Page 11 of Mr. Merry Ex-Mas
His charming smile and that damn fucking dimple pop, and I almost throw myself on him. Instead, I snatch one of the mistletoes from his hand, but he grabs my wrist as I do. I still my movement as he slowly raises my hand in the air between us.
“Step forward, Sadie.”
His eyes hold me hostage, and in that split second, with the cinnamon smell swirling and the magic of Christmas thick between us, I don’t know whether to take that step away or leap right in.
8
DANNY
Matt was right. Showing up early was exactly the good idea I needed, and it led me to exactly what I want. The volunteers would be walking in soon, but this was the only place I was going to get her alone. Feel her out, see if what I know is true for both of us.
It is.
In an exasperated tone, she asks, “Why are you trying to fight with me?”
“I know it's been a while, but this isn’t how fights start.”
“It is when you goad me. You’re trying to make me lose my cool, trying to make me the bad guy, butyou’rethe reason I lose it.”
“Consider it foreplay.”
Her breath catches in her throat, and I wait. The room is so quiet that I can hear her heart thumping. I close the distance slightly.
“You gonna tell me I’m wrong?”
Sadie opens her mouth, then shuts it again. She doesn’t move when I brush her curls away from her face, holding onto one before letting it drop. “I love your hair like this.”
“This is a bad idea,” she breathes out.
“Probably.”
“But you’re still not backing up.”
“Neither are you.”
I still have her arm raised with the mistletoe above us as I realize we’ve moved closer to each other—closer than we have any right to be anymore. She leans in first, head tilted back the slightest, and her eyes drop to my lips as my tongue sneaks out to wet my bottom lip. I stay perfectly still; I want her to come to me. Ineedher to come to me.
Her eyes flick back to mine, and she sways the slightest bit, closer, closer, and then–
“What in the mistletoe is going on in here?”
Kylie.
Sadie practically leaps backward into the folding chairs, mistletoe balls dropping and rolling around the floor. I chuckle at her look of panic, and when she shoots me a nasty look, I give her a wink.
“Just trying to see how high we need to hang these balls.”
“I’d say pretty high if you’re going to survive the night,” Kylie snarks out with a laugh.
I exhale a laugh with her, rubbing the back of my neck. The silence is a little awkward but more funny than anything. I fight the urge not to laugh because I’m sure Sadie would punch me if I did, thinking it’s all a joke as usual.
“Know what? I’m going to run to my car real quick. I’ll be right back and pretend I didn’t just walk in on an almost-Hallmark-movie make-out.”
“Nothing happened,” Sadie snaps.
“Sure. I’m just going toleapoutside. Be right back.” I roll my lips in as I see Sadie shoot her sister a glare and Kylie blow a kiss back as she walks out the door.
“You sure that was nothing?”
