“I know.” Jess snapped the lid back on the bin. “He’s…a good person.”
“I’m just looking out for you. You dated some real losers when you first moved here.”
With a sigh, Jess shoved the bin back into her closet. “Yes, I remember. Come on, those chips aren’t going to eat themselves, and I need you to braid my hair.”
That night, after Naomi left, Jess thought back, not to her friend’s suggestion that Nik was using her in some way—that just didn’t gel with what she’d seen of him at all—but to one of Naomi’s text messages from that morning.
What does it mean?
She puzzled over it as she packed her bag for the next day, tossing in the white bathing suit, a clarifying shampoo, and her new Holly Jolly Berry lipstick.
Maybe she didn’t have to know what it all meant. Maybe she could just live in the moment and enjoy spending time with this man. Wasn’t that enough?
It would have to be. Because as much as she was starting to trust him, she still didn’t believe he’d stick around.
Chapter Five
December 20th
Jess entered Dimitri’s house and was greeted with the scents of gingerbread, chocolate, and cinnamon. Jazzy versions of Christmas carols played softly in the background.
“Cookies?” She turned to Nik in accusation and surprise. “This is your messy activity?”
“Yeah. Baking holiday cookies is tradition.”
“Boy, you weren’t kidding about wholesome.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Why, what were you expecting?”
She hunched her shoulders, recalling the steamy images that had kept her up last night involving champagne, honey, and whipped cream. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Come say hi to everyone,” Nik said, guiding her toward the kitchen, where the mouthwatering aromas originated.
Everyone?They weren’t going to be alone for this date, either? Maybe this was a double date with Dimitri and Natasha. That would make sense, since DimitriwasNik’s brother and thiswashis house.
Still, Jess felt a vague sense of disappointment. She’d meant what she said about not being Nik’s girl in this port, but it would’ve been nice to spend some time alone with him. As reluctant as she was to put all her trust in him, he was still a lot of fun to hang out with.
Okay, and maybe she’d be all right with messing around a little. Nik was super hot.
Nik stopped in the kitchen doorway and ushered her in. “I believe you know everyone here,” he said.
When Jess entered the room, shock mixed with delight. It wasn’t just Dimitri and Natasha in the kitchen.
“Gina!”
“Hey, girl!” Gina, another one of Jess’s former coworkers onThe Dance Off, set down a handful of frosting tubes on the counter.
Gina hurried over to give Jess a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Good to see you. You remember Stone.” She gestured to her giant of a boyfriend, who’d been Gina’s celebrity partner onThe Dance Offearlier that year.
“Hi, Stone.” Jess sent him a wave. Apparently this was atripledate. “I didn’t know you guys were in town.”
Jess hadn’t hung out a ton with Gina and Natasha—she was closer to Rhianne, Mila, and Joel—but she liked them just fine.
“Just a short visit,” Gina said. “Tash and I always used to do the tree and cookie stuff together, and we didn’t want to skip it this year. I’m glad you can join us.”
“Me, too,” Jess said, shooting a look over her shoulder at Nik, who loitered by the arched doorway with a smug grin. There was no way she could get away with being a Scrooge around the others.
Nik joined her at the counter, and while he didn’t touch her, Jess was fully aware of his body all the same. It was like he emitted some kind of sexy force field only she could feel and that was impossible to ignore.
