Page 33 of Wild Promise

My arm was still draped behind Melina, and our knees still bumped together, but I allowed her space and did my best to enjoy the lazy tour. And even though it was a pace that would normally bore me, with Melina by my side, it felt a bit like a thrill ride.

The air was thick with the scent of old pines as we rounded past a thick grove, when Melina’s hand landed on my thigh. “Look,” she whispered, holding her other hand up as if to catch the night sky. “Did you see that?”

For a moment, I could only stare at the beauty of her shadowed profile as the heat of her touch rushed over me. “What am I looking for?” I whispered back.

“There.” She leaned into me, resting her head on my shoulder, urging my gaze to follow the direction of her outstretched arm. “I swear it was a speck of snow.”

“Hmmm,” I hummed, tracing my hand over her hair, and relishing the comfort her nearness brought. “Think I might have missed it.”

“No, keep watching.” She cuddled further into me and dropped her hand to join her other, still resting on my leg.

Everything inside me stilled. No more unruly urges. No unsettled nerves. Even my craving for her was somewhat sated, sitting here with her snuggled next to me, engrossed in the inky heavens like nothing else existed.

This feeling was new. This quiet. This calm.

And it scared the shit out of me how badly I wanted to keep it.

We lounged in silence for a while, nothing but the soft plod of the horses’ hooves, their heavy breaths, and the creak of the old carriage. Then the sky seemed to open and soft bits of white floated down from the darkness, landing in wet drops over everything.

“See!” She laughed, sticking her tongue out to catch the falling flakes.

I’d never been so engrossed in such a simple, innocent thing in all my life.

“Finally,” Chapman sighed.

Despite the snow, I was bathed in warmth, not only from the heat of Melina’s body next to mine, but from the pure, uninhibited happiness radiating off her.

She turned her face to mine, the glow of her joyful expression lighting up the night and setting my soul on fire. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

I stared into her eyes. Snow caught in her dark hair. Her cheeks were flushed. Her smile was wide and real. And somewhere between the ice rink and this carriage, between the twinkle lights and the first snowflake, I’d crossed a line I couldn’t come back from.

“Fucking gorgeous.”

Chapter Eleven

Melina

The snow stopped falling just as Chapman pulled the carriage up to the back of the hotel. It seemed like Mother Nature had decided to give us a private sneak preview of the season. But even though the show was over, the magic of the moment stuck with me.

It didn’t hurt that Zane hadn’t taken his eyes off me, either.

He studied me like I was a work of art to be admired. Or maybe more like a five-star meal he wanted to devour. His attention was intoxicating, making me forget about unpaid bills, pushy coworkers, and the potential danger our time together posed to my career.

As the night carried on, I’d slowly unwound from the pressures and stress and had begun wishing it would never end. But it had to end, didn’t it? I wasn’t so naïve as to think this spell we were under could last forever.

It was one date. One night. One heartbreak waiting to happen.

“Hungry?” he asked after I’d thanked Chapman and his horses for the wonderful ride.

“I could definitely eat.”

He linked his fingers with mine and directed me back inside, straight to the open kitchen, which was bustling with activity and bursting with the aroma of something spicy and delicious.

“Hey, Zane’s here,” someone shouted, sending a rippling murmur through the group.

Heat crawled up my neck as the entire kitchen staff turned to greet us. Thankfully, the attention didn’t last—everyone who worked in our famous restaurant took their profession seriously—and while some paused to say hello, no one left their station.

Except one woman.