Page 117 of The Heart of Winter

They were slightly parted now. Winter was breathing a little faster.

At the same moment, we lifted our eyes and locked gazes.

"You know," I murmured, breathless, my exhale brushing against his lips, "the first day I walked into your office, I noticed your lips. I imagined leaning in and kissing you. It was kind of masochistic because I knew you’d throw me out on my ass."

Winter didn’t say a word.

I kept my eyes on his lips. So damn tempting…

Slowly, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. His skin was warm. Silky smooth. Nothing cold about it at all. It reminded me of satin.

Winter’s crystalline silver eyes stayed on me the whole time, completely still, as if he was waiting. I knew this was going to be the moment of our first kiss.

I leaned in very slowly, closing the distance to less than an inch. I could hear his heartbeat speeding up even more.

His breath smelled like mint gum.

"I wonder if they’re soft?" I murmured, keeping that last inch of space between us.

Winter’s eyelashes trembled slightly. With the tip of his tongue, he wet his lower lip.

He was teasing me, I could feel it.

So finally, I didn’t want to wait anymore. In an agonizingly slow motion, I brushed my lips against his. A divine, shivery pleasure coursed through me as I gently captured his plush lower lip, brushing it with my tongue, caressing it softly, then nibbling, eventually sucking on it.

Savoring the moment, I took my time, languorously drawing it out. His lips were just as incredibly soft as I’d suspected—insanely good to kiss, like velvet against mine.

I wanted to keep tasting them forever. I opened my mouth wider, taking in both of his lips, deepening the kiss, pressing my mouth firmly against his. Only then did I slide my tongue between them.

Winter let out a quiet little sigh.

His hands lifted and came to rest on my back. We started really kissing, the intensity and sensuality of it building with every second. Our tongues twisted together, and soon, I felt it—pressure growing against the lower part of my groin. My own hardness responded, pressing back on his abdomen. Another shiver of pleasure ran through my entire body… and only then did I break the kiss.

Winter slowly opened his eyes, his pupils almost eclipsing his irises, and I couldn't help but say,

"Wow… Best first kiss ever. And yeah, now I know. They are indeed very soft."

A subtle smirk appeared on those very lips, but he didn’t say anything.

I gazed deep into his eyes, noticing a slight shift, they seemed softer, and his cheeks had taken on a faint flush.

"I’ll definitely be indulging again later," I said, "but maybe we should get into the water first."

Winter’s expression was hard to read. He made a small shaking move of his head as if to snap himself out of something, then turned toward the water, studying it for a moment. He took my hand, supporting me from the left side.

We both carefully eased ourselves into the stream, it was surprisingly warm, maybe even a little hotter than I would’ve preferred, but unexpectedly, it helped. Submerged in it, I felt the pain in my leg ease up.

We sat down almost side by side. It turned out the water was just the right depth so that only our heads and the tops of our shoulders stayed above the surface. The bottom was a mix of gravel and stones, pressing into sensitive areas, but it was bearable.

"Well, with water like this, at least we won’t freeze. Plus, hygiene just got easier," I muttered.

"The real question is whether we’ll overheat instead."

Our carry-ons were close to the stream. Winter leaned over slightly and grabbed the late omega’s toiletry kit.

"I don’t feel comfortable digging through someone’s personal things," he muttered, "but I think he must’ve swiped this soap from a hotel. Not like he’s going to need it anymore, unfortunately." His voice held a faint bitterness.

He held up an individually wrapped bar of soap, definitely hotel-grade. It wasn’t big, but with careful use, it could last a while.

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