Meeting his gaze, I search for the catch. The angle. Thegamehe’s obviously playing.
“Why do you care?” I try to give him an attitude to mask the wild beating of my heart that’s making me want to spring into tears.
A car zooms past, startling me, and I gasp. Miller takes another step closer, positioning himself between me and the road.
“I don’t know. But I do,” he says with a husky voice, his eyes dipping to my mouth. Without thinking, I lick my lips.
“You shouldn’t. Go back to your family, Miller.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
He takes another step closer until we’re toe to toe. Inside of my chest, my heart hammers so violently, I’m convinced he can hear it.
Reaching his hand up, he tangles it in my hair, cupping the base of my head. “I’m exactly where I want to be.” The air grows thick around us, hard to breathe, despite being outside. Then, the world stands still when he asks, “Can I kiss you?”
Inhaling, words swirl through my mind, but nothing forms as a response. I forget how to speak, all sense of the English language gone out the window.
His other hand floats up to the side of my cheek, his knuckles brushing against my skin. “Elizabeth, can I kiss you?” he repeats, his voice as strangled as my heart feels.
My brain is screamingyes, but instead of a three letter, single syllable word, I somehow end up saying, “Why would you want to kiss me?”
“Why do you ask so many questions?” He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip, and a rush of arousal flashes through me, warming my core. “This time, give me an answer. Yes or no?”
“Yes.”
There’s a moment before every kiss where a woman’s heart seems to do acrobatics in her chest, flip-flopping with excitement as the anticipation builds right before it happens. Right now is no different. The way Miller looks at me sends my heart ice-skating around my chest. His smile sends shockwaves through my system in little bouts of tingles radiating through each nerve.
I want to pull him close and push him away.
Then his lips are on mine.
The kiss starts slow at first, the warmth of his skin penetrates the coldness of mine, and I feel him smile against me before his lips begin to move, coaxing my mouth to open and allow him access.
Naturally, my arms lift to wrap around his neck, and he takes that opportunity to pull me closer, moving one arm around my waist while the other stays firmly in my hair.
Melting in his arms, I let him take full control as our tongues meet, but the moment they do, he pulls away.
His eyes have darkened, yet still sparkle as he slowly releases me. “Well, damn.”
I want more—I want his mouth on mine again.
But then another car speeds by and reminds me we’re literally standing on the side of the road.
Stupidly, I breathe, “So now that you’ve gotten your kiss, are you going back home?”
Why must you open your mouth, Zee?
Miller laughs and kisses my forehead. “Not a chance, Snow Angel. Come on, get back in the car and let’s get you warm again.”
Funny, I don’t feel cold anymore.
“Okay,” I agree pliantly, letting him steer me back to my driver's side door. “Then what?”
Wow, how did one kiss render me completely stupid?
“Then you’ll give me your address in case we get separated, and I’ll follow you home for Christmas.”
