Lily Graison - Blame It On The Mistletoe

He whispered words she couldn't hear clearly into her hair and stroked the back of her head with one hand. When the last tear spilled over her lashes, she sniffled and looked up at him. “I'm being a baby about this, aren't I?"

He smiled. “Not wanting to hurt your family doesn't make you a baby, Macy. It makes you human."

She sighed and studied the front of his shirt, toying with the buttons running down the length of it. “I just wanted them to stop worrying about me,” she said. “That's the only reason I ever told them I had a boyfriend. When they asked who he was…” She shrugged her shoulder and lowered her head. “I didn't know many people then and you're the first person I thought of. I didn't know you very well but I knew enough about you to make it sound like we were a real couple."

"You don't have to apologize, Macy.” She glanced up at him and looked away a moment later. “Truth be told. I'm flattered."

She snorted a laugh. “Flattered some crazy woman has been carrying on an imaginary affair with you for two years?"

Sean lowered his head, leaning down toward her. “Especially flattered at the affair part. What man wouldn't be flattered a beautiful woman has been fantasizing about him for two years?"

"I never said I had been fantasizing about you!” Macy said before laughing.

"So you didn't fantasize about me then? Hmm… how disappointing because I have to admit,” he said, “The thought is too tempting to just let go."

"Stop trying to embarrass me, Sean."

"I'm not. I'm just discussing this affair we've had going on,” he said. “Tell me, since you have something to do a comparison with, was the fantasy me as good as the real thing?"

"Oh Lord,” Macy said, shaking her head. “You're impossible."

He grunted, softly. “That doesn't sound too promising. At least tell me you enjoyed it. I'll be sadly disappointed if my fantasy self wasn't pleasing you the way he should."

Macy looked up and grinned. “You're enjoying this way too much."

"Maybe,” he said. “But those tears have dried up.” To prove his point, he ran the back of one finger down her cheek. “I don't like to see you cry."

The look he was giving her was the same one he gave her in the house, when he was on one knee asking her to marry him. Her heart fluttered, a lethargic warmth stealing over her body. She sighed softly. “Why haven't you ever married?” she asked.

"I haven't ever found the right woman. Well, until yesterday, apparently."

His finger was still softly stroking her cheek, running over the curve of her jaw, and Macy noticed his other arm was still holding her close to him. “And what is your idea of the right woman?” He stared at her for long moments before he leaned down and kissed her. Macy was shocked by the move, even more so when he deepened the kiss, the hand on her face climbing into her hair to hold her to him.

She leaned into him, her arms snaking inside his coat to wrap around his waist. She pulled away from him to take a breath and asked the only thing going through her mind. “What happens when all of this is over?"

"What do you want to happen?"

"I asked you first,” she said.

He sighed, his fingers threading through her hair. “I dated my last secretary and it turned into a disaster, hence the mess you found when I hired you.” He looked down at her and shrugged his shoulder. “I don't know, Macy. I said I'd never date another employee but you seriously make me want to break that little rule."

"I do?” she asked.

He smiled. “Would I be standing in the snow kissing you while freezing my ass off if I didn't?"

"I don't know. Would you?"

He answered her by kissing her again. If what he felt for her could be judged by the kiss, Macy was sure to get her heart broken if he stuck to his ‘no dating employees’ rule. He kissed her breathless again, stopping only when the sound of laughter forced them apart. Macy turned, looking over her shoulder and saw her brothers Derek and Matt on the back porch looking at them.

"Macy, Mom is looking for you,” Derek said, grinning. “I wouldn't suggest any hanky-panky out here, either. Snow in your unmentionables will put a real damper on the evening.” They laughed again and jumped off the porch, heading to the woodpile.

Macy watched them for a few minutes before looking back at Sean. “I guess we should go and try to figure a way out of this before it's too late."

"Well, not that I mind my current position but… I can't feel my toes."

Macy grinned before letting him go. “Come on, city boy. Let's go get you warmed up."

"It's useless,” Macy said, flopping down on the edge of the bed. Sean shifted and turned to look at her. “Mom is determined to do this regardless of what I say. She's even called that preacher, Tim, to perform the ceremony."

"So the whining didn't work then?” he asked, sitting up and leaning back against the headboard.

She rolled her eyes at him and said, “No. No matter what I said, she had a quick answer for me. She's going to do this regardless of what I say."

"What about the marriage license? Did you mention that?"

"No. In all their careful planning they've completely forgotten about that little detail and I was scared if I mentioned it they'd hustle us into town to get one."

"Hmm,” he said. “Good idea. Don't mention it then. If they've forgotten hopefully it'll be too late to do anything about it by the time this wedding is supposed to take place.” He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head to look at her. “By the way, when is our big day?"

Macy looked at him and scowled. “Don't smile at me like that, Sean. You're in just as much trouble here as I am, you know."

"I know,” he said. “But come on, you have to admit it's pretty funny."

"In what bizarre world would this be funny?"

He laughed and said, “The one where you named me as your live-in boyfriend. A make-believe boyfriend who asked you to marry him and is now going to have to do exactly that."

She hung her head and groaned. “You're going to hate me when this is all over, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not going to hate you,” he said, leaning forward and running his hand over her head. “Come on. We're in this together, remember?"

She sighed and sat back up. “Yeah. I know."

"Well, stop worrying so much. It'll end up all right. I promise. Once this farce wedding starts, I'll conveniently remember the marriage license and that'll be the end of it. We can't have a wedding without that little piece of paper and luckily for us, no one but us has even thought of it."

Macy nodded her head and stood, walking to her closet. She opened the door and pushed the clothes stored there away, revealing an assortment of gowns.

"What are you doing?"

She turned and gave him a peeved look. “Mom sent me up here to go through my old formal gowns. She said, and I quote, ‘As many dresses as we've bought for you over the years, Macy, I'm sure you have something suitable to wear for your wedding day.’”

"Formal dresses?"

She nodded and blushed, ducking back into the closet. “I uh, used to do a lot of pageants when I was a teen."

"Pageants? As in beauty pageants?” Another nod of her head was all he got in return. He grinned and crawled off the bed and crossed the room, stopping behind her. “You mean to tell me I'm marrying a beauty queen?"

She laughed. “Stop teasing me, Sean."

"I'm not teasing."

"Yes you are,” she said, pulling a pale ivory dress from the closet. It was strapless and looked low cut. And small. Sean grinned while looking at it. “This one will have to do."

"I like that one. What pageant did you wear it in?"

"The Miss Ashville pageant."