Page 70 of Merry Mended Hearts

His rumbling laugh erupted from his chest. “My completely charming personality give you that impression? I think I’d make a pretty remarkable villain.”

“You’d make a remarkable anything. Even if you are on the naughty list.”

He reared back at this, a full smile teasing his lips this time. “Is that what you’d call me? Naughty?”

“You’re not exactly on the nice list.”

“How about now?”

He stole a few more kisses, and I let him, soaking in every sensation and thoroughly enjoying the banter he interjected in between.

When he pulled away, I held my breath captive in my lungs. My heart was a rabbit’s hind foot, hammering against my ribs. I could go on like this all night, kissing him, chattering playfully in between, but something told me that would be a very bad idea.

His thumbs stroked my jaw.

“Excuse me, Grace, but I think I’d better go sleep in my room and let you have the couch. Are you warm enough now?”

His smile lingered, but this time it didn’t reach his eyes. It mingled with just a hint of pain.

I couldn’t figure out what caused such a look.

“Warm enough” was an understatement if I’d ever heard one. What just happened between us? And how had it happened?

“I—I am.”

He sat up. Carefully, he gathered my hands to his lips and placed a kiss on the back of the hand nearest him before standing. I straightened as well, feeling a wave of sheepishness at how we’d gone from sitting side by side to…that.

“All right, then. Good night.”

I didn’t want him to leave. I wanted to reach for him, to keep his hands with mine, to convince him he could stay a little longer.

But he was right to go. I’d had enough confusion from him to last a lifetime.

That didn’t mean I didn’t want more—and from the way his smoldering eyes kept glancing at me, so did he.

Yeah. It would be better if he left.

With a final glance and a nod, he stepped through the door, closing it behind him and leaving me alone in his toasty warm front room.

Nestled in his spot, with his thick blanket tucked up to my chin, I stared at the door for a long time, lost in thought. This entire day had been one helping of unexpected after another.

This side of Boone made so much more sense than any of the other interactions I’d had with him thus far. He was kind, helpful, thoughtful, and he’d been so honest about his late wife and baby.

How devastating that must have been for him. No wonder he wanted to hide himself away from the world.

I watched the fire’s dying embers, burning inside right along with them. While the room was colder and emptier without him, a little flame all its own burned inside my heart.

Traces of him still lingered—not only on my lips, but in my bloodstream, spiking my pulse with his name in every beat. Even so, he’d mentioned getting carried away. What did he mean by that?

Was he saying he’d only kissed me because of our snowed-in situation?

Disappointment settled in, right there beneath the blanket with me, and I watched the fire’s dying embers, feeling the flame that had burned inside my heart die out a little, too.

Trapped in this adorable cottage in the middle of a snowstorm the day before Christmas Eve? What could be more romantic than that?

I’d been sure I was wrong about him—that he was no villain.

I’d been ready to make him my hero. But I couldn’t allow myself to get carried away.

---