Page 87 of Take Me Home for Christmas

He leaned a hip on the desk. “My grandmother likes you.”

She gave him a shrug that saidtell me something I don’t know.

“I’m throwing my hat in the ring for an open congressional race. She’s promised to back me if I present a more”—he swallowed— “settled persona.”

Elle’s knees nearly buckled. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

“We were good once,” he said softly. “I fully intended for you to be my forever girl. I know I messed up. But I promise it won’t happen again. And I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

She really wished Jeremy wasn’t standing between her and the bottle of whiskey right now.

“Way to sweep a woman off her feet,” she said.

“Elinor.” He reached for her hand, but she hid both behind her back. His eyes narrowed. “I just said we were good together. We both know it. People make mistakes. You can’t forgive me? Hell, you probably forgave Cassie.”

In fact, she had. The bartender may have been complicit, but the man in front of her had duped them both in the end.

“Let me see if I can understand this,” Elle said, trying her best to control her disgust. “Your grandmother will only open her purse strings if you keep your pants zipped and settle down. Why come to me?”

“I told you. She likes you. I like you,” he added hastily.

“Look me in the eye and tell me this cockamamie proposal has nothing to do with my family connections,” she demanded.

He opened his mouth before closing it again a few seconds later.

“That’s what I thought.” She moved to the door. “Stay here tonight. Don’t stay here tonight. I don’t care. Just leave me the hell alone. My family is too good for the likes of you.”

Hayden hobbledout of the shower at midnight to find Elle making herself at home in his bed. Beside her, Beula thumped her tail in greeting.

“You didn’t show up at the inn,” Elle said.

“I was working on one of the pieces Livi commissioned. Time got away from me.”

She gnawed on her bottom lip. It was her tell that she didn’t believe him. “Are you mad about something?”

Hell yeah. He was furious at that dick Jeremy for showing up out of the blue and putting his hand and lips all over his woman. Not that he was admitting to it.

“I’m confused, that’s all. Why is Jeremy in town? What does he want?”

From you.

A crestfallen look settled in her eyes before she shook it off.

“Elle?”

“Promise you won’t get mad?”

No!

“Yeah.”

She slid to the edge of the bed, the T-shirt of his she wore riding up her thighs when she placed them on either side of him. Reaching up a hand, she traced a path around his navel. His arousal edged against the towel.

“He claimed to still be in love with me,” she said right before pressing her tongue to his belly button.

“What the actual fuck, Elle!” he yelled.

Beula shot off the bed and disappeared down the hall.

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