Page 8 of Stocking Stuffers
“We’d be sharing a bathroom,” he told Sasha, so she wouldn’t be surprised.
Her eyes got big. “Cozy.”
“Hey,” he whispered, trying to cut Valerie, his nosy sister, out of the conversation. “If that makes you uncomfortable, I understand. I can sleep on Valerie’s sofa.”
“Pshh.It’s fine, hot stuff. Told you I wasn’t shy.” This time Sasha reached for his arm, placing a reassuring hand on him. He couldn’t help but lean into her touch, and she watched his face without wavering, a flash of heat in her eyes.
Valerie cackled. “Okay,thattension is thick as fruitcake, just saying!”
Perry closed his eyes and prayed for the icy ground to open up and swallow him whole. Sometimes older sisters sucked.
Sasha snorted a laugh before stomping her feet, like she was trying to keep warm. Her shoes were shiny black pumps, and his brain split in two trying to decide if he loved the way they made her legs appear miles long or if he was worried about her toes and frostbite.
She must have followed his gaze, because she said, “Inappropriate footwear. Name of my memoir.”
“They look nice, at least.” They looked more than nice.Sexy.
“Cold, though.”
“I bet.”
“What do you think? You okay staying here until the blizzard passes?” he asked.
“That could be days, right? Wasn’t that the forecast? It wasn’t supposed to hit until tomorrow morning, though.”
“Weathermen are crooks,” Perry said with a smile. “Let’s get you inside. You’re trembling.” He retrieved her sex-toy bags, which scrambled his brain a bit with lust, before they walked inside together.
“I don’t have any extra clothes. Or a toothbrush.” She lifted an unsteady hand to her forehead. “I’m sorry. I feel so unprepared.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ll loan you some comfy stuff,” Valerie said. “And we have any type of toiletry you’ll need. Lucky you got snowed in at a bed and breakfast. Hospitality is kind of my thing.”
Perry and Valerie led Sasha up the stairs to the Blue Spruce Room. When he opened the door for her, she stumbled back into him.
“Yikes.”
He peeked around her to see what had spooked her, but nothing was out of the ordinary.
“What’s wrong?” Valerie asked.
Sasha seemed to shake it off. “Oh, nothing. Wasn’t expecting it to be so … seasonal, that’s all.”
Valerie and Perry glanced at each other and laughed. Winterberry Inn had been in their family for three generations. It wasknownfor its Christmas charm. During the other seasons, Valerie toned it down, but winter was in their blood, literally.
“You can blame our grandfather for that,” Perry said. “He set the precedent of a Christmas tree in every room back when party lines and rotary phones were a thing.”
Valerie squeezed Sasha’s shoulders gently. “I’m going to go grab you pajamas. Perry can show you around in the meantime.”
“Cool, cool, cool,” Sasha whispered under her breath. She rolled her bags into the Blue Spruce Room. “Ah, Christmas lights on the four-post bed. Neat. And berry swag around the window—okie dokie. I see there are glittery pinecones on my bedside table. That’s … something.”
“Oh my God. You hate Christmas!” Perry leaned against the doorjamb and grinned.
“I do not!” She whipped around and stared at him. “Okay. That’s a lie. I despise it. And it’s like Christmas afterbirth in this place.”
“Gross.”
“I agree.”
They smiled at each other before Perry had to shake himself. He could stare at her all night. She was gorgeous.
