Page 18 of Inherited Holiday

“I don’t count making you smile as a relationship.”

I giggled. “How you can go from making me sad that you hate my most favorite time of year to making me laugh is beyond me.”

“What can I say?” He smiled. “It’s a gift.”

“You’re a paradox of contradictions, Nicholas.”

“Do you need to start slow?” he coaxed, bringing it back around to me. “How about I lead you in the right direction? Tell me your favorite color?”

“I like anything bright.”

“Like your eyes?”

“No, like your eyes.”

I smiled again as he took me in with that smoldering stare. Knowing he could see right through me made my stomach flutter for entirely different reasons. Despite the awareness in his eyes, I looked away. I had to. Reaching into my purse, I turned my attention to a tiny candy cane I was pulling out, avoiding the look in his eyes. I put it in my mouth, needing some sort of distraction from the sudden realness between us.

The cool peppermint chilled my lips, calming me down a little.

“I could see you as the little boy who terrorized kids with your spiel…”

“And you would have enjoyed it then as much as you are right now.”

As if on cue, my stomach did that somersault thing. Except this time, it felt like it would never end, twisting and turning and flipping.

Never taking his eyes off mine, he leaned over with a mischievous glare, and I felt this jolt. This immediate spark that made my mouth dry and my face flush, a burning sensation all over my body. I had never experienced anything like it before, yet I couldn’t wait to feel it again.

He cocked his head to the side as if he knew exactly what Iwas feeling, thinking, wanting. He moved to sit next to me when I put on the movie. His hand was always on my thigh, brushing his fingers ever so lightly over my sensitive skin.

We laughed.

We joked.

We picked on one another.

The night rolled by, and it was like I blinked, and the sun was peeking in through the sliding door that stayed open all night.

We didn’t sleep.

I was never bored.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had this much fun by simply speaking to him. Doing something completely out of the ordinary for me and enjoying every second of it. This night meant more to me than it should.

He reminded me of the girl I was supposed to be, to act my age, and live in the moment with him.

The moment would be over soon…

“Wow. I can’t believe we talked all night.”

He nodded, stretching like a lion beside me on the couch. “It’s a first for me too.”

We were both laying our heads on the arms of the sofa with our bodies beside each other. We stayed like that all night. He never tried to put the moves on me. All he did was snuggle next to me under the blanket, and that was that. It felt more personal, though, just hanging out and getting to know one another.

“Your parents aren’t?—”

“They’re at a gala for the weekend. The only one who needs to be babysat is my little sister, Holly. She’s cute but a pain in the ass.”

“And your brother?”

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