Page 39 of Grinch Girl

“When this—” he waved between us and the rest of theSingle Bellscontestants and camera crew “—is over, you should come for a visit and see,” he said.

I wrinkled my nose, feeling an odd mixture of disappointment and elation. It was kind of him to extend the invitation, but that was just empty-promise nonsense. Despite his current spark of interest in me, I knew how these things went. Once he returned to his real life, I’d just become part of a memory: a silly thing he did one holiday.

He sensed my dismissal and doubled down. “I’m serious.”

I patted his stubbly cheek condescendingly. “Sure you are, cutie.”

Ignoring his frown, I glanced over my shoulder at the bowling crew. Eighth frame and the scores were neck and neck. All of the beer pitchers around our contestants were empty.

“Hey!” I called the nearest waitress. “Get some refills over there. There will be celebrating and commiserating in a few minutes. Beverages will be necessary.” She nodded and hurried to comply.

I stretched my arms over my head and cracked my neck. “We should grab one of the cameramen and make them stand on the bar to get a different angle for the tenth frame,” I said, frowning down at my watch.

“You’re doing it again,” Nate said through clenched teeth.

Huh? I blinked at him. I hadn’t said anything teasing or playfully dirty.

“Being competent,” he bit out.

And his eyes were dark and intense again, staring at my mouth and neck. Which was all it took for my body to become warm and sensitive along every inch of skin. Even imagining his fingertips on something as innocuous as my wrist was enough to turn my breathing shallow.

“You’re ridiculous,” I informed him, licking my dry lips and fighting the urge to fan myself.

“What’s ridiculous,” he growl-whispered, “is the level of detail in the fantasy I’ve had over the past thirty seconds.”

I didn’t breathe,Tell me, but he clearly read the thought in my face.

“If this bar was empty, I’d pick you up and carry you to that highboy.” He nodded to the tall table behind us. “I’d tell you to wrap your legs around my waist. Then I’d pull that shirt over your head, because I’m dying to see what you look like in just your bra. I want my mouth on every inch of—”

“I ordered the refills!” the beaming waitress informed me.

“Thanks,” I snarled at her. It sounded more like “fuck off” and she backed away, eyes wide.

“In lieu of an empty bar,” Nate continued, undeterred, “perhaps we could continue this conversation later tonight. Your place or mine?”

Yes!My body screamed. But my brain rejected the thought of taking this…whateverthiswas…into my actual home. Home was for reality, not fantasy.

On its own, my lip curled distastefully. “What?” Nate asked immediately. “What’s wrong? Did I cross a line? Was that too far?”

It wasn’t too far. Hadn’t I been egging him on all night? But I went a little cruel anyway. “Not too far but not too original either. You certainly aren’t the first big-city guy who got bored in Falworth and decided he wanted to bang a townie.”

I expected him to flinch and back away. Or maybe give me wounded eyes. Or look at me like I was a psycho with multiple personalities.

He did none of those things.

He did, however, take an evaluative look at my lifted chin and defensive posture. Then he leaned into me, slowly, inch by inch, giving me plenty of time to move or push him away. Despite all common sense, I didn’t.

Soon he was so close to me that I could feel the faintest impression of his mouth on my earlobe. “I don’t want to ‘bang a townie.’ It’s you, Jane, that I want, and I’d want you in Falworth or Chicago or any other place. I want to take you, specifically you, to bed and make you scream because you like it so much.”

Oh God.Everything inside me went hot and liquid. I drew a quavering breath and made an embarrassing “unh” moan in the back of my throat.

“That’s an excellent start,” he murmured, breath tickling the side of my neck. “I like that sound very much. It’s a perfect prelude to the kind of scream I mentioned.”

Applause erupted at the other end of the alley. Hoots and shouts and stamping and cheering.

Nate pulled away slowly, meeting my eyes. “Later then?”

I nodded.

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