Page 135 of How My Neighbour Stole Christmas
“Are you saying that I’m prize enough?”
I chuckle. “I don’t want to, because I think it might go to your head, but yes…you are prize enough, Cole.”
He offers me the sweetest grin before taking my hand and bringingme back to the kitchen. He takes two of the crystal-cut mugs that we unpacked, rinses them in the sink, and then dries them off with a towel.
“How can I help?”
“Stand there and look pretty.”
“Not sure how productive that is,” I say. “But if I must.” I sigh and bat my eyelashes at him dramatically.
He chuckles. “Not sure I like how good you are at that.”
“You’re the one who wanted this.”
He goes to the fridge where he pulls out a beer bottle and holds it up. “Uh, I have cranberry beer or eggnog.”
“Eggnog,” I answer.
“Eggnog it is,” he replies as he grabs the carton and pours some into two cups.
“Is this your Eggnog Wars recipe?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No, just regular. Sorry.”
“That’s fine, regular works.”
“I still think I should have won that competition. The only reason you won was because you used decrepit old Cindy to your advantage.”
“Oooo, I’m going to tell her you called her that,” I tease.
“Go ahead. While you’re at it, tell her you made out with me last night as well and that our tongues touched.”
I don’t know why that makes me snort, but it does. “Oh my God, I would never say that to her.”
“Because you’re ashamed of me?” he asks playfully.
“No,” I drag out. “Because I don’t say things to her like ‘my tongue touched a man’s tongue.’ I don’t even think she knows I’ve had sex. Fairly sure she still believes in her heart of hearts that I’m a buttoned-up virgin.”
“Even after not seeing you for ten years, I could tell you weren’t a buttoned-up virgin.”
“Are you saying I’m giving off ho-ho-hoe vibes?”
“I mean…you did make out with the enemy under the mistletoe.”
I point my finger at him. “That was a peck, and I didn’t have a choice.”
“Eh, I think it was more than a peck.”
“Because you made it more than a peck. You were the one who opened your mouth.”
“I see it differently,” he replies as he moves to the pantry and pulls out a cookie tin. Not just any cookie tin, butthecookie tin. The cookie tin that Baubles and Wrappings is known for carrying. The cookie tin that I used to secretly buy for myself and hide under my pillow, swearing to Taran that I had no clue what she was talking about when she saw crumbs all over my bed.
“Umm, we’re getting back to the kiss in a second. Please tell me there are cookies in that tin and it’s not some secret stash of sewing materials.”
He chuckles. “I wouldn’t trick you like that.” Then he pops open the tin, revealing the most delicious cookies, shortbread filled with jam and topped with sugar crystals.
I press my hand to my chest. “You amazing, amazing man.”
