Page 45 of The Mistletoe Bluff
“Better?” he crooned in my ear, eliciting a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold.
I nodded, not trusting whatever might come out of my mouth next.
It was awkward with the two of us on the seat like this. Oliver was too tall, his shoulders a little too broad for him to be comfortable, but he didn’t complain once as he held me to him, his fingers trailing calming lines over my stomach.
My body relaxed as his heat seeped into me, a type of lullaby that had me fading into a warm slumber in the backseat of Oliver’s Jeep.
Oliver
Iblinked my eyes open, the frigid air smothering my face, though it was easy to ignore when I was curled under a warm blanket with the woman of my dreams. The front of my shirt was damp with sweat from where Maya’s back was pressed against my stomach; her breathing slow and even, still asleep.
I smiled to myself. Maya had fallen asleep in my arms.
It shouldn’t have made me as happy as it did, but inside I was positively giddy.
For over a year I had kept my crush on Maya hidden, but I'd always been dreaming of times like this. Days where I could surprise her with a fun date, like Christmas tree hunting, or fall asleep cuddled together. Though, admittedly, I never imagined we’d be stuck on the side of the road during a blizzard while cuddling, but hey. I wasn’t about to complain.
My face was nuzzled into her neck, the fruity scent of her perfume doing wild things to my insides. I hadn’t planned on falling asleep, but the longer I laid there, the more the heat from Maya’s body relaxed my muscles, and my eyelids grew heavy. It didn’t take long before I had followed her into dreamland.
The cold air smothered my face as I lifted my head to look around. The windows were fogged over and covered in snow, making the interior of the car dim. A thick layer of snow blanketed the car, and I could barely make out that it was still daylight, though it appeared dusk was quickly approaching. We must have slept forhours.
The sound of the wind whipping against the Jeep had ceased, and I wondered if the storm had let up enough to drive back home.
Maya’s blonde hair was splayed out over the seat, her head propped up on the other blanket. Her lips were parted, and my mind flitted back to the tree farm where I had fake kissed her under the mistletoe.
Panic had flashed in her eyes when I leaned in, and it had taken everything in me to only peck the very corner of her lips. It wasn’t a kiss at all, but it would have looked like one to everyone that had been watching.I still wished it had been real. I fought the urge to press my lips to her cheek as she slept.
I needed to get up soon, check out how much snow had fallen, and see if it was safe to get back on the road.At the thought of leaving this warm little bubble we had created, my arms tightened around Maya. She shifted, then muttered something unintelligible, her eyes moving behind her lids.
And then the last thing I ever expected came out of her mouth.
“Oliver,” she breathed, her head tilting to the side.I glanced over her shoulder to double check that she was indeed asleep, my heart skipping a beat. She had said my name in her sleep.
Was Maya…dreaming about me?
She shifted backward, pushing into me, and I had to press my lips to her coat to hold back a groan.
Half of me wanted to let her sleep, to see if she would say anything else in her dream, but the other half wanted to wake her up and find out what she was dreaming about for her to say my name.
I was saved from making the decision when she suddenly flinched in my arms, her eyes popping open.
“Maya?” I dared to ask, and she jumped, as though she had forgotten I was there. She craned her head over her shoulder. Her pupils were wide, and her breath puffed out in little clouds.
“Oliver?” she asked, dazed. She wiggled around until she was facing me, her mouth inches from mine.
Maya was so close; it would only take a tiny movement for my lips would be on hers. I wanted it so badly, but I had promised her I wouldn’t touch her unless she asked. I would hold true to my word, even though every part of me screamed to kiss her.
“Hey, sleepyhead. What were you dreaming about?”
Maya looked at me through hooded eyes. Was she still half asleep, or was she purposely looking at me like she was about to jump me? Or maybe that was just wishful thinking again. My brain was a jumbled mess with her so close.
Then her eyes flicked to my lips.
“Maya?” I breathed. Was she inching closer? Or was that me?
What is happening?
Maya’s hand moved to my cheek.
