Page 30 of The Mistletoe Bluff
“Oliver, arm,” Elsie ordered, not breaking eye contact with Maya.
Wasting no time, I put my hand on Maya’s waist and scooped her into my side, huffing a laugh when she let out a small yelp, before settling my arm over her shoulder.
“I don’t bite,” I whispered in her ear, feeling immense satisfaction when she shivered as my lips brushed her skin.
In her typical feisty fashion, she shrugged my arm off her shoulder, but I took advantage of the movement and skimmed my fingers down her arm before wrapping my hand around her waist.
Maya fixed her friend with another glare. “Is this really necessary?”
Elsie smirked. “You could at least try to look like you’re enjoying being held by yourboyfriend.”
“I think I liked it better when I was the one givingyourelationship advice.”
Elsie laughed but then her attention snagged on something behind us before another voice joined us.
“Sorry I’m late,” a man said, slipping into the booth next to Elsie. He had dark hair, hazel eyes, and dimples that pierced his cheeks as he smiled at her. He, too, looked familiar. “Got stuck at the clinic.”
“That’s okay,” Elsie said, planting a firm kiss on his lips, and I couldn’t help but notice how Maya looked away.“Oliver, this is my fiancé, Jameson.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jameson said, reaching his hand across the table, shaking mine.
“You too, mate. You’re the other half of that photoshoot Maya did for class, right?”
“Guilty,” he said with a smile, pulling Elsie to his side. “Wouldn’t be engaged to this one without it.”
Their love was tangible, and I wanted to reach out and grab it to take some for myself.
“You invited him?” Maya asked, crossing her arms.
Jameson snorted. “Nice to see you too, cousin.”
Maya stuck her tongue out at him, and I chuckled.
Elsie shrugged. “When Oliver joined us, I figured it was no longer a girl’s night and invited Jameson. Now it’s a double date.” She winked, and Jameson planted another kiss on her cheek.
“You could’ve asked me first,” Maya grumbled.
“Go with the flow, Maya,” Jameson replied. “Surely dinner with your best friend, cousin, and…” He paused, glancing at me as if unsure what to refer to me as.
“Her boyfriend,” Elsie finished, and Jameson’s eyes widened. It looked like he might have been sizing me up.
“You actually got Maya to be your girlfriend?” The shock was clear in his voice.
“I’m not his girlfriend.” Maya slumped farther into her seat. I poked her side in a soft rebuttal and didn’t miss the way she squirmed. Was she ticklish?
That could be fun.
“For all intents and purposes, until after Christmas, you are. So, start acting like it,” Elsie retorted.
They stuck their tongues out at one another, causing Jameson and I to chuckle at their grand display of maturity.
“I think I’m missing something here,” Jameson admitted, gesturing between all of us.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I explained, “Maya is pretending to be my girlfriend for my family Christmas dinner in exchange for me being her chauffeur while her car is being repaired.”
“You forgot the part whereyoudamaged said car,” Maya sassed around a bite of burger.
Jameson’s eyes flashed with amusement. He cocked his head as he looked at her, narrowing his eyes.
