Chapter 9
What was she thinking?
She must really be desperate if she was agreeing to all this fairy-tale magic rubbish just to get Nick naked in her bed. That was the only rationale for what she’d wagered with him.
His parents clearly adored him and though he’d mentioned a sister, her name didn’t come up at all during the day.
She met Pete again, who still looked like he’d be more at home leading the Russian mob or in some kinky sex club.
He wore leather pants with an Armani jacket over them.
Once again, he didn’t wear a shirt under it.
That meant she got another look at his tattoos.
Be Good for Goodness’ Sake.
Why were these two guys so obsessed by Christmas? And by who was naughty and who was nice? She wanted to ask about it but she couldn’t think of a good way to bring it up. Nick had been the one to pump the brakes last night, so maybe she should tackle Pete and ask him what his cousin’s deal was.
“You’re staring at my cousin,” Nick said, plopping down next to her on one of the sofas in the living room. Apparently they were going to play a big family game of touch football as soon as everyone arrived. Cora had offered to keep score since she wasn’t sporty and was wearing white pants.
“I’m not staring at him, just his tattoo. You have the same one.” Pushing up the sleeve on his Christmas sweater, she ran her finger over the words. His arm was hot and hard under her touch. He was so muscly.
“I do.”
“What’s it mean to you? It must be important to you?”
“It is,” he admitted. “There are times when we all need a reminder.”
“Were you that naughty as a child?” she teased.
“Sometimes,” he said. “It’s more a reminder to check myself when I’m frazzled with life. Putting good into the universe sends more back.”
She wasn’t sure she agreed but wasn’t about to argue with him when she was feeling all glowing and warm sitting next to him on the couch. “Did you guys get it done together? You don’t seem very similar.”
She saw that twinkle in his eyes and realized she was talking a lot again. But that was her safe space.
“In what way?”
She flushed, heat moving along her cheeks. Why had she started this? Just once could she keep quiet?
“You’re all cuddle by the fire and he’s all you’ve been naughty, let’s go to my dungeon, I’m going to punish you.”
Nick’s eyes went wide for a second and then he threw his head back, letting out a hearty laugh. “Which do you prefer?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Indeed you are. But I’m the one who came to you,” he pointed out.
“Stop stalling and tell me about the tat.”
“We’re part of a … guild.”
“A guild? Do those even exist anymore? I’ve got to be honest, the only one I can think of is the Lollipop Guild from Wizard of Oz. Please tell me you have a cool song and that you’ll be performing it today.”
Rolling his eyes, he stretched his arm along the back of the couch, pulling her closer to him. “Don’t be ridiculous. We have a secret initiation and once you know about the guild you have to swear an oath of secrecy. It means the mantle passes on to you.”
There was mirth in his eyes and on his face. He was teasing her, and she liked it. Way more than she’d have guessed. “So you’re basically in a cult?”
He laughed again, and that snow globe in her stomach rocked and rolled. This man! Her lips felt dry so she licked them. Nick noticed, and his eyes on her mouth sent warm tingles through her body.
She leaned toward him and for a split second he stayed where he was. Their eyes met and the world stopped. There was only the two of them, staring at each other. This connection to him was rocking her on her moorings. She didn’t do connections. Ever.
A smart woman would be on her feet and out the door, but instead she shifted closer to him on the couch. “Come on, Nick, spill the secrets of your guild.”
His hand fell to her shoulder, and she felt her skin tingle as he rubbed her collarbone through her sweater. Was he trying to distract her? God knows it was working.
“You playing, Nick?” Pete asked.
Cora glanced up at Nick’s cousin towering over them. He looked like a gangster with that thick chain around his neck, but he had on a knitted hat that she’d seen his aunt give him earlier. He twirled the football around in his hand.
“Of course. Is it us against the parents?”
“Yeah. Dad’s sure this is the year they take us,” Pete said. “Sure you don’t want to change and play with us?” he asked Cora.
“I’m so not sporty. I’d be a liability,” she told him. “Also, I didn’t bring any other clothes.”
“That’s not a problem. Mom’ll have something you can borrow. If you play with us, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
She groaned. She craved more knowledge of Nick Bari.
“Okay, fine. Lead me to the changing room.”
Nick pointed her down the hall. When she got there, she noticed there were a couple of other women in the room already.
“Oh, the Baris always do this to me,” one of them said. “They got you too?”
“Yeah, it’s hard to resist them,” Cora admitted. “I’m Cora.”
“Martha, and that’s Elsa.” She pointed to a very tall woman with gorgeous silver hair. “Pete swore this year he wasn’t playing.”
“They always say that. Then their dads get together and the boys can’t resist the challenge.”
“Do the moms play too?”
“They’re the ones you have to look out for. Wendy has a serious throwing arm and Agnes is lightning fast.”
Agnes was Pete’s mom. All totaled, there were sixteen people here today, including herself. Jack and his brother Finn were here along with their dates, who’d dressed appropriately and didn’t need to borrow clothes.
She sighed. This felt like a lot more than she’d signed on for today, but she couldn’t deny that it felt like the epitome of a classic family Thanksgiving, and she was very much being included.
Football against the elders was tradition; Nick hadn’t been surprised when Cora had declined to play but her wager had done it.
He seemed to have no objectivity where she was concerned.
It was one thing to tell his folks that he needed to make her a believer and get her back on the Nice List to save the Yearweave, but it was something else entirely to sit on the sofa in their living room, flirting with her, and accepting a bet that could well see them going to bed together.
“Dad’s been working out. He’s going to be harder to take this year,” Pete warned him.
Pete’s dad was built like a world-champion bodybuilder.
He took his workouts seriously and when Uncle Arthur had been Krampus, most of his punishments had involved workouts.
He always said that nothing sharpened the mind like exercise.
“Luckily my pops hasn’t. I think we’ll be okay,” Nick replied.
“Unless your girl really is as bad as she says…”
Nick liked hearing Cora referred to as his girl.
Maybe too much. Definitely too much. She’d made it plain that marriage wasn’t on the cards for her and that meant he should be focused on meeting other women.
Except he wasn’t. He couldn’t. As much as he was committed to getting her off the Naughty List, he still had to find a woman to marry, which was doubly difficult now that he’d accepted her wager.
His mom blew her whistle and everyone took their positions.
And then all hell broke loose. After forty-five minutes, the teams were tied and everyone was ready to call it except Uncle Arthur who had indeed been working out.
He wanted one more play, but Nick’s mom had to get back inside to check on the turkey.
“Next year,” Uncle Arthur called as he headed inside to the bar to start mixing drinks, and everyone agreed.
Nick thought Cora looked cute in the leggings and oversized Christmas sweatshirt she had on. Ironically, it said Santa, I can Explain on the front.
“I’d love to hear your explanation,” he said as they walked back to the house.
“What?”
“Your shirt,” he said.
“Oh, just seemed sort of cheeky. I liked it. As an adult, the Naughty List sounds like way more fun…” Cora said.
“Does it?” he asked.
“Of course. But like in a fun way. I mean I’m certainly on the Nice List. I’m not a bad person, but no one wants a reputation for being a goody-goody.”
Her words made him pause. She wasn’t a bad person, but naughty didn’t mean bad. Not really. “Naughty doesn’t necessarily mean evil.”
“I’ve been on a few dates with naughty guys,” she admitted. “Makes for some fun times.”
Nick didn’t like the way his gut tightened at the thought of her other dates. “What kind of naughty?”
“Nothing too kinky,” she said, laughing. “Just fooling around in public, that sort of thing. Sexy talk in the boardroom.”
“Your boardroom?”
“Uh … maybe? Are we really going there? I think you’re probably too nice for me. You want to get married and be cozy by the fire whereas I want to blackmail you into bed,” she said, and winked at him before hurrying to join Elsa.
Nick wanted to show Cora just how naughty he could be, but he was wrenched from his thoughts by Jack, who draped his arm around Nick’s shoulders. “How’s it going?”
Irritated with his best friend who could clearly see how things were going, he shrugged away from him. “Good. I’m gathering a lot of intel.”
“Oh, is that what you were doing? I’m not an expert on human relationships, but it sort of looked like flirting…”
Nick flipped Jack the finger. “How’d you convince Martha to come with you today?”
“What makes you think I had to do anything?”
“You know I can tell when you’re lying.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “It’s personal. Things with Martha aren’t up for discussion.”
“But you can rib me about Cora?”
“The fate of the Yearweave doesn’t hang on me and Martha,” Jack said gently.
Fuck.