Page 7 of Mistletoe and Magic

Without a second thought, Jace lunged forward—each stride bringing him closer to the woman caught in winter's treacherous embrace. He reached her just as gravity was about to declare victory. His muscles tensed as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her upright before her ass could kiss the ground.

The sensation of her against him was unexpected, a jolt of electricity that coursed through his veins. Her body, cocooned in layers meant to ward off the chill, pressed close, and though layers of clothing separated skin from skin, the heat of the moment knew no such barriers.

"Got you," he murmured, the words more felt than heard.

Their breath mingled as Jace held her steady. The morning's silence returned, save for the shared rhythm of their breathing—an intimate cadence against the backdrop of Christmas Valley's awakening charm.

Jace's world narrowed to the woman in his arms, her presence eclipsing all else. The pressing concerns of the lodge, the steel chill of the wind—everything faded into a soft blur against the sharp clarity of her sapphire gaze. They were a startling blue, those eyes, lit with a spark that sent an unfamiliar heat racing through his veins, melting the frost that clung to his heart.

"Whoa," she whispered, her breath a ghostly puff in the chilled air. “That was close.”

Her fingers gripped his arm, delicate yet urgent, as though anchoring herself to him was the only thing that mattered in this slip of time. Curly tendrils escaped from beneath her red hat, framing her face in a halo of warmth that defied the winter's bite. Her cheeks, flushed from the cold—or perhaps it was the rush of their unexpected collision—added to the ethereal glow that surrounded her.

"Close indeed," Jace replied, his voice a low rumble that resonated between them. He felt her shiver, whether from the lingering threat of a fall or the proximity of their bodies, he couldn't tell. But it stirred something protective within him, a primal urge to shield and hold her safe.

She steadied herself, still holding onto him, a lifeline in the icy world they inhabited. In that moment, under the weight of her gaze, Jace sensed a shift deep within his core, a stirring of something he’d thought gone forever. Desire. A desire not just for warmth, but for connection, for the bright laughter he could see dancing within the depths of her eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured, finally releasing her grip on his arm to stand on her own. Yet, the space between them remained charged, electric with the promise of unknown possibilities. Felicity glanced down at her scattered pastries, a casualty of ice and gravity, and then back up at Jace. An unspoken question lingered in the air, a silent inquiry about what came next on this snowy canvas of fate.

Jace forced his fingers to ease from around her waist. The heat from her body seeped through layers of wool, denim and cotton, a contrast to the chill that gripped Christmas Valley. He blinked, the world snapping back into focus as his voice emerged rough with concern. "You okay?"

Her laughter danced in the frosty air, light and unburdened as she brushed a dusting of snow from the fabric of her coat. "Yeah, just... not my most graceful moment." Her breath mistedbetween them, weaving silver threads through the space where silence lingered.

He watched the flush of her cheeks deepen, a rosy hue that made her eyes sparkle with something akin to mischief. The sight tugged at something within Jace—a yearning to stand witness to all of her unguarded moments, graceful or otherwise.

"Grace is overrated," he teased, a smile playing at the edge of his lips. His gaze held steady, drinking in the lively animation of her features, the way the soft curve of her mouth hinted at secrets he longed to uncover.

Jace’s heart gave an unexpected skip as he watched her fingers linger at the hem of her coat, as though she were rediscovering herself after the tumble. Her eyes met his, and in that moment, something shifted. It wasn’t just relief from a near fall—it was something warmer, something that felt like a spark catching, an ember of connection flickering to life between them, small but steady, as if the universe had nudged them closer for a reason.

"Apparently, so is balance," she quipped, the words tumbling out like notes in a melody—a song of shared laughter and newfound camaraderie.

The corners of Jace's eyes crinkled with genuine delight, a reflection of the joy that seemed to radiate from her. It was a look that spoke volumes, one of gratitude for her levity that cut through the fog of his earlier trepidation.

"Balance can be learned," he replied, his tone carrying the weight of experience—of past falls and the determination to rise again. "But a sense of humor? That's a rare gift."

A breeze whispered past, stands of hair that escaped her hat, and he resisted the urge to reach out, to tuck the stray strands behind her ear. Instead, he stepped back, granting them both the space to breathe, to exist in this sudden pocket of serendipity.

"Thanks for catching me," she said, her voice softer now, threaded with sincerity that reached deep into his chest, squeezing gently.

"Anytime," he promised, and even as the words left his mouth, Jace wondered at their truth—how he meant them more profoundly than he’d expected. For a woman he'd just met, for a moment that defied the ordinary, for the hope that perhaps he’d found something in Christmas Valley that could make staying worthwhile.

5

FELICITY

Felicity's pulse quickened. She’d been aware of the solid strength of the man who’d caught her mid-fall. His hands, once strangers, now felt like a natural extension of her own being. Her skin tingled where he touched her, even through layers meant to guard against winter's embrace. She took in the rugged lines of his face, the tousled chestnut hair that begged for fingers to thread through it, and wondered at the serendipity that brought them together on a street corner in Christmas Valley.

“I’m Felicity Hart, by the way,” she said.

“Jace Winterborne.”

Of course he was Jace Winterborne, he could be no other. She had just lived the ‘meet cute’ she’d been trying to write for her novel, but instead of being able to capture it on her laptop, she was trapped inside her own story—the protagonist in her story about the idyllic town of Christmas Valley that had existed only in her mind until now. And now Jace had appeared. The ruggedly handsome chef and ski lodge owner she had meticulously crafted with every detail and trait was even better in person than she had described him.

She forced herself not to reach out and trace the lines of his face, a face she had envisioned so clearly in her mind. The mere thought of their paths crossing ignited an exhilarating excitement in Felicity's chest. This was more than just a dream—it was a chance to live out the perfect romance she had always fantasized about.

But doubt crept slowly into her mind. Felicity couldn't help but question if this was truly what she wanted or if this was even happening. If it was, how could she get back to her real life? Could she stay just long enough for a blissful holiday love affair to at least outline the remainder of her novel? Was she in a coma in a hospital? Or was she stuck in Christmas Valley and the only thing that would result was a complicated web of emotions and misunderstandings.

For once, Felicity wasn't sure if she was ready for the inevitable conclusion of her carefully constructed love story. Would this be the happy ending she desired, or a bittersweet finale to a chapter of her life? Only time would tell.

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