Page 63 of Icebound Hearts

I should move away. But I don’t and neither does Aiden. His breathing is deeper now, heavier, as if he’s fighting something.

I bite my lip. “Aiden—”

“Come here,” he says suddenly. My stomach free-falls. His voice is different now—not a demand, not a plea, but something in between. I should hesitate. I should question it.

But I don’t, because I want this. More than anything.

I shift, slowly crawling toward him, my pulse wild as I settle next to him, my thigh brushing his.

Close.

Too close.

Aiden doesn’t move for a long moment.

Then, slowly, he lifts his arm, giving me room to lean into him. I shouldn’t but I do. His warmth is immediate, overwhelming, wrapping around me like a second skin. I rest my head against his shoulder, pretending this is normal, that my entire body isn’t on fire. His fingers brush against my arm, featherlight. I suck in a sharp breath and Aiden tenses, like he wasn’t expecting that reaction, but he doesn’t stop. His fingers trace my skin, slow, testing and it’s suddenly too much.

I pull back, turning toward him, our faces inches apart. Big mistake.

Because now I can see everything. The way his chest rises and falls, his jaw tight with restraint. The way his eyes—black, endless, stormy with something unreadable—flicker down to my lips. Aiden exhales sharply, like he’s reached his breaking point.

And before I can say a single word, he kisses me. The moment his lips crash into mine, I forget how to breathe. It’s not soft, needy, raw, filled with everything we’ve been holding back. I gasp against him, my hands gripping his hoodie, pulling him closer even as he presses me deeper into the bed. He growls against my mouth, one hand cupping my jaw, the other gripping my waist like he’s afraid I’ll disappear. Like he’s afraid this is all some fever dream. I tug at his hoodie, needing more, needing to feel him. Aiden pulls away just enough to yank it over his head, his breath ragged, his pupils blown wide with heat. I barely have time to take him

in before he’s kissing me again, deeper, slower this time. Like he wants to memorize me.

Like he’s afraid this will end too soon.

I slide my hands over his bare skin, feeling the sharp ridges of his muscles, the way his breath catches when I drag my nails down his back. He groans, pressing his forehead against mine.

What is he doing to me?

Chapter thirty

KATERINA

Itstarted playfully. We were watching a movie and somehow, we ended up tangled with each other. I should push him away, create distance, remind myself that this is reckless, dangerous, a road we can’t come back from.

But I don’t.

Because Aiden Knight is everywhere—his hands on my waist, his breath against my skin, his lips trailing slow, agonizing kisses down my neck. Every touch sends a spark skittering across my nerves, my body burning too hot, my mind losing the ability to think about anything except him.

I grip my hoodie—

his hoodie that I’m still wearing—as he presses me into the mattress, his weight solid and grounding, his knee nudging between my thighs, parting them like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

His name leaves my lips in a breathy whisper, and he growls in response, his grip tightening, his fingers teasing against the bare skin of my hip beneath the oversized fabric.

“You love driving me insane, don’t you?” I smirk, even though my breathing is uneven, my pulse pounding.

“Maybe.”

Aiden’s eyes darken. “Angel.” The way he says it—low, almost possessive—sends a full- body shiver through me. I arch against him, seeking friction, something, but he just grins, dragging this moment out like he wants me to beg.

So, I do the only thing I can—I kiss him hard.

He groans, his hands sliding beneath the hoodie, fingers tracing up my ribs, slow and reverent.

“You’re going to be the death of me.” I bite my lip, tugging at the hem of his shirt. “Then die already.” Aiden laughs, but the sound is strained, his pupils blown wide, his gaze flicking over my face like he’s committing this—me—to

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