Page 58 of A Frosty Flirtation
Nina opens the door before I can knock, and beams at me. “Look who finally decided to show up.” She pulls me into a hug, and I catch the scent of her expensive perfume. When she draws back, she looks me up and down. “Damn, Ginger. You look incredible.”
I smile. “Thank you. So do you.” She’s the picture of elegance in black pants and a cashmere sweater. “I made some treats.” I hand over the box.
“Ooh, thank you. I should hide these away for tomorrow.”
“I tucked a gingerbread muffin in there for your breakfast,” I tell her, removing my coat and hanging it on the rack next to the door. I hear a wolf whistle behind me, and spin around to find Willow walking toward us.
“Look at you in skin-tight jeans and heels. You’re one sexy bitch.”
I laugh, cheeks warming. “I was aiming for festive but comfortable. I think I hit on the first, but the second isn’t going to happen. I can barely breathe in these.” I tug at the snug waistband on the denim.
“I think if you change the word from ‘comfortable’ to ‘lethal,’ then you’ll have landed on both,” Nina says, grabbing my hand and tugging me from the entryway.
Travis’ home is glowing with electric Christmas candles, and the fire crackling in the living room makes it feel warm and cozy. Mr. and Mrs. Thorne are perched on the couch, chatting with Pops and Gramps.
I say hello to them and thank Mrs. Thorne for having Pops over for dinner and bringing him here.
“You make me sound like a suitcase they’ve been carting around,” Pops complains.
“Well, you have the brain of one,” Gramps says, smirking.
I leave the two of them to their squabbling, and walk over to the corner. I stare up at the tree decorated in red, white, and blue. “This has you written all over it,” I tell Nina.
“Thanks. I did the decorating but Travis chose the colors.”
I nod approvingly. “Nice—very patriotic.”
She snorts. “He wanted the Patriots’ colors.”
I laugh and point to the flying Elvis logo ornament hanging from one of the top branches. “Oh, yeah. I should’ve known.”
“You need a drink,” Willow says, tugging on my arm. We move into the kitchen, and I see the four Thorne cousins standing near the island with Travis, Reed, and Drew, laughing over beers. I don’t know the cousins as well because they’re all older than me and were already out of high school by the time I started. But one of them used to play professional hockey and now coaches Havenport’s high school team.
And then there’s Jordan. He’s half listening to whatever Travis is saying. He raises the bottle to his lips, taking a deep pull. At the same time, his gaze lands on me, and he chokes on the beer, going into a coughing fit. Reed repeatedly whacks him on the back until he stops.
Jordan’s attention remains on me through it all, and after he composes himself, he gives me a hungry once-over. Then his expression relaxes into something more friend-like, but he looks so hot in the black button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up, I have to glance away before my knees give out. If that happens, I’ll melt right into the hardwood.
“Here,” Nina says, handing me a glass of sangria just in the nick of time.
I swallow down a mouthful, and hum. “Boy, you’ve really classed up our get-togethers.”
Willow nods. “She has.”
“I’m willing to bet money Travis didn’t know what sangria is,” I say.
Laughter pours from Nina’s red lips. “You’d win that bet.”
“Ha! I knew it.” I glance over at Jordan, finding his brown eyes on me once more, making me flush.
“Are you okay?” Nina asks, pulling my attention back to her. “Your cheeks are getting red.”
“It’s the sangria.”
“You only had one sip,” Willow points out.
I shrug. “You know I’m a lightweight when I drink, and it’s warm in here.” I fan my face. “This sweater may have been a bad choice.”Or maybe looking at Jordan was.
Willow shakes her head. “No, it’s a great choice. Your boobs look fantastic.”
