Page 129 of A Tale of Ice and Ash
Because whatever she felt, however tangled and confused her feelings, she felt far, far more than nothing.
Yet even his name was beyond her.
He made a gesture of dismissal, turned to move away, but she reached for him, snatching his hand and throwing her arms around his neck. She pushed her lips against his.
She just meant it to be a brief, fleeting kiss, yet the second she dropped back, Cole’s eyes turned dark and liquid, and her insides transformed into lava.
She closed the gap again, her mouth hot against his. His hands went to her waist, curling into her clothes and weaving her against him. He murmured her name when she gave him a moment to breathe.
Not Snow.
Eirwen.
He tasted of snowflakes and spiced cider and firelight, and each kiss made her want to crawl out of her flesh and into his. There was a burning deep within her. She was kindling, and he the flame.
Finally, she found the strength to pull away.
“Cole?”
“Yes?” his voice was light, hopeful and dazed in the same, desperate breath.
“I’m sorry.”
He grinned. “What for?”
“I… I don’t have an answer for you, if… if you had a question. Not yet.”
“Right.”
“But I… I really wanted to do that again.”
“I was sensingsomeenthusiasm…”
“I’m sorry to make you wait.”
He cupped her face in his large hands, and kissed her temple. “Don’t be. You didn’t break my heart, which was more than I was hoping for.” His hands slid down to her fingers.
“The last thing I want to do is hurt you,” she said, “but there’s–”
“A lot going on. It’s complicated. We haven’t reallyknowneach other that long, not… not like this. It’s all right, Eira. I understand.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “I think I preferred you when you were being unreasonable. At least I knew what to do, then. This… this is new, and confusing, and–”
“Yeah,” he said, his hands still holding her fingertips, “I feel you.” He tightened his grip on that tiny part of her. “I’m… I’m not sure I want to let go, just yet.”
“You don’t have to.” She pulled his face down to hers again, drinking in his kiss. He fell against her and she stumbled backwards into a tree, sending a flurry of snow cascading down on them, which melted away in minutes under the hot pressure of their kisses.The whole world burned away behind them.
“You’re making it even harder to let go,” Cole breathed, his voice ragged.
“I know,” said Eirwen. “Sorry?”
“I’m not entirely sure I can be mad at you…” he said, his fingers playing with the clasp of her cloak.
She grabbed the scruff of his shirt and pulled him down to her level again. “Then kiss me again.”
He grinned wickedly. “Until you tell me to stop.”
∞∞∞
