoulders, searching for wounds, leaving a flutter of something wonderfully sensual low in her stomach and between her thighs. It had been a long time since someone had touched her like that, with that much focus. God, it felt so good to be touched again. Her lips curved into a smile before she could stop them.
“Does anything hurt? Did you hit your head?” he said in a low voice that caused a shiver to run through her body.
Only in a way that you’re making worse.
She didn’t say it. Instead, she just smiled up at him, soakingin his warmth and the careful way his fingers brushed over her skin despite the barriers of coats and gloves.
He hesitated then brushed a lock of her icy hair back from her face, his frown deepening at what he saw there.
“Are you laughing?” he asked incredulously.
She knew that look. He still thought she was a little crazy. It should have been insulting, but she’d seen that expression her whole life—from the people she loved most, who thought they understood her better than she understood herself.
Rush Callahan was no different.
“Lily, do you know where you are?” he asked, his voice cautious.
The sheer ridiculousness of the question hit her like a slap of cold air. Oh, for God’s sake. Again?
Exasperation flared hot in her chest. Without thinking, she scooped up a handful of snow and smashed it into his face, grinning at the look of pure astonishment on Sheriff Rush Callahan’s too-handsome, too-serious face. Snow clung to his mustache in the most distracting way, and for a second all she could think about was how much she wanted to brush it off—or maybe kiss it off, but Lily forced herself to focus. She had to kick his ass in a snowball fight.
“Oh, relax, Sheriff.” Lily grinned, breath puffing in the cold air. “I haven’t lost my marbles. Riggs and I were having a snowball fight. Haven’t you ever done that before?”
His expression changed from concern to a slow grin that made her tremble. Lord, the man was too sexy for his own good. She reached for her only defense, a ball of snow, and leveled it at his face, before scrambling to her feet to arm herself again.
She barely had time to cover herself before a snowball hit her square in the chest. The icy shock of it took her breath away for a second before she scooped another handful of snow,whooping with delight. Riggs barked excitedly, bounding around them, his eyes pleading to join in.
So she threw a snowball right at his chest.
