Page 168 of Cold As Ice

“I need to get my good luck kiss.” I reached for her arm, pulling her gently toward me.

“Austin…”

“Just one little kiss, pretty girl, and then I’ll go.”

Madison relented, twisting her fingers into my hoodie as she leaned in, brushing her mouth against mine.

Heat exploded inside me, kicking my heart and other more southerly parts of me into overdrive but I reined it in, forcing myself not to take more than she was comfortable with.

“I’ll see you Sunday,” I said, giving her a playful wink before walking out of there.

Wondering if she knew how completely and utterly gone I was for her.

CHAPTER30

MADISON

“Austins, Austins is here, Mommy.”Imogen practically ran through the apartment to get to the door first.

“Okay, baby. Just let him—”

“Austins.” She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tight.

“I’ve missed you too, princess.” He pulled out a small gift bag from behind his back. “This is for you.”

“Ooh, a present?”

“A present all the way from Detroit. Why don’t you go over to the couch and open it so I can say hello to your mom.”

“Look Mommy, Austins got me a present.” She skipped off the couch and I arched a brow at him.

“Another present,” I said. “You’re setting a dangerous precedent.”

“Worth it if it gives us a minute’s peace,” he said, stalking toward me, heat simmering in his eyes. “I missed you.” Austin tucked my hair behind my ear and leaned down to kiss me.

“Mmm, I missed you too.”

Too much.

But life with two jobs and a four-year-old kept me on my toes, so there hadn’t been much time to dwell on his absence.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to us if he decided to go off and play for the Vancouver Canucks.

We hadn’t talked about it again, and I really didn’t want to. Not yet. But it was always there, in the back of my mind—a faint whisper, warning me that this could all go horribly wrong.

Austin slid his hand into the back of my hair and pulled me closer. “God, I want you.”

“I know. Maybe I can ask Jer to—”

“Mommy, wooks. Wooks.”

I released a soft sigh. “I guess our time is up.”

“It’s okay, I can wait.”

Austin let me go and we both went over to Imogen.

“What do you have in there?” I asked her.

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