Page 16 of Scrooged for the Holidays
“Maybe I’ll just go to the inn and use their Wi-Fi,” I say.
He smirks. “Their internet is out.”
“You’re not serious.” I feel as if cold water has been dumped on my head. No internet? What the hell am I supposed to do?
“I am. The owner, Remi, has been meaning to get it fixed, but it’s not yet.”
I search his eyes and don’t detect a lie in them. I think of my email, of the documents I wanted to look through. I really do want the bar’s Wi-Fi password, more likeneedit.
I smile back at him with hooded eyes. Flirting a bit more could help my case along with the game. Plus, it’s fun. And when was the last time I had any of that?
“Okay, I’ll play.”
Kai raps his knuckles on the counter before he takes a clean glass and fills it with whiskey. He sips the amber liquid, the color of it matching his mischievous eyes. The column of his throat works as he swallows it down, and goddammit that should not be so hot, but it is.
I shift on the barstool from the arousal that zips straight to my core. When he takes extra care to swipe his tongue over his lips before setting his glass down, I know he did it on purpose, flirting back with me.
“What’ll it be, Greer, truth or dare?”
The sexy lilt in his tone makes my skin buzz as if there are a million fireflies attempting to break free from beneath the surface.
“Truth.”
He doesn’t twitch or blink. Instead, he smiles as if he knew that’s what I’d choose.
“What brought you to Elysian Pines?”
I nearly exhale a sigh of relief. Glad he didn’t go for some hard-hitting question. “I needed to take care of some work in Garland. Somehow, I got turned around in the storm and ended up here. Speaking of, I’ve never heard of this place, let alone seen it on my GPS before in my trips to Garland.”
“We’re off the beaten path.”
I think of how I never turned off the main road I came in on, that this place seemingly appeared out of nowhere. But in the end, it doesn’t matter. I got out of the storm, and according to Kai, the inn has rooms open. Maybe tomorrow, I can take a look around and see if Northlight could look into purchasing some buildings. We could turn this town into the next charming ski town like Garland.
“That you are,” I answer him, picking up a couple of fries. I bite into them, the flavor of truffle and garlic exploding on my tastebuds. I moan at the earthy, sharp taste, and Kai shifts on his feet.
“Sorry, these are really good.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you like them.”
“Give your chef my compliments,” I say before stuffing a few more in my mouth, pretty ungracefully, I might add. Princess, my ass.
I eat another fry; those first few bites reminded me how hungry I am. After I clear a few more and take a couple bites of Caesar salad while Kai silently sips his whiskey, I realize it’s my turn to ask the question.
“Truth or dare?”
He sets his glass down. “Truth.”
Is it bad that I was hoping he would say dare? An itching feeling under my skin wants me to ask him to kiss me. It would be silly—stupid, really—and so blatantly middle-school girl behavior I can hardly stand it. But it’s there in my mind regardless. And the urge becomes stronger the longer he stands there.
Then it occurs to me: If I do lean into my silly yet overwhelming urge and dare him to kiss me, I need to know something first. “That man that was here before.” My eyes flash to the empty whiskey tumbler a few seats down. “Was that your boyfriend?”
His shoulders straighten before he tucks his long hair behind his ear. For a heated second, I wonder if that was too personal, but I’ve never been afraid to ask any type of questions before, personal or not.
“It’s complicated,” he says.
“Tell me the truth.”
Kai leans on the bar, and I naturally draw forward, like I’m a magnet that’s pulled to him.
