Page 5 of She Came Upon A Midnight Clear
“That’s great.”
“Is it?” she asks, and I swear she’s flirting a little now as she bats those long lashes at me.
“Yeah.” I have to pause, licking my lips in anticipation. “Because I would really like to kiss you again.”
Her smile widens and it makes the blood run hot in my veins. God, I’d forgotten how pretty she was. I’d made myself forget. But now here she is, right in front of me, and she doesn’t seem to be opposed to me kissing her. I can’t help but grin before I lean in to press my lips to hers once more.
It hits me like an ocean wave this time, the desire pounding through my system, threatening to pull me under, and I know this little kiss under the mistletoe is not going to satisfy even the leading edge of that wave. And…we’re in the middle of a party, in my place of business, when all I want is to take her upstairs to my apartment and rip her clothes off.
But it’s more than that. I want tobewith her. I always have. To say she’s my long-time crush is a massive understatement.
I force myself to pull back again, and I feel a small puff of breath from her, warm against my skin. This woman is going to undo me if I don’t stop right now.
“Shit,” I say quietly.
She nods, smiles again. “I was really not expecting this.”
“Neither was I. I wasn’t expecting you to show up here. I wasn’t expecting it to be even better than the last time.”
“The last time?” she asks with a tilt of her head. Fucking adorable. “You mean at that party?”
“Yeah. I’ve never forgotten about that kiss.”
“Neither have I,” she says, her voice breathless.
“So, what are we going to do about it?”
She grins up at me, batting her lashes again, and there’s no denying the flirtation in her tone when she says, “You tell me.”
“If I weren’t hosting a party, I’d have all kinds of ideas.”
“Hmm, like what?” she asks.
I let out another small groan. “Evie, darlin’, what are you doing to me?”
She laughs, and it’s like fucking music. I read that line somewhere at some point, and it seemed absurdly poetic to me. But I finally get it.
Fucking music.
We stand there staring at each other like idiots while I run half a dozen ideas through my mind. Could I just say fuck the party and take her upstairs? Do I get her number and connect another day? No. Neither of those options feels workable. Maybe I can convince her to stay until the party is over? Worth a try.
“Shit,” she says quietly.
“What is it?”
“Sue. Gretchen’s girlfriend—or, her ex who just broke up with her a few days ago. She just walked in.”
I look to where she’s gestured with her chin and see Gretchen talking with a blonde woman wearing a red plaid flannel. Gretchen glances down, then back up, her lips pressed tightly together.
“It doesn’t look it’s going well. Do you need to go rescue her?”
Evie bites her lip. Makes me want to bite it. To hold that plump, pink flesh between my teeth and taste her.
“Um, I think they probably need to talk things out. Ah, they’re walking out toward the kennels. That’s good… I think.”
“So what now?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I guess I get to enjoy your party until Gretchen comes back in.”
