Chapter 15
Mia
Mia is still feeling vaguely mortified as she reclines on the sofa, comfortably curled into Sam’s side.
She’s at war within herself. On the one hand, this is Sam, and she knows better than to let down her defences around him this significantly.
On the other hand, he’s been nothing but nice this entire week, and she’s feeling rather cosy at the moment.
The goal was to relax and spend a friendly afternoon together, and isn’t that what they’re doing?
Determined to get out of her head, Mia silences the objecting voice and resolves to enjoy the film. The Grinch is one of her favourites, after all. She’s almost entirely relaxed when the image suddenly changes, Jude Law’s face filling the screen.
‘What the—’ Mia blinks, trying to determine what’s happened.
Now it’s Cameron Diaz onscreen in a decidedly inviting cottage. Mia recognizes the film right away, but she’s trying to figure out what just happened.
‘Hey, isn’t this that film with Kate Winslet? The Holiday House or something?’ Sam frowns at the screen.
‘It’s just The Holiday,’ Mia responds absently. Is the TV on the blink? Did she enter into another time dimension? How did they go from funny and quirky to atmospherically romantic? She could ask John, but he’s nowhere in sight. ‘Where did you go?’ she mutters to herself.
‘I don’t think it was me,’ Sam responds, still frowning at the screen. ‘I wasn’t even near the remote this time. But it’s fine if you wanted to change it. Didn’t you say this is your favourite Christmas film?’
‘I didn’t change it.’ Mia is still distracted. He must be around here somewhere. What on earth would possess John to change the film?
‘I really don’t mind watching it,’ Sam continues. ‘I won’t even accuse you of a bait and switch. I haven’t seen this film in a really long time.’
‘I didn’t switch anything.’
Sam chuckles. ‘Well, it certainly wasn’t me …’
Mia finally focuses on the man at her side. ‘I’m serious. I didn’t change anything. It’s so weird that it just changed like that! And where is—’
Sam sobers. ‘See, I told you weird stuff like this keeps happening to me.’
‘Well, yeah, but this wasn’t the plan,’ Mia responds, before she thinks better of it.
Sam cocks his head. ‘Sorry, what plan?’
She shakes herself then, realizing what she almost revealed. ‘Never mind. I swear I didn’t change the film, but if you don’t mind, I’d love to watch this one.’ She pauses. ‘Wait, I thought you said you didn’t know of any Christmas films.’
‘I said Christmas films weren’t a thing in my house. I never said I hadn’t seen this one.’
Mia tilts her head, considering him. ‘You’ve seen The Holiday? My favourite Christmas film of all time?’
Sam smiles. It’s that slow, crooked one that does funny things to her heart. ‘Well, yeah, I know it’s your favourite. I love the scene with Jude Law’s girls in the tent.’
Mia blinks a few times, absorbing this information. Then she shoots Sam an all-out grin. ‘I can’t tell if that’s a line or not, but I don’t care. That’s my favourite scene as well.’ And with that, she gives herself permission to enjoy the afternoon and curls back into Sam’s side.
They stay like that through most of the movie.
As Mia sits there, watching devastatingly beautiful Kate Winslet and effervescent Cameron Diaz fall in love with different men, she can’t help but wonder when it will be her turn.
If she’s being completely honest, she never felt that strongly about James.
She wanted to, for sure, but deep down, in spite of the fact that James ticked many of her boxes, she always knew she only felt ambivalence towards him.
Maybe that’s why she didn’t even fight the ghosting, in the end.
Sam laughs at a line in the film, and Mia’s attention snaps back to him.
She’s been tucked against him for the better part of an hour, feeling every one of his breaths that lifts her head, listening to the rumble of laughter in his chest. Breathing in his spicy, woodsy cologne, she forgets about the past. She stops stressing about the future.
She can simply be in this incredible moment, snuggled up against him and letting the cares of the world slip on by.
Mia sips at her cocoa. It’s gone cold, but the sugary drink is still comforting.
Sam’s arm is slung around her shoulders, the sleeves of his cardigan pushed up from when he started the fire.
His forearm is pleasingly tanned. He must still play enough tennis to maintain a bit of colour.
His skin is sprinkled with – in Mia’s opinion – just the right amount of dark hair.
She’s always admired his hands – with their long, strong fingers.
If she closes her eyes, she can remember what those fingers felt like tracing their way across her hips and thighs.
Goosebumps break out across her skin and she mentally shakes herself.
Better to keep her eyes open. But if she does, she’s confronted with the absolute marshmallow of a man who’s perched beside her, wrapped in a blanket and crushing hot cocoa, cheerfully watching her favourite romantic Christmas film.
Both the fantasy and the reality are bordering on irresistible.
Sam exhales, muscles shifting beneath her head.
‘Sorry, love,’ he says, gently disengaging her.
‘I need to run to the bathroom.’ Sam stands, and groans.
‘Man, am I sore from all that shovelling. It’s brutal on the back.
’ He laces his fingers over his head and stretches.
Mia’s gaze drops to where his shirt is riding up, showing off a band of tanned skin just above his waistband.
The elastic of his boxers peeks out above the line of his trousers, and Mia bites her lower lip.
She has an almost irresistible urge to explore those exposed inches. Would Sam stop her if she tried?
He leaves the room, and Mia flops back on to the sofa, thoroughly miffed.
Damn Sam and his mouthwatering physique.
Damn her own weakness and the fact that she still finds him magnetically attractive after all these years.
What happened to her stone cold resolve?
Mia has the vague feeling she’s letting someone down.
Quite possibly herself, but then again, herself has been quite content for the last two hours, snuggled up against Sam’s warm body.
Mia spends the rest of the time until Sam returns giving herself a pep talk.
Perhaps the fact that she and John have been scheming against Sam is the whole reason she’s enjoying herself now.
Maybe it’s been a really crappy week, and she has been through it, and what she deserves right now is to simply relax and not overthink things.
She takes another sip of the cocoa, grimacing when she hits a particularly watery bit. That story she spouted about the tradition of adding snow makes her giggle, and Sam walks back in just then.
‘What’s so funny?’
Well, she can’t exactly tell him that she just invented the whole thing.
But the fact of the matter is this. She’s sitting here, sipping on melted snow, which was her cover story to let a ghost back into her family home so that she could continue to tease a guy who hasn’t been in her life for the last six years. It’s hilarious, is what it is.
‘I must just have a case of the Christmas giggles.’
Sam chuckles. ‘I haven’t heard of those before. Are the Christmas giggles a thing?’ He sits back down beside her, quite a bit closer than before. Mia resists the urge to melt into a puddle of happiness beside him.
‘Oh, they’re definitely a thing. You really have been deprived when it comes to Christmas lore, haven’t you? No snow in your cocoa, no film indoctrination, no fa-la-la-ha-ha-ing.’ Mia snorts with laughter at her own nonsense.
Sam’s smile is broad, and he leans towards her.
‘Totally deprived,’ he agrees. His eyes roam over her face, and then he reaches out, one hand gently cradling her jaw.
Mia stills, watching him to see what he’ll do next.
‘You have popcorn in your hair.’ He carefully raises his other hand and runs it through her hair, tugging gently on the strands.
Mia’s breath catches, and she desperately wishes her hands were free to respond instead of curled around her mug.
Sam moves closer, and all the laughter fades from his expression.
Instead, he is wholly and utterly focused on Mia.
He’s going to kiss me, she thinks. She can still remember – with stunning accuracy – what it’s like to kiss Sam Williams. The first time was after one of his tennis matches.
Mia had congratulated Sam on his win, and he’d given her that smile that made her heart do silly things.
And in this case, the silly thing had been to rise up on tiptoe and kiss Sam full on the lips.
He’d been surprised, at first, and hadn’t reacted.
But then, just as she’d started to pull away, face flushing hot with embarrassment, Sam had reached out with those lightning fast reflexes and pulled her back against him.
And then he’d kissed her hard. Like he meant it.
Mia can still feel the firm press of his lips on hers.
The hungry way he sucked on her lower lip.
The gentle press of his tongue, asking permission to explore her mouth.
Her stomach clenches as she imagines their tongues tangling together, as he pulls her in close, and—
Mia’s hand jerks, tossing her mug from her grip and spilling cocoa every which way.
‘Ack! Oh, man!’ Sam exclaims, as he’s doused in the contents of her mug.
‘I’m so sorry.’ Mia rushes to help him, grabbing the stack of nearby napkins and dabbing at his cocoa-spattered trousers.
‘It’s fine, it’s not even hot,’ Sam assures her, his own hands colliding with hers as he accepts some of the napkins and tries to address the mess.
‘I should have been more careful—’
‘There’s some on you too—’
Sam is dabbing at her lap and Mia is pressing more dry napkins against Sam’s chest, and suddenly they’re completely intertwined, arms and legs and hands, and Sam’s face is mere inches away from Mia’s.
And this time, the whole world slows down.
Mia is painfully, beautifully aware of every detail.
One small movement will close the distance between them.
They’ll share a kiss, and suddenly, it’s the only thing Mia wants.
Craves. She needs to kiss Sam, to know if it’s still that white hot, electric connection between them.
Like there’s never been with anyone else.
She’s leaning in, a breath away from Sam, when it happens.
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a flash of argyle, and in that split second, realization dawns.
Horrible, embarrassing realization. John has orchestrated this whole thing.
The fire. The film. The closeness. She’s misread all the signs.
Again. Mia throws herself back, away from Sam.
She stands on trembling legs, ignoring the bewildered expression on his face.
‘I, ah, I can’t sit here any longer. My foot has gone numb. And, I just remembered, I promised Aunt Gertie I’d help her with the paper chains.’
Sam’s gaze flicks from the film back to her face. He’s clearly confused. ‘This is the big finale, though. When Cameron Diaz runs all the way back through the snow?’
‘Yeah, I’ve seen it.’ Mia tries to sound as disinterested as possible.
Unruffled. How could she be so stupid? John’s betrayed her and she almost missed it.
‘Feel free to finish it without me.’ And with that, she scoops up their empty mugs and flees the room, trying her best to ignore Sam’s obvious confusion.