Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy - Janice Lynn Page 0,41
knew about his past and looked on with friendliness all the same.
Pity, he corrected himself. That’s what Sophie looked at him with.
The cold apparently had frozen his good sense, though, because he pulled his hand free and shrugged. “If you want to sled again. Now that I know what to expect, I’ll enjoy it more.”
He’d enjoyed it the first time around, except for when Sophie had let go.
“Then what are we waiting for?” She practically bounced. “Let’s get back to the top of the hill.”
Cole turned to grab hold of the sled’s strap so he could pull it over to where the four-wheelers were waiting to haul them up the hill. When he turned back toward Sophie, a snowball hit him square in the chest.
“Gotcha.” She broke into laughter but was smart enough to step back as she did so, widening the distance between them as her eyes danced with pure delight.
Cole prided himself on his quick reflexes, but he’d been distracted. Her snowball had caught him off guard.
Sophie had him off his game in just about every way possible.
“I can’t believe you did that,” he pretended to complain. That Sophie nailed him with a snowball didn’t actually surprise him, really. “You know that automatically puts you on Santa’s naughty list, right?”
He bent to scoop up a handful of snow. A big handful.
Laughing, she took another couple of steps back but didn’t look afraid. Instead, eyes twinkling with mischief, she was very clearly packing together a second snowball behind her back. He’d bet she was planning to nail him again the second he let his guard down. Did she think he didn’t realize?
“Oh, come on, Santa,” she teased. “Leave me on the nice list. You know there’s nothing like a good old-fashioned snowball fight.”
“No?” Cole arched his brow. “That means I have your permission to throw back?”
“If you’re asking my permission, then no, absolutely, not.” Her laughter threatened to spill from her smiling lips. “Don’t you dare throw snowballs back at me, Cole Aaron.”
Then she nailed him again.
While she danced a happy little snow jig in celebration of her successful aim, Cole stood his ground, not moving toward her, just waiting.
“Tell me I can fight back, Sophie.”
She quit dancing around, gathered up another handful of snow and then stared at him in wonder. “Are you seriously not going to throw any snowballs back unless I say you can?”
“That's right.”
“Well, where’s the fun in that for you?” she huffed. “Because if you think I’m going to give you permission to throw snowballs at me, you’re crazy.”
“I see.” Cole tightened his grip on the snowball in his hand. “So you intend to fight dirty?”
Sophie glanced down at the powdery white snow, then gave him a faux innocent look. “Doesn’t look like a dirty fight to me.”
“No?” He took a step toward her.
About six feet separated them. She didn’t move, just waited, tempting him.
“You should run, Sophie.”
Her eyes widened. “Because you’re going to make me face plant in the snow?”
He shook his head and took another step closer. “Tempting, but no.”
“Then why would I run?”
“Because you’re going to give me permission.”
Howling with exaggerated laughter, Sophie slapped her leg. “You must be suffering from brain freeze, because why would I do that?”
“Because you feel guilty.”
“You think I should feel guilty?”
He was a foot away from her now. “Definitely.”
“Too bad, because I don’t.”
Cole kept his gaze locked with hers, kept his voice low, steady as he said, “Give me permission to defend myself, Sophie.”
“I think I’ll pass.” Lips twitching, face full of sunshine despite the cold night air, she met his gaze. “Thanks anyway, though.”
Cole was mesmerized by the sparkle of her eyes, the kissable fullness of her lips. He paused on her mouth and swallowed at the nerves attacking his stomach.
He shouldn’t think about that. Ever.
Sucking in a lungful of cold air, hoping it would shock his brain back into good sense, he directed his focus back to her eyes.
The laughter was gone, replaced by curiosity. Her gaze locked with his, searching for answers to questions he didn’t even want to contemplate. She swallowed, then parted her lips.
“Cole, I—”
“Hey, you two ready to head back up the hill?” Andrew called, breaking the bubble they’d been inside.
Cole’s eyes didn’t shift from hers as he called, “Be right there.”
Sophie’s tongue darted out, moistening her lips, reminding Cole of where his brain had gone, of what he’d almost done.
What he was glad he hadn’t done.
Her rapid breaths could be readily seen between the light of the almost-full