Read Online Breaking the Ice by T. Torrest - Free Book Online

first night I ever let myself flirt back . I don’t think he knew how to take it.
       He tried to go back to joking, tried to bring things back down to friend level. “We should get you some water.”
       I was definitely not drunk. Tipsy, but not full-on, head-in-the-toilet, falling-over drunk. At least not on alcohol. I’d become high on the idea of getting him alone, and I was suddenly hellbent on doing everything in my power to make it happen. “We should get out of here.”
       That threw him. He scanned my face, trying to see if I was putting him on, but I didn’t waver, didn’t even crack a smile. I knew he could tell I was one hundred percent serious. I could tell he was fighting it. He wanted to believe me… and was scared shitless about it.
       I loved every second of confusion on his face.
       Finally, tentatively, he raised a palm to my jaw. His fingers brushed under the hair at my nape; his thumb feathered against my lips. I almost fainted, I swear to God. But I knew he was testing me, seeing just how far I was willing to take this little joke.
       When he could see that I wasn’t going to break, his grip tightened as his teeth clenched, and like some sort of holiday miracle, he hissed, “Screw it. Let’s go.”
       Yippee!
       Prince’s “1999” was playing for the third time that night as Zac walked me out the door. It had to only be a few minutes until midnight, but I couldn’t care less. I came out for the evening to hang with my friends, but I’d suddenly found a much better way to ring in the New Year.
       We got to my car and I fumbled with the keys. I was kind of in shock that this was actually happening, and my shaking hands were so obvious that it was embarrassing. Zac’s hand closed over mine, and when I looked up, he was wearing that adorable lopsided grin. His eyes met mine as he slid a palm behind my neck and into the back of my hair. We stood there like that for a moment, my stomach threatening to explode, Zac giving me one final chance to change my mind. As if I would.
       He waited for just one extra beat before backing me against my car and lowering his lips to mine.
      Holyshitholyshitholyshit!
       My heart started beating like crazy, but my arms managed to wrap around his shoulders. Thank God, because my body was about to crumple into a useless heap right there in the parking lot.
       He broke away for a moment, looking at me in what I can only describe as amused shock .
       “ Jesus, Ave ,” he whispered, stunned but pleased, before pressing his mouth to mine once more.
       Oh God. Kissing him was the sweetest thing in the world. He tasted like candy and sunshine and Johnny Walker Blue. He smelled like winter chill and peppermint. He felt like… Heaven.
       He pulled me tightly against his length as his lips moved tenderly across my own. I knotted my hands in the back of his hair and opened my mouth, pressing myself against him as his hands slid down to my ass, pushing me against the car again, his mouth devouring mine, his hips grinding against me.
       My breath was coming out in an unsteady gasp; my heart was pounding against my ribcage. The feel of his firm lips against mine and his insistent hips and his possessive hands… Whoa. I mean, just, full-on, mind-numbing whoa .
       He took half a step back, wearing that stunned look on his face again which was quickly becoming my new favorite expression. “I tried,” he said, lowering his head and giving it a good shake. His eyes raised to meet mine as he added, “I really did try to stay away from you.”
       A warmth spread throughout my entire body at his words, warding off the winter cold. He’d been… trying to stay away from me? He wanted this as much as I did?
       I found that completely too good to be true. My brain simply wouldn’t allow me to believe there was any way he was as into this as me.
       But still, his admission gave me the confidence to accept that this was