~ SASHA ~

The sudden intensity in Zev's gaze was a shock—and a thrill. He'd been so distracted and distant, she'd begun to question him. Stupidly. She knew Zev loved her. But five years of insecurity were hard to escape and when he'd been so vague…

But he wasn't vague now.

They stood in the valley, the snow only a smattering over the ground here because they were in the lee of the ravine. Not far away, the glistening white banked and piled feet deep on every side. But they were also twenty minutes walk from the cave. More if they walked as slowly as they had coming down.

She was about to open her mouth to suggest they hurry back when Zev's hand slid to cup her ear, his fingers curling over the tender spot at the back of her neck where he'd sucked and bitten her the night before and that incredible bond had deepened.

She'd been so consumed by the new connections between them, she'd almost forgotten the wound. But when he stroked it lightly with the tips of his fingers her entire skin shivered as if there were more nerve endings there than anywhere else in her body.

The hair on her arms stood up, her mouth dropped open, and flames burst to life, low in her belly.

"W-what is that?!" she gasped.

"My mark," Zev growled, his eyes shining. Before she could respond, he took her mouth in a soul-searing kiss.

Sasha struggled to find her breath as tingling desire bloomed in her gut and she reached for him instinctively, pressed into his kiss, tangled her tongue with his.

But then her mind went to war with her body. They were outside. In broad daylight—though it was a deeply overcast afternoon, more like twilight than the mid-afternoon sun. But still… and snow covered everything.

Her head said they needed to go back to the cave, but her body was having none of it—and neither was Zev's.

He had both his hands in her hair, tugging her head back and his lips on her throat, a growl puttering in his own. Sasha gripped his shoulders, trying to force back the haze of lust that was washing over her while she considered the practicalities of this.

"Zev," she gasped as his lips dragged down her neck and he nuzzled into her collarbones, deep in the collar of her jacket. His fingers were already feverishly working at her buttons, and even as she arched, aching to be in his hands, she feared that this could all go desperately wrong in this cold.

What if they froze something off?

"Zev," she repeated, grabbing his face and forcing him to look at her, both of their chests already heaving. What the hell was wrong with her? "How are we going to do this out here?" she panted. "The snow—"

Zev flashed a grin. "I'll show you."

Then he looked around and, spying a small crevice in the rock to their right, tugged her toward it. She followed, stumbling, as he stepped into the shadow of it, turning to place his back to the rockface and turning back to stare at her, grinning wickedly.

"But—"

"Trust me." There was a breathless pause between them as he held out his hand, beckoning her forward, and it was such a perfect echo of every time he'd asked her to trust, of his heart so pure and true for her, she almost wept.

But swallowing back the tears, she put her hand in his. "I do," she whispered.

And with a whine of sheer pleasure, he pulled her into his chest, taking her lips again, his tongue tracing along hers, then under her lip as he trailed his fingers over that spot on the back of her neck again.

Sasha shivered deliciously and let her head drop back and for the next minute she forgot about everything but Zev's mouth, his breath, the way his body reached for hers.

He had her jacket buttons undone and had whined his approval, before he started on his own. Sasha wasn't sure how this was going to work, but she could barely wait to get her hands on his chest—until he finished unbuttoning it and yanked it off his arms completely, then tossed it to the snowy ground and, sliding his back down the rockface, sat on it, pulling her with him.

"Zev!" she squawked as she landed in his lap.

"I said, trust me," he rasped.

"But you can't be naked in this! You're going to freeze! You'll get sick, or—"

"I can handle a lot colder temperatures than you," he reassured her. "Especially for only twenty minutes."

"Twenty?!"

"Well, I can probably swing half an hour, but I'm worried about you getting cold too—"

"Zev! I meant that twenty minutes is too long!"

"No, Sash," his voice was rasping, throaty, and his eyes feverish on hers. "Please. I need you."

That pool of heat in her belly did somersaults at the sheer lust in his eyes. And her body responded.

No more protests. She didn't know how this was going to go, but she didn't want to wait. So she let Zev open her buttons, untie her leggings, and she groaned his name, gripping his neck and shoulders when he dropped his head, nuzzling the jacket aside to take the peak of her breast in his mouth.

He sucked, and Sasha arched, hissing, pulling him against her, whimpering. Suddenly frantic to get her leggings off and take him.

But Zev wasn't rushing, flattening his hand against her belly and sliding down into her leggings, teasing her with touches as he tasted first one breast, then the others. And under her hands that had been out in the cold, his skin that had been beneath the furs was hot to the touch. She feared her fingers would feel frozen by comparison. But he didn't yelp when she stroked his chest and gripped the back of his neck.

He moaned her name and began to push her leggings down.

"I can… take you from behind again… or you can take them off and kneel… over me," he rasped.

"I want to touch you. I want to see you," she whispered—a statement that would have made her blush usually, but the twist at her core was sparking, frantic for him. And she didn't have to wait, because the words sparked Zev too, who growled his approval, then lifted her, whipping her boots and leggings off with lightening quick tugs, then turning her, guiding her leg so she straddled him and they were pressed together.

She gasped at the contact, but Zev took a moment to pull the sides of his jacket up, over her feet and calves so they wouldn't get cold, then took her face in his hands and kissed her as if she were about to leave him.

Sasha whimpered again, arching, rubbing herself against him, marveling at her own desperation. Where had this endless pool of want come from? Why was she naked in a winter valley? But all thoughts were blown away by the wind of his searing kiss.

Zev leaned forward, arching her back, his mouth open over hers, his tongue probing and insistent, and Sasha pulled him in, leaning back.

Then his hands dragged down her scalp to that spot at the back of her neck, his fingers tracing over it in a way that sent butterflies fluttering, cascading deliciously down her back and sides. The combined sensation of the friction between them, along with that incredible sensitivity almost sent her over the edge into her climax.

Stunned and shuddering, she gasped his name. "Please, Zev!"

With another growl, he took her hips in his hand, tilted them, and entered her in a single thrust that had Sasha crying out, and Zev groaning, his face buried in her neck.