Page 35 of A Holly Brown Christmas
She hummed quietly before kissing his chest. “I hate to have to leave this comfy bed, but I should go down and check on him.”
“We can always come back up later,” he said carefully.
Holly leaned back and looked at him. “Really? I…I just thought after dinner I’d…”
“I’d really like you to stay tonight. You know, if you want to. No pressure. This was all…um…not planned, but I was hoping you’d want to stay.”
She smiled. “You mean like a sleepover?”
He knew she was teasing.
Kind of.
“Whatever you want to call it is fine. Just as long as it gets us back up here, naked in this bed.”
“Mmm…I like the sound of that.” She kissed him softly before pulling back again. “I wish I had something to put on that was more comfortable, though. Not that my jeans and sweater aren’t fine, but…”
“Holly, please,” he said with amusement. “My mother stocks the guest rooms with essentials. There’s a robe in the closet that you are more than welcome to use, if that’s what you’re looking for.”
“Ooh…yes! Thank you!”
He knew they had to get up. He had to close the window and clean up the other room, she needed to check on the dog, but first, he pulled her close and kissed her slowly, thoroughly, before letting her roll away.
“Go check on Shmoop and I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Nope,” she said as she rolled off the bed and stretched. She was all soft curves and smooth skin, and his hands itched to touch her again. “We’ll both go clean up the room and then we’ll both go downstairs and check on the dog.” Walking over to the closet, she opened it and pulled out the robe, slipping it on. It was two sizes too big, but she didn’t say a word.
Plus, she looked adorable.
He knew their time together would never be boring, and for the first time in what felt like years, he was genuinely looking forward to the weekend.
Ten
A few hours later, they had finished their Mexican takeout, Shmoop was outside, and Holly was feeling completely serene.
The fireplace crackled softly in the background, casting a warm glow over the living room. The Scrabble board was set up in the center of the coffee table, surrounded by half-eaten snacks, a pair of oversized mugs, and a noticeable level of tension.
When Lucas suggested playing a board game after dinner, she thought he was crazy. Personally, she had hoped he’d just scoop her back up in his arms, carry her upstairs, rip off her robe, and ravish her again.
Not that stripping herself earlier was a bad thing, but this time, she secretly hoped he would do it for her.
But she supposed playing a game was a good way to pass the time before they got back to the sexy stuff.
Please let there be more sexy stuff…
Across from her, Lucas lounged on the floor, one knee up, casually sipping his tea. Meanwhile, Holly sat cross-legged with the oversized robe tucked around her, her brow furrowed in laser-sharp concentration as she rearranged the letters on her rack for the fifth time. And she swore she could feel him mocking her.
"Okay. Don’t rush me."
He smiled lazily. "I haven’t said a word in three minutes."
"Your breathing is impatient."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You know it’s just a game, right?"
She shot him a look like he just insulted her dog. "It is not just a game. It’s Scrabble. A battle of intellect. A war of wits. A fight to the death?—"
Now he smirked. "—using seven wooden tiles."
