Page 29 of The Heart of Winter

I felt a slight rush of adrenaline. What if this didn’t work? What if I just embarrassed myself? But then again, who cared? Worst-case scenario, his sensual lips would curl into yet another contemptuous smirk.

Clenching my jaw slightly, I grabbed the cables from my trunk. When I was younger, I used to go with my uncle Victor and his grandkids to his cabin in the woods from time to time. He liked switching up his environment, escaping the city life. He was the one who taught me a few handy tricks, things that definitely set me apart from the typical downtown kids.

Winter popped the hood of his car, and I pulled my car closer, so the cables could reach. Keeping a neutral expression, I hooked them up to my battery first, then stretched them over to his.

"Try starting it now. Even if your battery is old and needs replacing, at least this way, you’ll be able to drive somewhere to get a new one and drop off the old one."

I held my breath for a moment as Winter got into his car and turned the key. And then… a miracle happened. The engine came to life!

For a split second, I saw surprise flash across Winter’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual unreadable expression.

He stepped out of the car, leaving the engine idling while I unhooked the cables.

"The old battery’s a minor issue, if the timing belt snapped, I wouldn’t have been able to help…" I muttered, trying to sound funny, but it didn’t land.

His eyes bore into me like daggers. So very like my father’s.

But then, I heard it.

"Thanks. Useful skill."

Wow. Honestly, I thought he’d just drive off without a word. But I actually got a kind word.

I shrugged slightly. "Not a skill I get to use often. The people I usually deal with trade in their cars every two years, so their batteries don’t even get the chance to die."

It was hard to tell what reaction, if any, my words sparked. His face remained the same, but somehow, in a subtle way, I could feel his lingering surprise.

How did I even sense that? Hell if I knew.

And once again, my gaze drifted to his lips. This was getting ridiculous. Almost masochistic. They fascinated me.

How could something so soft and sensual belong to someone so cold?

I imagined Winter having a boyfriend, someone who got to kiss those lips every day, someone who got to enjoy the contrast of that warmth in a sea of ice.

Stupid thoughts. Completely pointless, borderline self-torture. And yet, they kept sneaking back in.

I coiled up the cables and put them back in my trunk. Dragging this out any longer would just be awkward.

"Well, I’ll get going then. Have a good evening, Director."

I sent him a brief, polite smile. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something, but he changed his mind.

Then his eyes drifted to my chest.

By a twist of fate, I had on the T-shirt with the elf prince piercing an ice lance into my heart. Winter’s eyes fixed on the scene for a few seconds, obviously analyzing it. The surprise kept lingering in his energy.

But soon he snapped out of it. He gave me a small nod and headed for his car.

And that was the extent of my interaction with the ‘icy prince’ for the day.

That evening, I drew another scene and printed it on a T-shirt.

It showed me on my knees, coiling up cables next to a car, while an ice prince rested his elegant foot on my back, a naughty expression on his face.

With a smirk, I put it on that morning and headed to my car.

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