Page 19 of Mistletoe Latte

“Ah…shit. I forgot.” He tossed his head back and groaned.

Emma didn’t want to be a problem. “This was a kind offer, but—”

“Come on.” Nick didn’t even hesitate, only waved her on.

“Shut the door!” Skylar shouted before doing it herself.

Even without a mattress, she could still sleep on the floor with a couple of blankets and a pillow. It didn’t matter as long as there was a roof. Emma put a smile on, prepared for whatever mouse-infested room awaited her when Nick pushed open the door at the end of the hall.

He flicked on a light and said, “You can sleep here.”

A queen-sized bed with a navy and cream duvet took up most of the master bedroom. To the side was a flat dresser with a handful of shirts and socks on the top. A military trunk sat at the foot of the bed, the latch lifted but not the top. This was clearly his room. He wanted her to sleep…in his bed?

Oh, she couldn’t.

Could she?

Walking past her panic, Nick picked a pillow off of the bed, then a blanket out of the closet. Maybe he was going to give them to her, let her sleep on the floor.

But he kept on walking and pointed to the door handle. “There’s a lock on this. It’s a bit tricky, but holds.”

“You…where are you going to sleep?” she cried out in concern.

He paused and stared at her in surprise. “The couch. Don’t worry. I sleep there a lot lately. Good for the back, and catching any teenagers who want to try sneaking out.” Nick assured her all was fine, but Emma gulped.

“This is too much,” she insisted, but he kept carrying on as if she’d said nothing.

“There’s a toilet through that door attached to the bedroom. The shower is by Skylar’s room so good luck fighting her to get in. Need anything else?”

She couldn’t stay here, take his bed from him, not after all he’d given her. Emma tried to will up the courage, her head dropping, when Nick winced. “You probably left all your luggage in your…um.” He dashed past her and dug through the shirts on the dresser. After sniffing a few, which he then tossed to another pile on the floor, he handed her a gray T-shirt. “You can sleep in this. I’m pretty sure it’s clean.”

It surprised her how soft it was. Emma rubbed her thumbs over the fabric as she clutched the T-shirt tight. “Thank you, for all of this.”

“Yeah, well…” Nick shrugged as he backed out of the room. He didn’t turn but kept looking at Emma as he went. At the threshold, he glanced down the hall. “You can thank Skylar. It was her idea.”

Oh. Of course. “Then I’ll be sure to thank her too.”

He nodded, still keeping his gaze away from her when Nick suddenly looked back. “Goodnight, Emma.”

For some stupid reason, she gave a little wave. “Until four a.m.”

Laughing, he pulled the door closed leaving her alone in his bedroom. She breathed in to steady herself, but the scent of musk, sandalwood, and coffee radiated off the shirt he’d given her. Clutching it tighter to her chest, she readied herself for a long night.

CHAPTER SEVEN

CLINGING TO THE ratty blanket and single pillow, Nick sighed to himself, “You’re a damn fool.” He hadn’t acted this stupid for a pair of pretty eyes in… A shiver of regret and anger shook his body at the memory. They’d said with time it’d lose its stink and only be rose-scented. But after five years, he couldn’t even think her name without wanting to kick a wall.It’s all this damn latte’s fault.

What was he doing tying himself into knots for a woman who’d vanish in twelve hours? She was so tiny, his shirt would probably reach to her knees.Bare legs below a tattered hem and the fabric so threadbare there’d be an outline of her nipples poking from the—

“What are you doing?”

Nick jerked so quick a spasm shook his spine. He slammed a hand to the wall to steady himself and glared at Skylar holding out her phone. Gritting his teeth, he twisted his hips fast enough to crack his back.

Her interest in his going’s-on died quickly. “Here.” She handed him her phone. “Dad wanted to talk to you.”

“I had a few things to say to him.” Nick placed the neon pink phone to his ear before pausing and glaring at his niece. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m the only god damn teenager with a freaking bedtime.”

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