Page 21 of Mistletoe Meet Cute
I’ve picked up on a few things this week.
Camden Monroe is a man of few words, but what he lacks in words, he makes up for with intentions and actions. He’s purposeful with both of those.
His smiles are saved for his daughter and his sister, who I’ve still yet to meet, even though she lives next door. He doesn’t share easily, not that I’ve asked much, but he’s offered even less, basically keeping his personal life and his past on lockdown.
I know very little past the bare minimum.
Should that bother me? Maybe.
Could I search his Wikipedia page and find out everything there is to know? Absolutely.
But here’s the thing... I want to learn it all from him, and I’m not sure why.
“I can put her down,” he offers as he steps softly into the room, careful not to wake the sleeping baby, and maneuvers around Madden, who doesn’t bother to lift his heavy head. Camden waits as I kiss Sophie’s head and transfer her into his strong arms. Arms that would never let anything happen to that little girl. And there’s something incredibly attractive about that.
I watch as he cradles her to him for a long moment before gently laying her in her crib.
A small smile tugs at his lips, and my insides melt.
Oh yeah . . . this isn’t good.
This is basically my version of porn.
But do I leave?
No, I do not.
Instead, I stand, waiting to follow him and the drooling dog out of Sophie’s room, and I’m suddenly wondering if the drooling dog is Madden or me.
Once the door closes behind me, Camden stops and stares for an incredibly tense minute. His eyes search mine, but I have noclue what he’s searching for until he finally speaks. “Did you eat dinner, vixen?”
And with that one question, all the tension I imagined hanging between us breaks, and I silently laugh at the question and at myself. “Vixen? Really? We’re sticking with that?”
“You nicknamed me after a hairy green animal. I can nickname you after a sexy reindeer.”
“Sexy?” I squeak and immediately feel like a fool. “You think a reindeer is sexy? I’m pretty sure there’s a term for that.Beastiality?” I joke.
Please say no, I think you’re sexy.
But he doesn’t say that.
Camden doesn’t say anything.
He just shakes his head, laughing as he turns away and walks down the stairs. “Come on, Holly. I picked up dinner on the way home.”
On the way home... Why do those words do warm and fuzzy things to me?
Holy hell, it’s been too long since I’ve been on a date if my boss being nice is all it takes for me to start picking up weird vibes. School and the vineyard didn’t leave much time for dating, and I’m starting to think that may have been a mistake because apparently, I’m incredibly out of practice.
When I step into the kitchen, Camden is pulling black to-go boxes out of a West End bag, and my mouth waters as he hands me one. “Luke said you liked BBQ bacon burgers.”
My stomach growls as I open the box and sigh dramatically at the yummy smell. “Looks like Luke was right for once in his life.”
Camden grabs two bottles of water and his box and joins me at the kitchen table, staring. “You gonna make me eat alone?”
“No.” I shake my head as if to force home my answer before pulling a fry out of the box.
“So... your brother’s not usually right?” he asks as he picks up a grilled chicken sandwich that doesn’t look half as good as my burger.
