AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We slid down the hill until lunch time. The last time, Aiden turned us so we flipped into the snow, and he landed on top of me. His legs came to rest on either side of my hips, and his gloved hands cupped my face. He lowered his lips to mine, and we kissed until our lips were swollen and our cheeks chapped from the wind and cold.
Then he stood with a grin, holding his hand out to me. I put my hand in his, and he lifted me to my feet. He dragged the sled behind him as we made our way back up the hill. It was the most perfect day.
Inside we took off our gear and let it drape across any available surface to dry. Then Aiden made subs filled with meat, veggies, and cheese. He poured lemonade from the pitcher.
“We should have made hot chocolate.”
“I’ll do that tonight.”
Aiden was committed to making this day nice for both of us, and I was having too good of a time to let any anxieties creep to the surface.
After lunch, he went outside to plow the road, and I went to my room for a nap. A few hours later, my bed dipped. “You always leave your room unlocked?”
I stretched as I considered him. His cheeks were red from the cold, his hands icicles through the thin material of my leggings. “Only when we’re snowed in and no one else is at the inn.”
He kissed me again softly. Every time he did, it felt good. It was like he knew our time was limited and he wanted to touch and kiss me as much as possible.
When he pulled back, he said, “Are you ready for that snowmobile ride?”
“Absolutely.”
We got into our now-dry gear and went outside. Aiden had brought the snowmobile around the house from the garage and parked it in front of the porch. He handed me a helmet and made sure it was buckled correctly before donning his.
Aiden got on, and I slid on behind him. He revved the engine, and then we glided over the snow, through a space in the trees, and into the woods that separated the Matthews’ property from the Monroes’.
We didn’t travel far before he pulled up to a pond. It was partially frozen, but I could see the lights twinkling underneath.
Aiden turned off the engine, and I got off.
“This is beautiful.” I’d never seen anything like it.
We rested our helmets on the seat of the snowmobile and moved closer to the edge of the water. Aiden pulled me back so that I was resting against his chest. There were several layers of clothes between us, but I enjoyed the feel of his arms tightening around me and his chin resting on my shoulder.
Aiden pointed out the ornament shapes underneath the water. “Talon studied how the engineers did this at a garden estate in Pennsylvania. Then his brothers helped make it a reality.”
“It’s amazing. Do they allow people to come and see it?”
“It’s a bit separated from the other light display, so they haven’t yet. Or at least I don’t think so. Talon keeps this one a bit of a secret.”
“I think it’s amazing.” And it should be shared, but I knew the Monroes didn’t enjoy being open to the public. They enjoyed the off-season and their privacy, and they’d only grudgingly accepted Marley’s new marketing plan that offered year-round events to increase revenue. Maybe this was something Talon had made just for his family to experience.
We stood there for a few minutes and then walked around the permitter of the pond. It felt good to be outside in the cool air with nothing but the occasional snap of a twig or the clump of snow falling from a high branch. We didn’t have anything to do or anywhere to be. And I was fairly positive the Monroes wouldn’t be bothering us today.
So when snow flew into my shoulder, I was shocked. “Are you throwing snowballs?” I asked him, just as he flashed me a grin and ducked behind a tree.
I shrieked as I ran for cover and quickly began building an arsenal. Occasionally, a snowball flew by, but I didn’t engage until I had a stack. Then I let them fly. He occasionally returned fire but nothing like I was. I pelted snowball after snowball toward his tree.
Feeling bold, I stood to deliver the last few balls. I was momentarily stunned when Aiden came out from behind the tree and barreled in my direction. I ran but it was too late, and Aiden landed on top of me. He quickly rolled me so that I was underneath him and he was straddling my hips.
This was nothing like before when we were sledding. Aiden’s eyes danced with mischief, and my body hummed with adrenaline.
He grabbed my wrists and held them above my head in the snow. “You’re a force.”
I laughed. “You couldn’t handle my return fire?”
“I can handle you all right.” He lowered his head and kissed me until I forgot we were at war.
Instead of planning my escape, I was distracted by the warmth of my body despite the snow underneath me and the cool air.
