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“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 moon and artificial lights from cars and four-wheelers.

“I didn’t believe you, but you’re right,” she said.

His brow lifted as he waited for her to tell him what he was right about.

“I also can’t believe I’m doing this, but…” She gave him a nervous look, her eyes big, her lower lip disappearing between her teeth.

“But?” he prompted, barely managing to stop himself from reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair back into her toboggan hat. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and her nose matched. But her eyes were warm and threatened to thaw everything deep inside him.

“But…” She sucked in a deep breath, looked torn, then lifted her chin as if gathering her courage. “Because you’re Santa Cole and I want back on the nice list…I’m giving you permission.”

As soon as her words registered, so did the snowball she lobbed toward him that smacked into his right shoulder.

“Gotcha!” Laughing, she broke into a run toward where Andrew waited with the four-wheeler.

“Start your engine,” she yelled to his friend. “Hurry. Hurry. Get me out of here. Quick.”

“Don’t involve me in this,” Andrew answered, sounding amused.

Shaking his head and not even trying to contain his laughter, Cole hit her mid-back with the first of his snowballs. He hadn’t thrown very hard as he didn’t want to hurt her, but the snowball had been big enough to have a sizeable impact.

Still on the move, she scooped up snow and tossed it behind her. It fell in more of a shower spray than a ball.

“He’s gaining on you,” Andrew warned just as Cole grabbed her waist and spun her toward him.

Laughing, Sophie stared up at him. “Uh-oh. I’m in for it now.”

He pulled her to him. “I didn’t know you could predict the future.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”

“Are you sorry?”

She gave a faux-innocent look, then shook her head and attempted to kick snow at him. “Not in the least.”

Cole couldn’t suppress the laughter that broke free from his chest. “Then you understand and forgive what I’m about to do?”

She twisted her mouth, considering. “I didn’t say that.”