"How about a first kiss? A direct one this time?" My eyes widen at his words, and my heart starts beating loudly in my chest.
Wait. I'm dying. It should slow down.
I shove my rational self to the side and let my spontaneous self take the reins. Because the fire bit might be absurd, but my curiosity is not.
"OK," I say, and he seems just as surprised at my quick acquiescence. "But after this, wherever we might go," I wave with my hand toward the sky, "remember I still don't like you."
"Have it your way, little tigress. Now shut up and let me kiss you."
He cups my cheeks in his palms and brings my face closer to his. Our eyes meet, and for a second we just stare at each other, the cold, the shivering, all falling away.
I lick my lips instinctively, and his gaze lowers, zoning in on them.
I try to mentally prepare myself for this milestone, but then Ifeel the pleasant pressure of his lips on mine and all other thoughts leave me. I gasp and he deepens the contact, his tongue sneaking into my mouth, his inner heat meeting mine.
Fire. We're making fire.
I hold on to him even tighter as I angle my head to give him better access to my mouth. Everywhere is freezing, but not where our bodies are touching in the most intimate way. The stroke of his tongue against mine sends shivers down my back, and this time it's not because of the ensuing hypothermia.
I give myself over to this sensation.
Who would have thought we'd fit so well? Two people who can't stand each other but are quite good at stoking the flames.
He ends the kiss, his lips still moving softly over mine.
"Maybe if we'd met under different circumstances…" he drifts off, and a light suddenly shines on us. We both squint as we look toward the source, a fishing boat coming toward us.
"What?" My mouth hangs open in shock.
The boat stops by our location, and two men help us out of the water. They wrap us both in hypothermia blankets and tell us they'll get us to a hospital.
10
ALLEGRA
"Couldn'tyou have come a minute earlier?" I mutter under my breath. If I'd known I wouldn't die, no way would I have succumbed to the wiles of the devil. I sneak a glance at him and find him smiling, his expression full of satisfaction.
Then it dawns on me.
"You knew. You saw them, didn't you? You saw them coming, that's why…" That's why he kissed me.
A rage unlike anything I've ever experienced envelops my body, making all the ice melt away.
"You!" I grit my teeth, and I have to contain my anger. I'd like nothing better than to throw him overboard again, but seeing as I can barely function without the heating blanket wrapped around me, I settle for baring my teeth at him. "You deceived me."
"Did I? You were all too willing to kiss me. I must say, little tigress, you taste sweeter than I imagined." There's a smugness to him, and I wish I could wipe that stupid grin off his face.
"And you…" I sputter, suddenly out of smart retorts. I'm having some serious brain freeze, and I don't know if it's from the cold or from his goddamn poisonous lips. "You're vile, Enzo Agosti. And I hope your lips shrivel up and die. Who knows where else you've put them." I make a disgusted face as I wipe my own lips with the back of my hand.
Yes, it might have been acceptable to give my first kiss to theonlyperson available before my death. But since I'm very much alive, and might be for many years to come, I willnotforgive this slight.
"Easy,cara, you might just sound jealous." He chuckles, further fueling my inner flames.
Yes, we're making fire all right, and one of uswillget burned.
Not me, of course.
We're rushedto the hospital and the doctors on duty tell us we're incredibly lucky. A little longer in the chilly water and we would have gone into dangerous hypothermia territory. Since I'm smaller, my condition seems to be slightly worse than Enzo's. We both get hooked up to IVs to warm up our blood, and I don't know what connections Enzo has, but we're put in a private room.
