Under the Mistletoe. Katherine Garbera

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      “Duly noted,” she said. It was something that she might see as a red flag if they were going to date long-term, but for two weeks...what did that matter? “Jingle bells, jingle bells...”

      He squeezed her close, putting his finger under her chin, and when he tipped her head back, she looked up at the strong line of his jaw. There was a tiny birthmark under his chin. Something she wouldn’t have noticed if they hadn’t been sitting so close. She reached up and touched it.

      “Beauty mark,” she said.

      “Beauty?”

      “That’s what my mom always calls them. She has one that looks like a strawberry along her neck, and she says it’s a mark of inner beauty.” Penny missed her mom but she was in the Caribbean with her new husband celebrating the holidays. Exhaling softly, she stroked his neck. It was strong and had the tiniest bit of beard stubble on it. His light brown hair brushed the side of his face and she pushed it out of the way.

      “No one has ever suggested there was anything beautiful about me,” he said gruffly.

      She looked into those incredible blue eyes of his and wondered about this man. She had a bunch of questions about his past. What had shaped him into the person he was today? Why would anyone be satisfied with two-week relationships?

      But she kept those questions to herself. “You have to know you are a very beautiful man.”

      “Rugged maybe. And I get charming a lot...but beauty? Nah.” She understood where he was coming from. But there was something about his confidence and the way he pushed her to take him on his terms that contributed to what she saw when she looked at him.

      Or at least what she saw now, on this magical snow ride. “Well, we can agree to disagree.”

      “Which we’ve already established you like to do,” he said, winking at her.

      She pretended to elbow him in the gut. Playing around to control her emotions so she didn’t let things turn too serious. “Keep it up and I’ll show you what a fierce competitor I can be.”

      “Are you one?”

      She shrugged. “I sometimes say it doesn’t really matter to me if I win, but it does. I hate losing. Not that I want to beat anyone else—I just like being right.”

      She laughed and so did he.

      “Me, too.” He rubbed his chin on the top of her head and held her lightly in his arms.

      “What are you thinking?” she whispered.

      Their sleigh ride was getting close to its end and the snow started to fall a little more heavily. They huddled together but the snow was cold as it fell on them. Will maneuvered around and pulled the blanket up over their backs and then their heads. She looked at him and realized how safe he’d made her feel tonight.

      Not just physically safe, but emotionally. He’d listened to her and didn’t judge her. Just let her be who she was. Probably because they weren’t trying to impress each other. Though, frankly, he’d more than done that with dinner, the gift and this sleigh ride. She had relaxed her guard.

      He kissed the tip of her nose as they returned to the Lodge. “Thank you for making this a very special night.”

      She shook her head in bewilderment. “How have I done that?”

      “By sharing your stories and that sparkle that I think might just be you.”

      “I sparkle?” she asked with a giggle. “Did you really just say that?”

      He freed them both from the blanket and stood up, holding his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her to her feet and then out of the sleigh.

      She stood to one side as he thanked the driver and tipped him and then turned back to her. The snow still fell over him, making him look even more strikingly handsome, and for a moment she wondered if she might have made a huge mistake. This arrangement was just supposed to be about having fun, but she saw signs that Will might be the kind of man she wanted in her life for a lot longer than one Christmas.

      * * *

      TWO DAYS LATER, Will walked through the quaint Park City streets looking for some new ski gear. He and Penny had said good-night at her front door after their sleigh ride and he’d walked away without a kiss. But the ride hadn’t gone exactly to plan. He had meant it as a prelude to seduction but the truth was he liked her. She stirred things deep inside him that he liked to pretend he never felt and didn’t care about.

      But that was a lie.

      He’d always been one of those men who knew where he was going. When he’d gotten out of rehab, he’d made choices that had pointed him toward his future. He eliminated all the things that were enablers for him.

      First order of business: he’d stopped partying 24/7 and started working. A part of him found it surprising that he had the golden touch when it came to making money. But he had found his niche and that was enough for him. However, two nights ago, he’d felt like that had begun to change. He hadn’t slept well since then and he wondered if he would again.

      And it was all her fault.

      As Will continued his stroll through the town, he paused at the corner where a mural of the Wasatch Mountain Range was on the side of Fresh Sno’s retail store. It was really well done.

      “Nice picture, eh?”

      He glanced over his shoulder to see Penny standing there. She had a Fresh Sno bag in one hand. Her blond hair was hanging around her shoulders under a pink knit hat. Her coat was a deep turquoise wool and she had it buttoned to the top with the scarf he’d given her wrapped around her neck.

      “Yes, it is. Are you following me?” he asked with a grin. For the first time in a long time, he was struggling to keep his flirtations light. He knew that was a danger sign. It might be better for both of them if he just walked away now. They hadn’t even slept together. No harm, no foul.

      “Following you? No, not at all. I decided I need a little retail therapy and my friend Bradley owns this place. He’s the guy half of my cutesy friend couple. I stopped by to get some new ski gear. Want to join me on the slopes?”

      Just like that, she made it seem normal that he hadn’t talked to her in one entire day. They had only a limited number of days to spend together and he’d wasted one.

      “Sorry about not being able to see you yesterday.” He’d sent her a note via the hotel concierge desk that he’d had to work.

      “It’s fine. To be honest, this arrangement is harder for me than I thought it would be. But I understand about having work commitments so it’s not a big deal.” She spared him a look. “Of course, if we were a real couple, it might have bothered me. But that’s clearly not the case...”

      Work had been a convenient excuse, but he’d needed distance and now he regretted it. He’d never been a coward— Ha! his conscience jibed. Alcohol had been his crutch a long time ago and now it seemed like Penny was.

      “Any word from the people in New York on your new job?” he СКАЧАТЬ