Page 44 of Merry Kissmas

I figured Pierce was working out, but he’s in the kitchen with my mom, the two of them moving around one another as if they’ve done it for years.

Mom catches sight of me in the doorway.“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

There’s no one else in the villa, so I don’t understand how I could be the last one awake.

“Where is everyone, and what are you two doing?”I rub the sleep from my eyes and reposition my ponytail.I thought I had time to make myself presentable, since yesterday the guys didn’t come back from working out until much later.

“Everyone is relaxing in their villas, I suppose.Your dad had to run out to get more eggs.”

I slide up onto the breakfast stool.“You’re not working out this morning?”I ask Pierce, who is mixing up pancake batter.

“I’m a little sore from yesterday.I’m used to standing at a podium the majority of the day.”

“What’s it like being a professor?”Mom asks while I climb off the stool to get my coffee.

“I’ll get it.”Pierce stops me with a hand placed over mine on the counter.My gaze lifts to his, and he gives me a sweet smile.

“I got it.”I slide my hand from under his and walk over to the beverage bar.I pour coffee from the carafe and add my milk and cinnamon as Pierce tells my mom about teaching at the university.

“I was just talking to Brynn about it last night.I enjoy it, but I think I want to do more than just teach about it now, and I figure I’m only getting older.”

“How old are you?”she asks, pretending to be less interested than I know she is while she cuts up fruit for her yogurt parfait bar that’s a staple in this family.

“Careful, Pierce, she’s got her shovel,” I say before sipping my coffee, walking back to the stool.

“Oh, stop it, Brynn.I’m getting to know our guest,” she says innocently.

“I’m thirty,” he answers.

If he was smart, he’d have waited to see if she was going to ask again.

“That’s not too much older, right, Brynn?”She looks at me, reaching for a bag of granola.

“Too old for what, Mom?”We both know what she’s implying.

“To start a new career,” she says, winking at me.

Oh, Mom, stop matchmaking.

“That’s why I was interviewing at the same place as Brynn.”

The bag slips from my mom’s grasp, and granola pours over the counter.“Oh crap.”

I slide off the stool to help her clean up.Pierce stops measuring the pancake mixture to help too.

“Sorry, I’m a little clumsy this morning.I actually forgot that the two of you were going after the same job.”She finishes with the granola while Pierce and I scoop up the pieces that fell and walk over to the trash can at the same time.

Life isn’t fair.His hair looks just fucked, and I can’t help but wish I was the reason it looked like that.No, I don’t.What am I thinking?

“Well, Pierce is going to get it,” I say, turning away from him and closing my eyes to get the ache between my thighs to dissolve.

“I don’t think so.Your accomplishments in the workplace are impressive.”Pierce takes the whisk, and his forearms flex with the movement of stirring the batter.Corded muscles, deep veins.God help me, I’m describing his forearm as if it’s his dick.

“Maybe there’s room for both of you?”my mom asks.

I laugh and shake my head.“Doubtful.”

Thankfully, she lets the topic go and doesn’t ask any further questions.

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