Free Loving Her Crazy by Kira Archer Page A

question.
    “No,” she answered softly. “No boyfriend.”
    Ah. He could see what she meant. The pain still showed. It was there in her eyes, in the small crease that formed on her forehead, in the rigid way she held her body. A gaping wound that hadn’t healed yet.
    He suddenly wished that he could help fill whatever hole the asshole who’d hurt her had left behind. Not fill it. Overwhelm it. Obliterate it. Make it so she didn’t even remember the miserable bastard’s name. So that look would never cross her face again.
    And maybe she can do the same for me , some small part of his mind whispered.
    He stepped around their snowman and pulled her into his arms, brushing a wet velvet fingertip across her cheek. She shivered but leaned into his touch all the same.
    He tilted her face up to meet his, their frozen lips moving together until the heat they generated not only warmed their lips but the rest of them as well. He pulled away far sooner than he wanted, but he could feel her shivering in his arms.
    “We should probably get out of all this snow,” he said.
    She glanced behind him at their half-built snowman. “And leave poor Clarence unfinished?”
    “Clarence, eh?”
    She twirled away from him and slapped enough snow on top to make a small head. Nash helped shape it and they stood back to survey their handwork.
    “Wait,” he said, taking off the yellow sailor scarf. He wrapped it around Clarence’s neck.
    “He needs a face,” Iris said. “ Ooo , hang on.” She trotted over to where they’d dumped their luggage and rummaged through the Sloane Ranger for a second, coming up with a small bag.
    She extracted a makeup brush and shoved it into the snow head to make a nose and then popped two pieces of gum in her mouth. The wrappers she wadded up to make beady little snowman eyes, and after a second of chewing she took the fluorescent green gum from her mouth and stretched it into a grin that she plastered on Clarence.
    “Kinda gross, but it works,” she said, nodding at her masterpiece.
    Nash pulled out his phone, turned her around, wrapped his arm around her, and held his phone up in the air. “Selfie?”

Chapter Seven
    “Oh my God,” Iris said, laughing. She could not believe he’d just said that. “Welcome to the dark side.”
    “Shut up and smile,” he said.
    She cuddled up to him and smiled as best she could through her frozen lips.
    “Folks, the park is closing soon. Might want to wrap things up here.”
    They straightened, and Nash nodded at the officer who was watching them with a slight frown. He probably couldn’t decide if they were vagrants who needed help or just idiot tourists. He must have figured idiot tourists because after making sure they would be on their way, he left them alone.
    “He must think we’re nuts,” Nash said, gathering up Clyde and the Sloane Ranger.
    “We are,” Iris said, though her teeth were chattering so hard she could barely talk. Nash’s weren’t quite that bad yet, but his lips were an interesting shade of purple.
    “You know,” he said, pulling her into his arms so he could rub his hands down her arms and back. “While it is incredibly gorgeous out here in the moonlight, I think we stand a really good chance of freezing to death if we stay out here too much longer.”
    Iris tried to nod but it probably just looked like she was having some sort of spasm. “Agreed,” she said.
    “Let’s see if we can get a cab and find someplace warm to go.”
    She gritted her teeth so she could smile without biting her tongue. “Best idea ever.”
    They trudged back through the park, past the massive silver bean that still reflected the snow from its shiny surface, past the now empty ice skating rink, and finally to the road where they hailed a cab. This time Nash shoved the luggage in first and then bundled Iris into the backseat before sliding in after her. As soon as the door closed he pulled her into his arms again, and she settled against him with a sigh,