Page 50 of Scrooged for the Holidays
“That’s it!” Remi cheers.
“I think I’m doing it!”
“You are, love. Keep going.”
Love. I grit my teeth. Where the hell does he get off calling her that? This whole thing is ridiculous. I should snap my fingers and put Greer in bed, make her think she dreamed up the entire day. But I know Remi would have my head if I messed with his day and Greer’s mind beyond what we’re intended to show her. Moreover, he’s clearly enjoying himself. And while I may be a grumpy asshole, I’m not cruel.
My eyes dart to Remi again. His golden aura glows from his being as he smiles and laughs more than I’ve seen in a very long time. Too long, if I think about it. But while I love seeing his joy, his light, I don’t like how it’s coming out.
It would be one thing if he was simply enjoying the day with Greer as a friend. But he looks at her like he looks at Kai and me, and it’s not okay. If he gets his heart involved, it will only be broken when Greer leaves. I don’t want that for him or Kai.
Turning into a stalker now?
My features flatten as Kai’s voice rings in my head. Before I can respond, I feel his comforting presence at my side.
“I’m not stalking; I’m babysitting,” I respond to him verbally, though I keep my voice down. Remi probably knows I’m here since we can sense each other even if our communications are down, but Greer doesn’t, and I don’t need any attention drawn to me.
Kai guffaws. “That’s what you’re calling it?”
I grit my teeth but don’t respond to his question, pulling him toward me so we’re both covered by the tree.
“I need to keep an eye on them. It’s bad enough that you kissed her already.”
“Correction: She kissed me.”
“That may be so, but you didn’t exactly try to stop it.”
Kai’s eyes stare into mine, the corner of his lips turning up into a boyish grin that borders on wolfish.
“Sam.” He says my name with a curious lilt in his tone. “Are you jealous?”
I glare at the man I’ve called many names over the centuries. Right now, none of them would be sweet or nice. “I don’t get jealous nor is there anything to be jealous of.”
His eyes turn into slits, and his hands come to rest on my shoulders, gripping them. “Come on, leave them be. Greer had a tough night, and she’s enjoying herself.”
“This is not good, Malachi. She shouldn’t be on a date with Remiel. She should be spending today thinking about what you showed her, learning from the lessons until Remi guides her tonight.”
Kai exhales. “Have you considered that maybe this is helping her learn?”
“Learning how to ice skate and flirt is hardly what she should be doing.”
“Sam…” The air around us strains as he drops his forehead to mine, breathing me in as he loves to do. From the day we met, he told me I smell like a winter’s night—earthy with an undertone ofburning cedar wood. The heat of his skin feels nice against mine, and before I can stop myself, I’m gripping his waist.
“You need to relax, baby,” he continues. “Take a page out of Remi’s book, and live in the moment.”
He pulls back to meet my eyes. His are softer now while my gaze remains hard.
“We argued over this already. You know I can’t do that. One of us has to keep a level head and think about the future.”
“But maybe if you tried—”
“It’s not in my nature. And since you and Remi seem to be set on being careless, I have to keep things in order. If that means watching the two of them skate around like idiots and stopping you from kissing her again, that’s what I’ll do.”
“Sounds to me like you’re dead set on being a voyeur, kinky bastard.”
“Malachi,” I chide. “Now is not the time to be immature.”
“I’m not. I’m trying to get you to ease up a bit.”
