Page 28 of Captain's Claim

She braces one hand against the wall, chest rising and falling fast, pretending to glare at me like she hasn’t just been running through a winter wonderland laughing her ass off.

"I was not." Her glare holds about as much heat as a snowball. "I was running for my life from your mob of admirers."

"Sure looked like fun from where I was standing." I take a step closer, watching the way her breath catches. "All those smiles. That laugh."

"Pure terror. Seriously, what kind of captain incites a riot at his own winter festival?"

"Maybe the kind who wanted five minutes alone with you."

The teasing light in her eyes dims, replaced by something deeper, darker. More dangerous. Her tongue darts out to wet her lower lip, and my whole body tightens in response.

"Five minutes?" Her voice drops low, sending electricity down my spine. "That's... efficient."

"I can work with five minutes."

Another step closer. The space between us shrinks to nothing but shared breath and crackling tension.

Snow falls harder now, creating a curtain of white that blocks out the rest of the festival. The rest of the town. The rest of the entire fucking world.

It's just us, hidden away in this narrow alley where the festival lights can't reach us.

Her body sways closer, like she doesn’t even realize she’s doing it. Like something magnetic is dragging us together.

I should step back.

I should…

But then… her eyes flick down to my mouth.

And I’m fuckinggone.

I grip her waist, tugging her the final inch forward, and she barely has time to suck in a sharp breath before I crash my lips to hers.

She makes a sound. Somewhere between a gasp and a moan, and it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.

Jesus fucking Christ, she tastesgood.Like cocoa and winter air, and a little bit like the damn smugness I've been dying to wipe off her face since the moment I saw her in my arena.

My tongue moves across hers as her hands fist in my jacket, gripping me like she doesn't want to let go.

I don't think I can let go.

I press her back against the wooden wall, deepening the kiss, letting her open her mouth for me, licking her, tasting her mouthas her moans against my lips, her nails starting to dig into my chest.

Fuck. I want more.

I slide my hand up her side, gripping her waist, pulling her body harder against me.

Can she feel how hard I am?

Does she realize what she's been doing to me all this time? Driving me wild with her stupid fucking ideas and goddamn sharp mouth, testing me at every turn and trying her damn best to take everything away from me.

And now, she's right here, breathless and flushed, her irritating curves pressed into me like she belongs there, like she's always belonged here.

Like she wants this as badly as I do.

Like… like…

"Caramel apple?"

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