Page 215 of The Heart of Winter

I didn’t care. I had already made up my mind.

Truth. I was going to tell Sariel the truth. I was going to tell him that, for fuck’s sake, I couldn’t live without him.

Me, a proud beta who had never lowered himself to ask anyone for anything, I was going to ask him to give me a chance.

Ask him to be with me.

For the first time since Logan rejected me, I had the strength and courage to take the first step.

Even if Sariel didn’t want me, even if we were just a short-term thing, I wasn’t going to back out, but I would take whatever he gave me. I was finally going to live fully, thaw out, and free myself. Nothing to lose, except…everything. Fuck that.

I grabbed my car keys, threw on my jacket, and headed for the door.

I yanked it open—

And froze.

Someone was standing on the other side.

My whole body jolted.

It was Sariel.

I can’t even describe my reaction. It was somewhere between pure shock and an electric current surging through every cell of my body, filling me with this incredible, buzzing energy, pink and mint, tingling through my veins. My throat tightened. My heart pounded. I couldn’t believe it.

He was right there, within arm’s reach.

And his face… dusted with mint freckles, his mint-colored bangs falling over one eye.

"Hey, Winter," he said, his voice quiet.

I saw the slight flare of his nostrils as he took a deep breath. A flicker of something crossed his face—surprise, maybe?

But then he added, "I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I came to tell you something important."

There was tension in his tone. Something off. And it made me hesitate, made me stop the instinctive urge to reach for him, to pull him into my arms. I waited for him to speak.

"You probably don’t want anything to do with me anymore," he said. "Our… adventure on the island is over for you. But I came here to tell you something important, something you should know."

The shock of his words hit me so hard I couldn’t stand it. I had to prove him wrong.

Not with words, but with actions.

I lunged for him, wrapped my arms around his waist, and pulled him inside.

He seemed surprised, but didn’t resist. I pressed him against the wall and didn’t wait, my mouth found his, and my dear Fate…

What a kiss. I had never kissed anyone like this before. Never, until now, with Sariel.

It was wet, filthy, desperate—our mouths devouring each other, sucking, pulling, drinking each other in.

But I wanted more. So much more. I tightened my arms around him and, without breaking the kiss, started steering him toward the bedroom.

We moved together, lips locked, hands clutching, lungs breathless.

We reached the bed, and I pushed Sariel down onto the sheets, climbing on top of him.

The pause in our kisses lasted maybe two seconds, then I was kissing him again, my hands already yanking at his clothes.

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