Page 30 of See You Next Winter
Heat floods south, and I dart my tongue out to lick his lips. “So you keep threatening, but I don’t see any handprints.”
He growls, and I remember how much a little bratty attitude turns him on. As if I could forget. If I’m going to pay for it, I’ll gladly be on my worst behaviour.
“Tell me what you wished for,” he says, holding the snow closer.
“Never!”
“Well, whatever it is, I hope you get it.”
Not once have I asked him what he wishes for. Partly because I always believed my grandma's warning that if you tell someone your wish, then it won’t come true. Mostly out of fear he wishes for something that has nothing to do with me.
I take the deepest breath I can before he smashes his snowball in my face, then I get my own back by gripping the front of his jacket and burying my frozen cheek against his neck. It’s the perfect mix of hot and cold, the scent of fresh snow mixing with the scent of his skin.
Then his tongue is in my mouth, my head tipped back against the tree trunk, his knee between my thighs.
If we never have another winter together, at least we had this.
Chapter 23
Kayla
January third comes toofast. In a heartbeat, we’re out of time.
Our parents are staying until tomorrow, but Hannah is on the same flight to London as Ryan and Cameron, who have a short layover before they head home to L.A.
Thankfully, it’s changeover day in the resort, and I have no clients as one set leaves before the next group arrives. Desperate to eke out every moment I can spend with him, I offer to drive them all to the airport.
All the way down the mountain, I curse the winding roads for making me keep both hands on the wheel when I wish I could hold one of his instead.
The smart move would be to drop them outside, wave goodbye, and cry all the way back up the mountain, but I’m in too deep. I take the hit on airport parking so I can head into the terminal with them, and Ryan holds my hand the entire time.
Hannah and Cameron can’t stop touching each other either as they walk ahead of us, but nobody seems to be staving off an internal breakdown the way I am. I can’t even look at him.
We’ve barely spoken all morning, only communicating through longing stares and half-hearted smiles. Mark made me one of his special hot chocolates and I drank it downstairs while Ryan packed. Not much was said then either.
Everything feels different this time, and I can’t imagine how much harder it would be if we were actually committing to something serious.
We’d left with plenty of time so they wouldn’t have to rush through security, but now I wish for the opposite. I wish there was some urgency. His flight boarding, the gate calling, last call for passenger Ryan Richmond. Any other reason for him to go, something beyond our control.
“This wasn’t long enough,” Ryan says, pulling me close and pressing a kiss to my temple.
He needs to stop. I’m not strong enough for this goodbye, and I won’t survive if he keeps talking. I bury my face in his chest so he won’t see my tears, and he cups the back of my head.
“It’s never long enough.”
He holds my hand to his heart as mine pounds out a plea.
Stay. Stay. Stay.
Of course he won’t stay. How could he possibly? There’s no world in which I get what I want here.
“Hey Ryan?” I whisper against his chest.
Asking changes everything. I definitely won’t ask.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Can I have your phone number?”
