Page 96 of Holiday Hopefuls
Heart fluttering, I lay my head against Oliver’s strong chest as he pulls me closer, obliterating any remaining space between us. Outside, snowflakes dance to the ground, tempting me to fall right along with them.
My fake boyfriend, who told my niece that he loves me, rests his cheek against the top of my head. Surrounding me, his every motion is sturdy and sure.
Too bad it has red-hot awareness raging through my insides like a vine tightening through my entire nervous system.
Oliver spins me in a circle in one smooth, swift motion, pressing me back into his chest one more time. The corners of his mouth lift.
Mine follow involuntarily, mirroring his smile back at him. “What?”
“Do your parents always hang mistletoe from the side of the tree?” He nods directly above us, where a sprig of mistletoe hangs from one of the highest branches.
Snorting, I roll my eyes. “Yep. They take any excuse to gross out their kids, especially around the holidays. But then again—” I peek up at him from underneath my lashes“—who are we to buck tradition?”
“Calloway Rutherford, are you asking me to kiss you?” Leaning back, he smirks.
Heat races through my veins, threatening to give me away. Grinning, I lift a shoulder. “More like picking up where we left off in the kitchen. It was just starting to get good.” Before I can even process the audacity of my own statement, Oliver’s lips are on mine.
Pressing. Demanding.
His large hands roam slowly down my sides as our mouths open, each inviting the other in. Stopping just below the dip of my waist, Oliver’s fingers wrap around my hips. His grip tightens, pulling me flush to him.
Fire courses through my body, enveloping me in an all-consuming heat. I can’t tell if it’s from the overzealous fireplace or the stupidly attractive man holding onto me like his life depends on it. As my hands fist themselves in the front of his sweater, one of Oliver’s releases its iron grip.
Entangling his free hand in my hair, the best man I’ve ever known holds me in place just as my knees threaten to give out. A wild rumble of appreciation shudders through his chest as our teeth clash together, each begging the other for more.
Brazen fingers slide down his firm chest and stomach, finding the bottom of his shirt and dipping themselves inside. Underneath the hem, the warmth of his skin scorches my fingertips as he shivers at the contact. In a moment of bravery,my hands slide down to his waistband, where his button and fly open with ease.
Oliver follows suit, his lower hand sliding around to unfasten the button of my jeans.
Somewhere behind my parents’ closed bedroom door, another door slams shut.
My heart drums against the walls of my chest as we break apart, both taking in as much air as we can manage.
Oliver’s typically light eyes have been taken over, possessed by a darkness felt deep within me, as well. Chest heaving, those eyes pin me in place. “Callie?—”
The weight of our situation comes crashing down. Humiliation floods my every nerve. “We need to go,” I pant, nodding toward their room, “just in case they decide to come back out.” Without waiting on an answer, I move faster than I have in my entire life, taking the stairs two at a time.
The sound of Oliver’s footsteps follow me up the staircase and down the hallway, pausing just long enough for me to reach our bedroom before I die from embarrassment.
Throwing open the door, my panicked eyes bounce between my two options for safety. On the one hand, I could lock myself in the bathroom. But if Oliver needs it at any point in the night, that would only make things more awkward. On the other hand, I could potentially freeze to death out on the balcony. It would be difficult for Oliver to explain my frozen carcass, but at least I wouldn’t have to worry about embarrassing myself further. Besides, this infernal fire in my core needs to chill the hell out.
I make a beeline for the balcony.
The sound of the door clicking shut behind Oliver only makes me move faster. “Callie, where are you going?”
Yanking the balcony sliding glass to the side, I step out into the Christmas Eve air. My eyes burn, begging for an emotional release from whatever just happened downstairs.
Whatever was about to happen.
Sliding the door back into place, I close my eyes and take a deep breath of the frigid winter midnight. Light snowfall bites at the tip of my nose as I reach the railing, but it does nothing for the heat lingering in my cheeks. Wiping away the single tear forging a trail down my cheek, I sniff right as the balcony door slides open once again.
He’s silent as he steps out onto the snowcovered balcony, shutting the door behind him. Soft crunches from the piled snow hints at his movements. Finally, his warmth seeps into my back as he reaches me. “Callie,” he tries again, “look at me. Please.”
Blinking to ensure there are no other stray tears, I take a deep breath, steeling myself as I turn around.
Oliver’s tender eyes take in my face, no doubt catching every single thing I wish I could hide from him.
But he’s always seen right through me.
