“Would you care to enlighten me?” He steps closer, slow and deliberate, his eyes raking over me with measured interest.
Interest is good. Right?
“The cave. The igloo.” I step closer, emphasizing each word as if doing so will drill them into his mind. “Either of those ring a bell?”
“Those were certainly... enjoyable moments,” he says, and then he’s in front of me, my body humming at the sudden closeness.
I can barely breathe as he reaches out, his fingertips grazing my wrist—light, teasing, and barely there.
“The sap will take some time to collect. Which means we’ve got time to kill,” he murmurs, leaving a trail of cool frost along my skin. “We should make good use of it. After all, you did tell me earlier that you enjoy solid things.”
I yank my arm back and scowl at him. “Are you serious?”
His smirk doesn’t waver. If anything, it deepens, likeI’mthe one being unreasonable.
“What?” he says, spreading his hands in mock innocence. “It wouldn’t be the first time we used waiting around as an excuse to have a little fun.”
My chest tightens.
Fun.
Nothing more.
Nothing real.
“That’s really all it would be for you?” I ask, even though I’m already clenching my fists, dreading his answer. “Just a way to pass the time?”
“A particularly pleasant way.” His fingers brush my cheek, but the gesture feels hollow. Empty. Meaningless. “You liked it before. Alot,if I remember correctly.”
I jerk away from his touch again, my chest aching. “Don’t.”
“Why not?” He tilts his head, studying me with detached interest. “The attraction is as strong as ever. For both of us. And it’s not like it’s something we haven’t done before. So, why not enjoy it?”
“Because there’s more than that between us. More than…” I trail off, gesturing at him. “More thanthis.”
“This is all there is now.” He shrugs, his eyes traveling over my body as if he’s assessing if he’ll get what he wants from it or not. “Take it or leave it. Although I must say, leaving it seems like a waste of a perfectly good—and an extremely enjoyable—opportunity. Don’t you think?”
