Page 48 of Catching the Mistletoe

A few hours later, we were at the school and do you think I could get my mind off Arabella Snow? Of course I fucking couldn’t. I loved watching how she was with the kids and how they all gravitated to her. Basking in her light. And who could blame them?

The day passed in a blur, Arabella cool and polite, me brooding and fucked. As we were just about to get into the RV, Evelyn approached me, a frown on her face.

“Hey, Mack. Can I have a word?”

“Sure.”

She glanced over her shoulder at Arabella and Sam, chatting with some of the camera crew. “In private.”

Jesus, I knew where this was going. Following her away from the RV, I waited, my arms crossed over my chest.

Evelyn studied me for a long moment, then said, “What’s going on with you and Arabella?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t bullshit me, Mack. Something has happened.”

I didn’t answer.

“Look, this trip is bigger than the two of you. We’ve raised a ton of money and made a difference to lots of kids. And if you two can’t keep it together, we could lose it all. The cameras are filming your every move, right? You need to give the viewers something to pull them in. And you standing around like a lump isn’t it.”

She wasn’t wrong. “I know.”

“You can’t fool me into thinking there isn’t something between you both.”

I shrugged.

Her expression softened. “My job here is to look after you guys.”

“Sometimes people want different things. Or they want something the other person can’t give them. Or they don’t know what they’re asking.”

“Right. But also, sometimes people know exactly what they’re asking. And those people are grown women who know their own minds.”

Okay, so she saw straight through me. Not unnerving at all. It was time to back the fuck away from this little chat. “Are we done here?”

She let out a sigh. “Yeah. We’re done here. But maybe you should just think about it a bit, before you go making any blanket statements.”

I didn’t answer, just headed back to the RV without looking back. I’d already thought about it. In fact, no one had thought about it more than me, and no matter which way I turned it, the answer always came out the same. I was not the one for Arabella and that’s all there was to it.

CHAPTER20

Arabella

Okay, deep breath, Arabella. You got this. We’d had a big day, with the visit to school, and then this last-minute invitation to a Charity Gala. It was all happening, and I was so here for it.

I smoothed down the front of my killer black dress—thank you, Evelyn, and your last-minute shopping skills—and looked up at the entrance to the Denver Performing Arts Center. This place was lit up like a Christmas tree, all twinkly lights and swanky vibes. Mack was beside me, looking like a total snack in his tailored suit. He did that thing he’d been doing all day - flicking me a little look just to check if I was okay. As though I was so fragile, I was about to shatter into a million pieces because he wouldn’t fuck me. It would be annoying if it wasn’t so cute.

“Ready?”

I glanced over my shoulder, to make sure Evelyn and Sam were ready and, at Evelyn’s nod, turned back to Mack. “I sure am.”

He held his arm out and I slipped my hand in. And oh, that would be his biceps bunching like that. Hot as fuck, dammit.

Blinking at the sudden flash of cameras and people shouting for our attention, I felt a bit like a movie star as we walked into the Center. Holy shit. It was beautiful, with high ceilings and crystal chandeliers. There were paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, and a massive Christmas tree decked out in silver and gold stood as the centerpiece. The whole place was like an Instagrammer’s dream, and you bet I was making notes.

Mack kept his hand on the small of my back, guiding me through the crowd, his touch sending little shivers dancing over my skin. Damn, I had it bad.

A woman stepped forward to greet us. She was tall and slim, wearing a stunningly elegant pantsuit, with dark hair cut into a chic bob. “Good evening, Arabella and Mack. “

---