“I am not goo, thank you very much,” I reply, then immediately slip on a patch of ice. Hunter catches me with a chuckle, and tucks me into his side.
“Sure, Kitty Kat. Sure.”
An hour or so later, we’re in a half-empty parking lot at the top of Mount Washington, strapping our boots into snowshoes. It’s a perfect winter day, the skies are clear, the snow is sparkling, and it’s crisp, but without any cold wind.
Hand in hand, we take off down a trail, just barely wide enough for two people. Hunter has to forge his own path sometimes, but it’s worth it. His smile is back, blindingly wide, and the energy between us is full of happiness.
When we reach the lookout where a bench has been recently cleared of snow, we take off our snowshoes and sit down close enough our thighs are touching. I shiver slightly as a cold wind passes through, and Hunter wraps his arm around my shoulder and tugs me in even closer. My eyes fall shut and I breathe in the moment.
“What made you ask me to the gala?”
My eyes pop open as heat floods my cheeks at his seemingly out of nowhere question. But I suppose he’s allowed to wonder. We did go a long time securely in the just-barely-friends-more-like-acquaintances zone.
“Every year, between my friend Lily and my mom, I watch alotof cheesy Christmas movies,” I begin. “Hollie Berry, she’s the actress in many of them, and she did this interview —“
“Claim your coal?” Hunter interrupts, his voice filled with laughter.
“Yeah,” I say slowly, not understanding how he knows, unless he read the article, too?
“Oh, Kitty Kat. This is too fucking perfect.” He’s laughing out loud now, his head thrown back.
“What is?” I reply archly.
He looks at me, a wide grin on his face, his eyes sparkling with mischief and delight. “She’s the reason I had the balls to ask you on a date, too. I know her whole thing was meant for women, but I read the article, and thought about you asking me to the gala, and just decidedfuck it. I wanted to take you on a real date, not just be your arm candy at a party. So I claimed my own goddamn coal and asked you out.”
My mouth falls open for a second before I start giggling, also. “That’s, wow.”
“I know, right?” Hunter chuckles. Reaching into his backpack, he pulls out a thermos and two mugs. “What do you say we raise a cup of hot chocolate to Hollie and her message for finally giving us both the courage to act on our feelings.”
“Sounds perfect,” I murmur, taking the mug when he hands it to me. Somehow, I think I just fell for him even more. His nervousness is endearing and makes it all the more special to me that we’re here right now.
“You know, her message was all about women’s self-empowerment when it comes to sex,” I say casually, eyeing Hunter over the top of my mug.
He narrows his eyes, his lips tipping up in a smirk. “Yeah, I’m all for that.”
“What, women’s self-empowerment?” I ask innocently, tugging my lower lip between my teeth.
“That. And the other thing.”
“What other thing?”
The only warning I get is a low growl before Hunter lunges at me, knocking my mug out of the way and tackling me down to the snowy ground. I let out a shriek as he somehow manages to make it so we land with him underneath me, his hands going straight to my ass, pulling me tight against him.
“You know what other thing, Kitty Kat. And if I wasn’t worried about freezing certain body parts, I’d show you.”
I drop my head down, closing the small gap between us, and nip at his lip before kissing him. “Then tell me why, exactly, we’re lying in the cold snowtalkingabout sex when we could be on our way home now tohavesex?”
Hunter pushes me off him, bouncing up to his feet and dragging me up to stand. “Hurry up, woman,” he complains as I stand there giggling at him frantically shoving things into his backpack. He looks over at me with a mock glower. “Get that beautiful ass down the mountain, Kitty Kat, or it won’t matter how cold the snow is.”
Chapter 8
Hunter
I won’t lie and say I didn’t break some speed limits getting us home, but I still drove carefully, mindful of my precious cargo in the passenger seat.
Part of me can’t believe this is happening. Kat wanting to have sex with me. But a deeper, darker, more primal side of me is slowly taking over, telling me to claim her, show her she’s mine, and never let her go. Because I’ve never been with someone who makes me feel so good. Like I could maybe do anything, like I’m not thenever going to amount to anything importantman I’ve believed I was for so long.
As soon as my car is parked in Kat’s driveway, I’m out and striding around to her door, yanking it open so hard it almost bounces back on me. “Let’s go, Kitty Kat,” I say gruffly, reaching my hand in and taking hers. Leaving all our bags, jackets, and snowshoes in the trunk, we walk as quickly as possible up to her front door. When she starts to fumble with her key, I hold my hand out silently. She passes it to me and somehow I manage to get the door open.