She lifted her hand to his chest and took a slow, hesitant step, bringing their bodies too close, acting for all the world like he was a wild animal she needed to tame. Christ, his lungs hurt as she stood on tiptoe and pulled down her neck gaiter to reveal perfect pink lips, almost obscenely plump in a world that stole every last drop of moisture.
Denial, he understood as his eyes ate her up, had turned his hunger into starvation, desire into a need so strong he’d die of want before the ice could ever take him. He put a hand up to run it over her cheek, to soak up her heat and humanity, and paused an inch away. No point touching her with gloves. It wouldn’t satisfy his inner beast any more than it would warm her skin. There was no choice now but to dip his head, share her shaky exhale, and press his cold lips to her hot ones.
He went mindless the second his mouth met hers. No cognitive abilities, all nerves and need, this unbearable tightness in his chest, this raging fire in his limbs. He couldn’t slow down to save himself. His mouth wasn’t just on her; he was devouring, prying open, taking everything he could. As wild and out of control as this storm that was trying to end them.
So much softness, but he needed more. He wrapped his arms around her, drew her flush to him, pressed and pulled and lifted, while his mouth ate her up.
Tilted heads, delving tongue, the rough scrape of his teeth, which she met with a long, low moan. But, hell, they had to stop or they’d freeze their faces off in this cold.
He couldn’t, though. Not when she slid her mittened hands inside his hood, running them down his jaw and back up, like she hungered for just one tiny feel.
Finally, he managed to pull away, though he couldn’t quite disengage his hands—one tight on her ass, the other cradling her head.
“Inside.”
She nodded and turned gratifyingly quickly.
He paused just before ducking in. What the hell was he doing?
Didn’t matter. He wanted this.
But did she? Had he pressured her somehow? Or even worse, did she think she had to, in order to receive his help? God no. No, he didn’t want her that way.
Not that he could have her, he knew, in a tent in the freezing cold. More than fingers and toes could succumb to frostbite, and that wasn’t something either of them should risk.
He had to check, though, before this—whatever the hell it was—went any further. Quickly, he ducked inside, almost blinded by the warmth in her eyes. She was shivering, halfway undressed—clothes still on by necessity, but boots and coats shucked. After that kiss, seeing her in just her base layers was as intimate as looking at her naked.
“Why’d you kiss me?” He forced the words out, remembering the way she’d approached him, like she’d been taming the beast.
She stopped on all fours, just about to slide into the bag. She must be freezing without the subzero protection, but her eyes focused hard on his.
“Youkissedme.”
“Did you want to?” He swallowed. “Kiss?”
The look she threw him should’ve shriveled his dick right up, but contrarian that he was, it only made him hard.
“Yes, Ford. For some inexplicable reason, I wanted to kiss you.”
“You didn’t do it so—” He cleared his throat and went on. “So I’d take care of you? Out here?”
She blinked, her eyes losing a little of their haze and zeroing in sharply on him. This was where women usually backed off—when he opened his mouth. Over the years, he’d learned not to say much during sex.
He waited, hunched, hands in his pockets, for her inevitable rebuff. When her look turned more into a squint and her lips tightened, he knew she was about to put a stop to it all. Probably even separate their sleeping bags again, which he surely deserved.
“Would you shut up?” He’d started nodding already, resigned to the separation, as she slid under the covers and said, “And get your ass to bed.”
It took him three seconds to comply.
* * *
Making out with Ford hadbad ideawritten all over it.
Not like that had ever stopped her before. Hugh, who’d seemed so talented and fun, had been the worst idea of all. Of course, in reality, he’d been neither artsy nor exciting. He’d been a total fraud. A con man. She just hadn’t realized it until he’d stolen her concept, her restaurant, her savings…her heart. Pretty much her life.
She sucked in a bracing breath.Nother life, actually. In fact,lifewas exactly what was at stake right now. And here she was worrying about stupid kisses.
Ford slid in beside her and all that ancient history disappeared.
