Page 12 of What Happens This Christmas
I wasn’t entirely sure if we were supposed to be switching this much, but it was fine by me. In fact, I was grateful to Jack and that bell of his. I would have rung it myself if I could’ve. The truth was that I didn’t care much for any of this. I was never going to have sex with any of these men. I was never even going to have horny dreams about any of these men.
They were mediocre.
They were plain.
They were kimchi—an acquired taste.
They all had the same problem…they weren’t Nick.
And, when Nick left me in January, there would never be another Nick.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
There would never be another Nick. How could there be? Nick was…well…Nick. He was my husband, and no one could so much as hold a candle to him.
My stomach rumbled but not from hunger. These thoughts terrified me more than the prospect of being poor.
“Have your fun?”
I didn’t need to look in front of me to know what my heart already knew—that the man sitting across from me was Nick.Speak of the devil…
My heart skipped faster as I turned and locked eyes with him. Even though he was wearing a scowl, his eyes narrowed, it still felt like all of the oxygen in this place had been consumed. I cleared my throat and pursed my lips. “What are you doing?”I asked in a hushed tone, leaning forward slightly. Now him I didn’t mind being close to. Anyone else in this place and it seemed hazardous.
“I’m about done with this, Candy. I’m leaving, and you can come with me, or you can go with one of these imbeciles,” he informed me in a clipped tone.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself. Shouldn’t you try your hand at wooing me before assuming I’d swing with you?” I had no idea what half of what just came out of my mouth meant. It sounded accurate. The trouble was that I’d said it.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine, stay here.” He pushed his seat out and started to get up. “Try not to leave with a murderer. I detest funerals.”
“Don’t be absurd.” I got up and fixed the long sleeves on my pantsuit. Sitting was the kiss of death for most fabrics, but especially designer clothes. They weren’t like regular cotton clothes people balled up, tossed in the laundry basket, and pulled out when they needed something the next day. They needed to be treated with care. “I wouldn’t even touch that man’s elf.”
“What?” he asked, practically shouting.
There was no need for him to raise his voice in a public place. I shook my head, not caring to get into any further discussion about that man’s elf. This was over, I’d annoyed Nick enough for one night, and now we could leave before I had to be subjected to more of this…this. A pub for dinner. What had Nick been thinking? Next time why didn’t he just ask if he could take me to a drive-through?
“Forget it,” I said, exhaling as I followed him. “Let’s just hope my coat is still here. Most of these people probably spotted it and saw it as an opportunity to pay down their mortgages.” It wasn’t just any random fur coat. It was a mahogany mink coat with a fox fur trim and bracelet cuffs. Many of our friends hadasked where they could find one, but the answer was nowhere. Nick had custom made it for me. The lining even had my name embroidered on it.
He didn’t say anything, only continued walking to the door. “You’re in luck,” he said, taking it off the rack and holding it out as he waited for me to step into it. “Your coat remains in your possession.”
I shrugged into it and pulled on the front to keep it closed. “You know, this is still one of the most extravagant things anyone has ever given me.” Turning around, I gave in to the urge to rest my hand on his chest. The corners of my lips tilted upward, and I couldn’t fight the way my pulse ricocheted at the feeling of his stacked abs. He was so warm. He always had been, though. On cold nights, I used to lean into him, and he’d wrap an arm around me, his body like a furnace keeping me warm.
“It was literally made for you.” His gaze trailed down to my touch, and I could have sworn I felt his heart begin to race, but I would never know for sure because I dropped my hand.
“Yes, well, I couldn’t imagine anyone else doing it justice.”
Silence engulfed us, but neither of us made an attempt to impale it. Besides the typical sounds, it was fairly quiet this evening, the only noise echoing in the air was the sound of our shoes touching down on the street.
Nick opened the passenger door, the spicy and woodsy notes of his cologne leaving me charmed. My cheeks warmed as I took my time getting in the car, glancing up at him as he held his hand on the top of the door, ready to shut it. “I can’t get enough of the way you smell.”
He cocked a brow, studying me like I was a crossword puzzle. “I’ve been wearing this cologne the entire evening.”
“You should…wear it more often.”
“Okay…”
