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Ten minutes later, we walk across the garden at the back of the chalet. Or rather, Christian walks ahead, and I half-run to keep up with him. Of course, the asshole doesn’t realize that my legs are much shorter than his, so I have to literally jog to keep up with him. Not that it would make a difference, even if he did comprehend it. He’d probably purposely walk fast so that I’d have to struggle to keep up. The wind blows again, and I shiver. I stab my hands into the pockets of my jacket and draw abreast with him. "Where are we going?"
"Searching for something that fits the description of the damn clue."
"But where would we look?"
"Where would we not look?" He gestures to the area around us, "Under the bushes? Behind tree trunks? No wait, maybe it’s hidden somewhere up in the branches of one of these ancient fir trees?"
I follow his gaze to the tall trees that crowd the slope ahead of us.
"You really don’t have a clue, do you?" I scowl.
"Do you?" he retorts.
"Nope," I heave out a sigh. "Surely, it can’t be that difficult?"
He laughs. "Nonna came up with the clues; don’t expect it to be a cakewalk."
"Not that I am underestimating her or anything, but this is a Christmas scavenger hunt. Surely, she would want us to solve the clues and find the objects that we are seeking and bring them back?"
"Doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy." He begins to walk through the dense trees, and I follow.
A soft, powder-like substance drifts down in front of my eyes. "Oh…" I hold out my palm, then glance up to find snowflakes floating down. "Oh, wow, it’s snowing." I pause, take in the sight, then because I can’t stop myself, I open my mouth, pop out my tongue, and try to catch a flake.
A couple of them hit my lips, and I lick them off. I glance up to find him staring at me. The look in his eyes… It’s hot and yearning, and yet also, strangely, shut off. Like he wants me, knows that I know that he wants me, and is not happy about it.
"Why do you dislike me?" I burst out.
He frowns. "Don’t be ridiculous."
"I’m not being ridiculous." I march up to him and thrust a finger in his chest. "Since the first time you saw me, you… You’ve had this thing for me. It’s like you can’t stop noticing me, and you hate yourself for doing it. Like you want to throw me down and fuck me, but you’re afraid that you’ll enjoy it so much that you’ll never walk away from me."
"Is that what you think?"
"It’s what I know." I tip up my chin. "It’s why you saved me from your brother’s anger. Knowing that I’d be fully dependent on you. That you’d own me and be able to command me to do whatever you want, but you know what?"
"What?"
"I’m not the kind who gives in that easily." Turning, I race through the trees and up the slope.
21
Christian
"What the hell? Where are you going?" I call out after her, "Stop, Aurora."
She hightails it up the slope and through the trees. I take off after her just as the snow begins to come down in earnest. I swipe at the flakes that cling to my cheeks, blink away those that cling to my eyelashes. For someone who struggled to keep up with me, she’s definitely hot-footing it. I increase my speed and begin to gain on her; that’s when she disappears behind a particularly thick wall of shrubs."Cazzo!"I push through the bushes and burst into a clearing. I race forward, my steps sinking into the snow. My foot slips on ice, and I manage to right myself. I slow down, and ahead of me, Aurora, too, loses speed. She continues to walk forward, putting distance between us.
"Where the hell do you think you’re going?" I yell. "I won’t stop until I get my hands on you, and when I do, I promise, I’m going to spank your ass so hard that you won’t be able to sit down for days."
She holds up her middle finger, and I can’t stop the chuckle that bursts from my mouth.
"If you think you can scare me, think again, asshole," she throws at me over her shoulder. "I don’t answer to anyone, and certainly not you."
"The ring on your hand says otherwise."
"This one?" She half angles her body, so I have a clear view of her pulling my ring off of her finger.
Anger threads through my veins.
