Page 11 of Tis The Season for Secrets
“Tempting offer, but I can’t leave my sister alone with our dad for the holidays. It wouldn’t be Christmas without guilt. It’s why we can eat so much– to bury the emotions.” He thought it was meant to be a joke, but she mostly sounded resigned to her fate, and he wished this season was going to be so simple. She had no idea what was coming, and that he was part of it.
“I’d hate to spare you from a guilt-riddled Christmas, but what if I wanted to see you?” he asked, brushing his lips against hers.
“Aren’t you going home for the holidays? I’d hate to mess up your plans.”
Will sighed. She had no idea thatshewas his Christmas plans.
“Trying to get rid of me?” he teased. “I should’ve known you were just using me for my body.” He kissed her shoulder.
She rolled her eyes. “You can hardly blame me.” The way she looked at him nearly caused him to lose all self-control.
He cupped her face, his lips lingering inches from hers, but the sound of their rumbling stomachs interrupted the heated moment.
“I should go,” Juliet said quickly, kissing him far too briefly. It was the last thing he wanted to hear.
“I’m not letting you leave without breakfast in bed.” Will sat behind her as she tried to get up and wrapped his arms around her waist. She settled against him. Clearly, she was as reluctant to leave as he was to let her go.
“I thought you weren’t going to hold me hostage?” she asked over her shoulder.
“I’ve changed my mind – at least until you eat. I’ll call room service, if you want to hop in the shower.”
“You’ve got to let me go first, unless you plan on showering together.” She struggled against his arms, and he reluctantly released her.
Juliet scurried off to the bathroom, his shirt swaying with her hips as she went. Picking up the phone, Will realised she hadn’t said what she wanted to eat, so he got everything – although he made sure to specify no fish of any kind, since her file mentioned how much she loathed it.
Getting out of the shower,Will wrapped a towel around his waist, all his thoughts on the woman waiting on the other side of the door for him. His steamy reflection judged him for overstepping. All he was supposed to do was make sure she got the chest and that she didn’t reveal Yule’s secret to the world once she learned the truth. But she’d invaded his mind the moment her file had crossed his desk, and his better judgement had disappeared the moment she bumped into him in the hallway.
Putting on a new pair of boxers, he heard a door slam.Breakfast must’ve arrived.
“Juliet?” He opened the door, roughly drying his hair with a towel. He was about to tell her there was tip money on the nightstand when he found his bed empty.
Confused, he scanned the floor. Her dress and heels weren’t on the bench at the end of the bed.She must be on the couch; I can’t blame her for not waiting for me.They’d worked up quite the appetite last night.
He headed out of the bedroom, but his smile disappeared when instead of being met by Juliet’s dark eyes, he saw a waiter placing breakfast on the table by the couch. “Oh. Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”
“Sir?” The waiter frowned, clearly waiting for a response to a question Will had been too distracted to hear. “Is everything to your liking?” he repeated, putting the empty trays back on the silver trolly.
“Yes, fine. Thank you.” Even if everything smelt delicious, his appetite had left with Juliet.Why did she leave without saying anything?
Again, the waiter stood waiting until Will remembered to tip him. In exchange, he pulled something from his pocket.
“Your friend gave me this in the hall. She nearly knocked me over on her way out.” It looked to be a note scribbled on the back of their order receipt.
“Thank you.” Will closed the door and sat on the couch. Ignoring the breakfast, he opened the folded receipt.
Thank you for last night. I won’t forget it.
P.S. I’m keeping your shirt. ;)
That’s it?Putting down the note, he scrubbed his jaw and wished he’d never let her out of his sight.Why’d she run off?Thewaiter had said she was in a hurry, and he wondered if he’d done or said something. She had been fine when she’d come out of the shower; what could’ve changed in ten minutes?
His heart threatened to stop when he realised he’d left her alone in the room.Did she find the files?Hurrying to the wardrobe, he found his suitcase exactly as he’d left it. The file with her information remained safely tucked inside a manila envelope markedProperty of the Guardians of Yule. Yule’s stamp, an embossed Christmas tree, would’ve exposed his identity if she’d recognised it from the chest. It was his job to protect Yule’s secrets and its descendants, not add to the risk of exposure. Juliet wasn’t technically his charge; her legacy case was a favour for his mentor.
Maybe she got a call,he thought, pulling on a pair of black slacks and a cream knitted jumper. Something must have prompted such a rush to leave.I could call her, but there’s no way to explain how I have her number.
Tying his boots, he found the solution. Sitting on the table by the blueberry waffles was the manuscript with the Harley & Rowe address stamped neatly in the corner, giving him the perfect excuse to see her again. Now to figure out how to use this mistake to his advantage.
His phone vibrated in his pocket as he buckled his belt.
