Page 13 of Snow One Like You

“Maybe when I’m old and am forced to retire,” he answered with a chuckle.

“Don’t you miss your family?”

Stop asking questions, Cammie.

“I go home to see my family frequently, and between jobs, I usually take a longer break to be with them.” He canted his head to the side and tossed out a query of his own. “Raven mentioned you are more of a ‘free spirit.’ Do you have a plan for your future?”

There was no judgment in his voice or expression, but I still got the sense he didn’t approve of my impulsive nature.

“I preferred not to map out my life when I was young, but when I started college, I knew that, at the very least, I needed a direction. Since then, I’ve always had a plan, goals to achieve, but how I get there is where I let fate guide me. Life should always have a little mystery.”

“Fate.” Soren shook his head and took a drink from his bottle. “I dislike ambiguity.”

I expected him to say more, to expound on the statement, but he didn’t, so I probed for more. “In life or in people?”

He mulled over my question for a few moments before answering. “I don’t mind some unpredictability, I suppose. What I don’t like is a lack of control.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” I pressed.

Soren met my gaze and my breath got caught in my chest when I saw the burn of desire in his eyes. They’d gone from the color of coffee to the nearly black shade of espresso. “It’s the same answer, Cammie. I don’t dislike someone for their wild, spontaneous nature. But it frustrates me to no end that I can’t control the situation and barely have control over myself.”

“Have you ever lost control?” I whispered.

Soren’s stare was intense, and tension thickened the surrounding air.

“No.”

I wasn’t sure why that made me sad, but my heart fell into my stomach.

Suddenly, he was on his feet, and before I could blink, he had closed the distance between us. He bent over and turned my chair so our faces were inches apart. Then he placed one hand on the table beside me and threaded the other one through the hair at the back of my head. A sharp tug on my scalp forced my head to drop back, and he loomed over me, his eyes roving over my face until they landed on my lips.

“I’ve never even been tempted,” he growled right before he sealed his mouth over mine.

Something exploded between us, and an electric current raced over my skin, leaving my nerves tingling. His warm lips rubbed against mine, heating my core and making my thighs quiver. If I’d been wearing panties, they would have disintegrated. Without them, there would probably be a wet spot in the fabric between my legs, but at that very moment, I didn’t care.

Another sharp tug on my hair and a nip on my bottom lip caused my mouth to open, and Soren licked my lips before gliding his tongue between them. He angled his head and took the kiss even deeper, exploring my mouth and tasting every inch. A groan rumbled in his chest, and the sound reverberated inside me, making my sex throb.

The hand in my hair clenched, pulling a little more painfully, and I moaned softly. Then I pressed my face up to his, seeking more, growing desperate for his touch, for the relief I knew he could give me.

Soren hesitated, and for a moment, I thought he might let his inhibitions go and lose himself in our passion. But then his muscles bunched with tension, and he retreated, his eyes locked on mine as he breathed heavily.

“Until now,” he rasped a second before releasing me and stalking off to disappear into his room.

A dense haze surrounded me, and I remained still for what seemed like a very long time. As the fog thinned, my mind cleared, leaving shock.

What the hell was that?

It was tempting to go bang on his door and demand that he explain himself or beg him to kiss me again. But what good would it do? I should’ve been grateful that he had enough sense to stop before we did something we’d both regret.

When the effects of the kiss fully faded, I realized we’d barely touched our food. I wasn’t the least bit hungry anymore, and I was willing to bet he wasn’t either. I cleared the table and put away the leftovers, then rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher.

It was early in the evening, but it had been one hell of a day, and I was exhausted. Trudging to my bedroom, I flipped off the lights along the way.

When I walked into my room, I shut the door but didn’t bother with the light. Soren hadn’t had a chance to give me some clothes to sleep in, so I stripped off all my clothes and fell into bed.

Seven

SOREN

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