Page 50 of Hiding for the Holidays
The drive flies by fast thanks to Leo’s constant chatter. He includes me in every conversation, too. It feels good to have people to talk to again, even if I am still hiding some things from them .
Eventually, we pull into a crowded parking lot as the fair comes into view.
“Is that a skating rink?” I ask in surprise.
“Yep, can you skate?” Leo asks as we all climb out of the truck, Grant offering me his hand to help me down.
“I did when I was younger.”
“We can rent skates here,” Grant tells me as he leads me around the truck to join the other two as we head towards the fair.
My head swivels as I try to take everything in at once.
“Why don’t we grab some hot chocolate then we can walk through the ice sculpture gallery?” Grant suggests, pointing to the ice sculptures.
I nod eagerly and grip his arm as we enter a more crowded area. I now realize he has not released my hand since he helped me out of the truck, and I’m now hugging his arm, with my other arm wrapped around his bicep. “Oh, sorry,” I say quietly as I try to pull back.
But he squeezes my hand, not letting me pull away as he smiles down at me as we get in line at the drink stall. “Don’t apologize, you’re keeping me warm.”
I smile up at him although I’m not sure what to think of his answer. Does he like me doing that only because of the heat? Or is it more?
He orders our drinks, and I have to let go to hold my hot chocolate with both hands. Asher leads us over to the sculptures, and we take our time looking at all the amazing art.
“I can’t believe what people can do with ice,” I say, looking at a intricate mermaid ice sculpture.
“Yeah, they’re talented, for sure,” Leo agrees from my side.
“What’s that?” I point to a strange wall made of ice blocks at the end of the trail. As we get closer, I see it’s not just a wall but like a large box, the size of a small shed.
“It’s an ice hut,” Leo says, taking my empty cup and throwing it in a garbage can along with his. He glances behindme, and I turn to see what he’s looking at. Asher and Grant have stopped thirty feet back to talk to a couple other guys.
“Quick, come here,” Leo whispers, grabbing my hand and tugging me towards the ice hut. Around the corner is an opening, a little smaller than a normal door. We have to turn sideways to slip inside, and once we’re in there, it’s close quarters, barely enough space for the two of us.
“Why is it so small in here?” I ask, gazing around at the ice blocks.
Leo shrugs as he turns to face me, his warm green eyes suddenly smoldering as he forces me to press my back against the wall.
Slowly, he raises his gloved hands and places them on the wall on either side of my head.
“W-what are you doing?” I stutter, barely able to keep my cool, even surrounded by all this ice. His eyes flick down to my lips, and a small gasp escapes me. I feel my body heat and am afraid if he keeps looking at me like that I might just melt through this wall.
He moves closer, pressing his body against mine and lighting me up. My entire body feels on edge, like one small touch and I will explode.
Holy shit, what is happening right now?
“Leo?” I whisper when he continues to stare at me, his eyes bouncing between mine. “What are you doing?”
“Showing you I’m interested.”
“Y—” I’m cut off as he dips his head and gently presses his lips to mine. My gloved hands fly up on instinct, and I end up gripping the sides of his jacket as he kisses me.
His lips move slowly, placing excruciating slow kisses on my lips, over and over, adjusting their position each time. I’ve never been kissed like this before. Scott would always dive in tonguefirst. It was passionate, sure, but there is something about this slowness that sets every nerve on fire, making me wish for more.
I start to move my lips back against him, and his hands drop to my face, angling me just the way he wants me. His action makes me feel bold, so I run my tongue along his lower lip, seeking more. He instantly reacts, pressing harder against me as his tongue meets mine.
He takes control of the kiss, making me moan as I get lost in his embrace. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t imagined what kissing him would be like, and now I know my imagination is clearly lacking. The real thing is way better than I ever expected. The fact that we are fully dressed in winter gear, gloves and all, so our lips are the only part of our skin that touches, just tells me how strong this connection is between us.
Kissing Scott had been nothing like this. It didn’t light up my whole body the way Leo does. Even my past boyfriends, before Scott, never held a candle to this man. That’s probably the difference - Leo is a man, and everyone else I’ve ever dated feels like they were just boys.
