Page 27 of Mr. Merry Ex-Mas
“Well, I had a little help. But I did it and tested it out. We can test it out together if you’d like.” His smirk is too much for me right now.
“When the hell did you have time to build that stage?”
“After our night together–”
“Shh!” I look around frantically to make sure no one heard him. “Are you serious right now?”
He clears his throat. “After youavoidedme by running to a fake meeting at the winery, I came here and worked on the stage.”
“With who?”
“Honestly, does it matterwho? It’s done.”
I throw my hands in the air. “Yes, Danny. It matters because this is my name. My event. Myreputation.And you’re treating it like a backyard barbecue. And if someone gets hurt, I’ll never get another event job.”
He lifts his hands defensively. “Whoa, okay. I didn’t realize we were going full Sadie Spiral today.”
I blink. “Fullwhat?”
“You know,” he says casually. “Eyes twitching, clipboard death-grip, speaking like the world ends if someone moves a folding chair six inches left.”
I narrow my eyes. “Forgive me for giving a damn about something other than your muffins.”
Another smirk. “That sounded dirtier than you intended.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t. You just aren’t sure how to love me.”
I gasp. There it is, his simple response that means so much more and proves once again that he knows me. I’m not trying to hear him right now, though. There’s too much to be done, and Danny is too much to think about right now while I’m in the middle of a production schedule and lighting nightmare.
IwishI hated him.
IwishI knew how to love him.
It would make this easier.
Especially now, when I can still feel him wrapped around me in bed. I can still feel his stubble against my thighs and hear him professing everything I need to hear.
I ignore him and dig deeper and say, “Maybe I was wrong about the other night,” and I feel the air change immediately.
“What?” his voice comes out sounding almost incredulous and a bit hurt.
I keep my eyes on the catering layout sketch. “Maybe we shouldn’t have tried again. If you can call it that. I don’t know. Maybe you were just beingyou,and you’re right. I don’t know how to–” I choke on the word love as it almost slips out, “I don't know what to do withyou.”
He’s quiet for longer than usual. “Is that what you think? I was just saying things as usual to get you into bed?”
“It worked.”
He scoffs. “It actually didn't.”
I turn on him, my blood running hot. “See? I knew it!”
“I’m just agreeing with you, Sadie. You’re the one telling everyone nothing happened.” He raises a brow at me. “Because from where I sat that night, a lot more happened than nothing. And it all mattered to me.”
I point my finger at him. “It matters, Danny. But not right now! I can’t focus when you’re around. I can’tbreathewhen you look at me like that, and I have a job to do.”
“Funny. I feel the same way. But that’s why I stick around.”
