Page 22 of Once Upon a Holiday Vacation
I couldn't help but laugh at his serious expression. “A plan of attack? East, it's a gingerbread house, not a military operation.”
He shot me a playful glare. “You'll be thanking me when we win this thing.”
As we started assembling our gingerbread walls, I found myself constantly distracted by the little furrow of concentration between his brows, the way he bit his lower lip as he carefully applied frosting. More than once, our hands brushed as we reached for the same piece of candy, sending tingles up my arm.
“You're staring,” Easton murmured, not looking up from his meticulous placement of gumdrops.
I felt heat rush to my cheeks. “Sorry, I just... you look cute when you're focused like that.”
Now it was his turn to blush, a soft pink tinting his cheeks. He glanced up at me, a shy smile playing on his lips. “You're not so bad yourself, you know.”
I felt a warmth spread through my chest at his words. It was still surreal, this new dynamic between us was exhilarating, like discovering a whole new language we'd both secretly known all along.
“Alright, Casanova,” I teased, trying to lighten the moment. “Less flirting, more decorating. We've got a contest to win, remember?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Right, because you're so focused on winning.”
As if to prove his point, I reached for another gumdrop, popping it into my mouth with a grin. “I'm sampling the merchandise. Quality control, you know.”
He rolled his eyes, but I could see the amusement dancing in his eyes. “Quality control, huh? And how many more do you need to 'sample' before you're satisfied?”
I pretended to consider this, tapping my chin thoughtfully. “Oh, at least a dozen more. Maybe two dozen, just to be safe.”
Easton laughed, the sound warming me from the inside out. “At this rate, we'll have nothing left for the actual house.”
I grinned mischievously, reaching for another gumdrop. But before I could pop it in my mouth, his hand darted out, snatching it away.
“Oh no you don't,” he scolded playfully. “These are for decorating, not snacking.”
I pouted, giving him my best pleading look. “Come on. Just one more?”
He shook his head, trying to look stern but failing miserably as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Nope. Not falling for those puppy dog eyes, West.”
As we continued working, our banter flowed easily, punctuated by bursts of laughter. Easton's artistic vision guided us, while my steady hands helped bring it to life. Our creationslowly took shape—a whimsical, lopsided cottage with a roof of colorful candies and icicles made of carefully dripped icing.
“It's perfect,” he declared, adjusting his glasses as he surveyed our work.
I grinned, reaching out to dab a spot of frosting on his nose. “Just like you.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Easton's hazel eyes met mine, wide with surprise.
“West...” he began, voice soft.
But before he could finish, the contest judge appeared at our table, clipboard in hand. “Oh my, what a delightful creation!” she exclaimed.
As she examined our gingerbread house, I found myself hyper-aware of Easton's presence beside me. The warmth of his arm against mine, the faint scent of his shampoo.
“You two make quite the team,” the judge remarked with a knowing smile.
Easton ducked his head shyly, but I felt a surge of pride. “We always have,” I replied, draping an arm around his shoulders.
The touch lingered, and I marveled at how natural it felt to hold him this way. As we waited for the final results, I found myself stealing glances at him, drawn to the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, the quiet joy radiating from him.
I'd seen Easton happy before, of course. But never quite like this. And I realized, with a jolt of clarity, that I wanted to be the reason for that happiness. Always.
After winning the gingerbread house contest, we decided to spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool. I made sure to stay close to Easton this time just in case Tanner the asshole came by with anymore of his flirty little ideas.
Dinner was another lavish spread including glazed ham, grilled pork chops, sweet potato casserole, and roasted vegetables followed by a triple chocolate cake.
