Page 23 of The Mistletoe Bluff
Oh. That’s right. It was nothing more than a thank you. Why did that leave disappointment settling in my gut like a bad burrito? What did I think it was? My enemy being genuinely nice? Ha. Yeah, right.
“I, um…I’m sorry I snapped at you.” I didn’t want to thank him, but the smell had filled the car, and my stomach had full control over my mouth at this point.
Oliver smirked at me. “It’s all right. You’re just hangry.”
Why did such a ridiculous word sound beautiful in his accent? A fierce gurgle erupted from my body.
Oliver chuckled. “Let’s get you home and some food in your stomach.”
Music to my ears.
Oliver
This bag of food is dangerously heavy, Maya. I think I should carry it for you,” I teased, holding the plastic bag above my head and out of her reach.
We had been standing outside her apartment building in a standoff for a solid five minutes.Maya didn’t want me to come inside, but she had yet to give me a genuine reason why I shouldn’t. I was desperate for any ounce of time I could get with this woman, and I wasn’t a quitter.
Even if my excuse of a heavy takeout bag was a little far-fetched and made me look foolish.
Maya arched a brow. “If it’s so heavy then how can you hold it over your head?”
“Easy. Under all this,” I gestured to my coat, “I’m all muscle.”
A blush spread over her cheeks as her gaze slid over me, and it filled me with immense satisfaction. The early morning workouts suddenly felt like the best decision I had ever made. I wasn’t a bodybuilder by any means, but I looked good, and I wasn’t afraid to admit it.
“Come on, Maya. There’s enough for two here, and I don't bite. Let me carry it for you.”
Her lips bent into a frown. “I don’t need a big muscley man to carry things for me, Oliver.”
Some men might have backed down at her words, or perhaps given up, but they served as gasoline, fueling my desire to be closer to her. I knew even a small spark would lead to our inevitable burning, resulting in the most exquisite pain I'd ever experienced. Like the sting of linework in a tattoo before the final masterpiece is revealed. But I had to get her to see it.
“Maybe not,” I conceded. “But maybe this is more of a want than a need.”
“I don’twantto have dinner with you, either.”
A sigh escaped my lips as I lowered the bag to my side. “Humor me, Maya. It’s just dinner. Is there something wrong with your apartment? Some secret you don’t want me to know?”
Maya rolled her eyes.
“Are you secretly a hoarder? Or maybe you only clean when the moon is full?” She snorted. “Or…”
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Do you keep dead bodies in your closet?”
Maya’s face contorted in outrage before she shoved my shoulder. “If I kept corpses in my apartment, I wouldn’t hesitate to bring you upstairs so you could join them.”
I cocked my head, taunting her with an arched eyebrow. “Prove it.”
Her petite frame trembled in frustration, and I expected her to put her foot down, likely on my toes, and demand I go away. But then she grumbled a curse under her breath before unlocking the door and walking inside the building.
A small smile curved my lips.Victory.
Pressing the lock button on my car keys, I followed her. It was a silent elevator ride to the fourth floor, and I fought the urge to nudge Maya’s shoulder as we walked down the hall to her apartment. The chair rail along each wall was decorated with Christmas garlands, and the faint scent of stale cigarettes lingered in the air.
At the end of the hall, she paused before apartment 415. “Just…don’t judge me, okay?” Her voice was soft, tentative.
“I won’t judge you for dead bodies, Maya. Though I might recommend you get some help.”
She punched my arm, and I laughed.
