Page 45 of The Survivor
“I smile,” he said defensively.
“Yeah, sure.” She snorted. “Face it, most of the time you either look like you’ve got a migraine, like you’re training to climb Everest, or like you’re playing golf.”
He lifted a brow. “So you see me as a mountain-climbing golfer?” He paused. “Why golf, by the way?”
“Because golfers always look so ridiculously grim. They act like the world will crumble beneath their feet if they don’t tap a little white ball into a hole. Frankly, I don’t get it. And I’m serious, Blake, you need to lighten up sometimes. You’re way too intense.”
He shrugged. “Been that way all my life. I take after my father, I guess. He’s always been serious. Now my mom, on the other hand—she doesn’t know the meaning of serious. And don’t get me started on my sister. She’s the most cheerful person I’ve ever met. It’s enough to induce a migraine or make me want to climb Everest.”
With a laugh, she wiggled out of the embrace. “You make a good point. Perpetually cheerful peoplecanbe hard to swallow. But I still think you could stand to relax once in a while.” She drifted over to the counter and poured the steaming coffee into two tall mugs. “So what should we do today? I haven’t had a snow day since grade school.”
“What’s a snow day?” he returned with a sigh. “My parents never let us stay home the day after a blizzard.”
“What if the school was closed?”
“Then Mom would give us impromptu lessons in the living room.”
Sam giggled. “Poor thing.”
She handed him a mug. A few sips later, the caffeine kicked into gear, pulsed through his blood and made him forget that he’d spent the entire night awake, tossing and turning.
Sam crossed the room and peeked out the window next to the back door. “God, there’s so much snow! I can’t wait to go out there.”
“Sure you wouldn’t prefer spending the day in bed?”
She shot him an endearing smile and wagged her finger. “We did that yesterday. Today you get to experience the splendor of a snow day.”
He wanted to tell her he’d much rather experience the splendor ofher,but the light dancing in her gray eyes made him bite his tongue. He thought back to the day he’d first met her, the haunting pain and unmistakable torment he’d seen in thoseeyes, and he experienced a surge of pleasure knowing he’d been the one to erase it.
It probably wasn’t a good idea, going outside now that they knew the Rose Killer suspected she was alive, but the yard was fenced in, and he’d be with her, and…
Oh man, something about this woman made him feel helpless and vulnerable and weak in the knees. All it took was one smile from her, one sexy look, and he was ready to give her anything she wanted.
Even a day of playing in the snow.
* * *
“Icannotbelieve you’ve never made a snow angel before.”
Sam stared at Blake with utter disbelief. Was it actually possible that Blake, the man who admitted to family Monopoly nights, had failed to indulge in the most momentous winter activityever?Hell, even the cranky older brother she’d grown up with had let a few snow angels loose now and then.
“You act like I just told you I’ve never tied my shoelaces or drunk a glass of milk,” he grumbled. “It’s just a snow angel.”
“Justa snow angel?”
Blake offered a shrug.
“And you grew up in Chicago?”
“’ Fraid so.”
“Well, that’s just ridiculous.” She planted her gloved hands on her hips. “Get on your back.”
“Nowthat’swhat I’m talking about.”
If he didn’t look so damn cute with his cheeks flushed from the cold and with that sexy wool hat covering his dark hair, she would’ve hurled a snowball at him.
“Take your mind out of the sexual gutter, Corwin.” She pointed to the snow. “On your back.”
