A Summer With Snow (Frosted Seasons #1) by Hallie Swanson Page A

boyfriends?” I enquire as I stroke the curve of her waist and on down her leg.
    Every time my eyes meet hers, I watch her look away. I can’t understand why she’s trying to avoid me while we lie here so close.
    “I’m sorry, Snow, I think I’ve had too much to drink. Please leave, go downstairs and sleep on the sofa, or in your old room if you like.”
    My hand falls from her leg and onto the quilt as she sits up, leaving me with only her back to admire. She readjusts her top, straightening her straps so they rest in straight lines over her shoulders. Her hands bury themselves into the quilt. I reach for her fingers, but it’s as if my touch shocks her as she jerks away.
    Again I ask her, “What’s wrong?”
    “There weren’t any, okay…”
    I frown again as a pause falls between us. Her head seems to lean on one side as she tilts her face, enabling me to see her through the shadows.
    “There never was anyone else; I never brought a boy home. Yeah, I had an occasional boyfriend, but as for that , it never happened.”
    “So you’re telling me you’ve never been down on anyone?”
    She doesn’t answer, but shakes her head.
    “The funeral…”
    “Yes,” she butts in, “I haven’t forgotten.”
    “So…” But she doesn’t allow me to finish my sentence.
    “Yes, Snow, it was my first time, I was a virgin.”
    Oh shit. I’ve never fucked a virgin before. This woman never fails to surprise me. It’s not very often that I’m lost for words, but as I look at her I feel almost humbled by her innocence, while at the same time entranced by her perfection. I can’t believe at twenty-two I’m all she’s ever known.
    “My first time, my dreams, you shattered them all by throwing money at me like I was no more than a common hooker.”
    I crawl down the bed and sit at her side.
    “You got me wrong; the ten thousand pounds was to cover the funeral costs.”
    “Ten thousand?” she blurts out.
    “Yes, ten thousand. There was a note explaining everything I wanted you to do with the money. Didn’t you open the envelope? Didn’t you read it?”
    She shakes her head. “Why would I after the things you said?”
    “Do you really think I meant it?”
    She offers me no reply.
    “I got the little sister thing stuck in my head and panicked. Us together didn’t sit right, it felt like I’d taken advantage.”
    “It was me that asked you to make love to me, so how was that taking advantage?”
    Not knowing what to do with my hands, I scratch the back of my neck.
    “I think between us we’re doing a good job of fucking this up.”
    “There is no this, no us… All you want to do is fuck, but it’s unfortunate, Snow, that I’m not that kind of girl.”
    “It wouldn’t be that way with us; you need to relax, let me show you.”
    I reach my hand across her chest and place my thumb and forefinger on her chin. Slowly I turn her head towards me.
    “You don’t know what you’re missing out on. Sex can be so much fun, especially when you’re with someone who knows what they’re doing. Fulfilment between two people is like a rollercoaster ride; it’s fast, all-consuming, then it’s over.”
    Although she is looking at me, her face is like a blank page and she sits in silence. If shaking her would make her understand, I would take her between my hands and do just that.
    “Darcy, if sex makes you feel that awkward, then for one night pretend you’re not you. You’re an actress playing a role, and I am your lover. Sometimes pretence makes life so much more fun. Maybe one day you’ll let me show you.”
    “But, Snow, that’s not me, I can’t pretend; I can’t be what I’m not and I can’t be what you want me to be.”
    My mind works overtime as I try to work out what she wants to hear. I let the tone of my voice soften, and also my touch on her chin.
    “Tell me honestly that you didn’t enjoy it when I made love to you.”
    She doesn’t shake her head, so I assume she did. I opt for a slightly