Page 5 of Mountain Man's Christmas Gift
3
CAMILLA
I’d never seen anything as charming as the Wildwood Valley Inn decorated for Christmas.
I’d lived twenty minutes from this town all my life, but we’d only blasted past the inn on our way up to the mountains. Being inside, especially when it was decked out for the holidays, was next level.
After grabbing a cup of eggnog, I hid out in the corner, watching the crowd wander around and hoping to stay invisible. I was exhausted from a day of talking to people, and although I should be networking, I just wanted to chill.
But the second I spotted Keaton, passing under the mistletoe hanging from the door to the banquet room, I perked up. My heart accelerated and my body felt warm. Yeah, I definitely wanted to “network” with this guy.
He scanned the room, and when his eyes found mine, that slow smile spread across his face. The same one that had been making my knees weak all day. He made his way through the crowd, stopping to nod at people but never breaking eye contact with me.
“Hey,” he said when he finally reached my corner.
“Hey yourself.” I took a sip of eggnog, trying to look casual despite the fact that my pulse was doing interesting things. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Couldn’t miss the wrap party. Especially when I heard there’d be good company.”
“Mmm. And have you found any?”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “I’m looking at her.”
God, he was charming when he wanted to be. “That’s a smooth line, mountain man.”
“It’s not a line if it’s true.”
We stood there for a moment, the party continuing around us, but it was as if we were in our own little bubble again. It had felt the same way at the booth earlier, before the crowd died down and Keaton had been called away to help with something else. I’d spent the rest of the afternoon trying not to think about how much I wanted to see him again…and failing miserably.
“Have you eaten?” he asked, glancing at my nearly empty eggnog cup.
“No, not yet. I didn’t want to try to balance a plate and this drink.” I held up the eggnog. “Plus, alcohol is more important than food at an event like this.”
“Smart priorities.” He chuckled. “How about I grab plates for both of us, and we find somewhere we can actually sit and eat? Away from…” He gestured at the crowded room.
“Away from all the people?”
“Exactly.”
I considered this. Spending more time alone with Keaton sounded like the best idea I’d heard all week. Allyear.
“Okay,” I said. “But I get to keep the eggnog.”
“Deal.”
A few minutes later, we left the banquet room with plates loaded with finger foods and holiday sweets. Keaton hadsomehow managed to grab another cup of eggnog for me, along with a beer for himself.
“Where are we going?” I asked as we approached the elevators.
“Up.” He pressed the button. “Trust me.”
The elevator doors opened and we stepped inside. The space felt smaller with both of us in it, and I was acutely aware of how good he smelled—like pine and something uniquely him.
“Second floor,” he said, hitting the button.
When the doors opened, he led me through the halls until we found the privacy we were looking for—a small alcove with vending machines and a large ice machine.
Keaton settled onto the floor and leaned against the wall. “Perfect.”
