A Hamilton Family Christmas - Donna Kauffman Page 0,71
or two out won’t kill you and might help clear your head a little.”
She held his gaze for a moment, then smiled. “Well, I’m not so sure about the cleared head part. Something about being in your proximity seems to muddle that up a little.”
“In a good way?”
“You were in the room earlier today, right?”
He laughed. “Yes, I believe I was.”
“Alrighty then.”
He kissed her again and scooped her up against his chest and spun her around.
She was laughing, too, when he put her down, but said, “What was that for?”
“For making me feel like spinning around like a kid. Turns out it’s even more fun as an adult…when you’ve got another adult in your arms at the time.”
“Imagine that,” she said, her brown eyes shining.
That was what he wanted to see. And for a very long time. “Come on, let’s get your coat and get out of here.”
He’d brought his truck over and parked it in front of her shop, which made her nudge him with her elbow when they stepped outside.
“Pretty sure of yourself.”
“Actually, I delegated closing to my cousin tonight, so I was done when I came over here. I knew if I had to go back through the restaurant later to get my truck I might get trapped, so I parked out here. And I didn’t want Mickey to feel like I was checking up on him.”
“Very thoughtful of you.”
He opened the passenger side door and helped her up into the seat, then leaned in after her. “Well, it wasn’t an entirely altruistic move.”
“When did you come up with the Christmas lights tour idea?”
“When I realized it was either get you off of that crushed velvet sex goddess sofa you have up there, or strip you naked and make love to you on what is probably a very uncomfortable piece of furniture.”
To her credit, this time there was no blushing. Good. That meant she’d been thinking about him, about them…and was, perhaps, getting more comfortable with letting things continue to develop.
“You’re right,” she said, then when he wiggled his eyebrows, she laughed and added, “that is the most uncomfortable piece of furniture ever made. At least for sleeping.”
“Why are you sleeping on it, then? It’s also drafty in there, you can’t be comfortable. Why not stay in a motel or one of the inns.”
Willow Creek was small, but there was a clean, neatly kept little motel on the edge of town, and several of the older homes had been turned into bed-and-breakfasts.
“When I got here I really was feeling pretty overwhelmed, still am, to be honest, and I guess I just didn’t want to have to deal with people. It might not have been the best thing to do, to hole myself up in the shop like I did, but I really needed to sort through things, and to think, and it just seemed like the thing to do.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’ve come to your rescue, then.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I have a very large house—” He broke off long enough to shake his head for her to not interrupt. “—with several bedrooms, all of which have beds and only mine is occupied. Even my couch is more comfortable than that slab you’ve been sleeping on.” He leaned down and kissed her, fast at first, then dipped in for another one, then another. “You can have pick of the house, Goldilocks. I’m the only bear in residence.”
She rolled her eyes, but she was grinning. “I’m sure the next thing you’ll be telling me is you’re a teddy bear.”
“Only if you believe that you’d sleep more soundly curled up with one.”
She laughed outright at that. “Why don’t we get on with our tour of lights here, before people start unplugging them for the night.”
“Okay, okay.” He ducked in for one last kiss, then pushed her hair back, touched her cheek, as he finally moved back. “You know, I think I had it all wrong anyway.”
“Had what all wrong?”
“About which one of us was doing the rescuing.” He didn’t let her question him on that, but closed the door after she’d situated herself in her seat, then scooted around to his side. He had no idea how he was going to handle knowing Holly was under his roof, in a bed other than his own, and not give in to temptation. Or at least tempting temptation. He glanced over at her and found her watching him, only mixed in with that always thoughtful, always intent look…was what looked like affection.