Part 19 (1/2)

”You pay for ice? It's such a commodity, then?”

Talia darted a look at Stella, but the girl was too busy fluttering at Archer's accent to pay any attention to what he was saying.

”It's flavored ice,” Talia clarified.

Stella nodded. ”You've never had any? Don't they make them in Australia?”

Archer shook his head as if he still didn't get the appeal, but gestured with his

hand. ”Lead on.”

”I thought you might stay here and watch the dogs,” Talia said. ”We'll be just across the way.” She looked around. ”Speaking of dogs, where is yours?”

”Here and about.”

Talia sighed. ”I told you, you can't just let him run loose in the park.” With

Stella standing there, she was limited as to what she could say. ”We have laws.”

”He's fine.”

”Archer-”

”He's sacked out in the back of Stella's pickup, okay?” He winked at Stella, who all but swooned. ”You can keep an eye on the dogs from there. They're in their pens.”

Since he was unlikely to let her win this one, and Stella was moony-eyed, Talia didn't bother to argue. The event was close to over, most people were leaving, so there was no line and they ordered their cones right away. Stella

took her lime-green one and went off to check out what was left of the fair.

Talia ordered a blueberry one, then ended up ordering one for Archer when he would have refused. The vendor handed him the bloodred cherry ice and Archer took it gingerly.

Talia hid a private smile as they wandered toward the trees and strolled along the edges of the fair. He surrept.i.tiously waited for her to bite into hers before tackling his own. ”You really never had anything like this?” she asked.

He shook his head and a.n.a.lyzed his mound of ice as if looking for the best place to make a strategic attack.

She laughed. ”Go ahead and bite it, Archer, it won't bite back.”

He made a face at her.

She bit into hers, enjoying herself far more than she'd expected to. It tasted too sweet and the ice was so cold it hurt her teeth. Perfect. She took a few more bites, savoring each one, only to stop in mid-swallow when she caught Archer staring at her. She managed to choke down the rest. ”What?”

”Nothing.”

She turned her head and licked her lips, hoping she didn't have a blue ring

around them. She looked back to find him still watching her. ”You going to eat yours?”

He looked dubiously at the ice that was starting to drip over the side of the

paper cup. She couldn't say what made her do it, but she stepped closer, covered his hand with hers and guided the cone to his mouth. ”Just take a little off the top. It's easier once you make an edge.”

His eyes widened, then darkened as he leaned over the cone and sank those perfectly white teeth deep into the lush red ice. All the while his gaze remained locked on hers. She didn't know who swallowed harder. Then he

licked his lips and, when she went to pull her hand away, covered it with his

other one, and took yet another bite, then another. All the while looking at her.

”You're right,” he said, his accent dusky and rough. ”It's quite good.” He dropped his hand, then took the one of hers that held the cone. ”Now

you.”That's o-” The word ended as blueberry ice covered her tongue and lips.

Then she simply let herself sink into the sensation of looking into his hot eyes while feeling something so cold and sweet slide down her throat.

Talia was searching for something to say when Archer's expression suddenly