While You Were Creeping - Poppy Rhys Page 0,35

cane tea.

And then I snatched a Christmas cookie to gnaw on, so I didn’t have a chance to analyze why I had the urge to warm him up. Because I could think of so many other ways to raise his body temperature.

“Some elf,” I grumbled around a mouthful.

He rounded the island until he stood an arm’s length away. “You spoke to an elf?”

Then, as if he knew exactly the tea I’d been thinking of, he opened the cupboard and grabbed the candy cane tin along with two mugs.

He purposefully bypassed my old reindeer mug at the front and gave me a plain one.

My cold heart felt a stir of heat.

“Yep and, can I just say, whoever they have manning the phones could probably use a nice bottle of whiskey this year.”

Kye grinned. “That delightful, eh?”

“The epitome of ‘merry and bright.’” I pulled myself up to sit on the counter’s edge.

“Sounds like you met your new best friend.”

I squinted to keep myself from laughing. “He might be worse than me.”

“What? No. Impossible.” He slid a mug and steeper toward me. “No one’s more of a Scrooge than you.”

My fingers uncurled through the air and I gave a little whatdya-do shrug. “Can’t all be perfect.”

Kye’s deep, exuberant laugh had me cracking a smile. It was so damn contagious and genuine, and I hated him a little more for making me feel and think things I shouldn’t be feeling or thinking.

“You have a nice laugh,” I blurted.

Dammit.

Why did I say that?

****

KYE

To say I’d called myself an idiot a couple hundred times the last while would be an understatement. I’d gone and done what I swore I’d never, ever do again: feel anything—hatred excluded—for another berchta.

Holly’s hand came up to fiddle with the tea tin, and she cleared her throat. I could tell she didn’t mean to say that.

Kinda wish she hadn’t, yet I couldn’t deny I was pleased she thought something about me was nice.

There were plenty of things about her I thought were nice too. Specifically, her nipples that were, once again, easy to make out under her shirt.

“Are you cold or just happy to see me?”

“Huh?” She turned those green eyes on me. Still a headscratcher as to how she kept them from glowing. Then again, certain things about Holly continued to not add up.

My gaze drifted down to her breasts. She followed them, giving up a strange squeaky grunt.

“Pervert.”

The kettle squealed and she jumped. Holly went to grab it off the stove—without a mitt—and hissed, dropping the thing again.

“Motherfff—god, ugh!” she cursed, shaking her hand before cupping it.

“Shit, are you okay?” I snatched a mitt off the counter and quickly set the kettle to the side.

“Yessss!” she said too loud and shoved her hand under the faucet, making pained noises when the cold water hit her fiery red palm.

“That doesn’t look too good,” I mumbled, getting closer to inspect her palm. Her shoulder brushed against my chest, and her wavy red hair perfumed the air around her in a fruity scent I’d found myself craving.

“Ya think?”

Grabbing the first aid kit she had under the sink, I set it on the counter, sifted through it and frowned. “What were you thinking, grabbing a hot kettle without a mitt?”

She laughed, but it was sharp and irritated. “Clearly I wasn’t! This is your fault. If you’d stop looking at my tits, maybe I’d be able to function like a semi-normal person!”

I smirked because the thought of Holly functioning like a ‘semi-normal’ person was humorous—and nearly futile—to imagine. “Don’t think that’s possible, darling.”

“Fuck you, honey. Ahh, god, it stings! I hate you.”

Maybe I shouldn’t laugh, but I did. “Give me your hand.”

Holly glared but turned off the faucet and obliged. I gently blotted the droplets with a towel to dry her skin. I was keenly aware while she watched me apply some salve and wrap her hand in gauzy material.

“Maybe I like staring at your tits,” I finally uttered, because I didn’t know when to shut the hell up it seemed.

A few heartbeats thumped between us and—

Holly jumped me.

SIXTEEN

KYE

It was like a live replay of what happened that night.

That night.

The one where Holly grabbed my fucking horns and I nearly exploded in my pants like an amateur.

She did it now. Wrapped her beautiful damn legs around my waist, curled one hand behind my neck, and gripped my left horn like she wasn’t about to let go.

“Are we—” I mumbled in between Holly’s fervent kisses, “really—” another kiss, “doing this?”

Fuck.

I loved it.

Loved it a little