Nate looked like he didn’t know whether to be horrified or delighted.
“She’s definitely leaving with him tonight,” Asher said, clutching his eggnog. “What do you think? Do we approve?”
“Of Nate?” Beckett muttered. “Hell yeah. He’s one of the good ones.”
Lucky’s seemed to get busier by the moment, and before I knew it, Riley and I had found ourselves in a little alcove in the corner of the room.
Sure, we could probably be seen by everyone under normal circumstances. But with the place this packed, it felt like a little moment alone.
Just the two of us.
“Are youtryingto get me alone in a dark corner, Wolfe?” Her voice was teasing, but there was a spark there, an invitation.
“Maybe,” I said, my lips twitching into a half-smile. “Or maybe I just need to escape from watching Colt convince Biscuit that eggnog is his new life’s mission.”
Her laugh was soft, but it warmed me through. “You’re no fun.”
I wasn’t, not when it came to things like this. But for some reason, I was starting to care less.
“Do you think anyone’s watching?” Riley asked, her breath warm against my neck as we stood shoulder to shoulder.
“I don’t care,” I said, my voice low and hushed. “Let them watch.”
Her eyes flickered with that mischievous glint again, and before I could stop myself, she was leaning in closer, brushing her lips against my jawline.
“I think I might be causing a bit of a scene.”
I could feel the heat from her body, the soft pressure of her against me. “Only if the wrong person sees us.”
“I don’t think that will happen. Your sister is very distracted.” She tugged me a little closer. “Plus, I think you might like it.”
“God help me, I do,” I said, my hand instinctively reaching for her waist, leaning into her. She fit perfectly against me, her warmth seeping into me like the firelight outside the windows.
“You’re rocking the moose, you know?” she said, her lips brushing the shell of my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Hmm, and what about the bells?” I added, trying to hide my grin but failing miserably.
She laughed softly, a sound that made my chest tighten.
“I love the bells,” she said, her hand sliding down my arm, grazing my wrist with just enough pressure to make my thoughts scatter.
“I hate them,” I growled. “But for you? I’ll wear anything.”
Her eyes flickered with a mix of amusement and intense heat. “For me, huh?”
Before I could stop her, she reached up, brushing her fingers over my moose covered chest, the absurdity of the sweater only adding to the intensity of the moment.
It felt wrong in all the right ways—this moment, the corner of the bar, the playful teasing. But the way she looked at me, as if she knew exactly how to drive me crazy, made it feel right.
“Do I make you want to do something reckless?” she whispered, her lips brushing mine, her breath mingling with mine.
The answer was as clear as the snow outside.
“Yes,” I murmured.
I reached up and cupped her jaw, my thumb brushing over the smooth skin of her cheek. The heat between us was undeniable, but we were still tucked away in the corner of the bar, surrounded by noise and chaos, but somehow separated from it all.
It felt like a secret, as if we were dancing on the edge of something too good to touch. But I was done pretending I didn’t want it.