Page 16 of The Mistletoe Promise

I press my lips together to stop laughing. Christ, her dad’s only five years older than I am. He’s not fucking old.

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out," I say, unable to hide my smile. Her enthusiasm is contagious.

Amanda beams at me, her eyes sparkling. "I'm excited about this, Frankie. It's been a while since I've had a project to sink my teeth into."

I nod, feeling a mix of pride and desire. She’s so fucking gorgeous, not being able to hold her is killing me. "You're going to do great, Kitten. Just remember, I'm here if you need anything."

She stands up, still wearing my shirt, and comes around the table. Before I know what's happening, she's wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispers against my neck.

I freeze for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden closeness, before slowly bringing my arms up to return the embrace. She feels so small and warm against me, and I have to resist the urge to pull her closer.

"Anytime," I murmur, echoing my words from earlier.

She pulls back slightly, her face mere inches from mine. For a moment, I think she might kiss me, and I'm shocked by how much I want her to. But then she steps away, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

"I should probably get dressed," she says, gesturing to my shirt. "I've got a lot of calls to make."

I clear my throat, trying to shake off the lingering effects of her nearness. "Right, of course.” I reach into my pocket and pullout my wallet. “Use this for everything you purchase,” I tell her as I hand her my credit card.

She beams. “Will do,” she reaches for the card and snatches it out of my hand, bouncing on her toes as she does. Which draws my attention to her breasts which are bouncing with her. Fuck. I need to get out of here, I need to get home, get changed, and get to work.

I watch as Amanda bounces away, my shirt barely covering her ass. I have to force myself to look away, reminding myself that she's not mine to ogle. She's been through hell, and the last thing she needs is me complicating things further.

As I hear the shower start up, I begin cleaning up the kitchen, trying to focus on anything but the image of her naked and wet just a few rooms away. I'm just finishing up when she emerges, dressed in her own clothes this time, hair damp and curling around her face.

I quickly move past her and reach for the shirt that she discarded, it’s still warm as I put it on. Fuck, I really do need to get the hell out of here.

"I'm heading out," I tell her, grabbing my keys. "You sure you're okay here?"

She nods, her gaze firmly on me. "Absolutely. I've got this under control. Thank you so much for everything."

“My pleasure, Kitten.” I hesitate at the door, not wanting to leave her alone after everything that happened last night. "You'll call if you need anything, right?"

Amanda looks up, her expression softening. "I promise, Frankie. Now go."

With a final nod, I head out, my mind already racing with thoughts of the day ahead. But as I drive home, I can't shake the feeling that something has shifted between us. The way she looked at me this morning, the way it felt to hold her...

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I can't go down that road. Amanda has made it clear that she doesn’t want more. I won’t push her, because if I do, I could end up losing her completely.

NINE

AMANDA

“Do I even want to ask?” Frankie questions with a raised brow. “It’s been a week, Mandy, and you’ve already got the tree set up. How did you manage to get the town to agree to have it set up in the park?”

I laugh. "Let's just say I have my ways.”

Frankie shakes his head, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face. "Should I be worried about the police showing up at my door?"

"Oh, please," I scoff, waving a dismissive hand. "Give me some credit. It was all perfectly legal... mostly."

Frankie's eyes narrow suspiciously. "Mostly?"

I grin, unable to contain my excitement. "Okay, so maybe I had to call in a few favors. And perhaps I mentioned to the mayor how lovely it would be if the local press covered the early holiday spirit in our little town. You know, boost tourism and all that."

"Mandy," Frankie groans. "You didn't."

"I did," I say proudly. "And it worked like a charm. The tree's up, the lights are twinkling, and I even got them to agree to a small Christmas market around it. Just wait, the children from Hope For The Holidays are going to have so much fun."

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