Page 63 of Shut Up and Jingle Me
Like I belong there.
Perfectly normal.
I slide onto the bench, shoulders stiff, trying not to lean into Eli even though he’s right there, close enough that his knee brushes mine. He smells like peppermint and sugar, like he always does, and I tell myself it’s fine. It’s normal.
Eli glances at me, eyes bright, and says, “Didn’t think the Grinch did diners. Too much cheer in one place, right?”
My jaw tightens. “Just came for the food.”
“Sure you did.” His grin is pure trouble, blue eyes dancing as he tips his straw between his teeth. “Bet you’ll order black coffee too. He always does,” he adds, loud enough for the table, though his gaze flicks to mine as though it’s meant only for me.
Todd chuckles, shaking his head. “Figures.”
Daniel, though—Daniel tilts his head, studying Eli with a look that lingers a second too long. Then his eyes flick to me. Not accusing, not obvious, but sharp. Like he’s clocking something the others haven’t.
I force a shrug, reaching for a menu I don’t need. “Black coffee doesn’t lie.”
“Neither do peppermint lattes,” Eli shoots back, all innocent-like, but I can feel the heat in it, the deliberate nudge meant to test me.
My hand tightens around the menu. Under the table, his knee presses lightly into mine, a subtle reminder that he knows exactly what he’s doing.
And from the corner of my eye, I catch Daniel’s faint smirk—like he knows too.
I force my tone flat, clipped. “Peppermint lattes are just sugar with a caffeine complex. Not real coffee.”
Eli gasps, one hand to his chest like I just insulted his mom. “Blasphemy. You wound me, Calder. Truly.”
Daniel hides a grin behind his glass, like he’s enjoying the show way too much. Todd and Peter are already arguing about who has the best fries on campus, oblivious.
I keep my eyes locked on the menu, jaw set, but then Eli leans in, voice pitched low enough that only I catch it. “Guess that explains why you’re so grumpy. No sweetness in your system. We should fix that.”
My grip on the menu falters, the corner digging into my palm. Against my better judgment, I glance at him—and damn it, he’s beaming at me, blue eyes alive with mischief.
The slip up comes before I can stop it. The corner of my mouth twitches upward. Barely there, quick as a spark, but I know Daniel sees it.
His brows lift a fraction. He doesn’t say a word, but the look he gives me is enough:Got you.
I shove the menu back onto the table, muttering, “You’re ridiculous,” but the damage is already done.
Because Eli’s grin only widens at the half hearted insult that he knows is my love language, and I can’t quite smother mine fast enough.
TWENTY-THREE
ELI
The moment it happens,my heart stumbles. Max Calder—Mr. Black Coffee, Mr. Scowl—actually grins back at me. Not a huff, not a twitch he’s trying to hide. Arealgrin, for anyone to see.
Warmth floods through me, head to toe, and before I can stop myself, my hand drifts under the table. My fingers brush over his thigh, a quick, light pass meant to look casual if anyone glanced down. But I feel the way his muscles tense under my touch and hear the way his breath snags just slightly.
I keep my face all innocence, leaning an elbow on the table and angling toward him like I’ve got nothing to hide. “See, you should thank me,” I say, pitching my voice just loud enough to carry. “If you’re smiling, it means your Grinch heart grew at least one size today. Might even hit normal-human levels by Christmas.”
I lean back against the booth with a grin of my own as Max scoffs, my arms brushing both Daniel and him. I’m sure being this close to Max doesn’t look out of place to the rest of the guys, but it is lighting me up. Todd barks a laugh, Peter shakes his head, and Daniel—well, Daniel’s eyes flick from me to Max, then down toward the table. For a split second, I wonder if he sawmy hand move under the table, but he doesn’t say anything. Just sips his drink, too casual.
Under the table, I give Max’s thigh a little squeeze, like a punctuation before bringing my hand back up and wrapping it around my drink. Outwardly, I grin wider. “Don’t worry, Calder. There’s still time. We’ll get you off the naughty spectrum eventually. Maybe even land you squarely in nice.”
The look Max shoots me is pure warning, green eyes sharp as glass. But I can’t miss the way his ears go pink, or the way his leg presses back into mine.
Teasing him in front of the guys is delicious fun, almost as good as dessert. I can’t stop myself as I slip my hand back beneath the table and rest my fingers on his thigh. The flush on his ears is too good, and the way he shifts under my hand like he’s trying not to is a little bit exciting. Who knew sneaking around would be a turn on?
