Page 104 of Christmas with the Denton Billionaires

Mara slid onto the bar stool facing the counter as he arranged his ingredients. She was grinning like a kid.

“Why are you watching me like that?” he asked. She’d been resting her chin in her palm for too long, giving him doe eyes.

“I feel like I’m watching your show,” she said, and then giggled. “I don’t know. The apartment kind of looks like your set, doesn’t it?”

He looked around, realizing she was right. The condo did resemble the set ofCooking with Chrisat least distantly, with the steel appliances and bright but industrial chic backdrops.

“We can film the grand hot chocolate making, if you want to make it even more authentic,” he cracked.

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away. Tension sizzled between them for a few moments before he added, “Are you going to make another size eleven joke or should I?”

She snorted, swatting at him. “No more of those, okay?”

“Fine. If you say so.” He whisked the milk and cream in the saucepan and then added espresso powder. She arched a brow.

“Espresso, eh?”

“Hey. This ismycooking show.” Without breaking his stride, he reached for the bar of dark chocolate he’d set out. He broke the squares into the saucepan one by one, stirring rhythmically.

“Well, you’ve already won best hot chocolate, so don’t worry. I’m pretty sure Sweet Stuff uses a packaged mix.”

“Ha!” He pumped his fist. “Victory is mine.”

Mara sent him a curious smile. “Always have to win, don’t you?”

“Not all the time, but most of the time. I mean, I was always competitive, but when I moved in with my cousins, things got heated, especially with Josh.” He clicked off the heat and poured two dark and creamy cups of hot chocolate. He topped them off with handmade whipped cream and mint chocolate sprinkles, then handed her a mug before picking up his own. “Let’s go enjoy it in the other room.”

He led her to a sitting room filled with bookcases and low sofas. They settled into opposing sofas, and they took turns blowing on their mugs and sending flirty looks.

“Is it weird to be back?” she finally asked.

“Yeah. I’ve stopped in Glenford over the years to swing by the cemetery and pay my respects, but this is the longest I’ve been here. And it’s a weird trip down memory lane.”

“Yeah.” A frown slowly tugged at her lips. “Like when Dan showed up.”

The mention of his name was like being covered in ice cubes. He rolled the mug back and forth between his hands, unsure what to say. It had been nice pretending the past didn’t matter anymore. Like maybe they could just be friends and something more now.

“You know, that night at the dance—”

“Mara, you don’t have to bring that up,” Chris interjected, feeling suddenly stupid. Here they were, almost thirty years old and still rehashing shit that happened in high school.

“No, I want to.” She sighed, fluffing up a pillow behind her. “When Dan and I kissed, it ruined everything between you and me. And I felt so bad about that. You had every right to be mad, you know? But you went off the deep end afterward and never even heard my side of things.”

Chris tilted his head slowly back and forth. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Doesn’t it?” A sharp laugh escaped her. “I’ve seen you glaring at him, which tells me maybe it does.”

Damn.Busted.

“I guess I’m just trying to say that the night it all happened, it wasn’t some big, secretive cheating scandal. Dan kissedme. I didn’t kisshim. While you’d gone to get drinks, he’d asked me to dance. It was that song by Katy Perry I liked and I really wanted to dance. I didn’t realize that he wanted us to give it another shot. I reminded him I was with you. He said, ‘let me convince you then,’ and he kissed me in the middle of the dance floor. I regretted even letting him get close enough to try. Maybe I could have pulled away sooner. I don’t know, I just—”

Chris was gripping the mug so tightly he worried he might break it. He set it down on the table beside the couch.

“You were so mad, and you broke up with me so quickly. It made my head spin.”

“So dating Dan immediately after that night was the only option you saw?” he asked, unable to stop himself.

She wilted a little. “It wasn’t the best choice, I know. It was just…theeasychoice. I was sixteen and you were being a major dick. I knew you’d never forgive me. And then your parents died at the end of our junior year and you moved in with your uncle and cousins and I never saw you again.”

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