Page 67 of Eight Days of Christmas
“Now who’s evil?” she grumbled.
“Did you forget, Leo?” Norah asked from the other side of the table. “Izzy is super particular about her decorating.” She winked at her sister.
Isabella picked up the piping bag full of blue frosting, narrowing her eyes deviously, and squeezed a giant pile right in the middle of Leo’s flawless white snowman.
He gasped. “Okay, okay, so you want to play dirty, huh?”
With a sly smile, Isabella rushed to cover her precious cookie with her hand, but she was too late. Leo spread white icing all over her once perfectly green, frosted tree. She shrieked, then squeezed more blue onto his cookie, snickering.
Leo took hold of her wrist and held the frosting bag over her face. She squealed, attempting to back up and struggling against him. “Ack! Leo!”
“Just hold still for a sec,” he teased.
Isabella bent, nearly out of his reach but he caught her, arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Leo compressed the bag, releasing a glob of icing on her nose. She screamed and snorted a laugh.
“Oh, you are so dead.” Picking up the blue frosting bag, she narrowed her eyes, her lips curving wickedly. She aimed the bag straight at him and squeezed. Blue splattered the front of his flannel.
Ava whooped. “Ooo, Auntie Izzy. You’re gonna be inbigtrouble.”
Leo snatched two bags of icing. He offered her a bemused smile and wiggled his brows. “Oh, yes she is.”
“Leo, no.” She stuck up her hands in surrender, laughing, backing away. “Don’t you dare.”
Red and white frosting smeared her face, her neck, and her sweatshirt. Leo chuckled as he swiped a finger across the icing on the tip of her nose.
He brought his finger to his mouth and sucked it off.
Focusing on his mouth was very bad. Thinking about his soft lips and tongue was even worse. Their eyes darted to one another’s, making the kind of contact that could be really problematic. Her skin flushed, and an intense longing strummed through her.
Ava squeezed in between them, studying their sugar cookies. She spun back around and pumped her small fists into the air. “Yes! No way your cookies are gonna win.” She skipped back to her spot at the table where she dropped a mass of gold sprinkles onto her star-shaped cookie.
Isabella cleared her throat. Leo’s eyes darkened, not breaking contact as he brought a dish towel to her face, ever so gently wiping the frosting from her cheek, her neck, and lower. She swallowed, her body craving more than this lingering touch of his, but dang the intrusive audience always lurking.
After everyone had goneup to bed, Isabella shut the door behind Landon, shivering against the cold air that snuck in a moment before. Hugging herself, she turned to find Leo sitting on the couch, staring at her like he had all night. Only now they were alone, and that stare felt more intense.
He grabbed a blanket out of a basket and spread it over his legs, then lifted one corner. “Come on,” he said, his voice all warm and soft and way too inviting.
She went to him, nestling under his arm and tucking herself against his side. He covered her with the blanket and said, “Are you comfortable?”
She swallowed. Hard. “Mm-hmm,” she mumbled.
The fireplace crackled, the wood still fiery red and burning. A continuous string of country Christmas carols played softly from YouTube on the TV. None of this seemed fair. To be sitting here, back at her parent’s home, next to Leo, but notwithhim. She couldn’t hardly remember how to do Christmas here in Colorado without being with him. And even though they were together physically, they weren’t technicallytogether.
She fantasized about climbing into his lap and pushing her fingers through his hair, but instead of giving into a fantasy, she said, “Hey, do you wanna dance?”
Leo arched his brow. “A chance to hold you? How can I say no?”
He accepted her awaiting hand, tugging her off the couch and leading her across the room before coming to a stop in front of the Christmas tree.
Gazing into Leo’s eyes, Isabella hooked her arms around his neck. Leo pressed his palms against the small of her back, sending a jolt of electricity gliding down her body. They moved and swayed to the sweet tune of the music.
Christmas had always been extra special to the Whitley family. In New York, Isabella tried to recreate some of the traditions and magic. She made her friends have gingerbread house contests with her, exchanged white elephant gifts, built snowmen on the city apartment’s roof—but it wasn’t the same. None of her friends got into it quite like the Whitley’s. The first year she and Harrison celebrated Christmas together, she thought about telling him about the Christmas Eve boxes that her parents used to give them. But since that was something she and Leo shared after they began dating, it didn’t feel right. Exchanging the boxes with Harrison somehow felt as if she’d be betraying Leo.
When the song ended, Isabella didn’t want to part from Leo. She hadn’t felt so at peace in quite some time. Being in Leo’s arms felt like protection. She was exhausted from fastening the several layers around her heart and from the guard she’d been keeping up since she left him all those years ago. Secure and safe in Leo’s arms, she could finally let her guard down.
Being in Leo’s arms felt like home.
“Can you just…hold me. A little longer?” she whispered against his chest. She felt vulnerable saying it out loud; it caused anxiety to pinch in her gut.
