Page 43 of Always: A Legacy Novel

No, nice.

Cross only ever called her pretty.

His hand found hers. Their fingers wove tightly together. When she shivered, Cross brought her closer and hugged an arm around her neck, letting her hide her face under his chin.

“It’s too cold to be out here. Let’s go back in.”

“In a second,” Catherine mumbled against his tux jacket. “I know I already told you, but thanks for coming with me. I know it’s not your thing.”

“Anything you want to do is my thing. You should know that by now, Catherine.”

Well, she was learning.

“Yeah, but why?”

Cross shrugged. “I told you a while back—I’m yours.”

She still wasn’t sure what that meant, though.

Was it late night phone calls and text messages first thing in the morning?

Was it skipping classes or him waiting by her locker?

Was it everything?

Or nothing at all?

Catherine didn’t know.

But she liked it.

She shivered again.

“Okay, that’s enough, back inside,” Cross said.

Catherine tipped her head back and sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”

The heavy snowflakes continued to fall, blurring the sky and getting caught in Cross’s black hair. Even with heels on, she still managed to be shorter than him. That never seemed to matter to him.

Cross bent down and kissed Catherine without warning; his hands found her waist and squeezed tight. Sometimes his kiss was soft and sweet, but most times, like then, it was hard and fast. Like he couldn’t wait to get his mouth on hers and feel her kiss again. She loved that—loved how it made her stomach clench and her chest get tight, loved the strange heat that rushed through her blood when his tongue struck out at the seam of her lips, wanting more, but waiting for her to give it. She was not used to those feelings. She didn’t know how to handle the way it all crashed together, but she just let it crash.

Like making waves.

Yeah, she loved all of that.

“Catherine Marcello and Cross Donati, separate and get back inside the hall, right now!”

The supervising teacher’s yell didn’t bother Cross at all. He didn’t move an inch away from Catherine, and in fact, his one hand tightened on her waist to keep her from going anywhere.

No, he didn’t move, except his other arm.

Catherine saw him lift his arm, and his middle finger flipped up. The snowflakes continued to fall, and he kept kissing her.

Because that was Cross.

He did what he wanted.

Screw the rest.