Page 45 of Snowed In for Christmas

She couldn't decide if she was more on edge due to the threat of the incoming storm or the eerie emails, quite honestly.

Tommy carried both of the Finch's bags up the steps in a show of strength that didn't escape Grace's notice. Once inside the inn, Joan warmly welcomed the new arrivals while Tommy carried their bags to the room she'd directed him to.

Grace's heart raced as she watched him handle the bags like they had nothing but feathers inside them, admiring the view. But, as usual, pining over Tommy's good looks only reminded her that it was more than that. In fact, she'd snuck over to the windows at Ida's house a dozen times while he'd been cleaning out the gutters earlier that day... but it wasn't just to watch him work, wishing she'd come to town in the summer so maybe he'd be doing her chores without a shirt instead of while wearing that thick coat.

Nope.

It was to admire how meticulous he was, and how sweet it was that he was helping an old lady when he could've chosen to do literally anything else.

No doubt about it, Tommy was everything anyone could hope for in a partner.

But as the memory of her recent conversation with Sofia flashed through her mind, Grace found herself shifting on her feet as she stood in the foyer and waited for him to come back downstairs. She and his sister had been having coffee and donuts—ones that were decorated like Christmas wreaths, of course—when Sofia had asked how exactly Grace planned on falling in love or having a partner if she was always on the move.

It was a fair question, she supposed, but the truth was... Grace had never seen herself doing any of that.

After the way her parents' marriage had seemed so cold and strange, she simply didn't have a reason to yearn for such a thing.

"Your bags are in your room, Mr. and Mrs. Finch." Tommy's voice brought Grace back to the present as he jogged down the stairs. "Third door on the right."

"That's right across from mine," Grace offered.

"Lovely, and thank you, young man," Susan said, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled at both of them. "You're very kind."

"Anytime," Tommy responded.

"If he wasn't such a good cop, I'd hire him as a bellboy," Joan quipped. "Heaven knows my son has more than enough on his plate, what with a new baby on the way and a toddler who's determined to show the world what it really means to be athreenager."

The couple laughed, and as they followed Joan up the stairs to their room, Grace turned to Tommy.

But Tommy was looking up, a mischievous smile on his handsome face. He lifted a hand, pointing to the ceiling. "i don't have to steer you away from this thing now that we kiss all the time, right?"

Grace grinned, shaking her head. "Nope. Kiss away."

He didn't hesitate.

Before Grace could even prepare herself for what had become one of her favorite pastimes lately, Tommy's hand slid beneath her hair and wrapped around the back of her neck, drawing her closer with more swagger than should probably be legal.

The kiss was soft and gentle, but it felt like a million tiny explosions were going off inside her as their lips moved together in perfect harmony. His other arm found its way around her waist, pulling her even closer to him so that she could feel the warmth of his body against hers. Every nerve in her body came alive as she felt herself melting into his embrace, and for just a moment, all of her worries and fears seemed to disappear.

As they broke apart, Tommy held out his arm to Grace. "Let me walk you to your door."

"Thanks," she replied, her heart still racing from their kiss. But as they went up the stairs, she could feel the tension radiating off of him. She looked up at him, concern in her eyes. "Is there any news about what's going on with Sofia?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "No, and that's what bothers me. I feel like I have a ticking time bomb hanging over my head—in more ways than one."

Grace unlocked her door with the old-fashioned brass key that was so charming it didn't even bother her that most inns and hotels used key cards or even apps to secure their guestrooms. Then she pushed open the door, taking his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze as they stood in the doorway. "Sofia seems genuinely happy here, Tommy. Maybe you're letting your protective instincts get the best of you."

"I'd love for that to be true, but if she insists on keeping things from me, I can't be sure."

A pang of guilt hit Grace, knowing that she hadn't told him about the return of the emails from Snow Hill's Biggest Fan. But surely, that wasn't anything to bother him with, right? They were simply rude emails from a mysteriously disgruntled fan.

Well, aformerfan, anyway.

But it wasn't the same thing as whatever had Tommy so nervous about Sofia. Her ex was in prison, for crying out loud. Therehadto be a story there. But since Grace wasn't a hypocrite, she hadn't pushed her new friend to spill her guts. If she wanted to tell Grace—or her brother—about whatever was going on, she would.

Grace reached up and gently took Tommy's face in her hands, hoping to distract them both with the goodnight kiss of all goodnight kisses. Their lips met again, and this time, there was an urgency behind it, an intensity that threatened to consume them both. Seeming to realize that Joan and the new guests stood in the room across the hall with the door wide open, Tommy ushered Grace into her room and shut her door with a flick of his foot, all without breaking the kiss.

Each brush of his lips sent a spark of longing through her veins, and Grace felt like her entire body was tingling with delight. His lips were somehow both soft and firm against hers, and the way he held her— fiercely... but somehow making her feel cherished at the same time—told her he was just as amazed by their chemistry as she was.

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