Then I leapt on the tire and aimed at the jump.
“Oak!” Law yelled, when he saw how fast I was going.
I whooped again, held onto the handles on the tire, and flattened myself as much as I could while sitting down to gain even more speed.
Then I hit the little ramp and flew over it. The airtime wasn’t huge, but I still felt the swoop in my belly and laughed with delight as I was tossed into some soft snow on the other side.
I was still giggling my fool head off when Law’s face appeared above me.
“Oak, are you okay?” he asked, his hands touching my face, and then down my body as if he was checking I was in one piece.
“Oh, you sweet summer child. Literally.” I grabbed the front of his snow jacket and pulled him on top of me, kissing him on the lips noisily. “I know what I’m doing here. I’ve jumped much higher—”
“Don’t tell me that; holy crap, Oak. You looked like a ragdoll!”
I laughed and attached myself to him before he could escape in his sudden indignation. “Trust me, baby. This is fun and it’s safe, and I know what I’m doing.”
He tried to glare at me, but then deflated and let his weight sink against me, which made me press deeper into the soft snow.
“Okay. I trust you,” he finally said.
“Thank you,” I replied seriously. Then we kissed for a moment, and while he was distracted with that, I asked, “Wanna go on the tire with me?”
“Sure.” When he looked at me and saw my expression, he frowned. “I think I’m missing something here.”
I snickered as I pushed him off myself and we started back up the hill. “Well, it might be a bit faster with two people….”
“Oh shit….”
We made it back to the house past midday. I’d called ahead and Dana had packed us lunches and told us to come get dinner later.
Both of us were happy with our winter gear, but somehow we still got a bit wet and cold, and by the time we went inside and started to strip off the outerwear, I was shivering.
“We really need a shower,” Law said as he took the food into the kitchen.
“Yeah, and food,” I agreed. I followed him and started to strip behind him.
I was down to my underwear before he turned around from the lunch containers.
Confusion spread on his handsome boy next door face. “What—”
“Babe, can you do something for me?” I asked, feigning innocence.
Still frowning, he asked, “What is that?”
I pushed down my underwear and grinned wickedly. “Catch me.”
I sprinted around the corner, then stopped so he couldn’t see me.
He went past me, tossing his undershirt to the side as he headed toward his bedroom. “Where did you go?” he asked in a growly tone that made my whole body break out in goosebumps.
As he vanished to the bedroom, I went to the far side of the living room, just in time for him to realize I wasn’t in bed.
“Oh this is how you want to play,” he continued in the same voice. “Come out, come out wherever you are,” he sing-songed as came back out of his room.
When his eyes locked onto me, standing behind the couch in the family room, his expression morphed into something predatory.
I squeaked as he lunged, and I scrambled over the couch, hearing him grunt as he failed to catch me.
