Page 47 of Mistletoe & Magic
That one quiet admission sends my pulse racing. I let my hand trail down his arm, enjoying the way the muscle jumps under my fingers. "Good."
"Good?" His voice drops lower, almost a warning.
"Yes." I keep my eyes on him, daring him to look away. "Because I have been waiting to do it again.”
His hand slides down my shin under the blanket. His thumb traces slow circles on my skin, light and unhurried, but it makes me shiver, anyway.
"Keep talking like that," he says near my ear, "and I will make you pay for it later."
My laugh is soft but shaky. "Okay."
His fingers tighten slightly before they relax again. "Later."
The single word curls through me like smoke.
Junie giggles at the movie, completely unaware of the electricity sparking between us on the couch. I drag my gaze back to the screen, pretending I am calm, but my heart is racing. His hand stays on my leg, steady and warm, thumb brushing slow and lazy until I can barely remember what we were watching.
And suddenly it feels too hot for a snow day.
Chapter 14
Remy
Ican’t stop thinking about that kiss. It’s been hours, but I can still feel the cold bite of the snow on my face, the way Ivy’s mouth tasted like peppermint, and the way my lips moved to hers without a single thought. I kissed her like I had been starving for years. And maybe I have been.
If Junie hadn’t been there, I am not sure I would have stopped. In fact, when I kissed her, I completely forgot for a moment that my daughter was there. I felt like I couldn’t control it.
I scrub a hand over my face as I close Junie’s bedroom door, slightly ajar the way she likes it. She is out cold, curled up with her stuffed narwhal. The house is quiet except for the low hum of the furnace.
I am about to head for the kitchen when Ivy’s door creaks open. She steps out, barefoot, wearing one of my flannels over a tank top and pajama pants. Her hair is loose, a little messy, and for a second, I just stand there, staring like an idiot.
“You okay?” she asks softly.
“Yeah.” My voice comes out rough. “You?”
She nods and moves toward the living room. “Couldn’t sleep.”
I follow her as if I don’t have a choice. We sit on the couch, a safe distance apart at first, but the space between us feels unbearable.
Then she looks at me like she is reading every thought in my head, and that is all it takes.
I lean in just as she leans into me, and I kiss her. It is nothing like earlier in the snow. This one is hotter, deeper, leaving no room for second-guessing. Her hands fist my shirt, and I pull her closer until she is in my lap.
When I finally break away, I’m breathing hard. “Wait.”
Her eyes are wide with surprise. “Wait?”
“We have to talk about this.” My voice is unsteady.
She nods, biting her lip, and that almost distracts me again. “Okay. Let’s talk faster.”
I lean back, laughing, scrubbing my hands over my face, trying to pull my thoughts together. “I have not been with anyone since Sloane. I thought I was fine with that, but then you kissed me?—”
“You kissed me,” she interrupts, a smile tugging at her lips.
“Fine. I kissed you,” I admit. “And it was like something snapped inside me. I wanted you so badly I didn’t care that Junie was standing twenty feet away. I wanted to kiss you until you forgot your own name.”
She goes quiet, her chest rising and falling as she watches me.
