Page 15 of Miles & Mistletoe

She shrugged bashfully. “I’ve seen you work over the last week. The businessmen and women you interact with respect you. There’s an air of confidence you project without really even trying to.”

And just like that my lips were on hers for the second time. I’d wanted to do this a lot sooner but I’d held back. But I was done with all of that now. Stacia’s lips parted, giving me the opportunity to taste her fully. My hands went to her waist, pulling her to me. A small moan escaped her lips, sending chills down my spine. Just when I went to deepen the kiss, she pulled back.

“Are you doing anything else tonight?” she asked, breathless.

I shook my head.

“Can I show you around my city?”

I nodded, ready to be led wherever she wanted to go. Generally, I wasn’t this easy going, but she seemed to bring that side out in me.

“We’ll have to catch an Uber.”

“Or we can use my town car. Where’re we going?” I asked so I could inform the driver.

“Atlanta Botanical Gardens. They have the most amazing light show this time of year.”

“Then that’s where we’re headed.” The excitement in her eyes when she mentioned the gardens was enough to get me excited which wasn’t an easy feat.

Forty minutes later, thanks to Atlanta traffic, we were entering the gardens. As soon as we walked in, the shimmering blue lights lining the trees and various plants welcomed us.

“They keep the gardens open later this time of year so we can get the full view of the lights contrasting against the dark sky. I come in here at least once a week when I’m home. Twice a week if it’s during the holidays,” Stacia explained as we began strolling down one of the winding pathways in the gardens. “Want a cup of cider?” she asked.

I wrinkled my forehead in confusion for a brief moment before realizing we were approaching a cart where one of the employees of the gardens was selling warm apple cider.

Before I could even answer, Stacia was handing me a hot cup of the sweet drink.

“Mmm,” she moaned after taking a sip.

My stomach tensed at the sound and the sight of the pleasure that filled her face.

“My mother loved taking me to botanical gardens when I was young, especially when it was lit up like this.”

“Did you grow up in Atlanta?”

She shook her head. “Connecticut. We sometimes would take the train into New York. When she could afford it. Which wasn’t often. Not when I was younger anyway. Then she got married and could afford to take me more often but she got too busy.”

“How so?”

Stacia shrugged, her eyes darting to something over my shoulder. “She had my younger brother and had to be the homemaker for her husband.”

“Your stepfather?”

She rolled her eyes. “If you can call him that. Anyway, since then, I’ve always loved holiday lights and decorations. I mean, nothing compares to the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, but—”

“I was there once.”

Stacia turned to me, eyes reflecting the lights around us. “Yeah? When?”

“I must’ve been twelve. I wasn’t at the actual lighting. More like, my father had a business dinner that he dragged my brother and I to.” I recalled sneaking looks out the hotel room’s window, trying to get glimpses of the tree. My father, naturally, was more attuned to what was happening in regards to the business at hand than to the tree outside the window. I remembered wanting nothing more than to go outside and watch the ice skaters around the tree. But that was for people who had time to sit and watch silly shit like that.

“Waste of time,” I blurted out.

Stacia’s breath hitched as I looked down at her. “No it wasn’t. I can tell by the expression on your—”

“Hey, there’s mistletoe!”

I turned to see a young boy, about ten years old, pointing to just above where Stacia and I were standing.

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