Page 42 of Icebound Attraction

Excited, she claps her hands and hugs me. I hug her back and inhale her intoxicating scent, closing my eyes for a moment.

She gently pulls away from my embrace, and tugs at her shirt to straighten it.

“Well... I'd better be off, then,” she says.

I walk her to the door, thank her and wish her a good night.

As I close behind her, I shake my head.

My god, what was that all about?

After a long shower, I finally go to bed. But sleep is out of the question. Her kisses, her lips, the feel of her fingertips on my skin, her passion, her orgasms - everything is etched in my memory. I can't get these images out of my head.

At the same time, I wonder why it was so easy for Emily to suggest that we stay friends, as if everything that had just happened was no big deal.

Have I done something wrong? She seemed satisfied. Or was she faking it? Maybe it wasn't what she'd expected? Or maybe that's it, it really wasn't much for her...

I rub my face with both hands.

Get a grip, Liam. This is exactly what you wanted in the end: no relationship, no temptations, no love.

8

Liam

The next day, we meet as usual at the library. Emily is already sitting at the table when I arrive and seems absorbed in something. When she sees me, she smiles warmly and waves. I sit down opposite her, keeping a certain distance between us. I can't trust myself in her presence.

While we're studying together, I get a bit distracted because I'm constantly careful not to touch her.

Emily also seems reserved.

It's probably the best way to go. The memories of our ‘moment’ are still fresh. With time, we'll certainly find a good balance, even if it seems complicated at the moment.

It's anything but easy! As soon as I'm near her, I get ideas. I banish them to the far corner of my brain and try to concentrate on the essentials, which proves rather difficult.

After our study session, we separate and return to our daily lives.

The next few days unfold in a similar way. We don't talk about the famous torrid evening, or anything personal. It's all about learning and supporting each other.

On the one hand, it's exactly what we both wanted, but on the other, I'd love nothing more than to hold her close to me again.

When I enter the lecture hall after our library session, everyone is talking about the new issue of the campus newspaper. I ask my seatmate if I can have a look. He hands me his copy, wide-eyed, and I find it hard to understand his attitude. Then I notice that on the front page, a photo of me takes up most of the space.

It's coming back to me. Emily had taken some photos last week. And when I winked at her, she captured the moment perfectly. I turn the pages to get to her article and am once again impressed by her talent as a journalist. Her choice of words and the emotions she generates are truly unique.

I return the newspaper to the guy I borrowed it from, and look down, trying to ignore the female students devouring me with their eyes.

The photo doesn't seem to please just me.

Shaking my head, I pull out my cell phone and text Emily before class starts.

* Hi Em, great portrait, and fantastic article!

I've attached three ‘thumbs up’ emojis that should be enough to express my enthusiasm.

At noon on the dot, I'm back at the library.

If I've learned anything from Emily, it's punctuality. As we enter the building, we almost collide and smile at each other. I wave her over and as she makes her way to our table, I can't help but admire her ass. So perfect and round.