Page 78 of Starlight Bay

He leaned down, kissing the top of her head. “Sorry about that, babe. The ladies here are always digging for dirt.”

“And apparently love a good wedding; even better, a baby,” I joked, snickering at Nick.

“What? You don’t like babies,” he asked, reaching for my hand and pulling me in close.

“Sure I do. I love them for photo ops. Having one at the moment—no, thank you. I’m a little busy with my career. Not sure how I’d squeeze that in.”

“Kiss, kiss!” From across the room came the loud clink of a spoon on a glass and there was Mr. McGregor, in all his enthusiastic mistletoe fervor, staring straight at me and Nick.

Shit. I thought I’d escaped this.

With aplomb, Nick obliged Mr. McGregor, taking my face in his hands and laying a passionate kiss on my lips. My face on fire, the only sound I could hear was the pounding of my heart.

After what felt like hours, applause broke out in the crowd and I pulled away ever so slightly. I murmured against Nick’s lips, “I’m going to hurt you.”

He grinned down at me. “Promise?” Then winked.

This guy.So cute, so funny, so freaking perfect.

And also, so off-limits.

What the hell was I going to do? I’d managed to get my tinsel tangled back up with Nick—and now I didn’t want to let him go.

FML.

CHAPTER 12

NICK

“So, you gonna make good on that promise about hurting me?” I asked Sydney as she came out of the bathroom.

We were back home in the guest room, my gran and parents all tucked in for the night. I was hoping for a repeat of last night, but didn’t want to press my luck, seeing as how I was already ahead in the game.

Sydney shot me a look from across the room, rolling her eyes.God, she was beautiful.I’d forgotten those dark cocoa eyes, her rosy cheeks, all the curves of her body, the way she threw her head back and laughed when I said something funny.

“It’s no fun if you know it’s coming,” she said, elbowing me to move over.

“Guess I need to watch my back then, maybe sleep with one eye open,” I teased, pulling the covers back for her.

“Something like that,” she grinned, climbing into bed next to me. “I had a good time tonight. I mean, besides the mistletoe thing at the end.”

“You didn’t like my dramatic kiss?” I stuck my bottom lip out in a fake pout.

“That part was fine. I’m not big on the whole PDA thing, though, remember?”

“Oh, I remember.” I stroked her cheek, soft and smooth beneath my roughened hands. “You’re gorgeous, you know that?”

She blushed, glancing up at me through her dark lashes. “You’re not too bad yourself, Milton.”

“Thanks,” I murmured, pressing my lips to hers, breathing in the pine and cinnamon scent in her hair that lingered from the party. She opened her mouth to me and I slid my tongue in, tangling it with hers. My hands moved from her face down her body, skimming the soft swell of her breasts. I thumbed her nipple through the soft cotton of her pjs and she responded, hardening under my touch. Taking that as a go, I slid my other hand beneath her shirt, caressing her breasts until she moaned softly into my mouth.

“Nick.”

“Yeah?”

“Get naked.”

“Gladly.” I stripped out of my boxers while Sydney did the same, wiggling out of her pjs and dropping them on the nightstand.

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