It’s only the scarf he wants, of course, but being chased by James, being wanted, sends a thrill down my spine. Blood pulses through me. I feel alive and vivid in a way I haven’t for years.
He grabs for the scarf and I tug it. But he’s so much stronger than I am, all I succeed in doing is spinning around and wrong-footing myself, tripping into a deep snow drift on the edge of the area we have cleared for the snowman.
I let out an oof of surprise as I fall backwards into the snow.
“You okay?” James is over me immediately, scanning me with his face pinched with concern, scarf forgotten.
I blink up at him. Yes. Yes I’m very alright with him over me like this, all bulk and strength and tender solicitude.
“Uuuhhh.” I play up the really very minor amount of pain. “It hurts.”
For a second there’s panic in his expression, then he sees through my act.
“Do I need to check for broken bones?” he asks dryly.
“You could kiss it better,” I suggest, licking my lips.
“Kiss chase, then?” His gaze drops to my mouth and when he meets my eyes again, something intent and hungry gleams in them.
“Could be.” I’m way more out of breath than our tussle justifies. It’s James. He makes my lungs forget how to work because my whole body yearns for him.
“Do you like being chased?” he murmurs.
“Yes.”
“What about being caught?”
“I like that too,” I admit in a whisper.
It’s snowing. By all rights I should be cold, but I’m not even slightly. I’m burning up.
“Well, we can play chase.” His eyes are dark as he looks at me, vivid and dangerous, almost impossibly green against the white snow. I shiver with anticipation. “But if I catch you, it might not be such an innocent game.”
Threaten me with a good time, why don’t you?My heart leaps. “Oh yeah? What will you do if you get me?”
“I’ll make you pay,” he says roughly. “I’ll take revenge for last night, when you left me aching and rock-solid and unsatisfied.”
I open my mouth to point out that it was entirely his choice to be all ridiculous moral compass about my dad, but the warning in his expression makes my jaw snap shut again.
“And for teasing me all morning. Those stretches you do to push out your tits, and swaying your arse. I saw you pressing your thighs together to get friction on your clit.”
I can’t speak now. He saw things I didn’t even realise I was doing and hewantsme.
“I was so hard last night, and I couldn’t risk touching myself with you so close. I couldn’t be sure I wouldn’t shout your name or lose control and storm into your bedroom, find out what you were wearing in bed and rip it off, and finish jerking myself to a painful completion all over your soft sleepy warm skin.”
My eyes must be round as snowballs. I have to see him masturbating over me. I wish he’d done it so I could have the memory of his come on my body. I could have dipped my finger into where he marked me and tasted him.
“So when I say revenge, wee bonnie lass, you should understand that what I mean isn’t cute or romantic. It’s savage. It’s animalistic.”
Oh god his voice is low and threatening and I’m not at all certain I can cope with whatever he might dish out.
I haven’t done anything like this before. Does he know? It would make a difference if he did, I think. He’s too kind, and that stupid honourable streak would come out again. But what if… The thought begins as a whisper. Then it gets louder and louder. It’s a shout so loud I’m surprised James can’t hear it.
He could be the one to take my virginity.
James.
Even as revenge for making him suffer with a hard-on all night, I know from the cooling tips of my toes to the stray snow-covered ends of my hair that my first time with James would be good. He’s older and experienced and he’d make it hot and sexy and more memorable than anything in my drab life so far.
