Page 46 of Christmas in Vines

I wanted to believe him, I truly did, but I still had my reservations. “Dad, yesterday, I found Uncle Herman copying files of our common shareholders and he told me it was for his files, but…I don’t know, it felt off.”

“Herman is absent-minded at times,” Dad said with a dismissive wave. “He misplaces things a lot, so I don’t see how getting more files is that strange. I’m sure it’s nothing, Willow.”

I hoped he was right.

I really did.

* * *

After exiting the bathroom in the large house Jackie’s friend had rented for the party, I paused, trying to find Tyler. He’d been oddly quiet down the ride to Denver, but I supposed he was thinking—just like I was—about how the time we had together was ticking down to its expiry date.

Techno music was bumping through the speakers, and I wove my way through the partying crowd, looking here and there for Tyler. I found him at the makeshift bar, pressing a cold beer to his temple.

I didn’t like that.

Worried, I went to him and touched his shoulder. When he turned, I held his face. “Are you all right? Not having fun?”

He gave me a pale smile. “I know you’re here for your friend and everything but…I have a headache and this bass is not making it better.”

My heart dropped. “We can leave. Let me just say goodbye to Jackie.”

As he nodded and headed to the door, I went to find my friend. She was playing beer pong at the end of the room and I pulled her to the side for a moment.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her brown-hazel eyes instantly worried.

“Tyler’s not feeling well,” I said, thinking back to when we had just arrived and she was all agog about meeting him. “We’re going to leave a bit early.”

“Oh,” Jackie nodded. “It’s fine, Willow. Seriously, if you stay any longer, this is going to turn into a mosh pit.” She hugged me tightly. “I’m glad to see you and your dude seems to be a good guy.”

“He is,” I replied.

I hadn’t told her much about what me and Tyler were; I’d just told her we’d met a few weeks ago and were seeing how this thing would go. Later on, when I had a chance, we’d do one of our two-hour calls and I’d tell her everything, but for now, she knew enough.

We said goodbye again and I headed out to find Tyler leaning on the side of the truck, huddled into his jacket but head tilted up at the cold disk of our winter moon. He looked upset and sad at the same time.

“Hey,” I rested a hand on his chest and peered up at him. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head. “I’m leaving in two days, Willow.”

I circled my hand around his waist. “I know. But we had fun, didn’t we?”

Tyler nodded, but I could see in his eyes that he wanted to say so much more, but he kissed me instead. His arm pulled me to him as his mouth gently descended on mine. My hands slid up his shoulders and to his back as my mouth opened and his tongue slid inside. I clung to him as the kiss intensified rapidly.

It was slow and tender but—it was the most intense kiss I had ever had. He was not chasing anything. There was no rush to get into the bed or to back me up against a wall. This wasn’t the kiss of a man who was sorry to leave. It was more, so much more. It felt like he wanted to make sure that I didn’t forget about him.

His kiss said:I don’t want—I don’t want to leave you.

When we pulled apart, I clung to him because I knew my legs had gone out from under me with the intensity of that kiss. He buried his face in my hair and I felt my heartbeat echo in my ears. I felt more loved and cherished in that moment than I had in any other moment in my entire life.

“Where next, baby?” he asked. “Home?”

“No,” I peeled away reluctantly, “Not home. You’ll see.”

* * *

Stepping into the five-star hotel suite, I barely had time to close the door before Tyler backed me against it. I could feel the urgency in how he kissed me; in the way his body pressed up against mine and in the soft moan that came out of his mouth. His tongue pressed up against my mouth, demanding entrance and I opened for him.

His hands dipped under my thighs and suddenly I was off the ground as he kissed me hard into the door. He pushed his body toward me, letting me feel—even through two sets of denim—how much he wanted me.

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