Page 25 of Clued in to Love
“I don’t know, but we’ll know when we see it.”
She searched the next house and then three more.
William had moved on to a collection of candy canes. “This seems like a waste of time. I doubt that team was trying to throwus off. It’s the holidays. They were probably just in the festive spirit.”
“Spoken like a Graff,” Marissa mumbled under her breath, not aware his hearing was so sharp.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He sounded hurt.
She moved on to Santa’s workshop. “This might be a joke to you. You have your trust fund and your family’s money, but winning Passport to the Holidays will be life-changing for me. If that other team already found the clue and realized that teams like us are doing a quick look and giving up, it’s a brilliant strategy to offer up some freehelpunder the guise of the holiday spirit when in reality, they want to win the sled of cash as much as I do.”
“I want to win this, too.” William’s tone was serious. He stood up and met Marissa’s gaze head-on, the usual spark in his eyes replaced with something steadier and more intent. “Being a Graff has nothing to do with it.”
“Why?” She shot him a challenging look. “For bragging rights? To prove something to your parents?”
He let out a dry laugh and looked away. “Sure, something like that.”
Marissa could tell that she had offended him yet again. A small pang of guilt stirred, but she pushed it aside. This was about winning. She wasn’t here to make friends or play nice with the competition.
She went back to searching, undeterred by William. The cold returned to her fingertips and toes. Her nose started to drip, and her teeth began to chatter. This had to be right. It was the only thing that made sense.
William scanned the other side of the wintry village without saying another word. She had definitely offended him.
Oh well.
Hopefully, the message would sink in. This wasn’t a joke. If he couldn’t take this seriously, she had no problem leaving him behind.
“Hey, Marissa, come here.” He finally broke the silence, calling from behind the ice cottage. “I think I found something.”
Her pulse picked up as she hurried over to see what he had discovered.
“Shine that right here.” William pressed his finger on one of the scalloped shingles. “Is that writing?”
She leaned closer to see. Their shoulders touched. Marissa felt a jolt of heat run through her body. William’s lips were mere inches from hers. She could see his breath puffing out in cold, smoky waves and smell the hint of spicy cardamom lingering from his latte.
She had to resist leaning even closer.
God, what was wrong with her?
William Graff was her sworn enemy and potentially the only obstacle between her and a sled of cold, hard cash.
“What is it?” She squinted, crouching next to him.
“Right here. Do you see the candy cane etched in the shingle? It’s very subtle.” William reached for her free hand. He grasped her glove and pulled her hand to the spot on the roofline.
Marissa’s body betrayed her. Her breath caught in her throat. She could feel her heartbeat in her chest. Their skin wasn’t even touching through their gloves, but just being this close to William felt dangerous. Like he could easily remove every ounce of self-control she had with one brush of his lips.
Focus.
“You’re right,” Marissa replied. Did her voice sound wobbly? Or was it just her imagination?
“Can you make out what it says?” His breath was warm on her neck. His other hand slipped down around her waist.
Marissa couldn’t force herself to move away. “Uh, um, yeah. It’s another clue.” She inhaled and tried to concentrate on the words carved into the ice. “Pub paparazzi.”
“Pub paparazzi,” William repeated softly in her ear, making her entire body feel like it might give way.
They stood frozen for a second. Marissa could feel the beat of his heart against her back. It was fast and strong. She didn’t trust herself to breathe.
