Page 9 of One Night, Two Holidays
“So, I’m thinking,” she says after a bit. “You should probably sleep here tonight.”
My heart swoops like I’ve just stepped off a cliff, but I force myself to sound casual. “As long as you’re okay with that.”
“I mean, what would I tell your mom if you froze to death on Christmas?”
“Guess that would make for a pretty awkward phone call.”
My hands ache with the urge to touch her—to trace the curve of her waist, to cup her jaw and pull her lips to mine. But she seems content to stay just like we are, so I force myself to hold still, to ride out the tension that builds and subsides in waves.
All too soon, my eyelids grow heavy. The world beyond the firelight fades away, and with it, all the pressure, the exhaustion, the noise of my regular life.
And without realizing it, I drift off to sleep
CHAPTER 8
December 25, 8:10 am
NESSA
Ican feel the sun before I see it. It’s so cozy here, cocooned in the warmth of blankets and…my eyes fly open, and I remember where I am. Snuggled up on the couch with Hot New Guy—Jack—spooning me. And that hard object pressed against my back is his?—
“Merry Christmas!” I shout, leaping up from the couch.
Jack startles awake, rubbing his eyes. He opens the left one, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. His dark hair is a spiky mess, and there’s a hint of stubble on his jaw.
“What?” I ask. “Isn’t this what you do on Christmas morning? Wake up early to open all your presents?”
“Not this early.” He props himself up on his elbow. “And not before coffee.”
“Power’s still out—so I can’t help with the coffee. But we do have presents!” I hold my hand out, presenting the stockings we filled for each other last night.
“Are you always this peppy in the morning?” he asks, sitting straight up.
I swallow down the implication—I’m being extra—and attempt to shrug the thought away. “It’s my first Christmas. Of course I’m excited—how does it work with the stockings? Do we pour all the presents out or go one at a time?”
A smile tugs at the corner of Jack’s mouth, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he might be charmed by my enthusiasm. “Bring them here, we can take turns. But fair warning—I didn’t have much handy. I had to get creative.”
“Perfect. Especially because it’s the thought that counts—and creativity takes extra thought!” I unhook the stockings and lay them on the coffee table before taking my spot on the couch next to Jack. “We need music—how’s your battery?”
Jack grabs his phone and frowns. He holds it up, showing the black screen. “Long gone. Yours?”
I reach for mine. “Twenty percent. Enough for a little holiday cheer.” I open Spotify to search for a Christmas morning playlist until Jack stops me, putting his hand on mine.
As his skin touches mine, a jolt of electricity runs through me. I look down at his fingers, splayed across the back of my hand. I can’t remember ever feeling anything like this before from such a simple touch. The last time I felt anything close to this…well, it definitely wasn’t my hand being touched.
I look up at Jack, who seems just as perplexed by whatever it is that’s happening between us. His blue eyes sparkle, full of unspoken questions. I want to tell him yes, but I need him to ask. To initiate.
Keeping my eyes locked on his, I turn my hand over so we’re palm-to-palm. Practically holding hands.
“Is it worth the risk?” Jack asks.
My heart hammers in my chest, and I honestly can’t think of a single risk I wouldn’t take to be with this man. Yes, the whole neighbor thing makes it complicated. And Julie did call dibs onhim—but she’s on a cruise, and I’m here. With Jack sitting kissably close.
I’m about to tilt my head in invitation when he says, “Your battery.”
Confused, I sit back. “My…what?”
“We don’t know how long the power will be out,” Jack says, looking down at our hands on my phone.
