Page 73 of The Holiday Ex-Files

There was that word—friend.

“You’ve been amazing this month, helping my family and still pulling this off.” He waved his hand over the large crowd. “You do so much good for others.”

“I had a lot of help,” I responded, uncomfortable with his compliment. I felt very unworthy of it. Especially in light of the last few years.

“Don’t do that,” he begged.

I tipped my head to the side. “Do what?”

“That thing you do where you refuse to see what a good person you are. I don’t know where you got the impression you are anything but amazing.”

“Ben,” I said without thinking.

Noah clenched his fists, his gorgeous face turning fifty shades of angry. “He’s a prick. You need to kick him out of your head.”

“I’m trying.”

“I’m here to help.” He rested his warm hand on my knee. Ay, ay, ay, it felt good.

“Thank you,” I stammered, so overcome by these feelings for him that I’d never had before. Feelings I hadn’t had for anyone in a long time.

“Do you want to dan—”

“There you are,” Annika interrupted.

Noah’s hand popped right off my knee.

Annika stood by Noah and placed her well-manicured hand on his shoulder. “Can you believe we came as the best couple of all time?” she asked me, all aglow.

I stood. “It’s fabulous. You make a stunning couple.” Unfortunately, that was true.

Annika giggled, while Noah shifted in his seat.

“It’s like high school all over again,” Annika gushed.

“So fun,” I tried to keep the bitterness out of my voice. “Anyway, I better go uh, you know, check on Kellie. I’m worried about her hips.”

Understandably, they both gave me strange looks.

“You know, because she’s old, I mean older.” Seriously, I was a dunce. I just wanted to be anywhere but with the two of them. “I just don’t want her to have any regrets in the morning.” Like the ones I would be having.

“Bye.” I waved.

Noah caught my arm as I tried to escape. “Save me a dance.”

I blinked a few times, not sure that was the best idea, but Noah’s eyes got to me—maybe he was part vampire. “Okay.” I felt as if the sun landed on my face. Really my entire body. Something burned within me. Was that desire?

Yes! Yes! Yes! Miss Sparkly was obviously thrilled about it. Let it burn, baby.

I was thinking more like stop, drop, and roll.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Dear Ex-Filers, if you’re looking for someone who will be semi obsessed with you and might even pee a little when you walk in the door, get a dog. No man or friend has ever peed because they were so happy to see me. I’m telling you, it’s the mark of true love.

Lots of love,

Cami

P.S. Thanks for making the Halloween Bash such a success. We raised over $70K. You’re amazing. Well, everyone but the guy who thought he was at a Magic Mike audition last night.

I added a picture of me cuddled up with Neville on my bed before I clicked publish. I still couldn’t believe some guy jumped on the stage and started doing a striptease. Noah and a couple other men had to tackle the jerk and get him off the stage before the police had to get involved. Of course, someone recorded the entire thing, and it was making the rounds today on social media. But it wasn’t the semi-nude man who garnered the most comments—it was the hot guy dressed like Damon Salvatore.

While Noah was getting his fifteen minutes of fame, I finally uploaded his latest pictures to my laptop. I hadn’t had the heart to do it until today. But after seeing him with Annika last night, I knew I had to. It looked like his I’m going to let her come to me approach had worked. She’d stuck to him like gum on the bottom of a shoe. Well, except the one dance Noah and I had shared. “I Put a Spell on You” by Annie Lennox.

I certainly felt as if Noah had put a spell on me. The way he’d held me close, his hands resting on the small of my back, as we’d swayed to the sensual beat of the music. The way he’d whispered, “Trick or treat,” in my ear—and I’d found myself burning with desire, pulling his body closer to mine—and before I could stop myself, I was replying, “Treat.” In the moment it felt right, especially when he’d given me a seductive grin, but as soon as the song was over, the spell was broken. Annika appeared, out of what must have been thin air, because I didn’t remember anyone else around Noah and me as we danced.

I felt like such an idiot as I watched Annika lead him away to do whatever lovers do. He had glanced back at me, wearing a look of confusion. He was probably wondering why I had behaved so flirty when he was just trying to be friendly and fun. I surely had mistaken his grin for seductiveness when it was only Noah being Noah. So now I was curled up in my bed feeling hot shame for coming on to my friend, worse for going against my principles. Which Sparkles had reminded me wasn’t true. In our heart we believed in love and the power of a good Hallmark movie. It was the perfect time to edit Noah’s photos with what I was sure would be yet another beautiful woman. I had a feeling after last night, this would be the last photo shoot I would be cropping for him.

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