Page 120 of I Was Always Yours (RCA: Royal Crown Academy)

It hits her square in the back and she stops, turning with a scandalized look on her face, not realizing how close I am to her.

She screams as she sees me descending on her. I wrap my arms around her torso and tackle her to the ground in a jumble of arms and legs. We roll around, wrestling for dominance as she fights me.

The moment I think I have her pinned, she slithers out and manages to flip me so she’s on top.

She’s shrieking with laughter and trying to extricate herself from me so she can run away, but I hold on tight. Finally, I pin her legs with mine and flip us so she’s on her back with me straddling her.

I have her wrists on either side of her head as we fight to catch our breaths. We’re soaked, covered in snow, our icy breaths coming out in rough pants.

She's got a radiant smile on her face even as she pretends to struggle.

“Submit to me,” I demand.

She shakes her head vigorously, defiance lighting a fire in her eyes in contrast with the snow around us.

Moving her wrists to one hand, I scoop up some snow with the other and hold it menacingly above her head. Her eyes widen comically as she sees how precariously it balances in my palm.

“Submit.” I repeat, my voice rough.

Still, she refuses.

“Never.” She says, her tone mischievous.

“I see,” I say, flipping my hand over. Her eyes shut and her head snaps to the side to protect herself from the incoming avalanche.

When she doesn’t feel anything, she peels open an eyelid and looks at me. Noticing that I dropped the snow next to her head, her brows draw down in confusion.

“If that doesn’t work, maybe this will.” I add, before digging my fingers into her ribs and tickling her.

She erupts into full blown peals of laughter as she tries to evade my attack, but I have her trapped. She tries to shove at my chest and wriggle free, but I don’t let her get anywhere.

“Phoenix!” She calls out between laughs, but I don’t let up.

“No mercy. Not until you ask for it.”

“Okay, okay, you win!” She finally says, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

I remove my hands but stay poised above her as we work to catch our breaths. If my expression is anything like hers, then we’re both grinning like idiots.

Our faces are only inches from each other and each of our rough inhales and exhales brings us marginally closer.

Her eyes drop to my lips and a current passes between us that’s undeniable. It’s the very definition of chemistry, of attraction for the other.

I trace a gloved finger over her top lip, leaving a trail of icy water behind me.

Her pupils are dilated and her mouth parts, but the conflicted expression on her face is the cold shower I need to bring me back to reality.

There was some form of escapism in this afternoon where we pretended that we could be something more, maybe even a normal couple, but microexpressions don’t lie and hers bring me hurtling back down to earth.

I pull back and stand. “We should get back. I’m sure your parents will be waiting for you for dinner.”

She clears her throat and avoids meeting my gaze as she makes a show of brushing snow off her ski trousers.

“Yeah, I totally lost track of time.” She says as she gets up.

I walk over to grab the abandoned luges and wait for her to join me as we begin the walk back to our homes in slightly tense, albeit companionable silence.

“Thank you.” I turn to look at her as she speaks. “For this afternoon. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”

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