Page 34 of Holiday Tides

“Kiss some more?” I ask, sending him a coy grin while leaning into his palms in an attempt to get closer.

His gaze drops to my mouth, his bottom lip tucking between his teeth. Nick’s broad shoulders rise with a large inhale before he shakes his head.

“Later. We need to slow down, to hash some things out first.”

“Why?” I’m not exactly proud of my pouty tone, but I’ve also never been structurally rearranged by a kiss before, so I’m giving myself a pass.

Nick runs a fist over his lips, momentarily distracted again. He almost gives in, his body swaying forward helplessly, but then something in him shifts.

His green eyes meet mine, earnest, as he takes another settling breath. “Because this is something I’ve wanted since you moved in across the street, but five minutes ago, you hated my guts.”

“I didn’t hate your guts.”

“Were irritated at me, then.”

“Yes, but it was because you weren’t doing this.” I circle my hands to indicate the way he’s standing too close, his thumb mindlessly rubbing the sleeve of my dress. “I was angry because you asked me out, but then covered it like a joke and called me a friend.”

Nick flings his hands up with a knee bounce. “Because you had a boyfriend! I might be a flirt, but I’m not about to get between two committed people.”

“Now you know I’m single.” I grip his wrist and settle his warm palm on my waist. I’ve never been so bold before, but something about kissing Nick feels simultaneously comforting and enticing, and I don’t want to stop. “Can we continue?”

He shakes his head even as he drifts closer, his hair falling over his eyebrows while the corner of his mouth quirks. “So stubborn.”

Our smiling lips are a hair’s breadth apart when the door flies open. Don and Ruby tumble through in an eerily accurate replica of what we must have looked like moments ago.

“Out, young man. Your time is up.”

Nick groans like a petulant teenager but pulls me off the table in a swift motion. He shields me from Ruby’s amorous giggles, setting my back to his front as he steers us out of the room.When the door is shut behind us, a full body shudder rakes his frame.

I, on the other hand, burst into laughter. When I collect myself enough to glance at Nick, he’s looking at me with such unrestrained affection my breath catches.

“Want to take me home?” I ask, voice dark.

Nick takes another one of those focused inhales, his gaze slipping from my lips, to my neck, to take a lazy perusal of my legs.

“No.” His answer is a coarse scrape before he clears his throat. “I’ll walk you home, though.”

Before I can argue, Nick collects our coats, interlaces our fingers, and leads us into the frosty night. After a few crunchy steps over the nearly frozen ground, Nick brings the back of my hand to his lips for a soft kiss. It shouldn’t feel so knee-quaking to have something as benign as Nick’s lips brushing my hand, but I nearly stumble. Tucking me tighter beneath his arm, he begins speaking—little steam clouds billowing in the wan lamplight.

“I want to be honest with you.” He pauses just long enough for every muscle cell in my body to tighten.

He’s dumping me? After that incredible kiss? What in the name of—

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for longer than I said earlier. A lot longer.”

My neck snaps in his direction, but he only slips his eyes to mine for the briefest of moments. When my brain finally processes his words, I’m folded inside out. Shy Nick is themost adorablething I’ve ever seen. I have the sudden urge to snuggle with him on the couch while finger-brushing his hair.

“And because I’ve clearly wanted this for a lot longer than you have, we should take things slow.”

“How slow are we talking?”

“Glacial.”

I hum. “They say the glaciers are melting at an alarming speed.”

“Did your scientist friends tell you that?”

My palm whacks his shoulder before Nick sees it coming. “Some of us read, Nicholas. We’re not all—” His pained groan stops me short. “I didn’t actually hurt you, did I?”

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