“Did you guys get those in Alaska?” Nik asked, gesturing at Stone and Gina’s tops.
It was then that Jess noticed they wore matching Christmas sweaters—Gina’s was red, Stone’s was green, and they both had moose silhouettes on them.
Wait a minute.
Upon closer inspection, Gina’s had not just one moose, buttwomoose. Mooses? No, the plural of moose was moose. Either way, these moose were getting it on, moose-style, right across Gina’s chest.
Well, now shehadto know what Stone’s moose was doing. Jess moved closer, squinting. The moose was…
Pooping. The moose was pooping.
Stone let out a long-suffering sigh, but Gina flashed a wide grin. “You wouldn’t believe all the bizarre moose merchandise they have in Alaska,” she said. “They’re oneverything. You guys want moose undies? I can get you some next time we visit Stone’s family.”
When she went to arrange the cookie cutters next to the rolling pin, Stone leaned down from his great height and muttered, “Trust me, you don’t want them.”
Jess turned to Nik after Stone had gone back to setting out containers of cookie decorations. “Well, now I’m just curious,” she whispered.
“I know,” Nik replied under his breath. “How bad could they be?”
She sent him a sly smile. “I bet you’d look cute in moose undies.”
“Excuse me.” He sounded offended, but his amber brown eyes turned molten and his voice dropped to a sensuous purr. “I look cute inanything.”
Or nothing, Jess thought. Yeah, she’d bet he looked real good in nothing at all.
With that delicious image in her head, she got to work helping the others set up.
* * *
Nik was relievedwhen Jess fell into an easy conversation with Gina and Tash. She’d seemed apprehensive when he’d told her about the others, and he’d worried the whole idea for this date had been a mistake.
But they’d agreed to three holiday-themed dates, and for him, a huge part of the holidays was spending time with friends and family. And these people fell into that category.
Dimitri, of course, was his brother, and Natasha was near enough to being family at this point. And while Gina was Tash’s best friend, Nik had never expected Stone and Dimitri to get along so well. They were both so different: Stone the very definition of “outdoorsy,” and Dimitri the cosmopolitan restaurateur. But they got on famously somehow, bonding over stuff like home repair projects and beard maintenance.
Nik liked Stone, too. Dude was fun, and he had some kickass stories about living in Alaska. Nik hadn’t been there yet, but he wanted to go. Gina had recommended he visit during summer instead of winter.
Nik couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day than hanging out with these four, with Jess at his side.
Well, maybe he could think of a few other things he and Jess could do, but he wouldn’t rush her.
One date left.
As much as the previous day’s media visits had worn on him, he’d enjoyed getting to spend extra time with Jess. In hindsight, three dates didn’t seem like enough.
More and more, he was sure she was the missing piece he’d been searching for. Her quick wit and dry humor belied a sweetness and sensitivity that made him want to gather her in his arms and show her that her heart would be safe with him. When he was with her, the restless feeling that had propelled him through years of touring gigs finally quieted. For once, he felt like he could be still.
A year ago, these impulses would’ve scared him. Now, he just wanted to take his time getting to know her better and proving to her how good they could be.
While the others worked on the cookies, Nik took Jess into the living room to start on the tree—and to get her alone. The scent of gingerbread followed them.
“You don’t bake?” she asked.
“I can follow a recipe, but it’s better if my brother and I don’t cook or bake at the same time. We both recall ‘what Mama said’ differently. Besides, I love decorating Christmas trees.”
She eyed the bare tree standing in the living room. “Aren’t they a fire hazard?”
He laughed. “Only if you don’t water them. And anyway, this tree is fake. Dimitri doesn’t like getting pine needles all over his house.”
