Page 19 of 'Tis the season of Wicked Deeds

“Miss Twinkle Seth!”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Miss Twinkle!”the receptionist repeats.

Panic keeps me paralyzed.

Kingston looks over my shoulder, brow furrowing. Hilda must be looking in my direction. I stay mute, praying for magic to get me out of this mortifying situation.

Why isn’t the ground swallowing me up?

Maybe I should dig a hole in the snow, crawl inside, and hide forever.

Kingston’s grip loosens, sliding to my waist. Of course, he doesn’t let me go entirely. The poor man doesn’t know that I am Twinkle and not Tina. The girl he originally wanted to marry.

Footsteps approach from behind, and a second later someone taps me on my shoulder. “Miss Twinkle?”

It’s Kingston’s turn to freeze and give me a look of bafflement.

I’m left with no choice but to turn, making his hands drop, and hoarsely reply, “Yes?”

“Your room is ready,” Hilda informs me with a polite smile, unfazed that I basically acted deaf a few seconds ago. Points for maintaining professionalism.

Behind me, I can feel Kingston’s burning gaze drilling into my back.

The jig is up.

“Thank you,” I reply to Hilda. “Can you give me a moment please?”

“Sure. Just come to the desk when you’re ready.”

As she walks away, I fight the urge to run away and slowly turn around to face Kingston. Traveling my gaze up his tight abs and wide chest, which takes a Herculean effort, I lock my eyes with his impassive ones. “So, funny story…”

“You’re not Tina.”

Is that relief I sense in his tone? No way. I must be imagining it.

I gulp and shake my head, feeling like a criminal on trial.

His expression transforms into disbelief and he roughly mutters, “Wow, never thought I’d be getting catfished.”

“I’m so sorry,” I rush to say and spill everything in typical word-vomit fashion. “It’s not because you’re ugly or not husband material, it’s just my best friend Tina isn’t ready for marriage. It was her mother who set up her profile. So, she asked me to go instead and let you off easy. You see, she’s not very good at saying no. She’s the worst people pleaser ever to exist and—”

“So, you’re not looking for a virgin man?”

“Of course not… Wait, what?” His sudden question throws me for a loop. I carefully study his handsome face and notice he doesn’t look raging mad. As he should. In fact, he appears positively satisfied with the news I’mnotTina.

“On our date, everything you said you were looking for in a husband was made-up lies to get me to reject you? To purposely ruin the date?”

“I think you’re focusing on the wrong details.”

“You did want me, didn’t you?”

When I don’t immediately deny it, he smirks. My legs turn to jelly at the full intensity of it. What is happening?

“It explains everything. Your insane demands. You stubbornly resisting me.” Again, he stares at my mouth while biting the corner of his. “The way you kissed me back.” When he lifts his gaze back to mine, they’re darker. “I’ve been going insane thinking what went wrong. Now I know.”

“I’m still the wrong girl for you.”

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