Page 10 of Her Mountain Christmas
Jack’s smile widens, and he reaches across the table to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. My skin tingles where his fingers graze it. “You’re trouble, you know that?”
I grin, feeling a surge of confidence. “The good kind, I hope.”
He chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners as our gazes snag and hold. “The very best.”
The wind howls outside, sending flakes swirling against the windowpanes, and it feels like Jack and I are the only two peopleon the planet. Which reminds me of a question I need the answer to.
“So. It’s just you here? You live alone?” I ask, then take another bite of my breakfast.
Jack sips his coffee and nods. “Yeah. Just me.”
“And, um.” I lick my lips and glance down at my plate. “No, uh…I mean, do you have a…a…” My face is on fire.
A slow smile spreads across Jack’s face. “I don’t have a girlfriend, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Boyfriend?” I squeak out, and he shakes his head.
“I’m single and straight, for the record.”
The relief I feel is a palpable thing, pulsing in my chest along with my heart. Because the truth is that I like Jack. A lot. A looootttt. Which is probably a bad idea given that I’m not from here, that I have an insane, awful family, and that my life is a bit of a mess right now.
“What about you?” he asks, taking a bite of his bacon. “Boyfriend back in Edmonton?”
I shake my head quickly, images of my apparent fiancé-to-be flashing through my mind and making me shiver. “Nope. No boyfriend.”
Our eyes meet, and something passes between us. I don’t fully understand what it is, but it’s hot enough to chase away my momentary chill. A warm, homey quiet envelops us, permeated only by the Christmas music playing from the speaker and the snow pelting the window. Soon, we’re finished our breakfasts, and Jack clears our plates, rinsing them and slotting them into the dishwasher. I’m used to opulence and luxury, but I love the simplicity of everything here. The closeness. It’s cozy and warm in a way I’m not used to.
“Do you want a hand?” I ask as Jack starts filling the sink with soapy water.
He shakes his head. “I’ve got it, sweetheart. Why don’t you go find something warmer to wear in my closet upstairs? You can borrow anything you want.” His eyes flick down to where my nipples are poking against his borrowed Honey Ridge t-shirt and okay, yeah, I stick my chest out a little. His eyes darken and the air seems to thicken around us.
In this moment, I wish I was more experienced. I’m good at flirting, but anything beyond that and I’m utterly clueless.
Jack winks at me, making me melt a little, and then turns back to the dishes, so I head up the stairs and find Jack’s room easily. His bedroom is tidy, with nothing out of place. My eyes snag on the king-sized bed, made neatly with a dark blue duvet. I want to be in that bed with Jack teaching me everything, and the thought makes my stomach dip and swirl.
Good god, I want him. I want him so much. More than is sane or safe, given that we only met yesterday. But…I don’t know. The heart wants what it wants.
As does the coochie, apparently.
Five
Ella
I exhale slowly and open Jack’s closet, which is just as tidy as the rest of the room. It smells like cedar and fresh laundry inside, and I take a deep breath, the scent calming. Comforting. I trail the tips of my fingers over flannel shirts and worn jeans before settling on a faded Vancouver Canucks sweatshirt and a pair of old pajama pants. I change quickly, the sweatshirt swallowing me whole and falling to mid-thigh. The pajama pants have a drawstring, and I’m able to pull them tight enough that they stay up around the widest part of my hips. I roll up the legs, hoping they’ll stay. They’re soft and warm, and the sweatshirt smells like Jack. I tuck my nose inside the collar and inhale. My stomach explodes with butterflies and I sigh happily.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a crush like this in my life.
When I pad back downstairs, I find Jack by the bare tree in the living room, a few boxes at his feet. He looks up as I come in, his gaze all hot and melty as he takes me in.
The fact that I’m pretty sure Jack’s crushing on me too only makes everything more thrilling.
“Found something, I see.” His voice is warm and kind, and I do a little twirl, showing off my outfit.
“How do I look?” I ask in a deliberately dramatic voice.
“Perfect.” He says it with such utter sincerity that my heart flips in my chest. We stare at each other for a moment, neither of us saying anything. But then he gestures to the boxes. “I was thinking, since we won’t be going anywhere today in this snow, that maybe you’d be into helping me decorate the tree?”
A wave of warmth washes over me at the thought of helping Jack decorate his Christmas tree. It’s such a cozy, cute activity, and I can let myself imagine that we’re actually a couple as we do it, instead of two strangers thrown together by fate.
