Page 100 of Only Ever You

Downstairs, Bash’s shadowed head turning this way and that was just about discernible before a tug of his hand guided her to the darkened doorway of the main living room where he let her go.

It sounded terribly cliché to name the feeling in her chest, but butterflies flapped their delicate wings right under the surface and a lightness like dizziness filled up her veins.

Faye stayed in the doorway, feeling colder each second Bash was gone whilst he walked his way along the wall like toddlers did with their hands. He clicked a switch and the Christmas tree lit up in all of its thousands of beautiful, twinkling lights.

Silhouetted by the tree behind him, Bash raised his gaze above her head.

“Mamandidn’t take any of it down yet,” he said, his voice oddly breathy. Faye knew without following his gaze what had drawn his attention – the reason why he’d led herherespecifically. She risked a glance up anyway and there, above her, was a bundle of leaves and white berries they themselves had picked yesterday.

It didn’t work, but Faye drew a deep inhale to try and calm the whirlwind that swirled inside of her.

She knew exactly what it meant to stand here, she’d just never …

There’s still time for the one that you missed.

For what one that I missed?

Your first mistletoe kiss.

“Bash … Why are you … Why are we … ?”

“It’s tradition. Something you’ve never done, like you said.” It was only half an answer. A test of the unclear water Bash nudged them towards the edges of, his face half in shadow. “As a good friend, I should be supporting you with these things.”

One heavy heartbeat away from swaying into the doorframe, Faye swallowed as their gazes latched. She hoped to holy doughnuts she read the veiled meaning of his words and the half-hooded look in his devastating blue eyes correctly.

“As a …friend.” It came out somewhere between a question and a plea.

Faye stared at him dumbly, the lights making the room glow amber just enough to make out the lopsidedness of his resulting smile.

“Kissing you is hardly a sacrifice, Peanut.”

His admission took the air right out of her lungs until her chest squeezed around her heart.

Why was he doing this? Faye didn’t think it was a trick. Bash wasn’t so cruel to mess with her like that. So why?

“I need to rectify this for you,” he told her lowly, hands fidgeting at his sides. “But it’s your choice.”

This.Her non-existent experience of a mistletoe kiss.

Bashneededto kiss her and no part of Faye’s brain was prepared enough to process the fact.

She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to kisshim.But this … This couldn’t be something meaningless, and by the way Bash gazed at her, his chest expanding against his t-shirt, hesitating far from the mistletoe like he waited to be told to join her – she didn’t think he merely offered a fleeting peck.

The thought of anythingmorewas too overwhelming for Faye to think straight.

There was still yards of distance between them. She had every chance to stop this before?—

“Okay.” The word fell from Faye’s lips as easily as breathing, though she had difficulty right then trying to keep up with the racing of her heart.

Bash’s sharp inhale was as if he hadn’t expected for her to agree.

He didn’t hesitate.

One long step.

And then another.

The heat of his gaze didn’t break its latch with hers, branding Faye with promises of what he was about to do, until his warmth invaded all of her space. His face was cast in shadows dark enough that Faye could only make out his eyes and how his tongue traced the seam of his lips. Her hands began to tremble with the reality of what that swipe of his tongue meant – what she’d waited eleven years for.

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