Page 71 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
“We can’t stay in bed all day. Besides, we have a mission to complete.”
“That we do. And I couldn’t think of a better way to start the day.”
Bracing himself over me, he brought his mouth to mine in a luxurious kiss. No longer a kiss of hunger, it was slow and deep. A kiss of contentment, with the promise of more to come.
I got up and dressed while he playfully tried to stop me from putting my clothes back on. After untangling myself from him one last time, I stepped out into the snowy daylight and went over to my house.
Nina stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing out dishes. As soon as I stepped inside, her face lit up with an excited smile. “Oh my god, you’re just coming home?” Her voice was just shy of a squeal. “I didn’t even realize you weren’t in the house. You slept over? Tell me everything.”
With a dramatic exhale, I gestured for her to follow me. I went to the living room and sank onto the couch. “I don’t even know what’s happening.”
She sat next to me. “Please tell me he’s not all show, and it was the best night of your life.”
“Oh, it was absolutely the best night of my life. No contest.”
“I’m so happy for you. I knew this was a good idea.”
I leaned back against the cushion. “Except he ruined me. I’m surprised I can walk.”
“Okay, now you’re making me jealous.”
“Sorry,” I said with a laugh. “Don’t worry, you and I both know this isn’t going to last.”
“You don’t know that.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Yes, I do. You heard him say he’s not the type to settle down.”
“Come on, Natalie. You never know.”
“It’s okay. I know what this is. It’s a fling. A Christmas fling. I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. It’s just like the holidays. There’s all this fun and anticipation, and before you know it, it’s January, the holidays are over, and we’re back to hanging on until spring.”
“Is it an older sister trait to be so reasonable? Because I’d be fantasy shopping for a wedding dress.”
“Probably.” I rubbed my hands up and down my face. “I need to get back to real life.”
“Speaking of, I have good news and bad news.”
“What’s the bad news?”
“Deputy Haven stopped by a little while ago.”
“Garrett Haven?”
She nodded. “He’s so nice. Anyway, he said your car is probably totaled. He asked his brother to look at it to make sure, and he agrees.”
I groaned. “What’s the good news?”
“He brought your phone.” She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to me. “He found it on the floor and figured you probably needed it, so he brought it by since he was out on patrol.”
“Wow. That was nice of him.”
“Told you, super nice guy.”
I opened my phone to check my messages. I had missed calls from Jensen, but I knew about those, and there wasn’t anything about the strike. As much as I wanted it to end for everyone’s sake, I was glad I didn’t have to worry about pulling a twelve-hour shift that night.
“Do you have to work today?” I asked.
“No, I’m off today, so I’ll pick up Annabel.” She paused. “It sure was nice of Jensen to take you to pick her up yesterday.”
