Page 7 of Snow Place Like Home
“Looks like you’ve got some fans here, Bonetti.” I chuckled as his fingers interlaced with mine when I started to step away.
“Don’t even fucking think about it, Sunny. You’re my plus-one tonight,” he said as he waggled his brows.
My stomach betrayed me once again as his eyes zeroed in on my mouth. He’d had a couple of cocktails and had unbuttoned a few of the buttons on his Grinch costume, exposing a sliver of skin on his golden chest.
His hair was a tousled mess of dark waves, and I laughed when he pulled me against his body once again.
“Can I cut in?” Leslie asked, and Ace wrapped an arm around me, his hand holding me still at the small of my back.
“Sorry, Leslie. Me and Rudolph are dance partners tonight.” His voice was teasing, and I couldn’t hide the smile on my face.
Leslie glared at me before storming off.
“That is one angry woman. Why is she dressed like a witch for a Christmas-themed party, anyway?” he asked as the song finally ended.
“She’s a sexy holiday cat.”
“Ahhh ... more like a bitter pussy, got it.”
I laughed just as the song came to an end and Dwayne got everyone’s attention once again. “This one is for our beautiful maid of honor, Miss Goldie Jacobs. You heard me, fellas, word on the street is, she’s single and ready to mingle.”
No. He. Didn’t.
“Single and ready to mingle”?
Please make it end now.
I felt my cheeks heat. I hated this kind of attention, not to mention the fact that Dwayne was trying to play matchmaker when I was related to most of the people in this room. Leave it to my brother and Holly to have us all in the spotlight throughout the night.
Poppy hurried out to meet us on the dance floor, and the music started playing.
“No. Noooooo.” I shook my head.
Poppy used her hand to cover her mouth as Ace looked between us.
“What am I missing?” he asked as he looked deep in concentration while he listened to the beat before Dwayne belted out the first line of Beyoncé’s most famous song, “Single Ladies.”
“‘All the single reindeers, all the single reindeers,’” he shouted into the microphone as the entire room started singing along with him.
Nothing like being called out for being single, even while in costume.
My brother and Holly came and danced beside us as well, and we all sang along and laughed our asses off.
And Ace Bonetti never left my side.
Not when Dwayne sang “Hot in Herre” by Nelly, changing the lyrics to “It’s getting hot, Heat Miser” for Paul Belmont, a groomsman who’d dressed as the Heat Miser, and Dwayne repeatedly sang into the mic, encouraging everyone to take off all their clothes.
Not when he sang “Come on Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners and changed it to “Come on Virgin Mary,” while my parents danced like they were auditioning for a spot onDancing with the Stars.
Ace stayed by my side even when the party had finally come to an end. He’d promised Poppy that he’d get me home, as her house was in the opposite direction.
I’d sat beside Ace in the car as my brother and Holly went on and on about how much fun they’d had. We pulled up to their house, since they weren’t traditional and they didn’t have any desire to spend the night before their wedding apart.
“Tomorrow morning, first thing, we all meet at our house to open gifts,” Holly said with a goofy smile on her face. “And then he’s all yours for the few hours before the wedding, Ace. I need to make myself beautiful.”
We both said we’d be there and hugged them goodbye.
“I’m getting married tomorrow!” Holly squealed as she got out of the car, and we all laughed as they shut the door and my brother helped her up the front steps.
