Tic-Tac-Mistletoe - N.R. Walker Page 0,40
wasn’t an option for me, and I was okay with that. I have my store, my house, Chutney. I’m busy enough.” And even as I was speaking, I could hear myself trying to justify all the reasons I’d convinced myself of.
“You don’t sound so sure,” Hamish said.
“I was sure. Two days ago I would have sworn I was absolutely certain. It was the going exchange rate and I’d made my peace with that a long time ago.”
“And now?”
I sighed. “Now I don’t know.” I collected his plate and mug along with mine and took them to the sink. It was easier if I didn’t look at him. “I’ve liked having you here. And I just mean the company,” I added quickly. “Not just you specifically, so don’t freak out and think I’m being a weirdo because I’ve known you for about a day, and I’m not saying I want you to stay here, I’m just saying maybe having someone around wouldn’t be terrible.”
When I turned around, he was right there, barely a foot between us. “I don’t think you’re a weirdo. I think you’re kinda great. And why shouldn’t you have someone to share your life with. A guy would be damned lucky to have you. And Hartbridge is postcard picture perfect.” He put his hand on my arm. “Don’t close yourself off to the possibility of some lucky guy walking into your life.”
Or driving off the road and into my life . . .
“I’m glad you ran your car off the road,” I said.
His eyes went wide. “Gee, thanks!”
I laughed. “No, not like that. Not that you ran your car off the road, and that your plans to see your sister were pushed back a few days, and that it’s been a whole disaster for you. But I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad I met you. That’s probably selfish as hell of me to say that, but today has been amazing. Making all those cookies was such a great way to remember my dad, and this is going to sound terrible, but I was relieved your car couldn’t be fixed today. And when Robert said the road to Mossley was out, I was kinda glad.” I met his eyes. “That makes me a bad and selfish person, I know. I thought I was ready to be alone, but I’m not.”
He stepped in closer, put his hand on my arm, never taking his eyes from mine. “You’re not a bad or selfish person, Ren. You’re human. You’re allowed to miss your dad and to be scared of being alone. With my car out of commission and the snowstorm, I was really stuck. I could have had a really bad time, but getting stuck with you has been great and surreal with all the decorating and baking in a Hallmark-Christmas-movie kinda way.” He smiled. “So, for what it’s worth, I’m glad I met you too.”
My God, I wanted to kiss him so bad right then. Like every fibre of my being was screaming at me to kiss him . . . but what if I ruined what could be the beginning of something beautiful.
Hamish glanced up to the ceiling and sighed. “Except for one grossly disappointing oversight.”
“What’s that?” I whispered, afraid of what he might say.
He pointed upward. “No mistletoe.”
Oh, sweet Lord, have mercy, he wanted me to kiss him. I slid my hand along his jaw; his beard felt amazing against my palm. He licked his lips and smiled, leaning in, and just before my lips met his, he murmured, “If my phone rings this time, I’m throwing it out for the bears.”
I chuckled and tilted his chin up just a fraction, and with my heart thumping and my belly in knots, with the barest of touches, feather-light and whisper-soft, I pressed my lips to his.
Chapter Nine
Hamish
You know those movie kisses that never happen in real life? The ones that make you hold your breath and turn your knees to jelly and your insides go all warm and gooey?
I can now confirm they do indeed happen in real life.
Well, it happens in this Hallmark-Christmas-movie reality I’d crashed my car into.
Ren’s lips were warm and soft, and he smelled like cookies and lumberjack. Yes, lumberjack. From when he’d cut the Christmas tree down earlier, remember? Don’t ruin this for me. His hands were the perfect mix of gentle and calloused, and I’m here to tell ya, when a man holds your face to kiss you, that’s the stuff of dreams right