Page 17 of Obsidian and Frost
“What?”
He gestured with his eyes to where we were connected skin-to-skin.
A choked gasp escaped me.
“I first had hold of you around the waist, but I shifted to your arms for more stability so I didn’t hurt you, and you kind of… chilled me.” He winked. “Not talking about the same kind of chill as when you blew me off before.”
His joke was clearly intended to lighten the situation.
Lighten just how bad this was.
But I couldn’t see past it.
His hands were literally covered in frost and frozen to where he was holding my arms.
“God, why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t want to stress you out when you were coming down from an episode.”
“Doesn’t it hurt like a bitch?”
He grinned. “Notlike a bitch.Just a little uncomfortable.”
He must’ve noticed my distress, because he added, “It’s not a big deal. I’m wolf and vampire, my temperature is already all over the place. Sometimes I’m burning hot, other times I’m freezing cold. This frost of yours is more normal to me than you might think.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “You’re being too forgiving.”
“Doesn’t the world need more of that? Especially yours, love?”
Our gazes clashed.
I swallowed hard at the undeniable intensity.
“Yes,” I managed. “Yes, it does.”
He smiled. “Well, then.”
“Stay still.”
“Not much of a choice there.”
“I meant your head, legs, and whatever else.”
He smirked. “Whatever else? And what might that refer to?”
“Ah, there’s the Lazriel I remember.”
“It’sallme. You just don’t like the bluster and flirtatious side. That’s why I’ve been toning it down. You know, on account of you needing to be given a break right now?”
“Ah, so it’s forthcoming?”
He flinched. “Did you just make a joke? An almostflirtykind of joke at that?”
I looked away. “No idea what you’re talking about. Sounds like a misread to me.”
He chuckled—a full, rough-edged sound that curled right down my spine and did something to me.
“Shut up,” I said, unable to suppress a little laugh as well. “Let me do this… fix this frost situation.”
