Page 53 of Mistletoe & Magic
Finn throws up his hands in mock surrender, still grinning. “Fine, fine. Donuts better be worth this awkwardness when I get back. Text me when Tate and Willa get back. I’ll be in the barn.”
He grabs his coat and heads for the door, whistling under his breath.
As soon as it shuts behind him, Remy groans and buries his face in my neck. “I’m going to kill him.”
I giggle, tugging his shirt to pull him closer. “You won’t. But you can definitely pick up where you left off.”
His answering growl is low and dangerous, and then he’s kissing me again, harder this time, like Finn never existed.
Remy is a beast, and I was right about that. He’s even better than I could have imagined now that he stopped pretending to not like me.
The front door clicks shut behind Finn, and the house is quiet again, except for the sound of Remy’s breath against my throat.
“We should probably talk about things,” I say softly, brushing my fingers through his hair.
He pulls back enough to look at me, still standing between my knees. His hands stay on my hips like he doesn’t want to let me go. “Yeah,” he says, voice rough.
I slide my hands down his hard chest, anchoring myself, because I know this is the moment we figure out what we’re doing.
“This thing between us,” he starts, hesitating. “Ivy, I’m not saying I don’t want this—God, I do—but I have to be careful.”
“Because of Junie,” I say gently.
He nods, shoulders tense. “She’s been through enough. Her mom…” He trails off, pressing his lips together. “Her mom lets her down a lot. I can’t have someone in her life just…walking away. Not again.”
The words hit me in the chest. There’s a flicker of pain in his eyes that tells me this isn’t just about Junie. This is about him, too. He’s the man who has had to pick up the pieces, who’s had to keep it together when someone else broke not only his little girl’s heart, but his, too.
My own heart softens, “Remy,” I whisper, reaching up to cup his face. “I’m not going anywhere. This isn’t a fling for me. You’re not just some guy I’m hooking up with. You and Junie—” My throat catches. “You’re so important to me.”
He exhales slowly, like I’ve just taken some of the weight off his shoulders. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “Are you?”
His mouth curves into the smallest smile, but it’s real, deep, like he feels it all the way through. “Yeah,” he says, his voice low. “I’ve been sure for a while. I just didn’t know if you wanted me the way I wanted you.”
I laugh, shaky with relief. “Remy Bennett, you have no idea.”
He grins then, full, unguarded, and makes my stomach flip. He leans in, brushing his lips over mine once, twice, before kissing me like he can finally breathe again.
“This isn’t going to be casual,” he murmurs against my mouth.
“Good,” I whisper back, winding my arms around his neck.
He kisses me again, slow and sure, sealing it like a promise.
I hurry and get dressed in jeans and a hoodie and then we drink coffee together on the couch, snuggled up under a blanket and sneak glances at each other.
Junie runs in not long after. “We got apple fritters!”
“Ivy’s here now!” she calls back to Willa and Tate who follow Junie, closing the door.
They kick their boots off, and Willa raises her eyebrows at me and mouths, “What isgoing on?”
I give her a look and mouth back to her, “I’ll tell you later.”
Tate looks at us and raises his eyebrows and then smirks.
Okay, so we’re not going to get away with not addressing them. I know it, and Remy knows it based on his facial expression.
