Page 26 of Acting Merry
“I don’t know if you’ve ever done a gingerbread house before, Cole, but it’s a little different from building an actual home. No one’s going to live in this. It’s literally all about curb appeal.”
“And not collapsing. We need structural support. Grab a handful of those candy canes, would you?”
She laughs but brings over a dozen of them, and we break off the hooked ends to make crossbeams.
She pipes frosting onto the ends of them, and we each hold one side in place.
Our eyes meet over the house, and she smiles. “We’ll have the sturdiest, ugliest gingerbread house in history.”
“Patience, Reese’s Pieces.”
She looks around the room, and her gaze lingers on Brady and Megan. “Everyone else is already decorating. Just saying.”
I keep my eyes on her. “Everyone else is going to lose. Just saying.”
We get the roof supported and in place, and Reese grabs a handful of candy from one of our bowls.
I snatch her wrist. “Please tell me you weren’t about to press gumdrops to a roof that hasn’t had time to set.”
She shakes her head adamantly, brown eyes wide and innocent.
I pry her fingers open. Five pink gumdrops.
I pluck two and pop them into my mouth.
Her gaze follows the motion, lingering on my lips.
“Eyes up here, Reese’s Pieces.”
She puts a finger to the side of her mouth. “You’ve got a little drool.”
I brush at my mouth with a thumb, but there’s nothing there.
She just smiles, the littlevfor victory lighting her eyes.
I take a step toward her. “You’re mighty bold for someone on the verge of being fired.” Maybe Brady’s watching. Maybe he’s not. I don’t really care at the moment.
Reese stands her ground. “So fire me.”
My eyes rove over her face, then settle on the cupid’s bow of her mouth. “I can think of a better way to teach you a lesson…”
She swallows, the only indication that what I said has any effect on her.
This whole thing with Reese is addicting. I’m not satisfiedto just play my part well or to look like Reese’s boyfriend.
I want her to actually want me. I want her to want me to kiss her.
But I’ve never been so nervous about kissing a person I have every excuse to kiss.
Ever so slowly, I lean in.
Her eyelids flutter as the space between our lips disintegrates inch by inch.
Just before our lips brush against each other, I stop.
I can feel her waiting, and the way her breath is stuck in her lungs while she does.
“Roof’s ready.” I step back, unable to suppress my smile.
