I revolve between his arms until I'm facing him, and I tilt my mouth up to his, but I don't kiss him right away. Our noses brush lightly, cheeks grazing, breath whispering over sensitive skin. The almost-kissing is exquisitely torturous, and the air between us fairly glitters, icy and electric. Then Jack makes a sound—a desperate whimper of need, and I relent. Sinking into the kiss is deliciously gratifying. Jack devours my mouth, tasting its new flavors, and my eyes flutter shut because the taste ofhimis so familiar now, comforting and carnal, but with that edge of sparkling magic.
He breaks the kiss abruptly, his eyes glittering with a new idea. "I think we should go somewhere special. Somewhere beautiful and cold, like Prague or Budapest. You know, to celebrate your transformation, and our—what would you call this, anyway? Are we married?"
"You could say so, I guess. Bonded for life."
"Only if you want to. I can always move elsewhere, give you space—"
"No." Pressing both hands against his back, I pull him against me. "No space. I've had my space for five weeks, Jack Frost, and I didn't like it. I want youhere, with me, I want you—" I suck in a breath and set my mouth to his ear. "I want you inside me."
A shiver runs through him, and I smile, biting my lip.
"Yes," he breathes, kissing me quick and fierce. "But later I'm taking you to Prague. The architecture—the snow on the rooftops—" another kiss— "you're going to love it. We'll stay as long as you want—I have a place there. You can film, and take pictures—"
If it were possible to burst with joy, I would be exploding into colorful fireworks right now. My love for travel, and art, and film, and Jack, all wrapped up in one package—it's almost more than I can handle.
I need release. And he can give it to me.
"Don't be gentle," I whisper, looking into his eyes.
A wicked light sparks in his gaze. He seizes me and whirls us both into the air, across the room, crashing onto the bed. I'm tearing off my clothes, and he's already naked and rigid and wanting me—our kisses are teeth and fury and claiming. We are so painfully alive, raw and craving, healing up those scorched places in our souls, the parts that bled when Auxesia tried to burn us away. I'm trembling with desperation to get him inside me, to grip him tighter. He's here, all of him. Mine. Safe. The words pound over and over in my head, a reassuring echo of each thrust he makes.
Mine. Safe.The joy of it throbs through my every nerve—swells immense and unbearable and almost—almost—
And then something bursts in my brain—a white light, shards of ice exploding into stars that turn into suns that turn into supernovas—my legs jerk and quiver with the intensity of the sensations rocketing through me. My ragged inhale leaves my throat in a wild scream, and Jack answers with a broken roar of his own.
We collapse side by side, gasping, and I press my cheek against his chest. "That was amazing."
"Hell yes," he says, still panting.
"Sex has flavors, doesn't it? I never realized it before. But it can be good in lots of different ways. Our first time was beautiful, and the second was gentle and soft—and the time at the skating rink was daring and wild—and then there wasthis." I push myself up on my elbow. "We get to dothisagain and again, as much as we want? For real?"
Jack's white teeth flash. "Incredible, isn't it?"
I curl up against him with a little wriggle of sheer delight.
Later we spiral to the surface of our continent—our beautiful Antarctica, where we are king and queen—and we walk the land. It's a clear day, with a brisk wind that tosses and twirls my long white hair. The dance of the snowy waves around my face mirrors the exuberant dance of my heart.
I've been liberated. Empowered. I've slipped into the skin I was meant to fill. My intensity, my passion, and my ambition were always a littlemuchfor my fellow humans. But now, all that intensity is permitted—in fact, it's encouraged. Jack's relief shows in the ease of his shoulders, the bounce of his steps. He's glad to have a true partner, one that he didn't deceive or enslave, one that believes in the cause as he has come to believe in it. I revitalized his passion for the world, and now I'm stepping alongside him to share this beautiful burden.
We pause on the crest of a ridge, looking out over the black rock and white ice and crystal-blue waters of our domain; and my mind slips back to the day when the blizzard scoured this land and drove me down into Jack's cave. The hint of frost magic inside me led me straight to him. As if it was fate.
Except I don't believe in Fate, or gods, or an afterlife.
Except maybe I do.
I slip my arm through Jack's, leaning my head against his shoulder.
He wraps his arm around me. "I don't think I thanked you yet, for saving my life. For doing this—changing your entire world, for me. You rescued me from—I don't think I could have gone on much longer without—"
I lay my fingers over his lips. "Did I rescue you, or did you rescue me?"
He beams at me. "I guess we rescued ourselvesandeach other."
"And I think that's called a healthy relationship," I say softly. "But I wouldn't know—I've never had one. Until now."
10 Years later
"Meryl!" I catch my daughter's shoulder as she breezes out the back door of Karyl and Sarah's house. "Wear your coat!"