Page 15 of Holiday Situationship

“Shall we, dear?” Santa links his arm with Mrs. Claus’ and winks, his eyes still twinkling with mysterious magic. He glances over his shoulder before leaving the path. “Remember, Christmas wishes have a way of coming true, especially when they’re made from the heart.”

Annie and I watch the merry couple disappear along the winding path. I can’t shake the feeling that we’ve witnessed something extraordinary. The day feels brighter, lighter, and a little more special. I glance at Annie, her eyes wide with wonder. I know I’m not the only one who felt something magical.

“We should catch up with the others,” I say, taking Annie’s hand. We head into the workshop and join the others, still pondering what just occurred.

“There you are,” Julia says as she glances up from the wreath she’s putting together. “We thought you skipped out on us.”

“We had a little impromptu chat with Santa and Mrs. Claus outside the door,” Annie says. “You should have stopped before coming in. Mrs. Claus offered us one of her famous cookies.”

“We must have just missed them,” Hannah says, disappointed.

“You know I’d have stopped for cookies,” Gary says, rubbing his stomach.

An odd tingle creeps up my spine. How could they have missed Santa and Mrs. Claus? They were right by the door, practically impossible to overlook. The others walked right past them.

“You didn’t see them?” I glance around the group, baffled. “You passed them on your way inside. They were dressed in a red suit and a red and green dress. Mrs. Claus had a silver tray with cookies.”

Four pairs of eyes stare back at me, as confused as I am. They look at each other, shaking their heads. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I imagined the whole thing, but Annie and I were together. I glance at her, and we exchange a puzzled look. Her expression mirrors my own, as if we’re both trying to unravel the mystery of what just happened

But then a sparkling fleck at the corner of Annie’s mouth captures my attention. I lean in closer, and I’ll be damned, a cookie crumb lingers there. Annie’s eyelids droop as her gaze falls to my lips. Without thinking, I brush my fingers along her jaw, and she tilts her chin in response. Before either of us has time to second-guess, my lips find hers in a kiss that’s as sweet and warm as fresh sugar cookies straight from the oven.

Whatever happens next, one thing is clear—I’m starting to believe in the magic of Christmas again.

CHAPTER 9

***

Annie

The sleigh ride back to the silo is quiet, the gentle jingle of bells and the soft crunch of snow beneath us the only sounds in the crisp night air. The day’s activities have worn everyone out, but the lingering comfort of the farm’s magic has left us all in good spirits.

I lean into Sam, our sides pressed together under the thick blanket draped over us and feel the steady rhythm of his breathing. The others are equally content, exchanging tired glances and a few murmured words as the sleigh glides through the snowy landscape. I rest my head on Sam’s shoulder and take in the vast sky, recalling the brief encounter with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Wishes can only come true if you wish for them.

I close my eyes, and my lungs fill with the crisp night air as I unleash my wish into the vast unknown, daring to believe in the magic of Christmas.

We arrive at the silo and exchange goodnights, each couple retreating to their rooms with soft laughter and sleepy eyes. Sam and I share a look, something unspoken passing between us. My heart flutters with anticipation and nervousness as we climb the spiral staircase to our room. The day has been full of surprises, but now, alone with Sam in the quiet of the night, I’m acutely aware of the butterflies swirling in my tummy.

As we reach our door, my pulse quickens, the warmth of the day now replaced with a different kind of heat, a nervous excitement that makes my hands tremble ever so slightly. Sam opens the door, and when it clicks shut behind us, the room feels both intimate and vast, full of possibility.

I take a deep breath and glance toward the wall of windows. The view is nothing short of breathtaking—a sea of stars twinkling in the inky black sky, the kind of view that’s magical and mysterious, like the universe itself watches over us. The sight is enough to make me pause, my nervousness momentarily forgotten as I take it all in. But when I turn back to Sam, standing close and looking at me with darkened, seductive eyes, the butterflies return in full force.

We need to talk, to clear the air and figure out what’s happening between us. My mind races with everything I want to say—the night we never spoke of, this morning’s fiasco, the kiss we shared in the workshop, and all the affectionate touches we shared today that transcend our years of friendship. And then there’s the bomb Julia dropped about retiring and the job offer in New York. It’s all so daunting.

I steel myself for the conversation ahead. My heart pounds in my chest, my lips and mouth suddenly too dry for words. A wave of fear washes through me. I don’t want this day to end, for what’s happening between us to end. Before I can get a word out, Sam steps closer and takes my hand.

“Annie,” he says, his voice low and gentle. “I don’t want to talk tonight. I don’t want to break the spell today’s festivities cast on us.”

The sincerity in his voice and his soft, pleading eyes make my heart stutter. My thoughts blur, and the need to talk suddenly feels less urgent. Something deeper simmers beneath the surface between us. Something words can’t capture.

“Neither do I.” I nod, the tension between us shifting into something softer, tender, yet urgent. Without another word, Sam steps into my personal space and cradles my face in his hands. He tilts his head and captures my lips in a fiery, rapturous kiss.

I tip upward on the balls of my feet, gliding my hands over his abs to his pecs, feeling his strength and heat under my fingertips. His tongue slices through the barrier between my lips and I taste him, sweet and spicy, exactly as he was this afternoon. My tongue coils around his, sipping and drinking him in as he guides us to the side of the bed.

The back of my knee hits the mattress as Sam slides his hand down my back, lowering me to the bed. He briefly breaks the kiss, uprighting himself long enough to pull his shirt overhead. I’ve seen his naked chest many times before—in the pool, at the beach, after a summer run, and that drunken night when the lines blurred between us. But history didn’t prepare me for the wave of desire that overtakes me now.

Heat explodes inside me like a nuclear reactor, spreading lava-like heat through my veins at warp speed. My body flashes hot, prickling and puckering beneath my skin. My sex pulses, humming a tune my body hasn’t heard in far too long. Liquid heat pools between my legs, dampening my practical, cotton panties.

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