Page 10 of Merry Mix-Up

"So good," she said, and her mouth was full of cake.

"Why’d you do that?" I asked, sipping my wine. The first few sips are always so tart, but I love it.

I sat down on the chair next to her and our knees brushed under the table, but she didn't shy away. She chewed and swallowed, and it looked like she was thinking. And I swore her hand shook a little as she picked up her glass of wine and downed the whole thing in one gulp.

"Careful now, you have to drive home… Unless you want to sleep over." I made the comment in jest, but having Amber share my bed tonight wasn't a horrible thought. She had slept over atthis house hundreds of times over the years, but never with me. And Naomi and Jared had their own place now, so there would be no mistaking the reason behind something like that.

"Newt, I…" Amber nervously looked down at the cake.

"I was joking." I sighed. "You take this maid of honor thing too seriously, I think. It's okay to tell her if you hate the strawberry and want chocolate." I poured a bit more wine into her glass then selected my own slice of cake to eat. It appeared we would be fighting over the last three slices of chocolate if she kept devouring them.

"It's her big day. I know what she likes. I just want her to be happy…." Amber bit her lip and her shoulders dropped. "Which means I don't want anyone to know what happened… you know. At the tree farm… and the mistletoe."

"You mean when I kissed you? It was mistletoe. That's tradition."

Amber's face blanched, and I could tell she was really nervous about it for some reason. The hand shaking wasn't mistaken, because now they were folded in her lap, wringing together with anxiety.

"Okay, I won't tell anyone," I said, touching her knee. "But can you tell me why?"

"I just…" she blurted, then she looked away. "It's her big moment. I don't want anyone taking any attention off her. I want the spotlight on her."

Her explanation made sense, but now that I had touched her, all I could think about was that kiss. And all I wanted to do was kiss her again.

"You seem anxious." I rubbed my thumb back and forth across the denim, wondering what had her so flighty and fidgety.

"Finals… I have to study, and then the master's thesis I'm writing." Her tongue flicked over her bottom lip, and I watched it vanish behind them.

"You mean doctoral?"

"I mean… Yes… I'm sorry, I…" She exhaled, and I couldn’t take it. The faint hint of wine paired with chocolate on her breath was intoxicating.

"I'm going to kiss you now, okay?" I said, but I was already leaning in, and I caught the brief head nod before my eyes shut.

When our lips touched, it was nothing short of miraculous. The same heat and chemistry I'd felt between us at that tree farm under the mistletoe was here now, too. She parted her lips and slid her tongue along mine like an expert, and I was hungry for so much more. The thought of asking her to come to my room crossed my mind, but if she was trying to keep this a secret for now to honor Naomi, she'd say no, and I hated the thought of that rejection.

But it didn't stop me from pulling her onto my lap where she straddled me and kissed me harder. I found myself swelling, aching to feel her skin against mine. My hands rested on her hips and pulled her down hard onto my lap, and she moaned against my mouth. And when I slid my hand up inside her sweater to cup one tender, fleshy globe in my hand and knead it, she tensed. I could almost imagine the feeling of her pussy clamping down on my girth.

"Oh, God," she whined and shot off my lap so fast it made me lightheaded. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Phillips. I should…" Amber looked sick to her stomach. Her face was white as a sheet as I looked over my shoulder at Dad, who had a stupid smirk on his face.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just getting a nightcap." He reached between us and took the bottle of wine and winked at me as he nudged me with his elbow. Then he retreated through the door toward the back hallway.

But when I turned, Amber was gone. I heard her shoes in the hall and got up to follow her. She moved so quickly, I'dhave thought she was running away, but maybe she was just embarrassed that he'd caught us. Or maybe she figured he'd say something. I’d have to speak to him about her request. Dad would keep it quiet for me if I asked.

"Amber, please…"

"Uh, Mav, okay. Please call me Maverick," she spat, but she was already diving into the fluffy pink puffer coat. "And I have to go. I have to study."

I caught her by the elbow and made her stop. "Tell me I can see you again?"

She looked like a deer caught in headlights, but she nodded. "Of course, I'd love that." And her tone told me she meant it, unlike the way she lied to Naomi about that strawberry cake. More merry mix-ups, if you ask me, but I knew hardly anything about Naomi's friend group.

I led her out, but I watched her drive away wishing Dad hadn’t interrupted us. I'd like to have seen how far we got. Maybe next time. Until then, I had some cake to polish off.

7

JADE

December 7th

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