Page 16 of Mistletoe Bargain with the Billionaire

‘Lydia always looks good.’I mean, I can’t argue with what I saw, she’s gorgeous, but hearing that from Nick doesn’t make me feel very good even if he says it doesn’t change anything.

He ends the call a moment later and spots me. Something in his expression shifts and he looks… caught. It disappears a second later so maybe I imagined that.

“Are you ready?” he asks, eyeing my armload of snacks - the road is a hungry place.

I nod and say I am. For what exactly, we’ll have to see.

10- Carol

Road Trip Rule #5:Tension may arise.

I didn’t get any more practice kisses last night and I’m quite displeased about it. Mr. Jinglebell must sense his mommy’s displeasure because he’s been looking unusually grumpy all day, too.

Nick had walked me up to my hotel room in Cedar Rapids, carrying my luggage like the previous night, but promptly told me goodnight at the door without coming inside. Me, disappointed? Yes, very much.

On top of my poor toes remaining uncurled due to lack of Nick’s kisses, traffic’s been a bear today and the weather is decidedly more wintry making things dicey at times. It’s not like Nick and I are fighting because we’re not but he’s saying ‘hmm’ a lot more often today and I can feel my own temper fraying with every passing hour.

We’ve kept rolling despite the conversation growing more clipped the past six hours. Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan are all behind us now. O Canada, here we are.

And it’s in Toronto, our final overnight stop before Whistler, that our platonic friendship, and that no touching in bed rule I stupidly added to our contract, will be put to the test for the first time.

“What do you mean there’s only one room available?” Nick grumbles when the timid clerk looks up from her computer.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Frost, but that’s all we have. There’s been a rash of holiday travelers and there's a large convention in town…”

“Do you want to find another hotel?” Nick asks me sharply, turning away from the poor clerk.

He doesn’t mean to be a bah-humbug. We’re both tired. It’s been over fourteen hours since we left Cedar Rapids this morning. Road Fatigue’s a grinch.

And I don’t really want to go hunting for another hotel. Nick had said he’s stayed at this one before in Toronto and they’ve got the most comfortable hotel beds he’s ever slept in. It looks tons more luxurious than I’m used to.

“No, we’re here, they have a room and we’ll be sharing in Maine anyway.” I turn towards the clerk and give her a friendly smile. “We’ll take the room.”

She gives me a tentative smile back and adds, “There’s only one bed,” as if she fears getting her head bit off.

Nick exhales behind me, muttering, “Like some cheesy Hallmark movie.”

Okay, Mr. Grumpy-Tired-Butt, let’s calm down a little. Is he put off by the idea of sleeping beside me now?

“That’s okay,” I tell her. “We can share.”

Nick’s wallet smacks the counter hard after he yanks out his credit card. Yikes. This evening doesn’t look too promising for goodnight kisses.

To make matters worse, we get busted sneaking Mr. Jinglebell in tonight. Luckily, it’s the same timid clerk. I think appealing to her better nature and the holiday spirit might’ve sufficed but Nick hands her a wad of cash to leave us and our purr-baby be. Which she readily accepts with dollar-signs dancing in her eyes.

I’m feeling the weight of his annoyance as the elevator climbs to our floor. “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize the side door would set off an alarm.” Or that Mr. Jinglebell would be in a yowling mood the second we set foot inside.

“I said to wait until I got there before trying the door, didn’t I?”

“You did but thesongwas playing over the stupid outdoor speakers.” I don’t have to clarify which song or explain why it bothers me now.

“Hmm.”

I stare up at the rising numbers and huff. I won’t say anything else about it. We’re just tired and irritable.

But then, Nick has the audacity to exhale loudly and roll his neck with a groan.

“What?” I snap.

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