Page 21 of Matchmaking Under the Mistletoe

“Tell me about it. Anyway, let me see if I can call in some reinforcements,” I say, picking up my phone and trying a few of our usual volunteers, only to get their voicemails. I send out a few texts too, but no one responds right away. “All righty then, that was a failure, but we can do this. Grab a few strands and we’ll get started. Maybe a couple more will show up later.”

Millie nods and walks over to the truck to grab several boxes of the lights we bought last week in Saddle Ridge while I unload the ladder.

“I was thinking we could start here and work our way down. The Coopers showed me how they usually run the extension cords too, so I’ll go plug the first one in,” Millie suggests, leaving me to start unwrapping the first box of lights.

Once she returns, we grab the ladder, and she pauses for a moment, looking for the best system of draping the trees. “I think if you’ll unroll them, I can stand up here and place them. With your height, you can hand me the ones from the back and hopefully we can be done in a couple hours.”

“Sounds good,” I respond, realizing that setting up over one hundred boxes of lights isn't the biggest challenge of the evening. We’ll be brushing against each other over and over in the dark while I try to keep my hands to myself.Awesome.

After two hours,we’ve managed to make it through half the trees, but we’re both freezing, hungry, and ready to go home.

“I’ve gotta say, I thought winters in Alabama were supposed to be warm,” she says, and I notice her hands have started shaking. “I swear it’s dropped at least twenty degrees since we started.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. We can’t stay out in this cold all night. We’re not exactly dressed for the elements,” I remark, gesturing to our thin sweaters and jeans. “Let’s finish the back of this one, and then I’ll get someone out here to help me tomorrow while you’re setting up at the inn.”

“Are you sure?” she asks, the crinkle of concern in her brow making me want to reach out and smooth it.

Instead, I nod and say, “Of course. Now let’s get this knocked out. I’m starving,” while grabbing another strand of lights and holding it out for her.

She leans to grab it, but as soon as I hand it off, it slips through her fingers, and she reaches for it on instinct. The moment seems like it happens in slow motion as I watch the ladder topple, and Millie falls toward the cold ground. Before I can give myself time to think, I’m grabbing for any part of her that I can reach and pulling her toward me. All I can think about is keeping her from hitting the ground.

“I’ve got ya,” I say as I try to catch her, but in reality, I just manage to break her fall. We tumble down, and she lands on my chest as I wrap my arms around her. Thankfully she was only a few feet off the ground, but the fall is enough to knock the wind out of both of us. We lie there with her on top of me for a moment, both of us breathing hard.

“Oh my gosh, thank you,” she says, as a gust of wind blows a piece of hair into her face.

I reach up and push it back, holding my hand behind her head. It would be so easy to press her mouth to mine in thisscenario. Her lips are still red from the lipstick she applied this morning, and I can already imagine how good they would feel all over me. Her legs are straddling me, and I try to ignore the fact that her center is inches away from my hardening cock.

To my surprise, she shifts toward me, and I wonder if she’s trying to pull herself off me. Instead, she leans in a bit, neither of us taking our eyes off each other until she’s hovering right in over me. My breath catches as she pauses, and I realize she’s waiting for me to stop her.

Ha ha, yeah, right.All I can think about is exploring her body, after all the times over the last week I’ve thought about her. My arm around her back pulls her closer, and I thread my fingers through her hair leading her lips to mine.

She lets out a breathy moan as she shifts against me realizing how hard I am for her, and suddenly we’re pouncing at each other. Our mouths clash, and I groan at the relief of finally feeling her lips against mine. She tastes like the sugar cookies we snacked on earlier at the inn, and her kiss is needy as if she’s wanted this as badly as I have.

Unable to help myself, I wrap my hand around the front of her throat.

As soon as she feels my hand press against her neck, she lets out a moan. Damn, I didn’t expect that reaction but fuck if it doesn’t drive me wild.

Damn, this girl couldn’t be more perfect.

I feel her grind against me as my hand slips under her sweater and I trace my hands up her back, kissing her hard. After a moment, I pull back, starting to kiss down her neck, desperate to feel every part of her.

“Brian? Millie? Y’all still out here?” I hear just as I register the sound of footsteps coming our way.

Immediately, Millie and I break apart and scramble up, just as Will Johnson steps around the tree we were hidden behind.

“Shit man, are y’all okay?” he asks, gesturing to the ladder that’s still on the ground. “I saw your text for help and came by to see if you still needed anything.”

Will’s the football coach for Springside, and while we’ve always gotten along, I’d really like to punch him for interrupting the moment Millie and I were just having. I glance over at her but can’t seem to catch her eye before turning back to Will. “Uhh, oh yeah. We’re good. Millie here just tried to take a tumble, but I caught her. Thank you for coming over. We were just about to call it a night, but if you want to help out, I bet we could get another couple of these trees done.”

“Oh, well, glad you caught her. Hey, Millie, I’m Will. I’ve heard a lot about you over the last week, but it’s nice to meet you in person,” he says, sticking out his hand for her to shake.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you as well,” she says, giving him a smile.

“Sorry, I would have been here sooner, but I didn’t hear my phone until just a few minutes ago. I’m down to help y’all get a few of these knocked out. Put me to work,” Will says, rubbing his hands together.

“Why don’t you take over the ladder duty,” Millie says, bending down and opening another strand of lights. “I’ve had enough heights for today.”

“No problem,” he says, bending down and righting the fallen ladder.

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