Page 25 of Season of the Witch (Toil and Trouble #3)

The snowball fight had spread to the rest of the group after five shots. Within minutes, teams had formed, the men and women dividing and hunkering down wherever there was cover—which meant both had hauled ass to the forest since the field was open war ground.

The snow crunched beneath her as she slunk from tree to tree, heart racing as she listened for any sound other than her own breath and boots. The Christmas music got louder as she neared the field, this song screaming about Santa Claus coming to town.

She’d taken two more steps when a snowball hit the tree she’d been about to pass.

With an involuntary yelp, she darted to the side, sliding on the frost and almost ending up on her ass.

“Surrender,” came Henry’s deep voice, lined with amusement. “And I’ll consider letting you live.”

She scanned the trees. Bastard was invisible, not even a hint of platinum hair shining through the undergrowth. Crouching, she gathered snow into a quick and dirty ball. “In your dreams.”

“Oh, nightly,” he drawled, the sound coming from the right. She stood, facing that way, weapon raised. “My men have already taken your team hostage.”

She squinted. Truth or lie? “I don’t believe you.”

“Look behind you.”

She laughed. “If that’s your best tactic, we’re going to bury you.”

“I mean it.”

Damning her curiosity, Tia kept one eye on the woods and angled her head back enough to see the field. Where a rueful Annaliese and Mina stood between Chrichton and Sawyer. Siddeley was beaming with two snowballs in either hand, more guard puppy than henchman.

“Fuck,” she muttered.

“Give up?”

She snapped back. “Never.”

“Tia, Tia, Tia.” His amusement was rich in the air. It made her snarl. “You need to learn when to give in.”

“Compromise is for the weak.”

“Not always.”

She thought of her begging him to put her first. To choose her. Of him walking away. And thought how ironic it was for him to say that.

“How about this?” he suggested, unaware of the path her mind had taken. “The first to land the next snowball is the winner.”

Oh, he was so confident. It set her teeth on edge and the past melted away, muddied by the present. The present where she was going to beat his ass.

An idea glimmered. She glanced again at the field, calculating. “All right.”

A pause. One that went on so long her nerves shifted into high alert. She kept a wary eye on her surroundings, ready to throw up a barrier if he launched an attack.

Then: “And a side bet.”

She hadn’t had much luck with those.

“If I win,” he said, a dark lilt to the words, “you have to kiss me.”

Her breath stopped. Butterflies exploded into her stomach and she pressed a hand there as she tried to think of what to say.

So many things came to mind but all that came out was, “And if I win?”

His tone became even more wicked. “I have to kiss you.”

She swallowed. “Seems a bit lose-lose to me,” she rasped, fighting for control. Fighting to remember…why she shouldn’t. Except she’d always loved doing things she shouldn’t.

“Then you don’t remember the other night.”

His words were assured, as if he knew how explosive they could be together. Except he didn’t. Only she knew. Remembered.

Craved.

His words came near her ear. “Do we have a deal?”

She didn’t think. She reacted. “Deal.”

She bolted into the portal she’d created, hearing the snowball he unleashed fizz against the sides. His curse made her smile as she closed it behind her.

She emerged next to their forlorn snowman, using it as a shield as she faced the woods. Under her breath, she murmured a seeking spell, sending it to find its target, right as Henry strolled out of the trees.

Her heart thudded harder at the look in his eyes.

When he reached her, he tutted. “Don’t put poor Jack in the middle of this.”

Jack Frost. Cute. “At least now he has a point to his existence.”

“Shh. You’ll hurt his feelings.”

“He’s ugly, Henry.”

“But in a cute way.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re mine.” He lifted his last snowball and threw, aim perfect. Win secured.

He hadn’t counted on Rudy.

Henry’s eyes widened as the dog, called by her spell, leaped with a joyful bark into the middle of the fray.

Tia flung herself out of the way of the excited dog, leaving him to sail past her and directly into the snowman, his weight too much for the sad creation.

It tipped, then toppled, helped along by Tia’s last shove of telekinesis.

Henry didn’t stand a chance.

“Fu—” he swore, the rest buried as he went down in a heap of snow and sheepdog.

Tia collapsed in laughter, a foot away. “I win,” she crowed, pumping the air. Pure delight flowed through her as she repeated the words over and over. None the worse for wear, Rudy moaned in delight, bouncing around and tugging playfully at the scarf lodged in the snow.

“You cheated,” came the muffled response. “Assist by a non-team player.”

“We never said another player couldn’t assist.” Grinning, Tia helped dig Henry out with her gloved hands, sitting back on her haunches as he eased up. He shook his hair, snow flying, the damp strands stuck to his face.

He looked young, young enough to be her Henry. And she felt like her old self as well, full of life, with no thought of what came next.

He grimaced at his wet jeans. “You won,” he agreed. He looked under his lashes at her, those beautifully long, gold-tipped lashes. “Guess I’ll have to kiss you.”

Her belly fluttered. “Guess so.”

More snow drifted off him as he leaned forward.

This close, his scent wrapped around her, snaring her in place.

She barely moved, couldn’t, as he inched closer, closer, until his lips were at her cheek.

He pressed them there, making her heart stop, then slam into a gallop as he slid them up, up, up toward her ear.

“Just a down payment,” he murmured. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold played down her spine. “I’ll settle the debt later.”