Page 104 of Tempt
I took a step back and looked it up and down. “It is. I like it.” Putting my nose in its branches, I inhaled as deeply as I could. “And I can smell it!”
“Is this the one?”
I nodded enthusiastically. “This is the one.”
“Finally.”
“Hey, you’re the one who said you wanted to come with me.”
“I didn’t know how particular you were going to be.” He pulled the tape measure from his pocket and double-checked it would fit.
“I can’t help it. The tree sets the whole tone for the holiday.”
He grumbled as he got down on his knees to examine the trunk.
“Don’t be grouchy around my tree.” I poked his butt with the toe of my boot. “You’ll give it bad juju. I want a jolly tree.”
“One jolly tree coming up.”
Honestly, I had no idea how sexy cutting down a tree could be until I watched Zach sawing through the trunk of that evergreen. My insides did all kinds of twisting and tightening as he crouched down and gripped the handle of the bow saw, his arms and back muscles flexing. Could I see them beneath his winter clothing? No. But I knew what they looked like, and I had no trouble picturing him performing the task with no shirt on.
Since it was only about thirty degrees, though, we were both layered up with sweaters, coats, and gloves. My cold was getting better, but I still had a packet of tissues stuck in my pocket, and I wouldn’t let Zach kiss me in bed.
Which he said was fine, because there were plenty of other places on my body he enjoyed putting his mouth.
The first night at my house, we actually didn’t mess around at all. But falling asleep next to him was pure bliss, and waking up next to him the next morning was enough to make me smile even though I was still all stuffed up. It was a long day at work, and when I got home, I was tired but also bursting with excitement, because my first sample dresses had arrived, and I’d spent the day unpacking them, steaming them, hanging them up. When they were all displayed, I got tears in my eyes.
Zach had listened to me prattle on about it while he measured my living room ceiling and doorways with a tape measure so we’d know what size tree would fit. We’d had plenty of leftovers from the night before for dinner, so we warmed them up and ate sitting at the kitchen table again. Afterward, we did the dishes together and went upstairs, and it struck me hownormalthis felt. How sweet and ordinary—and yet it thrilled me to the bone.
This is what it could be like,I thought.And it’s exactly what I want.
When the tree was all wrapped up and tied to the roof of my car, we hit the road for home. The ride was about ninety minutes, since I’d chosen a farm way outside town in order to avoid the odds we’d run into anyone I knew. But I didn’t mind the extra hours spent with him—it was dark and cold and snowy outside, but the interior of my car was warm and cozy, and Zach’s hand rested on my lap. I’d vowed to stay in the moment, focus on the present, and let myself enjoy what time we had left.
Let my heart play pretend.
We were approaching town when I remembered I didn’t have a tree stand.
Zach groaned. “I asked you yesterday, and you said you did.”
“I’m sorry, I forgot that it broke and I threw it out. We can just hit the hardware store in town. I’ll go in alone.” I directed him to the store, and he pulled into a parking spot in the lot out front.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt.
He put a hand on my leg. “I hate that I can’t go in there with you.”
“Zach, it’s just a tree stand. They’re not very heavy.” I flexed my bicep. “I work out, remember?”
“It’s not that. I just...want to do things for you. And there aren’t that many things I can do.”
I put my mittened hands on either side of his face, leaned over, and lightly kissed his lips. “You’re a sweetheart.”
“Will you at least let me pay for it?”
“No! You already bought the tree.” I patted his cheek. “I’ll be out in a minute. You stay here and don’t talk to anyone.”
He clenched his jaw and stared straight ahead, one wrist draped over the steering wheel. I grabbed my purse and hopped out of the car, humming a Christmas tune as I hurried into the store. After asking an employee where I might find a tree stand, I was directed to the seasonal section at the back of the store. I was looking for stands when I heard someone say my name.
“Millie?”
