Her lips are chilled by the mountain air, but they burn against mine. Slow. Exploratory. Asking and answering all at once.
I close my eyes, and the rest of the world disappears.
There’s only her.
The faint salt of dried tears.
The hint of vanilla.
The frantic, uneven beat of her heart against my chest.
I pull her closer, lifting her just enough to erase the last inch of distance between us, and deepen the kiss. There’s no rush—just a depth that makes my head spin.
It feels like coming home after a lifetime of running.
Like every broken piece inside me is finally locking into place with hers.
For the first time, I’m not kissing to take.
I’m kissing to give everything I have.
When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathless, foreheads pressed together, white vapor curling between us in the cold.
She keeps her eyes closed for a beat longer, like she’s holding onto the feeling. When she opens them, they’re bright. Liquid.
“Wow,” she breathes.
“Yeah,” I answer, my voice rough. “Wow.”
I brush my thumb along her cheek, unable to stop touching her.
“So…” she says, clawing back a shred of her usual sass, cheeks blazing. “Does this mean I officially have to put up with you now? Without the contract excuse?”
I smile and kiss the tip of her red nose.
“I’m afraid so, Angel. You’re stuck with me. No exit clauses.”
She tilts her head, pretending to think it over.
“Well… as long as you keep kissing me like that and protecting me from bad guys, I might not fire you.”
“Very generous, boss.”
“I know. It’s my fatal flaw.”
We’re about to kiss again—fully prepared to ignore the rest of the universe for at least another hour—when a shrill, amplified crackle shatters the quiet of the woods.
“ATTENTION! ATTENTION, LOVE BIRDS AND LONELY HEARTS!”
Sloane jumps in my arms. I groan, dropping my forehead to her shoulder.
Aunt Tina’s voice booms from the base camp speakers like a sequined act of God.
“Wipe your tears and fix your lipstick! The truce is over! I want everyone at the base of the ice rink in ten minutes! The nextchallenge is calledTrust on Ice, and I promise—it’s going to be… slippery!”
Sloane laughs against my chest.
“There’s really no escape, is there?”
