Page 25 of Sleighing You
“Let’s find time tomorrow to chat about the board meeting? I can help you prepare then?”Shit.I was making it sound like she needed my help, and she most certainly didn’t. I squeezed my eyes shut briefly before clarifying my intention. “Not that youneedmy help. I know you’re fully capable of putting together your presentation. But I just want to offer a hand since I know the group—”
“Chris.” She slid her hand over my forearm. Though we had touched before over the last two days, it hadn’t been like this. There was an intimacy to the way her palm cupped my arm… the way her thumb drew small circles over the cashmere of my jacket sleeve. Even the simple way she said my name ignited a fire in my gut; a swirling lustful heat that churned through my body. I glanced up slowly, making eye contact with her and… was it just me or did her face look flushed with desire, too?
A loud noise banged against the door. We both flinched away from each other, and Avery spun around to discover Ed, still dressed as an elf, nose pressed against the glass door peeking inside.
“Hello? Anyone still in there? I’ve got your empty cookie tray! You’ll need it to refill for tomorrow!”
The absence of her touch shivered through me, and I wasn’t sure what to make of that. I’d gone nearly thirty years without Avery Pinkerton’s touch… why was it that now I couldn’t even imagine spending the night away from her?
Avery let out a sigh and gave me an exacerbated eye roll before she crossed over to unlock the door for Ed.
Dammit, Ed.That old bastard was ruining this week for me in more ways than one.
