Page 17 of Collision of Winters (Hillcroft Group #4)

The boy was some twenty feet away when he yelled over his shoulder, “I don’t need much of a head start, old-timer!”

I coughed around a chuckle and shook my head. But he did have a point. With my old hip, this wasn’t going to be an easy jog in a DC park.

A couple seconds later, I was off too. I sucked in a breath and fell into an old, familiar mind-set that sharpened my focus.

I saw a target, and I saw the trail that would lead me there.

Everything else became blurry. I catalogued hazards on the way—how easy it would be to slip on a moss-covered rock and how I couldn’t take my next step for granted.

The tundra was a fun but risk-filled playground. The ground was soft in some places, rock hard in others. Smooth and rounded here, sharp and jagged there.

I picked up the pace.

It would be a while before my hip caused me grief, so I wasn’t worried.

He should be worried, though. He’d only get a taste of my preferences, but it would be enough to make him heel and back off. Or at the very least, ask for a nice chat before we played.

As I advanced on him, I heard his heavy breaths and whispered chanting. Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God. He can’t catch me, he can’t catch me. Except, I could. I was gaining on him, not necessarily because I was faster than him, but because he seemed to think making sharp turns would confuse me.

I wasn’t a fucking alligator, and that was a myth anyway.

He gasped and redoubled his efforts, but he was almost within reach. Adrenaline pumped freely in my body, with every breath misting in the cold, wet air.

I jumped over a slippery-looking rock, then sank into the soft moss below, before I pushed myself harder and finally reached him. He choked as I grabbed a fistful of his jacket?—

“No!”

—and hauled him back against me.

Yes.

I strapped my arms over his chest, trapping his arms along his sides, and forced some of my weight on him so he couldn’t fight back as easily.

Caught you.

I gave his neck a big smooch.

Now I had to stop. The lines could quickly become too blurry, and we weren’t ready for a proper takedown.

Loosening my hold took more effort than the quick chase, to be honest.

He spun around and peered up at me, with something wild raging in his eyes.

Those stunning blue eyes.

Goddammit.

I took a step back and drew a breath. “That was fun. I won.”

He turned incredulous. “You think that was it, Sir? Come on, I was totally holding back! I wasn’t sure you’d actually run after me.”

Bullshit. He just wanted more. And fuck, so did I, but this was a slippery slope. I could feel myself too drawn to that darkness in which we’d turn into animals. A place I’d never visited with Kayden.

“I’m not sure any of this is real,” he added as a joke. It sounded like a joke anyway, but perhaps I was wrong. The look in his eyes whispered of a pinch of uncertainty, and that wouldn’t do.

I wanted zero doubts.

I’d show him.

I swallowed and nodded toward the north. “You can find out. Run. We’ll level up a bit.”

Only a bit. Right?

“Yeah?” He lit up and reached out to adjust the pocket zipper on my parka. Too cute. “Whatever level you want, I’m so there.”

Good to know.

He took off once more, quickly picking up speed, and the air around us changed.

Could I keep this playful?

The clouds looked angrier in the direction he was running.

Soon, I ran after.

Kayden stumbled a few times, righting himself quickly, but it was enough for me to advance.

Christ, I could feel my resolve cracking. Playful or not? I could catch him, give him the first kiss he deserved, turn us both breathless, and then we’d go back to the ATV and return to the cabin.

That was what we should do.

“You don’t have the guts to do anything!” he panted over his shoulder.

Now he was the one pushing buttons.

Goading me into something had never worked for my previous partners. It shouldn’t work now either, dammit.

I had self-discipline after all?—

“Fuck.” I almost tripped over a snow-covered rock.

I was still gaining on him, but not as easily as earlier. Maybe he hadn’t been lying. Had he held back?

“I’d make chicken noises if…if I wasn’t so out of breath!” he called.

A low sound emanated from my chest, and I narrowed my eyes.

All traces of humor and playfulness, gone.

He was approximately thirty feet ahead of me when our history disappeared and he became nothing but a target I had to claim.

Adrenaline pumped freely, my heart slammed in my rib cage, and my senses sharpened.

He’d asked me to stop holding back, and I was ready to throw caution to the wind.

Twenty feet.

I pushed myself harder, sprinting between shrubs and rocks.

Fuck everything, right? Being mindful was one thing, but for once in my fucking life, I just wanted to go for it. Not everything had to be discussed beforehand.

I blew out a harsh breath and clenched my jaw.

Ten feet.

For an intoxicating moment, I heard both of us hitting a rhythm—our thudded footfalls, our heavy breaths, the wind, and his breathless whimpers.

Almost there.

“You won’t do anything!” he panted. “You’ll just let me go! Chicken!”

If that wasn’t a plea to get fucked, I didn’t know what was.

I raced into a red haze where control got left behind and primal instincts took over. I was so close; I reached out and brushed my fingertips against his jacket, and he let out a scream and tried to push himself harder. It didn’t work. He was running on fumes and couldn’t control his breathing.

A second later, I got another fistful of his jacket, and this time, I had no plans of letting go.

I pulled him forcefully to me, only to push a leg around his, and then I shoved him forward so he tripped over my leg.

He went down with a cry and a thump, and I followed instantly.

My hands hit the wet moss, and I straddled his ass.

My heart pounded so fast that I started seeing black spots.

“No!” he snarled, struggling fruitlessly against me.

“After begging me like a needy slut to catch you, I think you’d be disappointed if I let you go.”

He sucked in a ragged breath and stopped struggling so much. “Wh-what did you call me?”

I inhaled deeply, got a firm grasp on his wrists, and leaned over him. Thick waves of desire pulsed through me, and I pressed my cock against his ass. Then I was right there, with my lips close to his ear.

“A needy slut.”

Not even the faintest voice in the back of my head yelled at me to stop.

Kayden mewled and tried to look over his shoulder, but I didn’t let him. Instead, I planted a hand at the side of his head and pressed him down into the moss. He screwed his eyes shut, and snowflakes landed on his cheek.

He couldn’t fight me.

I scooted down to his thighs and let my free hand roam his body.

I pushed up his jacket a bit, then gripped the waistband of his snowpants, including the sweats he wore underneath, and I yanked them down.

“Oh my God,” he whimpered.

Fuck me, nobody should have such a sexy little ass. I pulled down his tight briefs too, just enough to expose his bottom, and I stared. “Christ, boy. This needs to be mine.”

He shivered violently, and goose bumps rose across his soft flesh. “ Please .”

Deep breaths.

Wanting to test him, I let go of his head to see if he’d start fighting again—but fucking nothing. He just lay there. My sweet little prey.

I swallowed and scanned our surroundings quickly, seeing nothing but tundra and a fog rolling in that stayed close to the ground.

Part of me couldn’t believe this was happening. The other part had no interest in processing anything. I surged forward, and I took advantage. I touched his perfect ass, and I started undoing my utility pants.

The sound of the zipper made him tense up. “What’re you doing?”

“I’ll give you three guesses.” I pulled out my cock and gave it a couple strokes. Then I leaned over him again and kissed his cheek as I pressed the head of my cock between his ass cheeks.

Mother of fucking Christ.

“This is what you want, isn’t it?” I grazed my teeth along his ear. “You wanted me to chase you down and claim you.”

“Not if you’re gonna back off after,” he gritted out.

I shook my head to myself. “No more backing off, little one.”

He whimpered and pushed against me. “Promise. Cross all the lines with me.”

I couldn’t look away from his ass and the way he tried to get closer to me. He wasn’t afraid to go the distance; he was only worried that I was going to stop.

I drew in a breath and gripped his hips, immediately pulling him back on all fours, and I knew what was missing. I’d clouded my own senses with all this thinking that I hadn’t taken the time to feel properly.

With a fistful of his hair in my grip, I made him look at me over his shoulder. I met his fierce gaze, and I saw both trepidation and bravery. He was nervous but knew when to speak up for himself.

My sweet, short-fused little Kayden. How I fucking adored him.

I leaned over and covered his mouth with mine, and I kissed him firmly as heat and passion roared within me, battling against the snow falling.

“We’ll cross every single line together.” I deepened the kiss when he gasped, and I got to taste him again. I swept my tongue around his, and he moaned and shimmied his little bottom against my cock.

“Do we have anything to worry about?” I murmured.

He swallowed and shook his head. “Just hypothermia. You know I’m always safe.”

Good. There was a nice hot bath waiting for us later.

“I think you’ll live.” I brushed my lips to his once more, coaxing him into a slow, tongue-teasing kiss.

“But it’s also nice to have sex in a warm bed,” he mumbled.

I hummed. “I’m not aiming for nice.”

He inched back, and his eyes flashed with the same internal storm I’d battled all day.

It was time to see how much of a CNC-loving masochist he was.

“Coat me with spit—unless you want me to fuck you dry,” I commanded quietly.