Chapter 14 - Paisley
What was happening? The shopping trip was way too fun. Dan was much too cute and sweet with Alina. As young as I was, the main reason I eventually wanted my own accounting business was because I wanted to be able to spend time with my family—if I ever had one.
It was odd, because the whole time I was out, I hadn’t once thought about the threat hanging over my head.
Shadowy figures from Axon might be after me, the FBI was hounding me for nonexistent information, but it just never crossed my mind while I was out that afternoon.
Whatever else I thought about Dan, I felt completely safe around him and he’d been utterly adorable with his cousin’s daughter.
It seemed like a vision of what things could be. Heck, the salesperson at the toy shop even mistook us for a family. That was when I knew I had to get away from him and put some space between us again. I had to forget about our one night and get over these silly fantasies about families.
Despite being an angel with little kids, and mostly perfectly pleasant that afternoon, he was still no different than the sexist pigs at work. He was already shooting me bedroom eyes in the car.
And I’d given them right back.
With a sigh, I sat down and looked in the mirror. I still had the silly plastic tiara on and swept it off, scowling. I looked meaner than a junkyard dog and felt about as ornery. Good, I needed to get my guard back up and start snarling at Dan again instead of giggling at his dumb jokes.
A brisk knock at my door had me stiffening my spine, ready to fight. Did he really think I’d fall into his arms as soon as I opened the door? And what the hell was he thinking, coming here while everyone else was still awake.
It was only Katie, and I felt an odd rush of disappointment. All the more reason to avoid Dan if I’d secretly been hoping he was trying something.
“You’re off for the night,” she said with a smile. “Alina is zonked and the other kids are going to have an early night too since we’re taking them into town first thing tomorrow for a breakfast with Santa at one of the resorts.”
I promised I’d be ready in time and she told me to take the morning off.
Pretty much everyone was going, eager to get pictures with Santa and the elves.
I was glad to have a rigorous snowboarding outing to look forward to the next day, and continued to hide out in my room, jumpy and not at all tired enough to sleep.
There was another knock only a half an hour later and I swung the door open, certain it was Dan. Once again it wasn’t and I had to push aside the same disappointment.
“Hi Lilia,” I said, forcing my face to relax.
“You look like you could use some grownup fun,” she said. “I’m going into town with Rurik for a caroling contest. Do you want to join us?”
Lilia seemed sweet and too reserved to be the sort to get rip roaring drunk. Whatever a caroling contest was, it sounded wholesome. “Who else is going?” I asked casually.
“Just us, I think,” she said with a grimace. “Everybody else thinks it sounds dorky.”
“Well, not me. Count me in.”
This was just the thing to keep my mind from wandering back to how sweet Dan was that day. If that kept up I was in danger of accidentally wandering past his room later on, hoping he’d open the door. For what? A fight? All I knew was I needed more space between us than the huge lodge provided.
I met her downstairs a few minutes later after hurriedly changing and running a brush through my tiara tousled hair. I had just slid into the backseat, about to shut the door, when a big hand wrapped around the edge, keeping it from closing.
“Scoot over,” Dan said, crowding into the car.
Fury swept over me. I had been doing my level best to be as mean as possible to him, to the point I was starting to feel like I was the jerk.
But no, he was doing his level best to make me squirm.
Lilia and Rurik were delighted he was joining us and there wasn’t a damn thing I could say or do unless I wanted to look crazy jumping out of the car as it rolled down the drive.
“What a nice surprise,” Lilia said, beaming back at him. “I thought you said it sounded boring as hell.”
“Hmmm, I wonder why he changed his mind,” Rurik said, giving him a knowing look in the rearview mirror before cutting his eyes to me.
Great. All of Dan’s innuendoes had gotten his brother’s attention. Dan thought it was hilarious, rolling his eyes at Rurik before winking at me. I gave him a dirty look in return, unable to keep from lingering on his appearance.
He was freshly showered, smelled scrumptious, and looked like a suave international spy with his damp hair falling over his brow. A black sweater hugged his broad chest under a gray coat, and his long legs were wrapped in dark jeans. I turned my eyes and nose away, resolutely ignoring him.
The caroling contest was already packed with an all ages crowd, and festive singing rang out across the park.
A cheerful couple dressed in matching red and gold tuxedos kept the energy up, encouraging people to get up there and join the competition.
In the crush, we were all mashed together, and someone’s hand ended up wrapped around my waist. The heady shiver that coursed through me told me exactly who it was.
I glared up at him as the next person climbed up to raucous applause, asking for Silver Bells.
“What?” Dan asked, leaning down so I could hear him. “I don’t want you to get swept away.”
“You’re about to get swept away,” I said, gripping his hand and tugging him away from the crowd. “We’ll try and get some drinks,” I said to Rurik and Lilia with forced cheer.
As soon as we were out of sight of his brother and cousin, I flung his hand away and gave him a look that should have killed him. He only grinned, adding fuel to my fire. And not just the angry one, either. Why did he have to be so damn good looking? And why was I so weak to his touch?
“Look,” I spat, as angry at myself as at him. “I’m doing a job here. Whatever you think is going on between us, it’s not. You need to forget about it, because I already have.”
There. That should take the wind out of his sails. It did not. He only shook his head slightly, leaning close. So close I could smell his crisp cologne and feel the heat of his body.
“Liar,” he said.
Then his mouth was on mine, his arm wrapped around my back to tug me close.
One hand was in my hair, the other moving lower as his tongue urged my lips apart.
His accusation rang in my ears but instead of proving him wrong by giving him the slap he deserved, I did the opposite.
I reached up to grip his shoulders, hard and warm under the heavy wool coat.
My own fingers found their way into his hair and my mouth opened to his onslaught.
Eager for the sensuous swipe of his tongue.
Damn it. I wanted more, so much more. He pulled away, infuriatingly triumphant as he tapped my nose.
I slammed my mouth shut and was about to let him have it, but he was already striding back to the crowd around the karaoke stage.
Now the sound of Jingle Bell Rock rang out from a weedy, nervous voice. How long had we been kissing?
Not long enough. No, too long.
I stormed after him, making a detour to buy everyone hot apple cider, wondering if I could find some poison to sprinkle over Dan’s instead of cinnamon. Calling me a liar. Then proving I was one.
I had no choice but to act normal from then on, but I was seething as the merry carolers continued getting up on stage. Dan was way too close, but it was hardly his fault when everyone was crowded together, cheering and singing along.
“We’re about to start the semi-finals,” one of the over-the-top MCs called over her echoing mic. “Does anyone else want to challenge?”
I was thanking the stars that it was almost over when Dan grabbed my hand, dragging me up onto the stage, the most infuriating of all his smug grins on his face.
His much more sensible brother shook his head, refusing to go up with us, and Lilia had crept a few feet away, pretending she didn’t know us.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Ice Princess,” Dan said to me, scrolling through the song selection. “Can you show everyone else your wild side?”
If he was trying to humiliate me, he was in for it, because I used to love karaoke in college and busted out the first lines of Baby, Please Come Home with gusto.
I was no Mariah Carey, but I had a deep seated love of showing off that went back to my competitive days.
I had the crowd roaring their approval after only a few bars.
Nearly knocked off his feet with shock when I didn’t wither, Dan had to jump to catch up.
To my own surprise, he was pretty good himself and by the time we were done, the amount of applause put us neck and neck with the high scoring team. We made it to the semi-final round.
“How do you like that?” I asked, as smug as he could ever dream to be. “Now you’re stuck up here, smartie pants.”