Page 29 of Promise Yule Be Mine
Maybe it was magic. I might never know.
"Well," he turned with the shy smile that had made many an appearance tonight and leaned back on the couch. "I had a great teacher."
He looked at me, so close I could feel his breath on my skin and all I could do was watch his lips, plump and inviting and so, so pink.
It was as if time stood still for a minute, an hour, maybe a whole day, imprinting the shape of him into my mind, burning it onto the back of my subconscious, something to haunt me for time immemorial.
"Nah," I finally said, remembering myself. "You're just a natural."
He blinked once, twice, his gaze penetrating the depths of my soul and I could do nothing to stop it. To prevent it, even.
"Thanks," he whispered.
Then, a moment later he sat up and took a deep breath. Wait, was he as taken by me as I was by him?
"More wine?" He reached for the bottle that had only dregs in it at this point.
I shook my head and my soul back to reality and put my hand up. "I…I'd rather have tea to be honest."
He smiled. "How about cocoa?"
"Even better."
He stood and retreated to the kitchen where he started making cocoa while I tidied up the invitations before putting them into tote bags so I could hand-deliver them tomorrow and post the rest.
When he returned, the whole house smelled of warm chocolate. The cup he offered me had a swirl of whipped cream and marshmallows as well as a scattering of M&Ms and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
"Quite the production," I said.
"Jenna and I love cocoa so it's always at hand. Is there a better cure-all?"
Right. Jenna.
Damn it. Why did I keep forgetting about my best friend?
"Thanks," I said and took a sip as he settled on the armchair opposite me as if he was putting distance between us too.
Maybe he'd realized how leery I'd been and was putting an end to it.
God, I hoped not.
"That's so delicious," I said.
"Chocolate always is," he answered and I bit back a retort about one of my brothers who could make even sugar taste crap.
"So…wedding planning, huh?" he said.
I nodded.
"What made you get into it?"
I wrapped my hands around the mug, the heat giving me the wake-up call I needed at this late hour to string two words together.
"I just love love. Always have. I grew up on Disney princesses and rom-coms so when the time came to decide what to do with my life it was the most natural choice."
"That's sweet. I love love too," he said.
His face softened even more, if that was even possible, and he took a sip. When he brought the cup down, there was cream in his mustache. I laughed.
