Page 55 of Charlie Takes a Chance

“Watch what you’re doing there, sonny,” he barks at me.

Zane and Charlie beat me there. Zane points at the mistletoe above them. Charlie looks up in surprise and laughs, shaking her head.

Zane leans in and says something to her that I can’t hear over the music. He takes a half step towards Charlie, and I wait for her to flee the scene.

She doesn’t. In fact, she just stands there talking to him. Zane takes another half-step toward her, and their boots touch each other. I should turn around and leave the room and not make a scene. I have no right to make a ruckus. I have no claim on Charlie; she’s said nothing to make me think she is interested in me.

But that doesn’t stop me from stepping directly between them, catching Charlie’s elbows and bumping Zane out of the way with my entire body.

Charlie grasps two fistfuls of the front of my shirt to keep from falling.

“What the heck, Max?” She scowls at me. Her brows scrunch together, making that deep wrinkle in her forehead. It’s adorable.

“If you want to go under the mistletoe with someone, it’s not going to be Zane.”

Her eyes narrow at that. “Fine, then I’ll pick someone else.”

“Someone’s already standing here. You don’t have to find anyone else.”

Charlie jabs a finger at my chest. “Max, I’m halfway scared if I kiss you under the mistletoe that you’ll bite me.”

“I only bite if asked.”

Charlie’s eyebrows shoot up and then she calls my bluff. “If you keep standing here, I’m going to kiss you square on the mouth.” She scrunches her eyebrows together like she’s just threatened me with something worse than death.

“Dare you to,” I manage to croak out. I might not live to regret this.

“I always take a bet,” she grumbles. Then Charlie pulls me close and leans up on her tiptoes. I can feel her thighs press against mine, and her hands tighten on my shirt to keep her balance. I push my cowboy hat back and lean down to meet her. She presses a slow, closed-mouth kiss against my lips. Her eyes are wide open as she slides a hand up my chest, her fingers trailing along my neck until they rest on my cheek.

She blinks slowly as she begins to move her lips. I suck on her top lip as she stands on her tiptoes.

I take a moment to slide my arms around her waist, enjoying the feeling of holding her close. Her lean body fits against mine perfectly. Her body bends and curves to meet mine.

As far as kisses go, it’s a chaste one. My thoughts? Not so much. Because having Charlie Baxter kiss me is the equivalent of setting me on fire. Every nerve is at attention. My arms are tingling where they’re wrapped around Charlie. My entire body is burning for her. A quick press of her lips and I’m a wreck.

She steps back, and I release her immediately. She looks at me with a surprised look on her face, then says, “Oh.”

Someone whistles in the crowd, and Charlie musters up a shaky smile and turns to bow to the few onlookers who noticedthe exchange. I’m not that composed. I spin on my heel and walk away.

“That was really subtle,” Zane says quietly as I walk past him. I stop abruptly and turn to face him. Ready to see him angry that I used my body to push him out of the way.

Instead, I’m faced with a lazy grin. Zane holds a hand up in the air. “I didn’t know you two had a thing going on. She didn’t say anything.”

“We don’t have a thing going on,” I reply quickly.

Zane whistles quietly. “Could have fooled me.”

I scoff. “She doesn’t live here. It’s not going to go anywhere.”

Zane shrugs. “That’s too bad. I like her. I thought she had the potential to help me beat my dad on the bet.”

I relax at that. Charlie was the nearest single person for him to grab, it was nothing personal.

“You’re looking too hard for that.” I glance over my shoulder and spot Bliss next to her mom. She’s smirking at us. “Bliss is single.”

Zane’s eyes widen at that. “Bliss Jefferson?”

“Sure. As long as you stay away from Charlie,” I say with a friendly grin. But I mean it.

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