Page 14 of Holiday Home

“Have you ever been ice skating, Liam?” Tess asked, deftly hooking him into the conversation.

“Not in a long while,” he admitted. “Probably not since I was in middle school.”

Tess nodded. “It’s been years for me, too. It’s the perfect time of the year for it.”

“I like OpenSky Center,” Anna said. “It has an open-air hockey rink that connects to a circular rink and a smaller covered rink. Avril and I always prefer to skate there.”

“Do they rent out skates?” Tess asked.

Anna nodded. “It’s a little more expensive than most rinks, but their skates are very nice.”

“I’ll look into it. I want to try and skate at least once before the year ends.”

“They have all their Christmas lights up, so it’s a particularly good time to visit.”

Tess’s smile lit up. Normally, Liam would have basked in it in the same way he would have a fireplace’s warmth after putting uphisChristmas lights. However, cursed with the knowledge that he was about her hopes for him and Anna, he couldn’t help but wonder about the sincerity of her smile.

“That sounds perfect. Perhaps we could all go together someday before Christmas?” Her gaze shifted toward him.

“I don’t have anything planned, even on Christmas Eve or Day, so I could go just about any time.”

Tess shook her head, eyes gleaming. “That’s not true. I hadn’t mentioned it yet, but I was hoping to host something on Christmas Eve here at my home. I’d love it if both of you could come.”

This time, no amount of worrying if this was a scheme to buy more time for him and Anna to get to know one another could quell the endorphin rush that her words caused. Christmas Eve with Tess? How many times had he fantasized about just such an event? About the scintillating “gift” she would give him when she put a hand on his shoulder and whispered the taboo suggestion into his ear while wearing a skimpy Santa costume?

Enough that his throat immediately grew parched. Knowing that he wouldn’t manage more than a croak if he replied now, he took a deep swig from his cup of water, leaving only a few cubes of ice clinking on the bottom of the glass when he set it back on the table. Meanwhile, Anna divulged that she would like to come but needed to check her schedule. Tess reiterated her hope that she could come but understood that it was an unusual offer for most.

But not for someone whose brother lived in Korea and whose parents were in Europe.

“I can definitely come,” Liam said after he restored his vitality with his draught. “Should we bring gifts?”

“Only if you want,” Tess said, favoring him with another beautiful smile. “This won’t be anything extravagant, just a little get-together. My parents are both sick right now, so I won’t be flying home to visit. Since I figured that a few of us might be in similar situations, I wanted to have an alternative to sitting at home alone on Christmas EveandChristmas Day.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” Anna said. “I hope I’ll be able to come.”

Following the excitement that Tess had delivered to his heart with her invitation, the rest of the dinner persisted slightly less formally—though it never quite hit a feeling of levity—than the first half. Once they finished their meals, Tess accepted both his and Anna’s help clearing the table, scrubbing dishes, and putting away leftovers, of which a few rolls were the only survivors. Afterward, when Anna declared her intention to head home, she bid him and Tess a pleasant farewell. Upon seeing her make it safely to her car, which she’d let heat up while they were finishing the dishes, Liam became acutely aware of Tess’s attention, which warmed his cheek like a lamplight shining on it.

“So, what did you think?” she asked as they shut the door before any further cold could flood into her entryway.

“Erm, I liked her a lot. She was really sweet and pleasant.”

Tess’s expression flattened, informing him that he hadn’t responded as vibrantly as she’d hoped. But what more was he supposed to say? She was staggeringly gorgeous, but he wasn’t about to gush about that to Tess. Nor could he fully bury his feelings for Tess; instead, they remained omnipresent in his mind, like a screen that he needed to look through if he wanted to think about Anna. Discomfort still squirmed inside his gut when he considered going along with this plan Tess had placed on his lap.

“Did something bad happen?” Tess investigated, folding her arms.

“No, nothing,” he quickly assured her. “We got along fine. She seems great. Really.”

“Great… in such a way that you’re still onboard if I try and set the two of you up?”

Swallowing a sigh that he knew would lead to further interrogation from the woman whom hereallywanted to set himself up with, Liam nodded. “I’m still up for it, yeah.”

Tess examined him with a look that bordered on inscrutable. However, Liam could piece together enough to tell that she was confused and at least slightly worried about his responses so far. After all, whowouldn’twant a chance to date Annabelle Royce? If not for her name, if not for her beauty, then for how considerate and courteous she’d seemed. Liam didn’t have a single negative thing to say about her.

He just wanted someone else more.

Chapter Eight

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