Page 115 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
My cheeks flamed once again, and I pressed my hand against his face to turn it away from mine. “Stop bringing that up.”
Thomas snatched up my hand, linking his fingers through mine from the back, and pressed his lips against my palm. “Why would I?”
“Stop flirting with me in a toy shop,” I mumbled.
“Does that mean I can flirt with you outside of it?”
“...Will you let me go if I say yes?”
“I won’t mention the kiss, but I don’t know if I want to let you go.”
“You’re just a clingy old man, aren’t you?”
“Mm, aren’t you a few weeks older than me?”
I paused. “Shut up. I’m ninety at heart.”
Thomas released my hand and laughed, straightening up, but he didn’t remove his arm from around my shoulders. The tingle that trickled down my spine spread across my skin like a spider web of goosebumps, and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from letting it show.
This bloody man.
“Mum’s buying Danny a drum kit,” Thomas said, his head jerking as he scanned the shelves. “Which board game is he going to love that’s absolutely going to piss her off?”
I pointed at the noisiest, most irritating game known to man. “Hungry Hippos.”
He raised his hand and wiggled his finger in the tapping motion in front of my face. “That one?”
I turned my head and stared at him. “Was the finger movement necessary?”
“I’m trying to show you my good sides.”
“By wiggling your finger right in front of my face?”
Thomas looked down at me and grinned, then leant in, dipping his mouth close to my ear. “I’m trying to sell you on my good points.”
“By doing that with—” I froze, then smacked him in the chest. “Stop flirting with me!”
“Don’t want to,” he muttered, and his lips brushed my hair as he spoke. “I like seeing you get flustered.”
“I’m not flustered.”
“Tell that to your cheeks.”
“Stop bullying me.”
“I’m not bullying you. I’m flirting with you.”
“I’m starting to think that my cousin doesn’t want that LEGO set after all, you know.”
He stilled. “I’ll behave.”
“Excellent idea,” I said. “Now, can we focus on the board games?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR – SYLVIE
I was most definitely in the middle of a crisis right now.
At least it was one of my own, not one caused by anything wedding-related for once.
