Page 6 of Five Mistletoe Moments
Mia closed her eyes and tried to get her heart rate under control. She couldn’t believe what just happened.From kissing. Standing on the beach. The man didn’t play fair. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, the refrain of “I’m a Believer” by Smash Mouth from the movieShrekplayed on repeat.
Chapter 3
Dwight woke up early the next morning and stared down at the woman snuggled into his side. They’d sat on the beach for almost two hours after the kiss and as soon as they got back to the room, Mia excused herself to take a shower then said she was going to bed. He knew she needed time to process because things were happening at warp speed. Being careful not to wake her, he gently disentangled their bodies and eased off the bed.
He pulled on a pair of shorts, grabbed the book he’d brought with him and went out to the balcony to watch the sunrise. As the gray sky exploded in shades of pink and orange, he inhaled deeply, exhaled and repeated the process twice more. Dwight had always been an early riser and enjoyed the peace and quiet of each new day. It gave him time to relax and clear his mind or think things through. Today fell into the latter category. Not for the first time, he’d asked himself whether he was moving too fast with Mia or if this was merely a case of deep attraction and lust. Once again, he dismissed the notions. Dwight didn’t care about the timeframe, only the words spoken in his heart. Mia touched him on every level and he’d be more than happy to show her that he was the man who’d give her everything she wanted, including the fairy tale Christmas wedding.
Dwight sat there for another half hour before deciding to go for a run. He’d forgotten to ask Mia about a fitness center and made a mental note to do it later. Going inside, he placed the book on the nightstand, put on a tank and his running shoes, and scribbled a note telling Mia where he’d gone. Outside, he took a few minutes to stretch and set his watch for thirty minutes before starting a slow jog down the beach near the water’s edge. He kept up the steady rhythm for a while, then increased his pace until he was at a full sprint. When his watched buzzed, he reversed his course and headed back to the room.
Dwight chuckled when he saw that Mia was still asleep. Stripping, he showered, dressed and went out to the balcony to read. He’d been out there a good two hours when he heard the sliding door open. “Morning, sleepyhead,” he said with a smile. The skimpy shorts and cami she wore sent a jolt to his midsection and had him contemplating taking her back to bed and reacquainting himself with every inch of her sexy body.
Mia yawned. “Good morning. How long have you been up?”
“Since six, so about four hours.”
Her eyes widened. “Six? Are you kidding me? We’re on vacation, Dwight.” She shook her head and dropped down on the lounger next to him. “You’ve been reading the whole time?”
“No. I watched the sunrise and went for a run first.”
“I can’t with you,” she said, making a face as if she’d smelled something bad.
Laughing, he replaced the bookmark and set the book aside. “Hey, I didn’t ask you to join me, so that should count for something.”
“It does. It counts for me not having to hurt you if you woke me up.”
She didn’t have a problem speaking her mind and that drew him, as well. The only other woman who had as much spunk, other than his mother and sister, was his sister-in-law. Mia would fit in perfectly with the outspoken women in his family.
“Did you find something for us to do today?”
“Yes. We’re going to do a dolphin experience—getting in the water with them, taking pictures.”
“Oooh, cool. That sounds like fun.”
“They had a swim-with-the-dolphin one, but I went with the other because I didn’t know your comfort level.”
Mia waved a hand. “Yeah, no to the swimming, but I’m good with getting in the water with them.” Her stomach growled. “I guess that means I’m hungry. Did you already eat?”
Dwight shook his head. “I wanted to wait for you.”
She stood. “Okay. Let me get dressed and we can go.”
“Sounds good. Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask if the resort has a fitness center.”
Mia paused at the door. “Yes. There’s a sports club, golf country club and two spas. They’re on a different part of the property and we have to take a shuttle to get there. We can go over after breakfast, depending on when we need to leave.”
“We don’t need to be there until two, so we have plenty of time.”
“Alright. I’ll be out in a few.”
His gaze was riveted to her toned legs as she slipped through the door and it took everything in him not to follow her. It had been hard sleeping next to her and not making love last night, but he wanted her to know there was more to their relationship than great sex. Dwight picked up the book again. Hopefully, he could hold out for at least one more night.
True to her word, it only took Mia a short while to get ready. After they enjoyed a late breakfast at one of the resort’s restaurants, the two hopped on the shuttle. On the way, he continued to marvel that the property also had a mall and grocery store.
“Now this is what I’m talking about,” Dwight said the moment he stepped inside the sports club. The large space had everything he needed for the ultimate workout.
“Come on. There’s more.” Mia grasped his hand and led him outside. “Olympic style lap pool, tennis courts, a basketball court and this pathway,” she pointed, “ leads to a kid’s playhouse and wading pool.”
“This is really nice.”
