We step back into the storm, and it's somehow worse than before. Snow swirls so thick I can’t even see the cabin.
Callum grabs my hand and pulls me forward.
I don’t pull away.
Iwantto. Every instinct tells me I should. But the wind is so strong I feel like I’ll topple over if I lose that anchor.
We're halfway back when my foot catches on something buried under the snow.
Callum catches me, his arm wrapping around my waist, pulling me against his chest. We stumble, both off-balance, and my hands fist in his coat trying to steady myself.
We freeze like that. Pressed together, breathing hard, faces inches apart.
“You okay?” he asks, his breath ghosting over my lips.
“I'm fine.”
But neither of us moves. His eyes drop to my mouth.
“Whatever you're thinking. Don't,” I say.
“What am I thinking?” He leans in slightly, his nose almost brushing mine.
Then he kisses me.
It’s rough. Urgent. His mouth pressing hard into mine, one hand tangled in the collar of my coat, the other grabbing the hair at the base of my skull.
I shove at his chest, every part of me screaming that this is a mistake. That I shouldn’t want this.
But he doesn’t let go. His mouth moves over mine, deeper now, rougher, like he’s daring me to keep fighting.
And for a moment, I do.
But then, something shifts.
The fight in me falters. My fingers curl into his coat instead of pushing him away, and despite everything I know, everything Ishouldfeel, I melt into the kiss. Heat explodes through me despite the storm and every single reason this is a terrible idea.
He groans against my mouth, trailing his hand down to grip my ass and pull me tighter against him.
I shove him away, hard enough that he stumbles back a step.
“What the hell was that?!” I'm yelling, have to yell over the wind, but also because I'm furious. At him. At myself. At how good it felt.
“You kissed me back.”
“No, you kissed me first!”
“And you didn't stop me.” He takes a step forward.
Before I can react, his hands are on my face, and then his mouth is on mine again. It’s demanding, possessive, completely out of line.
And still, my lips part.
Still, I kiss him back.
I gasp, coming to my senses, shoving at his chest hard enough to break us apart. My palm connects with his cheek in a satisfying smack.
He freezes, head turned from the impact. For a second, I think it’s over. That he’ll back off.
