Page 35 of Unexpected Complication

I dropped the snowball. I didn’t want her cold. “Okay, Kitten. Inside.”

I wasn’t prepared. I should have been. I should have known better.

One second, I was dusting off my coat, not paying attention, and the next, she’d barreled into me, sending us both into the deep snow.

I gaped up at her as she laughed and pushed a handful of snow into my face. I gasped as the cold seeped down my neck, and with a growl, I grabbed her shoulders, rolling over and depositing her into the snow, hovering over her with a grin. I picked up a handful of snow, arching my eyebrow at her.

“Say it.”

“No.”

I let a little snow fall onto her face, and she squirmed, trying to get away. I tightened my hold. “Say it, and I’ll let you up.”

She giggled. “Never!”

I lowered myself down, pressing into her. “I bet I could make you.”

Her eyes widened, and in an instant, the air around us changed from playful to intense. Our gazes locked, her breathing becoming deeper. I lowered my hand as I bent closer. “Skylar,” I breathed.

I could feel her warm breath against my lips. I pushed closer, only to suddenly gasp and sit up when ice-cold snow ran down my back. Sean stood behind me, grinning.

“Now, I won.” He smirked.

He pushed me off and grabbed Skylar’s arm. “In the house. You’re soaking wet.” He glared at me. “Finish the driveway. I’ll make lunch.”

I watched them walk away, him pulling Skylar along.

I blinked.

What had I almost done?

Shaking my head, I went down the driveway.

That couldn’t happen again.

Ever.

Stamping my feet to get the snow from my boots, I peeled off my coat and hung it up. There’d be more snow later to shovel—of that, I had no doubt. I walked into the kitchen, passing Sean, who was grinning. He slapped me on the back. “I’m having a shower—sandwiches are on the table.” He chuckled as he walked down the hall, and, mystified, I went into the kitchen. Skylar was bent over the table, arranging something. She looked up, her teeth worrying her bottom lip, and with a small, nervous grin, she sat down. I walked over to the table and started to laugh. “What have you done?”

“Made a backgammon board.”

I grinned as I inspected her work. She’d taken a piece of cardboard and drawn all the proper points on it, then colored them in. “Sean gave me the cardboard and found the dice.”

I picked up the mismatched set. “What about checkers?”

She giggled and held out her hand. “Life Savers.” Carefully, she placed them on the “board” and slid it toward me. “Now we can play.”

I looked down at the game she’d created. “Why, Skylar?” I asked quietly.

“Because you said it was your favorite.” She hesitated. “And you let me go outside and play in the snow.”

Our gazes locked. I wanted to tell her she could do anything she wanted, go anywhere she wanted, as long as I was with her. I wanted to hold her hand again. More than anything, I wanted to kiss her for making me this silly little game because she knew it was my favorite.

But I couldn’t do any of those things.

Instead, I smiled and winked at her. “Did you eat all those Oreos last night?”

“No.”