Chapter 512
Chapter 512
The string lights on the deck swayed in the sea breeze, and the cluster of stars in the northern sky shimmered overhead.
Chris cupped the back of Winter’s head and lowered his head to kiss her. His lips moved from the corner of her mouth to her lips.
But just as he was about to deepen the kiss, he stopped.
He didn’t pull away.
He only let out a quiet sigh, helpless against her lack of response.
She didn’t resist him.
But he knew that not resisting wasn’t the same as accepting.
The bridge of Chris’s nose brushed against the tip of Winter’s, their faces close enough that they looked like lovers reluctant to part.
He said nothing more.
He only held her waist and let himself linger in this moment.
The wind swept her long hair against the side of his neck, and it slid over his collarbone with a faint, familiar scent.
Almost instinctively, Chris reached out, as if he could hold on to that fleeting trace of her.
But the wind was too strong.
His fingers closed around empty air.
He couldn’t hold on to even that fleeting trace of her.
And for once, the man who had always prided himself on control lost it. He pulled Winter tightly into his arms and held on as if letting go would make her disappear.
He pressed her face against the side of his neck.
As if he were holding a treasure he had lost and somehow found again.
When emotion overwhelmed him and he wanted to kiss her again, Winter turned her head and avoided him.
Chris didn’t chase after her.
“The truth-or-dare game we played last time never ended,” he said. “Let’s finish it tonight p>
When Winter came onto the deck earlier, she hadn’t noticed the crate of alcohol placed off to the side.
Chris set several bottles on the table. The soft glow from the string lights fell over the pale yellow glass, casting warm patches of color across the tabletop.
Winter quietly looked at the light.
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Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chris take out a food container.
Inside was a plate of roasted peanuts.
She suddenly thought of the peanuts she had eaten last time on the terrace of the island villa.
They were probably the same as the ones from years ago.
Chris had made them himself.
Chris didn’t look like the kind of man who belonged in a kitchen roasting peanuts. He was the head of the Xander family, the chairman of Xander Corporation, a man who seemed more suited to boardrooms and private jets than a stove and a pan of peanuts.
And yet, he had made them for her.
Chris sat down across from her and opened a bottle.
They had played this game twice before, so they both knew the rules.
They could choose to answer, or they could drink instead.
After someone answered, the other person would decide whether they were satisfied. If they were, they had to drink. If not, they skipped their drink.
Chris pushed the plate of peanuts closer to her.
“Last time, you made the rules. We take turns asking each other ten questions. But during the whole game, each person only gets three chances to drink instead of answering. Once those three chances are used up, every question after that has to be answered p>
He looked at her.
“Do those rules still count p>
Winter had always known Chris had an excellent memory, so she was not surprised.
An unfinished game had to end eventually.
She gave a soft hum.
“They count p>
Chris noticed she hadn’t touched the peanuts, so he pushed the plate a little closer.
“We each asked three questions. I used one of my drinking passes, so we still have seven questions left. You still have all three of yours p>
Winter had been a little drunk that night, so she couldn’t remember whether she had said anything else.
But she remembered the questions.
The last one had been hers.
She had asked Chris if he had ever missed “that child p>
Chapter 512
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Back then, she hadn’t known Richie was still alive, and Chris hadn’t planned to tell her the truth. So after he chose to drink instead of answering, she had taken a drink too, accepting his answer.
Now it was Chris’s turn.
He looked at Winter, his gaze dark and unreadable, like fog drifting over the sea.
“Do you really not want me anymore p>
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Sara Lili
Sara is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.