Page 128 of The Holiday Hate-Off
“They’re awful,” he says with a teasing grin. “Much sweeter than ours. Nonna Francesca will be pleased that her cappuccinos remain undefeated.”
“And the box?” I ask, edging even closer, my shirt brushing off his sweater.
“The whoopie pies Audrey is making for Hidden Italy. I thought you’d want a taste.”
“You say that like it’s dirty talk,” I tell him, my own voice lower and throatier than usual.
“It can be,” he says, angling his head for a better look at me. “But that’s not why I’m here. I came to bring you breakfast and to look at what you’re working on, if you’ll let me.”
He surprises me by smiling sheepishly. “No, that’s not entirely true. I came over because I wanted to see you.”
“You’re being disarmingly honest with me today,” I say,taking hold of the collar of his sweater and pulling him a little closer. “It’s making me very suspicious.”
“What was your challenge from Eileen today?”
I hesitate, knowing what he’ll say. “Do something unexpected.It’s very vague.”
“Perfect,” he says with a grin. “Do you want to do the Santa Fun Run with me on Saturday? And caroling? My brother Nico’s getting immortalized in ice, too, so we won’t want to miss seeing that.”
I force a laugh. “You don’t want to do all of that, Enzo, and you don’t need to. You’ve already gotten into my pants, and you can get into them again right now if you play your cards right.”
“I don’t want to play cards this time,” he says. “And no, I’d never, in a million years, go caroling by myself, but I think I’d like to do it with you. Something tells me you sing like an angel.”
My heart thumps hard in my chest. “I’m extremely tone-deaf.”
“Who says angels aren’t?”
A smile tries to form on my mouth. “I also run very slowly.”
“But I’ll bet you do it with determination, don’t you?”
“I do,” I say, feeling heat in my eyes, which is ridiculous. I don’t cry easily, especially not over someone offering to do holiday activities with me. But it feels like he’s offering more than that.
“Then we’ll run together, Lucia.”
“You probably run like the wind.”
He grins. “Thank you for the vote of confidence, and yes, I do. But I’d still prefer to run with you. We can go for broke and run in the woolen sock race on Sunday too. I hoped you might allow me to read to the kids at the library with you too. Eileen told me you’d signed up.”
That’s it. That’s the moment I feel the last of those cracked walls falling away from my heart.
I lean in and kiss him, tasting the Frenemy cappuccino on his lips. He’s delicious, but I’m conflicted. Because I’m doing exactly what I’d promised myself never to do. I’m letting him matter, and he’s going to leave me…
Men like that always leave, Lucy.
I pull back, swallowing hard. “We can’t do this. You’re going back to New York.”
“Is that a command?”
“It’s a statement of reality. Besides, you wanted a no-strings arrangement that wouldn’t land you in Lady Lovewatch, and we’ve already been in there twice.”
“So you’ve seen the new one,” he says. “I asked Eileen if she was the author, but she claims it isn’t her. It’s another mystery of Hideaway Harbor, I guess, just like our elf.”
“You’re not upset that we’re in the column again?” I ask in disbelief.
“No, it turns out I like having my name linked to yours.” He pauses, eyes on mine. “I don’t know if I’m staying. I don’t know if I have it in me to stay, after everything. But I want to explore the possibility. Idefinitelywant to explore what’s happening between us.”
“Are we really doing the fun run?”
