Page 59 of Going Viral for Christmas
Ava sets the glass down with a bit ofclinkand lifts her chin.
I move another inch. “I’ll ask again—do you enjoy it?”
Her lips part slightly. “Sex?”
“No,” I reply. “Christmas tree assembly.”
A flush rises in her cheeks.
“Yes, sex.”
“I’m not answering that.”
“Which tells me everything.” I’m so close to her now. One more inch and I could touch her. “Guess I hit a nerve.”
Ava’s body stiffens. Even her breath locks up. Her gaze can’t help but roll down my naked chest before she catches herself, and those pretty autumn eyes snap back up. I can tell she’s mad at herself for looking. Love that.
“Good night, Soren.” Ava moves to stand. I block her. She peers up at me, a little angry, a little confused, but a whole lot breathless.
“The thing about fire, Bells.” I lean down, so my voice sweeps over her skin. “You can run from it, hide from it, try to smother it, but once it’s in you? You don’t get a choice. You burn.”
Ava angles away, fists balled up at hersides. It’s not anger. It’s need, shuddering through her muscles, aching in the spaces between us. If she lets go, she’ll touch me. And if she touches me, we’ll both ignite.
And then?—
Fire.
Burn.
“Please move.” Her hand drifts toward her throat, like she could hide the furious pulse hammering there.
Turning slightly to let her pass, she quickly disappears down the hall, into her room, and locks herself inside.
I pop the walnut in my mouth and smile.
Eleven
AVA
After the glitter-storm circus that was theGreat Booksgiving, Renata and Camille whisked Soren and me away like romance novel fairy godmothers on a caffeine bender.
Apparently, “organic relationship building” is done through a carefully organized weekend getaway with the enemy.
Our destination? Washington, D.C.
Reason? Content.
Camille and Renata have decided that before theFeast & Fictionevent next week in Boston, wemustdetour through the nation’s capital for what they dubbed “a picturesque lovers’ weekend.”
Their words, not mine.
The itinerary reads like a Buzzfeed listicle titledTop Ten Cliché Couple Dates You’ve Already Seen in Every Rom-Com Ever.
•A carriage ride. Nothing screams timeless love like horse manure on Constitution Avenue.
• Candlelit dinner cruise on the Potomac.
• Matching scarves for a Lincoln Memorial selfie. (Yes, they actually packed us scarves.)
