Page 26 of Cross Check Christmas
"Careful there, Shakespeare." His voice comes out low, husky. "These steps get slick."
“Ugh!”
His eyes dance with mischief. “I gotta say, I didn’t expect you to fall for me so fast. But I’m not complaining."
My heart hammers against my ribs. He's so close it’s making my knees wobble. Or maybe that's just the near-fall talking. His eyes lock with mine, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe.
A gentle breeze stirs the mistletoe above us, making the berries dance.
"Well, well," he murmurs, glancing up. "Would you look at that?"
"You put that there."
His thumb traces small circles on my back where he's still holding me. "You know, they say it's bad luck to ignore mistletoe tradition."
"Don't you dare?—"
He leans in closer, and I catch a hint of coffee on his breath. I should push him away. I should definitely not be noticing how his eyes are flecked with gold, or how his hands feel steady and sure against my back, or how his lips curve into that infuriating half-smile.
"If you try to kiss me, I'll?—"
"You'll what?"
"I will knee you where it hurts."
“You sure know how to woo a guy,” he says, winking.
"Let. Me. Go."
"Say please."
"Please… get your clammy hands off me."
"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" His arms tighten around me. "But since you asked so nicely..."
In one fluid motion, he scoops me up like I weigh nothing. My stomach drops as he climbs the steps, and I'm absolutely not thinking about how solid his chest feels or how gracefully he moves for such a big guy.
"This is completely unnecessary." I squirm, but his grip remains firm. "I am perfectly capable of walking."
"Can't risk you slipping again." His chest rumbles when he speaks. "What kind of gentleman would I be?"
"A gentleman would leave me alone and go back to Toronto."
"Where's the fun in that?" He climbs the last step and sets me down in front of my door with surprising gentleness, but keeps his hands on my waist a moment longer than necessary. Thewarmth of his touch seeps through my wool coat, and I hate how my breath catches.
"There. Safe and sound." His voice drops lower. “But try not to fall again unless I’m around, okay?”
I fish for my keys in my pocket. “Whatever. I’m not clumsy.”
“Hmmm. I don’t know about that. Remember when you tripped over thin air and face-planted into the cafeteria's mashed potatoes."
"That was because you tied my shoelaces together!" Heat floods my face at the memory. The entire lunch room had erupted in laughter while I sat there, potato in my hair, wanting to disappear.
"I would never." But his lips twitch. “You looked so cute with gravy in your hair, though.”
“Well as much as I’d love to reminisce with you about how you humiliated me in High School, I do have some papers to grade.” I jam my key into the lock and shove open the door with more force than usual. “And you should probably get on the road back to the big city before it gets too late.”
I shoo him with my hands. It’s a three-hour drive to downtown Toronto in the best conditions. And as much as I’d like to see him suffer, I wouldn’t wish icy roads on anyone.
