Page 211 of Ice Darling
Renthrow’s eyes brighten, and he slips an arm around my waist, pulling me away from the wall and into him.
He rests his forehead against mine and breathes out in utter relief. “I missed you.”
“I missed you.” I swallow, wetting my parched mouth. “That was a really good speech.”
“Was it?” His gaze fastens on my mouth.
“And that’s a really nice bike. A bit old, but it’s got great potential.”
“Mm.” His heated hazel eyes fall to half-mast.
I pull back just before he kisses me. “You still haven’t told me how many miles it can do.”
He directs a patient grin at me. “Maybe a hundred?”
“No way.” I gasp. Although I’m not sure if I’m hyperventilating from the bike’s amazing capabilities or that teasing smile.
“Or did the guy at the shop say fifty?” Renthrow amends.
“That sounds about right.”
“Cordelia.” His smile lifts, and it sends a flutter straight through my belly.
“Yes?”
“Are you done talking about the bike?”
“Uh…”
“Can I kiss you now?”
I lean forward. “Yes, please.”
“So polite,” he murmurs, and then he kisses me softly, like a promise, like the best start of a new chapter.
His hold around me tightens, a little too tight, a little too strong. But that’s Renthrow. And I don’t mind. I feel treasured in his arms, protected in the best way, and I know that…loving a man like him means I’ll always feel safe.
He continues to sip from my lips, taking his time as if he wants to make up for the days we were apart. As we kiss, I feel life pouring through every cracked shard of my heart, like the gold that turns broken pottery into priceless works of art. The warmth settles in my heart where Renthrow and Gordie have a permanent home.
I don’t ever want to stop kissing, but soon, I can’t breathe. We finally break to come up for air, and he looks down at me with a thoughtful look.
I tuck my bottom lip between my teeth. “What?”
A wrinkle appears between Renthrow’s brows. “Have you been crying?”
How could he tell? Has my concealer worn off? “Not anymore. From now on, there will only be happy tears.”
Renthrow slips his thumb over my cheek and rests his forehead against mine as he echoes. “From now on, there will only be happy tears.”
Chapter Seventy-One
Renthrow
All the details that Cordelia’s been holding back about her life and her relationship with Gwen come pouring out during our dates.
One night, I take her back to the fancy restaurant where she tipped the waiter a hundred dollars. Over incredibly over-priced salmon, she tells me about how desperately she’d wanted Brennon’s attention and that her feelings were not just a crush but a competition to see if she could “win” him away from her twin sister.
A few nights later, I’m making her much better salmon at home and she recounts how humiliated she was when Brennon rejected her and how it had stung extra hard because, even though she’d given him her love, he still chose the newly married Gwendolyn.
