Page 11 of Coffee and Christmas Kisses
Finally, the cookies were decorated and the kids were yawning. I helped them get settled in front of the TV to watch a movie while they fell asleep, and once that was done, Cole pulled me aside. “I’d better get going. It’s pretty late and I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”
“Sure, no problem,” I said. “Let me just get my keys.”
He shook his head. “No need. I’m staying just a couple of blocks from here. I can walk.”
With a frown, I put my hand on his arm. “Are you sure? I’m happy to drive you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Really.”
“I think I’ll head out too. Wait just a minute and I’ll walk you out, at least.” I said my goodbyes and we headed out to the sidewalk.
“Can I keep you company while your car warms up?” Cole asked.
I chuckled and nodded. “Sure, if you want to.”
“I do,” he said quietly, stepping close. “I really do.”
“Oh,” I murmured the second before our lips touched for the second time that night. As he slid his tongue into my mouth, I inhaled sharply, letting one hand go to the back of his coat and grip him tightly. We kissed for several moments and as we did, heat and electricity exploded inside of me, spurring me on. I pressed our bodies together as we kissed and Cole moved a hand to the back of my neck, holding me to him. My breath hitched as we kissed, and Cole let out a soft groan of pleasure. I couldn’t believe what was happening—we’d been dancing around each other all night, but I was still surprised at howrightit felt.
When we parted a few moments later, my heart pounding, both of us breathing heavily, Cole cleared his throat. “I hope that was okay.”
My cheeks burning, I looked at my feet briefly. “It was more than okay.”
“Good. I feel the same.”
A beat passed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then? At the coffee shop?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he murmured. “See you tomorrow.” With that, he turned and headed off into the night. I climbed into my car and headed in the opposite direction, my mind swirling like the snowflakes on the ground.
Chapter Seven
Cole
Imade my wayto the shop again early the next day. I had work I could do, yes, but I was more eager to see West than anything else. I hauled my laptop with me and arrived shortly after West opened the shop for the day. When I opened the door, the bell jingling to announce my arrival, West looked up sharply from what he’d been doing—stocking the pastry case—and his gaze met mine. Immediately his cheeks flooded pink, and a small smile formed on his face. I nodded by way of greeting and took the table that had become my usual spot.
I spent the day trying hard to focus on my work andnotpay attention to the sexy shopkeeper who kept glancing my way, but I wasn’t very successful. All I could think about was kissing him again—the way his body had pressed against mine, warm and firm and solid, the way his lips had felt against mine, soft but insistent. I wanted to do it again. I wanted more, too. Snow fell outside, heavy flurries that obstructed the sun a little, giving the coffee shop a disconnected, insulated feel. Toward the end of theafternoon, the crowd thinned out until eventually West and I were alone.
He made his way to my table and sat down. “So…”
I raised my eyebrows. “So?”
“I just wanted to apologize again for the whole, you know, family night thing.”
With a shrug, I gave him a sincere smile. “It was nice. Your nieces and nephews are great. I really like how your family just… welcomed me in.”
“Yeah, they have a tendency to do that.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “They adopt people. Always have. Every time one of us had a friend in college who needed a place to go, they came to our house. Weekends, holidays, breaks, it didn’t matter. My parents always welcomed people with open arms. It was chaos, but they loved it.”
“I can tell. We were never quite like that in my family. My mom is great, but I can’t imagine her with a house full of chaos.”
He laughed a little. “It’s not for everyone.” A moment passed and he glanced at the clock. “Oh, wow. It’s closing time already.”
“Should I—?” I gestured to my laptop and tilted my head toward the door.
“No, not at all. I… like your company. Stick around as long as you’d like.” His cheeks turned pink as he spoke. “In fact… do you want to come upstairs and have dinner with me after I finish cleaning up down here?”
“I’d love that.” I turned my focus to gathering my belongings and packing up, so I’d be ready to go when the time came.
West stood and went to the door to turn the “open” sign over. As he did, he wiped the glass to peer out into the street. “Wow, that snow really came down.”
