“I understand that you’re afraid to show your feelings, but Alix—” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “We may never get a chance like this again.”

Her heart was pounding. “A chance for what?”

“For the perfect romantic moment.” He gestured to the trees. “If you want to propose, now would be a good time. And think how happy Holly would be.”

For a wild moment she’d actually thought he was serious.

Exasperated, feeling a little foolish, she stooped, scooped up a large handful of snow and pelted him with it. It hit him smack in the chest.

She punched the air with her fist. There were other ways to freeze people out.

“Are you declaring war?” He descended on her with challenge in his eyes, and she stepped back, her movements hampered by deep snow.

“Enough. You have to tell Robyn the truth.”

“Why me?”

“Because this whole misunderstanding is your fault.” She showered him with another handful of snow, but this time he ducked out of the way so that it only grazed his arm.

“Actually, no. I believe the blame for that lies with Erik.”

“To begin with, maybe.” She bent and gathered more snow, the lure of the childish pursuit stronger than she would have imagined. “But then you compounded everything by kissing me, and by not denying that we’re a couple. All of it.”

“The problem wasn’t me kissing you. It was you kissing me back. If you hadn’t kissed me back, that would have been the end of it. I would have thought, She’s not interested. I read it all wrong.”

“I’m not interested. You read it all wrong. And if you knew anything about me, then you’d know that.” She stepped back, and back again, until her retreat was blocked by a tree. “You do not possess any of the qualities I insist on in a man I date.”

“I can kiss you until you forget your own name. That doesn’t count?” He was so close she could feel the warmth of him, and she ducked down and scooped up more snow.

This time she missed and knew immediately that she’d given him the advantage.

“This game ends now.”

“Because you’re losing?”

“I’m not losing.”

His smile flashed. “We’ll see about that.” He scooped up snow and formed it into a ball. She had seconds to decide whether to run or retaliate.

If she ran in this deep snow, she’d fall, which left—

She grabbed snow and hurled it before he did.

He cursed, wiped the icy, transparent crystals from his jaw and his shoulders. “So going back to those qualities you look for...”

“Forget it. You don’t possess a single one.”

“Except that I know how to kiss you.”

“You took me by surprise, that’s all. And thanks to you we’re now in a horribly awkward situation.” She stumbled slightly, the deep snow unfamiliar. By contrast every step he took was sure and confident. Why had she started a fight she was never going to win?