Page 45 of Break the Ice

‘I’ll stop when you say squirty cream.’

She weaves the nozzle in and around me until I grab her wrist, a wide smile on my face at having captured her. We are incredibly close now. Closer than we have been so far on this trip. ‘Never,’ I say softly.

And then a moment of absolute stillness, her body hovering over mine. She seems to be holding a breath, a gentle look searching for my gaze, holding back maybe before she takes that can of cream in her other hand and squirts it into my neck. ‘PHOEBE!’ I yell, laughing at the same time. ‘Go and get me a towel or something.’

She still hovers over me, smiling back and biting her lip. ‘I’ll do one better.’ And she then leans over slowly to lick the cream off me. Her mouth is soft and warm on my skin, her hair tickling my face.

‘Phoebe?’

‘Joshua?’ she says with a raging look of mischief in her eye.

‘What are you doing?’ I say quietly, ponderously, my hand still holding her wrist.

‘I’m just having fun.’

‘There’s fun, and then there’s fun.’

I don’t know why we’ve said that word three times in two sentences. My body is already reacting to her closeness, but I feel a need to be sensible. We’re getting too carried away with the cosiness, the snow, the one bed. ‘You’re a bit wasted, I’m a bit wasted. I don’t want to make things awkward.’

She bites her lip and moves from hovering to actually sitting on me, observing me. ‘You’re very nice, aren’t you? Usually men in your current position would react differently.’ As she says this, she moves a little. She knows exactly what she’s doing with her weight, the movement of her hips. I arch my eyebrows in response.

‘This could get…’

‘Fun? It could help us get to sleep,’ she jokes, squirting a bit of cream on her finger and licking it off. I exhale gently as she does it. She leans over me again, hovering, gently, pressed up against me, her eyes widening, teasing me. This was not on the cards. Her coming on to me. But also my reaction to it. There is something intoxicating about her, the physical contact, the dominance – her taking charge and being so confident. I don’t think I’ve felt like this for a long time. I can’t remember a time I felt wanted like this. I reach up and kiss her gently, slowly.

‘Only if you’re sure,’ I whisper. ‘Really sure.’

‘You’re being a bit too nice about this.’

‘I don’t have to be nice,’ I tell her.

She smiles broadly at this and I have to admit I’ve surprised myself. That was quite suave for me. I sit up facing her, raise her arms above her head and take off her vest top, then put a hand to her face and study her. I kiss her slowly again, her lips soft against mine, her breath warm and sweet. She grinds her hips over mine and I exhale slowly, my breath shuddering. I put my hands to the small of her back, run my hands under her waistband and pull her in close, taking one of her nipples in my mouth and sucking it gently. She moans softly and I feel myself getting harder under her. She looks at me, a sparkle in her eye but also a look that seems careful, kind. ‘We should use up that cream, you know? We shouldn’t waste it.’

I can’t lie, I worry about the sheets. I also look over at the dog. ‘I just don’t want to disturb the dog, you know?’

She laughs, reaching down, a hand running over the length of my cock, and there’s a bit of shock in her eyes at what she finds. ‘Are you noisy then?’

‘I mean… I just…’ I say, half laughing, half still in bewilderment that we are here.

She reaches down and lifts off my t-shirt, throws it on the floor, and then takes that can of cream in her hand. ‘I believe you people call this à la mode, right?’

And I laugh, deeply. A bizarre sense of comfort runs through me as she manoeuvres down my legs, pulling down my underpants. She squirts the cream on my cock and giggles sweetly as I flinch, then uses one hand to hold me down at the stomach. And as she takes the length of me in her mouth, I grab on to the sheets, my back arched, glancing over at the dog, who’s facing the other way. Yeah, please look the other way, Steve. Please.

TWENTY-ONE

PHOEBE

Are you shagging my fish-sitter?

I look down at the text from my sister, then stare over at Joshua’s naked arse. I cover it with the sheet. I’m not sure why. It’s a good arse. It’s slightly sticky though because I licked squirty cream off it. I’m not sure I’ll put that in a text. I shagged the dog chauffeur, Norah. If I admit to the sex then she will be cruel and judge, because Norah was always a relationship-first kind of girl when it came to sex and allowing people access. I am one for experiences, for spontaneity, for fun.

NO. You are so coarse. He is a very nice guy.

But you are not so nice.

Rudeness. Please remember how I’m transporting your dog through ice, wind and cold.

Who is Steve?