Page 41 of Baking it Merry

“You lied to me,” she said flatly, coming to a halt.

“Excuse me?”

Nodding, she repeated herself.“You lied to me.You said your mother asked to be here when the truth is, you begged her and your father to be here.”

“Um…and that’s a problem…why?”Because honestly, he was confused.

Arms dropping to her side, Daphne sighed.“What are we doing, Tristan?I mean…the whole kissing thing was just supposed to be for show, but I think we can both agree that sometimes it’s not.Right?”

He nodded.

“I feel like you’re…you’re…manipulating our situation and making sure there’s a reason to be kissing or touching and it feels…icky.”

“Icky?Are you seriously using that word to describe our situation?We’re adults, Daphne.Adults don’t say…icky.”

“Icky!Icky!Icky!Gah!You are so condescending!And don’t try to deflect, okay?The fact is that you’re playing puppet master with this fake dating thing, and I don’t like it.Obviously there’s an attraction between us—God only knows why—so stop doingickythings!”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he mentally counted to ten.

“Could you please just stop saying…that word?”

It was the wrong thing to say because she let out a loud huff of annoyance and immediately headed for the door.

“Daphne!Wait!”he called out as he strode after her.Grabbing her arm, he turned her toward him.“This is ridiculous!You’re accusing me of playing puppet master even as you’re intentionally baiting me!”

Their eyes met and he muttered a curse just as her hand reached up to anchor in his hair.Then neither was talking.The kiss was angry—almost violent.Spinning her around until her back was against the wall, he poured every ounce of anger and frustration into the kiss, and she was doing the same.

She yanked on his hair and broke the kiss.“Every time you open your mouth and say something, it just makes me mad.”

Then she pulled him back in and kissed him hard.

Tristan broke the kiss next to respond.“Oh yeah?That gingerbread house belongs at a carnival, not as part of a business.It’s ridiculous.”And he dove back in for another kiss.

“You’re bossy and infuriating,” she panted when he moved from her lips to her throat, arching against him.“Why couldn’t you just be a nice guy?”

“For the same reason you’re too cheery and act like some sort of Christmas elf.Why can’t you just…”

Daphne roughly cupped his jaw and forced him to look at her.“Choose your next words very carefully,” she warned him.“The night could end right here, right now.”

It was so unlike her and yet the power in her words and the expression on her face just added to her appeal.

“Stay,” he demanded.“And not because of anything else other than the fact that I want you.You’re all I think about.”He nuzzled her neck.“This dress has been making me crazy all night.You’ve got a fantastic body—all delicious curves—and I want you in my bed.”

She gasped at his words, and he thought he’d certainly screwed things up.

The next thing he knew, Daphne gave him a gentle shove before sliding her coat off and walking back toward the living room.He was hot on her heels and moaned with pleasure when she tossed her coat onto the sofa as she kept walking toward his bedroom.

This girl…

It didn’t matter that they normally irritated the crap out of each other.The fact was that there was an attraction that neither of them could deny.

And right now, he certainly didn’t want to.

He wanted her.

Striding into the bedroom, he found her sitting seductively on the edge of his bed, looking sexier than he ever imagined.Dropping to his knees in front of her, he slowly ran his hands up her legs, from her ankles to her knees.Her skin was so smooth and warm, but he paused before sliding them under her skirt.

“Be sure, Daphne,” he said gruffly.“Because I’ve been waiting for this moment all damn night.”

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