Page 79 of When the Fake Snow Falls

His eyes lock on mine, and there’s a hint of surprise behind them. “So, we could go back to my apartment?”

“I would love to go back to your apartment.” I’m dying to be alone with him, to speak freely, to have privacy. I need more than sitting with him at a round table in a banquet hall.

Chase closes the space between us, and my entire body buzzes happily with the contact. He presses his lips to mine, and I melt into him. When he pulls away, he keeps me held against him. His hand tucks a loose curl behind my ear. “Okay, beautiful. Let’s get you home.”

thirty-six

Chase setshis keys on the kitchen counter and gestures to one of the barstools. “Have a seat.”

I have full intentions of doing exactly what he says, but I stop short when the sight of something small, green, and decorated with tiny candy canes stares back at me on the countertop. A miniature Christmas tree—probably only two feet tall—sits like an unsuspecting houseplant.

“Chardonnay?” Chase asks over his shoulder as he reaches for a bottle tucked away somewhere.

“You got a Christmas tree.”

“What?” he asks, turning to face me with a bottle of my favorite wine in his hand.

I look from the tiny tree to him. “You got a Christmas tree,” I say again.

“Oh.” Chase sets the bottle on the counter gently as he looks from me to the tree. “Yeah. I did.”

“I was here four days ago, giving you a hard time for not having any decorations.”

“You were.”

“And now you have this tiny Christmas tree.”

“I do, and it’s already left pine needles all over the place. Do you see this?” He walks over and lifts the tree with one hand to reveal a mess of needles underneath. “I hope you’re happy,” he adds with a weak smile.

My lips twist, but it’s impossible to fight my smile. He went out and got a tiny tree for me? “I am,” I say, nodding toward the bottle he set down. “You have the wine I like, too.”

Chase sets down the tree and goes back to opening the bottle. “It came with the tree. They called it the Candace Special.”

I laugh. “That was convenient.”

His lips lift. “It was.” He gets two empty glasses from the cabinet and sets them in front of us. “Especially since I had no idea you’d ever be back here. It definitely wasn’t planned.”

A slow smile pulls at my lips as I take a glass from him. “Of course not. You wouldn’t try to seduce me with wine and an adorably short Christmas tree.”

Chase clinks his glass with mine. “I would do no such thing.”

I let out another light laugh before taking a sip. “Despicable.”

Chase grins and leans his elbows on the counter across from me. “Well, we survived the Christmas party.” He pulls out his phone, staring at the screen for a moment before he turns it face down on the counter.

“Did someone realize you left?”

He blows out a breath before saying, “Yeah. She isn’t very happy with me.”

I sit up straight. “We can go back if you need to. Or you can go back on your own if having me there wasn’t helpful.”

He nods toward me. “Drink your wine, Candace. Neither of us are going back to that party.” He rubs a hand over his face. “She’s just upset that I won’t be there to accept their little plaque for signing the most accounts this year.”

I clap a hand over my mouth. “I totally forgot that guy mentioned you were getting an award!”

He chuckles. “Calling it an award is generous. It’s not a big deal. She’ll just have to accept it on my behalf and put it in my office, which she finds . . .” He turns his phone over. “Disrespectful and embarrassing.”

I put a hand on my chest. “Oh, that poor woman.”

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