Page 10 of Tangled in Mistletoe

“She was making memories,” Zeva says softly. “For you.”

My eyes sting, and I blink back the tears clouding my vision.

“She’s beautiful.”

“She was. She was also a Puerto Rican fireball that loved to dance.”

Zeva smiled. “There’s tenderness in her eyes, as if she understood you need it.”

I close the gap between us, but I don’t touch her because I’m too afraid of her rejection. “Do you think …” I clear my throat. “Knowing she holds a place in my heart, are you willing to give us a chance, even if it means facing the difficulties ahead?”

CHAPTER SEVEN

ANDREAS

Zeva gasps, her eyes widening as she stares at me. “You wanna be with me?”

I stand still. “Yes.”

“I’m a fluff journalist and you’re like a very cute Bad Santa.”

I grunt. She is correct about us being opposites. Where she is cheerful, I’m a grouch. “And we’ll have to nail down what you can and can’t write about me.”

“I’m guessing nothing about being a criminal?”

“No.” My mouth dries.

“Huh,” she says. “What about an exclusive about how you let the government chase their own tails?’”

I pull my fingers through my hair, not sure if she is yanking my chains or not. “I’ll understand if you said no. My connections to the mafia are enough to scare anyone. Add a dead wife to the mix and that is a recipe for disaster.” But Zeva isn’t like any other woman. She’s strong and quirky. It’s impossible not to love her dry humor and lopsided smile.

She set the box down before facing me. She cups my jaw in a way that almost brings me to my knees, but I hold still for her rebuff. “I’m not so shallow that I’d be jealous of your past and I’m not blind to the fact that loving Amber shaped you into theman you are right now. You left the mafia to be with the woman you love.”

“That decision came too late,” I say with regret.

She continues as if I haven’t spoken. “Out of all the towns and cities, you picked Magnolia because your aunt lives here.”

“She’s a thorn under my nail.”

“She’s family, and you’d be devastated without her.”

“That too,” I close my eyes, basking in the seduction of her skin against mine and the scent of her shea butter hypnotizing my nose.

“You’d do anything for the people you care about, Andreas Lister. You’re thoughtful even though you don’t show it. And you’re the grumpiest of the people you love. So if you’re offering me a place in your heart, how could I say no?”

“Zeva?” My breath stilled in my lungs.

“The answer is yes, Andreas. I want to see where this goes with you.”

Slowly, I lower my head, giving her time to retreat before I fuse her mouth under mine. Our kiss is tender and just as sweet as the first time. I drink all the sensations, causing my body to sway against her. I shudder at the softness of her breasts pressing against my chest and the electrical current charging the surrounding air. My hand grip her nape as her loose strands of tight curls tickled my skin, setting my hand on fire.

“You know the man I was. What I did.” I trail kisses along her jaw and at the top of the pulsing vein along her throat.

“That was your past, Andreas,” she says, but when my kisses trail to her collarbone, a husky moan escapes her lips.

I lift my head and wait for her eyes to open. They do, and it is as if she is dragged from a trance. Her large velvety brown eyes are glossy with the same desire coursing through my veins.

Might heavens…

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