Page 4 of Mistletoe Mistake
This is definitely going to be a problem.
“Yeah.” She smiles ruefully. “Sorry about that, I didn’t realize you were here.”
“I guess Brandon didn’t tell you he said I could stay for a few days?” I make a mental note to kick my best friend’s ass.
Something akin to understanding lights up her eyes. “He was trying to call me today, but we didn’t connect.” She shakes her head and mutters something under her breath that I don’t quite catch.
“Ah, well, there’s some plumbing problems at my apartment and I needed a place to stay for a couple of days. Brandon said it would be okay for me to crash here.” I grimace before continuing. “I hope that’s okay? I can always find a hotel…”
“Of course it’s fine! Um, I guess we don’t both need to be here though.” Her brows pull together and a cute little line appears. “I can go back to my apartment until you’re gone.” She gives her head a little nod, as if it’s decided.
Fuck no.
“Don’t do that.” Shit, that might have come out slightly more aggressive than I meant it to, because her head instantly pops up, looking at me with surprise written all over her face. “I just mean, I’m only going to be here a couple of days. You’ll only just finish unpacking and it’ll be time for you to come back. You might as well stay.”
“I guess that’s true.” She nibbles her lip. “All right, I guess being roomies for a couple of days won’t kill me.” Moving toward the island, she takes a seat on one of the uncomfortable-looking stools. “Have you eaten? I’m starving.”
A bark sounds from the mudroom and her little dog comes rushing out and drops a ball at my feet.
“I can always eat.” I bend down and scoop up the furball who starts wriggling in my arms and trying to lick my face. “She’s not much of a guard dog, you know.” I sit on the stool next to her—FYI, they’re just as uncomfortable as they look—still trying to wrangle the brown and white dog. “When I got here, all she did was sniff me and claw my legs until I picked her up.”
Her face softens as she watches Gypsy, who has turned her attention to Holly and is trying to jump from my arms to hers.
“Yeah, the only way she’ll ever stop an intruder is by licking them to death.” She wraps her arms around the fluffball, places a kiss on the top of her head, and then leans down to place her on the ground. Picking up the ball Gypsy dropped, she throws it back toward the mudroom and we both watch her race after it, her claws clattering on the hardwood floor.
“Is pizza still your favorite? The local place is pretty fast, we can probably be eating in under an hour.”
My ego gives a fist bump, realizing she remembers my favorite food. Which is ridiculous. I practically lived here growing up. Just because she remembers I love pizza doesn’t mean anything.
“Yeah, pizza’s great.”
I watch her tap away on her phone, placing the order. Her other hand plays with a strand of her long hair and her normally wide eyes are narrowed as she stares at the screen. Her creamy skin has a perpetual rosiness along her cheekbones and she still has a smattering of freckles across her nose, just like she did when she was a kid.
I think back to the last time I saw her. It was her twenty-first birthday and I remember the exact moment I spotted her. She was moving through the room confidently, her face lit up with a huge smile, and it was like a punch to the face. The fresh-faced kid I remembered from five years earlier was gone and had been replaced by a woman I wanted in my bed.
Or in my car. Really, wherever she would have me.
Her small nose scrunches up. “Pineapple on pizza is so gross, Nick.”
Well, would you look at that. She even remembers my exact order.
“Pineapple and sausage pizza is a gift from the gods. You should try it.”
She presses a final button and drops her phone onto the counter. “I willnevereat pineapple on pizza and, honestly, I don’t entirely trust anyone who does.”
I clutch my chest, wounded. “That hurts, Holly, that really hurts.” Standing up, I stretch my arms above my head, my shoulders feeling tight from a long day at work.
A small sigh catches my attention and I look down to see Holly staring at my sweatpants. She runs her tongue lightly along her bottom lip and I feel my cock twitch in appreciation.
I clear my throat and try to hide a smirk. Everything in me wants to make a smart-ass comment. Flirt with her a little. But Brandon’s warning from three years ago rings loudly in my head,“keep your fucking hands off my sister, asshole. You’re not even worthy oflookingat her right now.”
I’m not going to lie, the chemistry between us is unexpected. I’m well aware of the attraction I felt to her, all those years ago, but I never expected to see the same interest reflected back at me. My gut clenches and I force myself to remember how Brandon stood by me when so many others disappeared. Starting something with his sister would be a dick move.
Instead, I ignore the heated moment and move to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.
Her stool screeches across the floor as she stands and I watch her from the corner of my eye awkwardly rub her chest.
“I’m going to go have a shower. Can you give me a shout when the pizza arrives?”
