Page 37 of Arctic Titans of Northwood U: Volume 2

“It was a fair win,” he assured me. “But I’ll get you guys next time.”

“I’m sure you’ll try,” I said. My breath steamed as we laughed and I melted into his arms. We hugged each other despite the bulk of our jackets and kissed with enough heat to keep us warm through the entire winter. The tip of his nose was adorably red and cold. His cheeks were pink, too.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot,” he said as he pulled back from me. “I love that earring you have. Don’t get me wrong. It suits you, and the fact that it’s a little cross makes things so much more ironic for me.” He gave a short laugh. “Especially when you’re inside me.” This, he added quietly, almost teasingly.

I couldn’t stop my laughter. It broke out of me before I could contain it. “Weird, but alright.”

“Eh, they say He’s always watching,” Gray explained casually, rummaging through his pockets while he spoke. “Methinks that’s called voyeurism, but nobody’s ever accused me of kink-shaming.”

“Blasphemy,” I hissed. Not that I was religious. My mother was a second-wave feminist and my father had been in the middle of the LGBT fight for equality since he was a little boy, following his own parents to the protest marches. Our family didn’t have the tradition of believing in or respecting a higher power aside from one aunt who celebrated Pyanopsia, honoring Apollo.

“Nah, that’s what it says He does. Like Santa.” He found something in his inside breast pocket and produced it on his open palm. It was inside a small black box, obviously jewelry and, predictably, an earring, but my heart hammered so hard that I had to take a moment to steady myself.

“How sweet you are,” I whispered. “I don’t know how I lucked out this hard.”

“A whole month since we were at that resort,” he said. “Almost. Next week, to be exact.”

I remembered the date, but I hadn’t expected us to celebrate. It hadn’t crossed my mind. A bummer. I should have done something for him, too.

Gray chuckled. “I can hear your thoughts, Avery.”

“What?” I looked into his eyes.

“Well, I can tell what they are from the way you screwed your lips up,” he said, laughing. “I bought this the week after our first date, but it was too soon. Everyone says I’m obsessive, that I rush. So I waited. And there you go. It’s not a gift to mark a monthiversary, but a month of officially dating feels like the right amount of time before I’m allowed to shower you with precious metals.”

“That’s dangerously close to saying you’re gifting me a golden shower,” I pointed out.

He laughed so hard that I realized it hadn’t been his intention at all. “It’s silver. Goes well with your eyes. Open it.”

I took it from his hand and then opened the small box. It was an earring, of course, but it was a breathtaking one. Done in silver, it had a thin hook much like the one I already wore, but instead of the delicate little cross that dangled from my ear as part of the aesthetic and not a sign of any devotion, the new earring had a little tear-shaped net, holding in a small, glimmering emerald.

“Holy shit, Gray,” I whispered.

“Put it on,” he said. I could tell he was amused, even happy. His voice was higher and softer as he took the box from me and suggested I take the cross earring off. “And if you like them both, just get the other ear pierced.” But we both knew I wouldn’t do that. Nothing could compare to the emerald tear he had found. Its pure green color caught the light of the streetlamps and reflected it brilliantly. Its value was plain even to an untrained eye. While I couldn’t even begin measuring its worth in money, I quickly decided that it was priceless in what it meant to me.

I hooked it through the hole in my earlobe and Gray helped screw on the little safety bit, then narrowed his eyes as he examined my face and my new earring. “Yeah,” he said with satisfaction. “I knew green would suit you.”

“You’re crazy,” I whispered. “You’re mad.”

He bit his lip and grabbed my arms, then pulled me in for a long, passionate kiss. “Crazy about you,” he murmured over my lips, then kissed me harder.

Guilt filled me when we stopped kissing and pulled away from each other. “Gray, it’s beautiful. Thank you,” I said.

“Why do you sound sad about it? Shit, did I rush?” He wore plain panic on his face, batting his eyelashes in quick blinks.

“No,” I said and cleared my throat. “Not at all. That’s not…” I breathed for a moment and looked straight into his eyes. “I can’t do stuff like this for you. Not yet, at least. When I’m a famous NHL winger, it’ll be a different story, but now…” I shrugged.

He closed his hands around my face immediately and spoke with urgency. “Baby, that’s ridiculous. Don’t even think like that. You’re my boyfriend, remember? I wanted you to have it. It’s not a debt. It’s a gift.” He kissed the tip of my nose, then my lips. “I won’t reveal your secret to others, but I know that you’re the sweetest guy on Earth. And if I can get you something that makes you feel pretty, you bet your ass I will.”

I choked on a laugh and shook my head.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” he said.

Just pretty, I thought. “You didn’t,” I insisted. “But I wish I could make you feel what I feel now, too.”

He grinned. “That, you can.” His lower lips moved between his teeth in a cheeky smile and his eyebrows danced. “Kiss me again.”

Easy enough. I was burning with desire to kiss him. And when our lips met, I gave him my all. I gave him the best kiss I could offer. Every cell in my body was focused on it and every shred of me felt it. We kissed and gripped each other like it was the last time we would have that chance, but I promised myself to make chances for it for as long as he wanted. And longer.