Page 18 of Silent Nights and Vampire Lights

“We won’t be out there long,” I said, without taking my eyes off Holly.

Her eyes sparkled. “I’d love to.”

Mae sighed. “Well, if you insist, don’t go far. Let me get you some gear so you don’t get frostbite.”

Holly

Idon’t know what had come over Nick, but a romantic walk in the snow was my catnip. I always loved the first snowfall and had been dying to go outside, but Mae had needed my help, and I missed baking. But we were done, and I was far from tired.

I bundled up in the hat, scarf, gloves, and my coat, feeling more like the Michelin Man than a human, and followed Nick outside. He was barely dressed for the weather, a scarf around his neck and a pair of gloves on, but that was it. He didn’t seem affected by the weather, so I wasn’t going to ask.

We walked beyond the house, and everything was so quiet, the hush of a night during a snowfall. A few inches had already fallen, and the way the snow was coming down, it would accumulate quickly. I was glad we had stayed and didn’t risk the drive. It was almost midnight now, and the sky was so bright from the snow on the ground and the light reflecting from it. It was so quiet that I swore you could hear the snow falling, gently settling on the drifts around us. It felt like we were alone, in a snow globe, with flakes dancing around us and no one else around.

I lifted my face to the sky, closing my eyes, and let the snow fall on me, gathering on my eyes, hair, and skin.

“You love winter.”

I opened my eyes and looked at Nick. “I love a nighttime snowfall. It’s so peaceful and quiet, like we’re the only people who exist. I can forget everything else—all the bad things, everything that’s sad—and just be.”

He cocked his head as if trying to understand what I meant. Then he nodded. “There are so many people everywhere, always. I suppose snow drives them inside so you can be out here, alone and at peace.”

“Exactly. Everyone stays inside, which can be fun too, but it’s so clean and fresh. Look at the snow. It’s white, pure, not dirty or damaged by shoveling or sand or anything. It’s a fresh start. It’s beautiful. You lived in New England. You must have experienced snow up there.”

He looked thoughtful. “I don’t really remember. It’s been so long. Snow was just another season for us. We were an isolatedcommunity, and snow reinforced that. Since I left, I’ve traveled a lot, and some areas didn’t have any snow. But I never saw it like this.”

I lifted my head again, sticking my tongue out to catch some snowflakes on my tongue. “It’s clean, fresh, new. Try it.”

Before I could react, he pulled me close and kissed me. His lips were hard against mine, demanding a response, and I eagerly complied, opening my mouth just a little, and he took advantage. His tongue swept inside, cool and insistent, sending shivers down my spine that had nothing to do with the snow falling around us.

Nick's hands gripped my waist, and despite the thick wool of my winter coat, I could feel the strength in his fingers. The knowledge that he could crush me without any effort made my heart race faster, but I wasn't afraid. Not anymore. Not of him. He had shown me his protective side, and I knew that I never had to fear him.

Snowflakes landed on my eyelashes as I tilted my head back, letting him deepen the kiss. His mouth was cooler than a human's would be, but the longer we kissed, the warmer it became, as if my heat was seeping into him. The thought made me press closer, wanting to share more of that warmth.

The snow fell silently around us, muffling all sound except my ragged breathing and the soft growl that rumbled in Nick's chest. The white flakes caught in his dark hair, creating a stunning contrast that made him look otherworldly in the dim light spilling from the bed-and-breakfast's windows. Each crystalline flake that landed on his pale skin refused to melt, as if recognizing him as one of their own—beautiful, cold, eternal.

His right hand slid up my back to tangle in my hair, and he used the grip to angle my head exactly how he wanted it. The possessive gesture sent heat pooling in my belly, and I clutched at his shoulders, my fingers digging into the expensive fabric ofhis coat. The kiss turned harder, more desperate, and I felt the careful control he usually maintained start to slip.

When his lips left mine to trail down my neck, I gasped. The midnight air was sharp in my lungs, and each exhale formed little clouds between us. I knew what he wanted—what we both wanted—and tilted my head to the side in silent invitation. His chest rumbled again, and I felt the scrape of fangs against my throat, not breaking the skin, but promising what could come.

“Holly,” he whispered against my pulse point, his voice rough with need. The sound of my name on his lips made me shiver again. “We should stop.”

“I don't want to stop,” I breathed, sliding one hand up to the nape of his neck, holding him against my throat. The snow was coming down harder now, creating a white curtain around us, as if we were in our own private world. “I trust you, Nick.”

He shuddered against me, placing one last, lingering kiss on my neck before raising his head to look at me. His eyes had gone from their usual gray to a brilliant silver, pupils blown wide with desire. Snowflakes clung to his long eyelashes, and I reached up to brush them away with trembling fingers.

“You shouldn't trust me,” he said, leaning into my touch. “I’m not safe.”

“Maybe I don't want safe,” I replied, letting my fingers trail down his cheek. His skin was cool and smooth as marble, but I knew the fire that burned beneath that controlled exterior. I'd seen glimpses of it, and I wanted more. “Maybe I just want you.”

He shuddered under my fingers and rested his forehead against mine. “We should go inside. It’s too cold for you out here.”

I refused to move, and he looked at me, one eyebrow arched. “Only if continue where we left off.”

He sighed. “Holly…”

I pressed my fingers to his lips. “I know what I’m asking for. I want you, Nick, and I’m tired of not having what I want. Please.”

As if the word broke through all his reservations, he swept me up into his arms and strode to the inn as if he couldn’t wait another second.

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