Page 14 of A Not So Merry Kiss-mas
I huff out a sigh and lift my hand to her chin, rubbing my thumb gently against her jawline. When she leans into my touch and her fingers start to play with my hair gently, I groan internally, unable to stop my gaze from falling to her mouth, and a slow, lopsided grin creeps along her lips.
Why does she have to look so kissable? I’m just going to go for it. What do I have to lose?
“Mike and Mel!” Cole cups my shoulder and gives it a shake. “It’s time for the scavenger hunt. You two can almost-kiss later.”
I groan, and Melanie chuckles.
“Cole!” Noelle snaps, grabbing Mel’s elbow and pulling her out of my arms. “C’mon, Mel. We can be on the same team. We need to show the boys how girls are the superior sex when it comes to ‘scavenging’.”
Melanie's gaze finds me, and I feel a goofy grin cross my lips. In return, she gives me a shy smile, and my stomach clenches.
“You do know that men were the hunters and gatherers back in caveman days, right, Bug?”
‘Bug’ is short for ‘Ladybug, ’ Cole’s nickname for Noelle. Yeah, I thought it was weird too. But you can’t tell that to your friends when they are blindly and hopelessly in love.
“Pfft.” Noelle scoffs, her eyes gleaming, “Womenwere the gatherers, because we actually know how to find things!”
“You’re both ridiculous.” Melanie shakes her head and takes hold of Noelle’s hand. She turns toward Cole and me, her eyes bright, filled with a teasing glint, before sing-songing, “But we are going to beat you.”
“Oh?” My eyes widen, and my grin gets impossibly bigger as she gives me a confident nod. “We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”
“Listen, Romeo,” Cole tightly whispers in my ear as he roughly clasps my shoulder. “Don’t even think about going easy on them. If we lose, Noelle will never let me live it down.”
When my smile only widens, he scrubs his hand up and down his face. “Great. She’s going to be unbearable.”
Cole’s bemoaning is all a facade; that man is so in love with that woman, he would help her win so that he could watch her celebrate.
“Didn’t you tell me to leave the reindeer last year so No—”
“Shhhh! She might hear you.” I tilt my head back and roar. “You just wait until you fall in love.” Cole snorts.
My gaze shifts to the two girls in front of us, huddled together, giggling. Melanie glances over her shoulder and looks up at me from under her lashes. My chest explodes with warmth.
If this feeling is any indication, I won’t have to wait long.
Chapter Eight
Mel
My phone buzzes across the counter, and my heart skips to my throat. The corner of my lips twitch as I read the name displayed on the screen.
Michael:
When I pick up Mrs. F’s tree, do you want me to grab you one too?
Who would’ve thought that my irritating neighbor is actually one of the kindest men I’ve ever met? Definitely not me.
He doesn’t just check in on all the residents in our apartment building; he has an uncanny ability to make them feel special. Every single one of them, myself included. Over the past few days, I may have hounded Mrs. Fletcher with a few, okay, a ridiculous amount, of questions about him. Which she was more than happy to answer over a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows.
My grin widens, and a thrill darts through me as I ask a question that last week’s Melanie never would’ve asked.
I swallow hard, my fingers trembling slightly as I type.
Melanie:
Can I come with you?
Butterflies swarm my stomach while I wait for his response.
