Page 44 of A Very Titan Christmas
“Probably shouldn’t have done that.” He rested his palm on her cheek and rolled his thumb over her kiss-swollen lips. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
His hand dropped away.
She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and then released it. “Yeah, seemed like.” She straightened her shoulders. “So, we… got that out of our system.”
He nodded at yet another huge fuckin’ lie. He took another step back. “Yup.”
“I’ll pass along the ugly sweater theme for the cookies. That’s really a great one, and I’ll, um, call you tomorrow.”
He grabbed her hand, pulled her close again, and kissed her lips because he hadn’t had nearly enough to get her out of his system. He let her go as quickly as he’d pulled her close.
“Maybenowit’s out of my system.” Another fuckin’ lie. He opened the door that he’d had her pressed against. “Night, babe.”
The deadbolt clicked.
Bryce drove back to the cabin, and the rest of the night unfolded as he’d predicted. He sat on the couch, pizza on a paper plate, the movieElfplaying on the big screen, a hundred thoughts of what he would rather be doing running rampant through his mind.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Rachel had gottenno work done after Bryce kissed her into another universe. She stuck with the plan for a cereal dinner and streamed Christmas movies. It seemed as if every one of them centered on a love story until she foundHome Alone. When she was through watching those hijinks, her mind returned to Bryce, so Rachel had dove intoDie Hard.Die Hardwas a Christmas movie. That was a hill she was willing to die on.
No writing last night meant that for most of today, she needed to stay at her cabin—with plenty of space between herself and Bryce—and write. She lost herself in the words and actually impressed herself with the photographs she’d taken on her trip thus far. The little town that she’d grown up in, that she had grown accustomed to, was coming alive with an energy that made her believe in Christmas magic.
The alarm on her phone buzzed. She’d allowed herself only a minimum amount of time to get ready for dinner with Bryce at her parents’ house so she did not go into a lovestruck—crush-struck—tailspin.
Reigniting love wasn’t as simple as adding a kiss.
That would be ridiculous.
Then again, much around her was ridiculous. Her mother. That kiss.
Seriously.That kiss. On what planet was a first kiss, more or less, like that allowed? Because he’d scorched her to pieces, left her panting, and wanting so much more.
The knock sounded on her cabin door. “Shit.” Stealing a last look in the bathroom mirror, she fluffed her half-straight, half-wavy mess of hair and hustled to answer the door.
Bryce wore a thick wool jacket, a change from the parka he’d been wearing all week. Under that was a cashmere sweater and dark jeans. His boots also weren’t the ones he’d been wearing all week. He looked like he’d stepped out of a fashion catalog that had been birthed of an orgy among J. Crew, L.L. Bean, and GQ. Rugged. Handsome. Sexy without trying.
She needed to change. Needed lipstick, at the very least.
Holy snow gods.
“Give me a minute.” She left the door open and rushed into her loft.
As quickly as she could, Rachel ditched her flats and switched the stylish-but-not-date-appropriate wide-leg jeans, opting for ones that matched his level of dress. She abandoned the oversized cardigan and reemerged in dateworthy attire.
Even though this was dinner with her parents.
The tall brown boots that zipped their way up her calves and a scarf she’d purchased at the marketplace completed the look.
“I didn’t know a woman could get dressed that fast.” He crossed his arms as though to keep them away from her and leaned against the exposed wood wall. “I should have called before I was on my way.”
He didn’t realize that she had already dressed for dinner and this was round two. At least she was good at pretending about some things. “Yup. Just let me go swipe on some lipstick.” She popped into the bathroom, added the color, and fluffed her hair for good measure. All the fussing wouldn’t change a thing if she didn’t bother with hair products. The smell bothered her, so this was the hair she was left with.
Bryce strode to her. “You look great.”
Her heart hammered in her chest. He wouldn’t kiss a woman wearing fresh lipstick, would he? Did she want him to?
He brushed her hair back then tilted his head toward the scarf she’d thrown on the table. “Is that the one you got the other day?”
