Page 54 of Seeds of Christmas
“Maybe you’d know if you were a deep sleeper… but you aren’t.” She flicks her eyes up. “You toss and turn.”
“That’s probably because someone keeps reading with the flashlight on.”
Her cheeks light up. “Sorry. Bad habit. I have trouble getting to sleep sometimes. Romance novels relax me.”
“I know a few ways to help relax you, Rhiannon Pierce.”
She stiffens a little at that, and I know I surprised her. Hell, I surprised myself.
“Carter,” she says softly, “don’t joke.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
Her breath catches. Just slightly. Enough to punch the air out of my lungs.
She turns away fast, busying herself with stacking plates. “Anyway. I— I’m not… I’m not good at stuff like that.”
“Stuff like what?”
“Stuff like… you know.” She waves her hand vaguely. “Flirting. Kissing. All the… things. I was with my ex for a long time, and we were friends first. I can’t tell if you’re flirting with me or if this is just you messing with me.”
“Oh, I’m definitely flirting. And,kissing,” I echo, stepping closer. “You’re not good at kissing?”
“No,” she says quickly. “Well—I don’t know. I’ve never… I just don’t think I’m good at it.”
“That,” I say quietly, “is objectively false information. I refuse to believe it.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.” I pause, studying her. “You want to know why?”
She narrows her eyes. “Why?”
“Because I’ve been around you four days and you make absolutely everything else look easy.”
She goes still. Entire body still.
“That’s ridiculous,” she whispers.
“Yeah,” I agree lightly. “So ridiculous I’m pretty sure you’re trying to escape from the conversation because you know it’s true.”
“I’m not trying to escape.”
“You are.”
Her back hits the wooden counter as she tries to sidestep me, and I follow—not trapping, just blocking. Watching her eyes widen half a millimeter.
She swallows. “Carter?—”
“If you were bad at kissing,” I murmur, “you wouldn’t have reacted like that when I brought it up.”
“Reacted like what?”
“Like you want to be kissed.”
“I do not?—”
“You do.”
