“No. No I do not.” He took a deep breath and mumbled something unintelligible. After a long moment, he rested his gloved hand against her flushed cheek. “So what you’re saying is, we need to sacrifice our dislike of each other, so we don’t end up freezing to death…together?”
“Exactly.” She smiled and pressed her body closer to him.
He held her gaze. His voice dipped low, “What do you want, Izzy? Tell me.”
She swallowed, hard, summoning the remains of her liquid courage. She answered him by leaning into him and drawing her lips to his.
He didn’t meet her halfway, and she nearly changed her mind. But again, this was Leo. She missed the way she knew his kiss, his lips, his tongue, and that was enough to propel her mouth forward.
He licked his lips right before she planted them with a kiss. It didn’t take long for him to respond. He took charge of her mouth, flicking his tongue against hers and gripping her back, pulling her into a tight embrace.
Isabella took his face in her palms, but the bulky winter gloves were awkward. She tore them off, tossing them, and they landed on the driver’s side floor. Leo ripped his gloves off as well. Then he reached for her again, guiding her over the console, though not with ease. Her knee banged into console and then the shifter. She yelped before she relaxed onto his lap, straddling him.
He slid the seat back, giving them both more room. She touched his face, grazing her fingertips over the ragged scruff and sending a zing low in her belly. Even though she’d kissed Leo probably a million times before, she’d never kissed Leo as a man. That thought, along with the feeling of his lips sucking hers was thrilling.
He reached for Isabella’s coat, and she helped by shrugging it off her shoulders and slipping her arms free. He ran his fingers up her back, underneath her shirt and around to cup her breasts, sending a thrill through her blood.
Isabella pushed Leo’s knit hat off his head, spreading her fingers through his long, soft hair. The whiskey, along with passionate kissing, had Isabella’s body on fire. If they kept this up, they definitely would not freeze to death.
Leo reached for the button on her pants, flicking it undone with ease. She helped him wriggle out of his heavy jacket. He unzipped her jeans, but the layer of long underwear, all thick and bulky, would be a problem.
One time, when Leo and Isabella were teenagers, she’d fallen through the ice while they were skating on the pond in spring. Leo rescued her out of the freezing water, stripping off all her winter layers of clothing and using his body heat and a blanket to warm her until it was safe enough to put her in the bath. He told her he thought he was going to lose her that day.
“Remember that day I fell through the ice? You saved me that day. You always saved me,” she panted.
Leo jerked his head backward and leaned against the seat. “What?”
“Nothing. Just forget it.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to the hot skin on his neck.
“Izzy, don’t.” He held her by the forearms, and whatever magic had drawn them together evaporated.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
“You’re breaking your rule again.” He picked her up and helped her—well, practically shoved her—back into the passenger seat.
“We have a past, Leo. Did you honestly think we could spend all week together and not talk about it?”
“Yeah, well, you’re the one who made the rule.” He found her gloves on the floor near his feet and handed them to her.
She snatched them out of his grasp. “It was a stupid rule. Made to protect my heart.”
“Yourheart? Give me a break.”
“What? You think you’re the only one who came away with a broken heart? That I got off scot-free?”
“You sure act like it.”
“No, I don’t. And how would you know? We haven’t been together in six years.” She shoved her arms back into her jacket.
“And whose fault is that?”
“Oh!” She threw her flustered hands up. “Here we go again.”
“C’mon, Izz, you can’t blame me for throwing it in your face. You’re the one who made promises. You’re the one who broke them.” He pointed his finger in her face, which maybe hurt the most.
“Fine. You’re right.” She readjusted her hat, pulling it down further on her head and curled in a ball on the seat.
“And there you go.” He raised his voice, zipping up his coat. “You just accept the blame.”
