Page 11 of SnowBound

With a spoon, I put a tiny bit of confetti on the tip of his tongue. “Pretend this is a real snowflake. Wait for the aftertaste to kick in as it melts.” With the same spoon, I dropped a mixture of hot chocolate, whipped cream, and sprinkles on his tongue. “It’s melting now. Taste it.”

He closed his mouth and swallowed. A low growl formed in his throat. Surprise and delight played on his face. For a long second, I failed to look away. When his tongue swept his lips, I got entranced and wondered how soft they would feel on mine.

I wiped the corner of his mouth. “You missed a spot.” My finger hung in the space between us.

His eyelids parted, and he caught my gaze. A slow smile curled his lips. When his broodiness dissipated, he looked pretty irresistible. My treasure chest assessment earlier was on point. Underneath his shadowy exterior, he wasn’t as dark or moody as he pretended to be.

Without thinking it through, I licked the tip of my digit, and he sucked in a breath. A zing filled my stomach as he captured my eyes. The air kindled between us. Instead of watching his eyes, I returned to my mission. “See, I told you hot chocolate could be magic. You just have to believe it is. And you loved this little game. Your smile is a tell-all sign.”

He fixed his mouth in a poorly executed pout. “I’m not smiling. And it wasn’t so bad.”

I scoffed. “So bad? You liked it. You might not be aware, but I saw it. Your face betrayed you. By the way, you’re welcome.” I folded my arms, giving him my most satisfied expression. “If you’re honest with me, I’ll give it to you now.” I returned to my seat and took a sip of mine. Deciding I liked how he reacted a minute ago and wanting to test him, I dipped my finger into the whipped cream and licked it clean, taking my time as I watched the guy squirming in his seat.

His pupils dilated, and he blinked. Yeah, I hadn’t dreamed his reaction. “Fuck. You play dirty,” he said after a moment, a low growl forming in his throat.

“Nah. I’m just enjoying a little sweetness. It tastes better like that.” I winked, and he groaned.

Lifting both hands in surrender, he sighed. “Fine. You win.”

“I win? Awesome. Where’s the prize?” I perused the room around us as if searching for something.

“The drink.”

“What about it?” I asked.

“Are you gonna make me spell it?”

I nodded fast with a smile.

“It was kinda good,” he quipped.

“Oh wow, you’re impossible. Do better.”

He shook his head, then stared at me. “Okay, I liked it. Happy?”

I grinned so big my cheeks hurt. “I knew it.” I placed the mug before him plus a handful of cookie straws.

He smiled behind his hand, but it didn’t escape me. My pulse kicked up a notch, and my body temperature soared. Why did he make it so hard to look anywhere else?

“Enjoy. My treat,” I said as I bit into a chocolate straw, trying to ease the desire developing inside me.

* * *

My phone rang, disrupting the moment. My father’s face filled the screen, and my insides knotted as I anticipated the conversation. My playful mood evaporated. It was late, and my parents were usually in bed by nine every night. Only one thing could keep them awake at this hour. The thought of my not being ready in time for their stupid Christmas Eve event tomorrow night. One I didn’t care about because it was all fake and just for show, and I didn’t fit in their plastic world. And the thought of having to go with Troy was enough to spread cold chills down my back. That jerk had no class and no spine.

After he blamed me last year in front of our families for his lack of self-control, I got lectured by my parents at least a dozen times about my inappropriate actions.

With a big inhale, I pressed the accept button. No matter whether I turned my phone off or pretended the battery died, if my father decided to get a hold of me, he’d make it his mission to call the airport and have my name announced on the speakers. He had connections. And not a lot of people denied him anything.

“Father,” I said when I answered the call. All the cells inside me tightened. I knew the blame would come. I just had no idea what form it’d take this time. “Everything okay?”

“Abigail. I’m really disappointed in you right now. Your mother had to sip herbal tea due to all the stress you’re causing her.”

“It’s a snowstorm. No one died. How am I responsible for Mother Nature’s onslaught? I should already have been home by now. She’s the one you should be angry at.”

“Abigail, your actions have consequences for those around you. You can’t do whatever pleases you without thinking it through. You are nineteen years old. When are you gonna prove to us you’re responsible enough to be treated as an adult? Your mother and I were almost married at your age. It’s time you grow up.”

I pinched my lips together to avoid saying something I might regret. My parents were delusional. They were disconnected from reality, so convinced their world was a picture-perfect ideal everyone envied.