Page 14 of Wedlocked

“You love me,” I refuted.

“Ja.” He agreed.

Dipping my head, I claimed his lips. He parted instantly, and the cold air rivaled the warmth of our breath, creating an invigorating mixture of hot and cold. Flirting with the tip of his tongue was just a tease, so I swirled them together with enthusiasm, sealing our lips until not even the fresh minty air could slip in.

The snow muffled the sound, the mature pines also buffering the outside world, so while the gray sky seemed endless, it was as if we were cocooned in privacy, a moment stolen in time that was made just for us.

I held Lars so tightly that I felt when his chest expanded, his lungs looking for breath. Gently, I pulled away so we could fulfill our bodies’ demands, but the second he was finished, his lips lifted to mine once more.

Groaning, I wrapped my arms around him, and his hands pushed beneath the hem of the thick sweater I wore. The contact of his frigid digits against my waist made me jolt, and he laughed like the blond hellion he was. I didn’t break the kiss but opened my eyes, meeting his waiting blue ones that danced with amusement.

“My hands are cold.” He spoke into the kiss, dragging the icicles he called fingers around my stomach.

My nipples tightened and a chill ran down my spine, but I didn’t pull away. Instead, I reached between us and pressed them farther against me, rubbing my palms vigorously over the backs of his hands to warm him faster. “Can’t have that now, can we?” I murmured. “I’ll share my warmth with you, angel. Take as much of it as you need.”

He whimpered deep in his throat, pushing his hands around to my back so he could hug my waist, kissing with renewed fervor. My fingers tangled in his platinum hair, kneading against his scalp.

“Your faces are gonna freeze together.” The sardonic and bored voice of my best friend had me pulling away.

Glancing over my shoulder, I smirked. “It’s too hot over here for that.”

Max rolled his eyes. “We going skiing or what?”

“Hell yeah, we are,” I told him. Tugging Lars’s hands from beneath my sweater, I kissed the back of his fingers. “You ready to hit the slopes?”

Lars nodded.

Inside, the entire group was already by the door, loaded down with gear and coats.

“I’m just warning everyone now. I’m a terrible skier. Just stay away from me, or I’ll make you fall down,” Jess told everyone.

“We can go on the bunny hill,” Rory offered. “I haven’t been skiing in a long time.”

Ryan frowned. “Are you wearing your whistle?”

Hilarious he still made her wear that thing.

She scowled from beneath a purple beanie with a large pompom on top. “I’m sure it will be so easy to get to beneath all these layers I have piled on.”

“When we get in the car, take it off and put it in your pocket.”

“Honestly, Ryan, what is that whistle going to do?”

“Did you hear about the time the wife of the famous quarterback Romeo Anderson got lost in the woods on a mountain at BearPaw resort? They sent out a whole-ass manhunt for her,” Jamie said.

“She’s small like you,” Wes put in.

“What does that have to do with me?” Rory wanted to know.

“If she had a whistle, she could have made noise to tell people where she was.”

“But they found her,” Madison supplied.

“Would have found her faster if she was wearing a whistle,” Ryan pointed out.

Rory groaned. “For the love of God, I have the whistle. Can we go now?”

“Maybe Lars can give you ladies some pointers,” Rush suggested.

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