Page 40 of Offside for Christmas
Cole's heart was hammering against his ribs. "Do I?"
"Yes."
They were facing each other now, hands joined between them, close enough that Cole could feel her breath on his face. The space between them felt like a live wire.
"This is a bad idea," Cole said, not moving.
"Terrible idea," Ellie agreed, also not moving.
"We said no touching."
"We're already breaking that rule."
"Should I move?"
"Probably."
Neither of them moved.
Cole's free hand came up to brush a curl away from her face, his fingers lingering against her cheek. Ellie's eyes fluttered closed at the touch, and when they opened again, they were dark with want.
"Ellie, if we do this—"
"We're not doing anything," she said, but her voice was unsteady. "We're just talking."
"Is that what we're doing?"
"Yes. Talking. That's all."
Cole moved closer, close enough that their noses were almost touching. "What if I want to do more than talk?"
Her breath hitched. "Then you should probably ask first."
"Can I kiss you?"
Ellie's eyes searched his face, and Cole saw the war happening inside her—fear and want, caution and desire, past pain and present possibility.
"You're going to break my heart," she said finally.
"Not if I can help it."
"That's not a promise you can make."
"Watch me."
Ellie closed the distance between them. "Then yes. Kiss me."
He did.
It was soft at first. Tentative. A question rather than a demand. Cole's hand cupped her face, thumb stroking across her cheekbone, and Ellie's free hand came up to rest against his chest, right over his racing heart.
Then Ellie made a small sound—half sigh, half moan—and something inside Cole snapped.
His hand moved from her face to tangle in her hair, pulling her closer. Ellie's hand fisted in his t-shirt, tugging him toward her. The kiss deepened, became urgent, desperate, like tension and denial unleashed all at once.
Cole shifted, rolling so Ellie was beneath him, his weight resting on his forearms—and immediately felt the sharp pull in his right shoulder. He couldn't quite suppress the wince.
Ellie felt it. Her hands stilled on his chest, and she pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes sharp even through the haze of want.
