Page 19 of Frost and Felines

The silence stretched between him and Mallory as she stared out at the snow. His tiger wanted to push, to convince her, but he held back.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I know this isn't how you planned to spend your holidays."

She turned back to him, those ice-blue eyes unreadable. The storm outside seemed to intensify, but that was probably just his imagination.

Kieran's tiger suddenly went still as Mallory twisted the ring on her finger, the diamond catching the lamplight.

"I haven't really celebrated the holidays since Eli died," she said softly. "Two years ago. It was so sudden - one day he was fine, the next..." She shrugged, but Kieran caught the slight tremor in her shoulders. "The holidays lost their shine after that."

His chest tightened. The wedding ring. How had he missed it? His tiger, usually so observant, had been too caught up in her scent and her presence, to notice this vital detail. He'd been practically hitting on a widow who was clearly still grieving.

"I'm so sorry," he said, fighting the urge to reach across the table and take her hand. "I had no idea. And here I am, asking you to pretend to be married to someone else." His tiger growled at his own insensitivity. "That was thoughtless of me."

"No, it's..." Mallory's fingers stilled on the ring. "It's actually nice to have something to do. The holidays are harder when you're alone."

The snow fell harder outside, and Kieran wondered if there was a connection between her emotions and the weather. He had noticed the storms intensifying whenever she seemed upset.

His tiger wanted to protect her, to chase away that sadness in her eyes, but he tamped down the urge. She wasn't ready, and he wouldn't be that guy - the one who tried to rush a widow into moving on.

Instead, he straightened in his chair, letting his natural charm surface. "Well then, Mrs. Striker - temporarily speaking - I'm making you a promise right now." He tapped the table for emphasis. "This is going to be the best holiday season you've ever had."

"You don't have to-"

"It's already decided." He flashed her his signature grin, the one that usually made women swoon. "No take-backs. We're going to deck these halls until they shine brighter than Times Square. And you'll be sick of hot chocolate and Christmas carols by the time we're done."

A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Is that a threat?"

"That's a guarantee." His tiger preened at drawing that small smile from her. "And I always keep my promises."

He soon walked Mallory back to her suite across the hall, his tiger hyper-aware of every small movement she made. The soft swish of her sweater against her leggings, the quiet pad of her feet on the plush carpet, even the gentle rhythm of her breathing - his heightened senses caught it all.

"Thank you for dinner," she said, stopping at her door.

His tiger wanted to pull her close, to shelter her from whatever storms raged inside her mind. Instead, he kept arespectful distance. "Thank you for being honest with me about Eli."

She twisted her ring again - a nervous habit he now recognized. The movement caught the hallway light, making the diamond sparkle.

"You know," he said, keeping his voice light, "I meant what I said about making these holidays special for you. No pressure, just... fun." His tiger purred contently at the tiny smile that tugged at her lips. "Maybe we could start small. Hot chocolate in the garden room tomorrow morning? The snow always makes it look magical."

"You don't have to entertain me."

"Who said anything about entertaining you?" He leaned against her doorframe, crossing his arms. "Maybe I just want hot chocolate with my fake wife. For appearances, of course."

A soft laugh escaped her - the sound made his tiger want to howl with joy. "At what time?"

"Nine? Unless that's too early for the woman who was up reading until three AM last night."

Her eyes widened. "How did you-"

"I could smell the coffee through my door. Four cups, if I'm not mistaken." He tapped his nose.

"That's..." She shook her head, but her smile remained. "Slightly terrifying."

"Sweet dreams, Mallory." He straightened, fighting his tiger's urge to lean in closer. "Try to get some actual sleep tonight."

"Goodnight, Kieran."

As she slipped into her room, Kieran's tiger memorized the soft click of her door, and the lingering scent of her shampoo in the air. He'd make damn sure she had reasons to smile every day she was here, even if it meant putting his own growing attraction on hold.

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