Page 18 of Sleigh Rides With St. Nick

"Really?"

I turned to find Laila looking at me with agot youexpression.There was really no fooling her when it came to this."I think I need a drink.Do you want one?"I scraped my chair back.

"Sure."

"What do you want?"

"Surprise me."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh please.The minute Nick sees you heading somewhere alone, he's going to head over to join you and I'm not going to get a drink, so let's not pretend.Just bring me something back when you finally return."

"Nick's not even going to notice that I've left the table," I responded.

"Really?"She looked over to where he was sitting.

My gaze locked with his and I swallowed hard.All right, so thatdidlook as if he was going to notice when I left the table.Now I just had to decide what to do with that."I'm going to get a drink," I mumbled.

"Have fun."The teasing note in her voice was reassuring that she wouldn't actually mind if I didn't come back for a bit.

Not that I could really entertain that.As much as I wanted to talk to Nick, we shouldn't do anything that would potentially get me into trouble with my company, and I was starting to fear that being alone with him was going to do just that.

I made my way over to the bar, fully intending to just get myself a drink, but stopping in my tracks when I saw the object of my thoughts in the corridor to the left.

Without even meaning to, I found myself drawn over there, making my way over without a single care in the world.

"So you were watching me," I said to Nick once I was in earshot.

"I noticed you'd left the table, I wanted to check you were enjoying yourself.It is my job as host."

"Mmm.Do you check on everyone who leaves?"I asked, leaning against the wall and trying to ignore the fact he was so close to me.

"It depends on who it is and how much I want to talk to them," he admitted, not moving closer, but also not doing anything to put more distance between us.Then again, neither was I.

"You're not wearing your cloak any more."

"I thought it made me stand out a bit.And it's hot in here."

"Mmm.The suit looks good, though."I moved closer and touched his arm."The cloak made you seem very regal."

"I thought it made me look like a superhero?"he murmured, closing more of the space between us until I was pretty much shielded from view of the rest of the feast's attendees.

"If the superhero is Captain Christmas, then it's hot," I assured him.

"Oh, is that so?"His dark eyes sparkled as they bored into mine, and I couldn't help but want things that I shouldn't.

My breathing hitched and I looked past him, spotting a green plant with white berries hanging from the ceiling."Is that mistletoe?"

"Not the most inventive way to persuade me to kiss you."

"That's not what I meant," I said hastily.

"Oh?"

"And it's not how I'd persuade you to kiss me."The words slipped out without me meaning them to.

"Mmm, and whatwouldyou do to get me to kiss you?"

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