Katherine Garbera - Under the Mistletoe

But believing in herself in a relationship was always a slippery slope.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Will said, coming up behind her.

She flushed and turned toward him. A few snowflakes still clung to his thick brown hair, and his bangs fell forward, brushing his face. His blue eyes were bright, but she noticed that he was watching her carefully.

He wore dark jeans and an olive green sweater that accentuated his muscular physique and broad shoulders. A few snowflakes still clung to his thick brown hair and his bangs fell forward, brushing his face.

“Hello.” She reached up on the premise of brushing the snow away but really just wanted to touch his hair.

“Are you waiting for me? Or hiding?”

“Neither,” she said. “Just giving myself a swift mental kick in the attitude.”

“Why is that?” he asked.

“I’m not sure about you yet, Will. I don’t have a good track record with men—something we’ve discussed. And I have to be honest here, you are almost too good to be true.”

“A sort of Christmas miracle?”

She had to laugh at the way he said it. He had enough confidence for both of them.

“I haven’t decided yet. You could be a mean old Jack Frost just blowing chilly air and leaving ice in your path.”

He gave her an enigmatic look as he peered down at her. “I have no way to prove I’m not. But we both know the girl who threw her phone in the snowbank wants to take a chance on me. So I’m going to go stand under that mistletoe and wait.”

He walked away, his stride long and confident, those jeans still hugging his butt. Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Canon” played in the background and Penny stood there, hesitating for a second before she realized that she wanted Will. Wanted him enough that she was going to go for it.

He’d said two weeks was the optimum time to just enjoy each other, and she was going to just have to take him at his word. Besides, Will seemed like the perfect sort of Christmas surprise that she couldn’t wait to unwrap.

She walked slowly toward him, the music dipping and swelling, the scent of the large pine Christmas tree in the lobby filling the air. Her courage and her hope were building with each step.

She stopped right in front of him and he gave her a cocky grin. “Knew you couldn’t resist me.”

“Maybe I just felt bad for you standing all alone under the mistletoe,” she said, leaning in to kiss him.

His mouth was soft and firm as his lips moved under hers. With their breaths mingling together, sheer physical need inundated her senses. She felt the tip of his tongue brush against her lips, then gently part them. Shivers ran down her spine until she forgot everything except this man. Will.

He put his hands on her waist to draw her closer, but she broke the kiss and stepped back. Just because she’d decided to take a chance on him didn’t mean she was going to lose her head. She was going to keep her attraction to him under control.

“What was that?”

“A kiss,” she said.

“A pity kiss? I expected more from you,” he said.

“You’re going to have to show me a little more of the man who thinks two weeks is enough time to get to know someone.”

“Fair enough. I have a surprise for you,” he said, sliding his hands up her back and pulling her into his arms for a more thorough kiss. He took his time with it and she was struck with how good he tasted. It wasn’t just the fresh taste of his mouthwash; it was more than that. Something that seemed to stem entirely from Will.

He angled his head to the side and thrust his tongue deeper. She lifted her hands and framed his face with them. Spread her fingers over his five-o’clock shadow and then drew back.

“Where’s this surprise?” she asked, even though she wanted to pull him into a nice private corner and have her way with him. Keep kissing him until they were both so turned on that they could forget about everything except each other.

“Outside. Did you bring a coat?”

“I did,” she said.

She’d left it at the coat check and they walked over to get both of their coats. Then he led her out the door, which led to the ski slopes and outdoor area with fire pits and trails. A chill wind blew a light snow around them as they walked. Her neck was cold and she wished she’d brought a hat with her, but she’d forsaken it for vanity’s sake—so her hair would look good.

Warm sounded better than nice hair at this moment, however. She turned her collar up around the back of her neck and shoved her hands deeper into her pockets.

“Damn, it’s cold. We’ll be warm in a few minutes,” Will said. “Wait right here.”

She watched as he strode away in the lightly falling snow. She almost felt the first tingles of that same worry that had bothered her in the lobby but she pushed it to the back of her mind. She’d made her decision. She had two weeks of just being with Will before she had to deal with the fallout from it.

* * *

THE SLEIGH WAS big and looked like it had come from a scene from one of the Currier and Ives lithographs that had hung in her grandparents’ hallway when she’d been little. The driver introduced himself to them and as Will talked to him, Penny moved to the front of the sleigh to get a closer look at the horses.

She’d grown up back East in a fairly suburban area, but her best friend growing up had been raised on a horse ranch and Penny had always loved the animals.

“Ready?” Will asked.

She nodded, even though she felt a little nervous. Hell, after the way her last relationship had broken down who would blame her...but she’d made her decision and it was time to enjoy it.

“This is for you,” he said.

“I didn’t get you anything,” she responded, taking the long square box that was wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a simple red bow.

“You can owe me,” he said with a wink.

“Have you done this a hundred times before?”

“It’s a little unflattering you think I’m old enough to have experienced a hundred Christmases,” he said flippantly.

“You know what I meant.” Penny held the package with one hand and just watched him, wondering if he’d been serious about not lying. She was sorely tempted to embark on a red-hot affair with this handsome stranger, but if he was going to hedge and evade questions, she’d call the whole thing off.

“I do. And to answer your question—no, this isn’t my normal MO. But I have had two-week affairs before. As I mentioned earlier, I pretty much don’t do long-term.”

She nodded. “Should I open this gift now?”

“Yes. The driver has gone to get the hot cocoa I ordered.”

Penny turned the box over in her hands. Her first present from Will. She untied the red ribbon and took a moment to slip it in her pocket. It was that soft fabric kind. Then she carefully undid the wrapping paper.

“I’ve never seen anyone take as long to open a present.”

She laughed. “Sorry about that. I like to savor things.”

He reached over, pulling off his glove, and touched the side of her face. His hand was warm against her skin. “Me, too.”

She leaned over and kissed him, just a quick brushing of lips before removing the rest of the paper. He took it from her and wadded it up in his hand and tossed the ball of wrapping into the nearby trash bin. “Open it.”

She took the lid off the box and pushed the tissue paper aside to reveal a pretty, thick wool scarf. The colors were soft and muted, almost like the sky just after dawn. The wool was so soft that she couldn’t stop touching it. It was an exquisite gift. “Thank you.”

He nodded then reached into the box and took out the scarf. He stepped closer to her and wrapped it around her neck, tying it carefully before pulling her hair from the back where it had gotten trapped by the fabric.