Page 51 of Vixen's Guide to Christmas
I stop moving, and my knees nearly give out as he starts walking over to me. He’s wearing black suit with a white button-down shirt. As I get closer, I realize he’s wearing a Christmas tie that’s just enough fun to be playful, but not take away from the sleekness of his look. His beard has the perfect amount of scruff,his hair is styled perfectly, and I can smell his cologne as he draws closer.
“You look…” He doesn't have the words. Which I get, because neither do I.
“I could say the same thing.”
Neither of us are moving, both locked into this forcefield we’ve fallen into. I know he’s being a gentleman. His hands are balled at his sides, fists tight to keep from touching me.
And then there’s me…trying to figure out how to put together the words to say that I’m here. That I want to try; I just don’t know how. I know he’s not going to turn me away or reject me. Between the words he’s said last night and today, combined with the look of absolute yearning in his eyes, I know the answer. Yet, that doesn’t make me less nervous. There's something about putting yourself out there that can scare the most confident woman into submission. Even one wearing a slutty Santa dress.
No, Kat. This is why you wore this dress. This is why you wore the black lingerie. Why the red lip is red lipping. No more being scared. No more living in the past.
I reach for his hands, wrapping his fists around my fingers. When he realizes what I’m doing, his eyes are back on me, and his smile? Instant and bright. The Christmas lights in the lobby have nothing on him right now.
“We have a lot to talk about,” I say, rubbing my thumb over his knuckles. “But I have a question for you first.”
“Anything.”
I step a little closer, our fingers now laced together. “Since you asked me for a drink, I was wondering when that was over, if you’d be my date to a Christmas party. I have on good authority there will be trivia involved.”
He laughs and pulls me in, his lips finding my forehead. I know it’s not the kiss I’m craving, but God, do his lips feel good against my skin.
“I’d be honored,” he says as he let’s go of my hand, but only so he can put his on the small of my back. “I hear the bar makes a hell of an Old Fashioned.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“And your winners of tonight’s Christmas trivia are…Claus Deep!”
I jump up from my seat, celebrating like that announcement was new information. It’s not. We’ve been winning since round one, and frankly, when the hardest question of the night was about Linus’s monologue inA Charlie Brown Christmas, I knew we had it in the bag.
Don’t fuck with me on The Peanuts.
“Congratulations!” Declan announces on his microphone, bringing us over a prize basket. “Now, we’re going to take a break from the games for a few minutes. Please, enjoy the food and desserts. And don’t be afraid to turn this space into a dance floor if you so desire. Enjoy.”
There’s faint applause from the room, but that’s not an indicator of how this night is going. Declan and Howard are nailing this. If this is what they can do with a spur-of-the-moment event, then they are going to knock Declan’s vision for the Timberline out of the water.
“Well done, partner,” Grayson says. “We make quite a team.”
“That we do.” I say as I nudge his shoulder. One that’s been inches away from me all night.
I know teasing and foreplay are necessary parts of the sexual experience, but my God, this has been torture. Especially when Grayson was spending most of the night tracing small circles onmy thigh. If he wasn’t doing that, he had his arm around me, or was holding my hand.
But has he kissed me yet? Absolutely not. I didn’t know you could actually die from anticipation, but here I am, on life support.
I mean, I probably deserve this. This is my punishment from God, Santa, and Frosty the Snowman himself for not having my head out of my ass sooner. I know the payoff is going to be worth it, but holy shit, is it payday yet?
“Are you okay if I step away for a second?” he asks.
“Of course. I actually wanted to go grab another drink and some cookies. Want me to grab you anything?”
He shakes his head before leaning into me. “One more drink. Then we’re leaving. And then we’re going to go upstairs so I can fuck you in that dress. And maybe those shoes. Sound good?”
Goosebumps instantly form on every inch of my body, with his words and his breath next to my ear.
“Yes.”
My word is a whisper as his lips are still just centimeters from my cheek. I still, waiting to feel his lips on my cheek, but instead, he just walks away.
Bastard.
