Almost a Family

He braced a hand on each side of her head, dropped his gaze to her mouth and followed with his lips.

They were cold in contrast to the warmth of her mouth, and he poured everything into that punishing kiss—his anger, his hurt, his confusion over what was happening between them now. Her hand rested on his left thigh as he pressed more weight into her, feeling all the pressure points where their bodies connected. This couldn’t go anywhere, it couldn’t. He had to stop it, now. They’d only get hurt again, the voice of reason intruded. But his heart spoke louder, and for once, he listened. He took the kiss deeper, darker.

Molly had known by the look in Jason’s eyes what was coming, but she hadn’t been prepared by the force, the passion, the anger that poured from him into her. She didn’t know what was happening to her lately, only that they kept hurting each other without even intending to. She rested her hand on his thigh, desperately trying to keep up with him as his body pinned her to the hard, snowy ground and his mouth translated his frustration.

Seconds ticked by and his lips gentled, prodding instead of punishing, deep, soul-searing contact that spoke to her more clearly than his words ever could. He didn’t hate her. He cared. Cared more than she wanted to admit to herself. Not only cared…but had probably never stopped. All that was said, and more, as they kissed in the icy snow.

She gently pushed against his shoulder and their mouths parted a few inches, their breath creating frosty clouds, a white nimbus around their faces.

In another week, she’d be returning to her life as a corporate lawyer. They still didn’t have a future, but they did have a past to finish.

Molly turned her head to the side and saw Sara standing watching them, her lips formed in a perfect ‘O’. One hand held the rope to the toboggan, the other outstretched, pointing towards them.

“You kissed Aunt Molly,” she whispered.

Molly’s face heated. Goodness, she’d completely forgotten about Sara standing there, and what a show they’d put on, making out in the snow. Certainly not something appropriate for a three-year-old!

Her gaze shifted to Jason and he was blushing as furiously as she was sure she was. He pushed back, swung his leg over Molly so he was kneeling beside her.

“Well now, I guess I did.” His self-deprecating laugh rippled over the freezing air. “You guys gave me quite a scare.”

“Molly and Jason sitting in a tree,” Sara began the chant, her eyes alight with impish glee. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes…”

“Where did you ever learn that?” Molly demanded, scrambling to a seated position, stopping the song before Sara got any further.

“In day care,” Sara explained nonchalantly. “Cody kissed Katie and Brianna taught it to me.”

Jason cleared his throat while Molly fought to keep a straight face. “Honey, Jason and I have known each other a long time. He was worried we were hurt, that’s all.”

Sara hopped around, obviously enjoying the moment. “When you get a boo-boo, you get a Band-Aid,” she explained.

“And a kiss better, right?” Jason lunged forward and scooped the pink bundle into his lap. “You hurt anywhere, muffin?”

“Maybe here.” She lifted an elbow, which Jason dutifully kissed.

“And here.” She touched her nose, and Molly choked out a laugh as the tot fairly simpered.

“You’re a flirt,” Jason confirmed, but kissed the tip of her nose anyway. “Let’s get this sled up the hill. What do you say?”

“Okay. I’m ridin’.”

They stayed another half hour for Sara’s sake, but there was less laughter and more tension between them as they went up and down the hill. Molly couldn’t escape the ramifications of the kiss, the feel of his stubble against her cheek or the way she’d been able to read his feelings. They’d always been like that, understanding each other without words, and Molly wasn’t prepared to deal with what Jason had said to her today. They both kept saying they were over, but she knew that was a lie. She had to put some distance between them until she could figure out what to do. The fact that there was anything to figure fazed her more than anything else.

Finally, Jason called it quits. He sat wearily on the snow. “Last one, kiddo. My poor legs can’t haul you up anymore.”

They piled on the sled, one behind the other, and Jason pushed them off. At the bottom, Molly felt him rest his forehead against her knitted hat, his breath warming the back of neck as he sighed heavily, just for a moment. Then he untangled his legs from hers and lifted the toboggan to carry it to the truck.

She met his eyes as she took Sara’s mittened hand.

“We need to talk,” he murmured low enough so only she could hear.

Talk? She couldn’t make sense of her own feelings, let alone his. The only thing she could do was pretend she hadn’t heard him.

Chapter Seven

They went back to Jason’s house f

or hot chocolate, at Sara’s request.