Free Forged in Ice by Alyssa Rose Ivy Page A

rules.”
    “The rules aren’t ridiculous. Well, some of them are. I’ll give you that. But most are there to protect people.” Ainsley walked around the kitchen as if it were her first time there. Maybe she had expected things to be different.
    “There are better ways to protect people.” Talen hopped up on the counter to sit instead of sitting in a chair. His informality surprised me.
    “Is your car up front or in the garage?” Henry asked.
    “Up front. I wasn’t allowed to use the garage because someone else was storing their car there.”
    “And you know why. You love that car.” Her love of fast cars endeared her to me even more.
    “I do.” Ainsley smiled “Where is this contact of yours, Talen?”
    “Out on one of the islands.”
    “Wait.” I put a hand on the smooth kitchen counter top. “An Arco is living by the beach?”
    Talen shrugged. “It is not as if any of Charleston is truly cold, and he was required to stay within a few hours of the gate.”
    “Still sounds funny to me.” Beach and arctic wolves did not mesh.
    “Lots of things about you seem funny to me, but I don’t voice them.” Talen smirked.
    “I’m going to get packed.” Ainsley headed toward the steps.
    “I can go with you,” I offered immediately. Henry may have searched the house, but that did not mean I would let her go so close to the office that had been ransacked unescorted. “Not that you cannot do it alone, but I would prefer to accompany you.”
    “As long as you admit you are coming because of your own issues.”
    “I will admit whatever I need to.”
    Henry’s laughter followed Ainsley and me up the two flights of stairs to the bedroom she’d been sleeping in before we had left for Energo.
    “And here we are. Back where it all started.” She stopped in the doorway of the bedroom.
    “I scared you that night.”
    “You did.” She turned toward me. “A lot.”
    “Without intending to.”
    “I would hope not.”
    I put my hands on her hips. “But it all turned out well.”
    She laughed.
    “What?”
    “We’re back because there are crazy evil people and zombies. Someone is after us. And it all worked out well?”
    “I mean with us.” I pulled her against me. “It all worked out well with us.”
    “It did.” She wrapped her arms around my neck. “That part is good.”
    “Only good? Last night you were calling me yummy, and today you are telling me we are good? Maybe bringing you back to this world dulls your feelings.” I was only half teasing.
    “It didn’t dull anything.” She pulled my lips to hers.
    I hungrily responded, moving my lips against hers before pushing into her mouth.
    We stumbled into the room. I closed and locked the door behind us before gently pushing her down on the bed. She looked up at me with large eyes. “You really shouldn’t challenge my feelings.”
    I pulled off my shirt. “Or maybe I should.”
    She pulled off her shirt before I lay down next to her. “Do you think this will be dulled in this world?”
    “Sex? Nope. It cannot be.” I ran my fingers over her bare skin. Although there is only one way to find out.”
    “I guess there is.” She pushed off my hand and stood up.
    “Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine.” She reached around to her back and unclasped her bra. As I took in the beauty of her bare chest she stepped out of her jeans. I snapped myself out of my staring enough to remove my own clothing so that by the time she returned to the bed we were both fully undressed.
    “You are perfection.”
    “Not perfection.”
    “You are.” I ran my lips down her neck, resisting the urge to touch every inch of her. I wanted to build anticipation that we often had no time for.
    “Well, you aren’t so bad yourself.” She ran her hand down my chest.
    “I am glad you think so.” My lips slid down to her shoulder.
    “Is this bad?”
    “What?” I paused my lips descent down her body.
    “Doing this with the guys waiting downstairs.”
    “There is food in