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“Wow. I’m kind of jealous.” Aiden rests his chin on Maggie’s shoulder. “Do you do anything fun?”
I reach over and grab a sugar cookie, taking a big bite. “Nothing noteworthy.”
Shawn hums. He leans toward me, and I swear his lips brush against my ear. “You’re playing with fire, Lacey girl. Seems like someone didn’t forget what she was supposed to forget. Did you think about me last night when you were using your toy?” he asks just low enough so no one else can hear, and heat races up my spine. “Because I thought about you.”
“Flirting with me, Holmes?” I ask. I tip my chin up and stare him down. He grins, and I see the wrinkles on his nose that I love so much.
“In your dreams, Daniels,” he says with a sparkle in his eye, and I desperately want to kiss him.
I want to grab him by his collar and press his mouth against mine. I want to slip my hands under his sweater and run my palms along the ridges of his body; the smooth planes and firm muscles I’ve started to fantasize about when I’m in bed and thinking about him.
I think he wants to kiss me, too. I see the same flare of heat behind his gaze as the night in the supply closet and when I was in his apartment.
This is a dangerous line I’m toeing, and I need to get off the high rope before someone gets hurt.
But why is it so hard to walk away?
* * *
“Okay,the game ishow well do you know your partner?” Aiden explains. “I found a bunch of questions online, and I figured they’d be good to ask you all before you head to Shawn’s parents’ for the holidays. It’s a quiz to make sure you two can pass the test of appearing like you’re really in love.”
I groan and bite the head off a reindeer cookie. I’ve had six already, and my stomach is starting to protest. “Not fair. This is going to be entirely one-sided. What are you and Maggie going to do? Watch?”
“We’ll play too,” Aiden says. “It’ll be fun. I promise it’s nothing too lovey dovey.”
“The first question you give us about something like wedding vows, I’m out,” I warn.
“What? You don’t want to show up on Christmas with an engagement ring and really blow everyone’s minds?” Shawn jokes. He leans back against the couch, and his thigh presses against mine. “The reactions would be hysterical.”
A sensation I’ve never experienced before squeezes tight around my heart and my lungs as I think about an engagement ring on my finger.
An engagement ring fromShawnon my finger.
I thought I’d hate it, but I don’t.
It sounds kind of nice.
“We might as well go get married in Vegas,” I joke back, and he chuckles.
“Not a wedding in a church kind of gal? This is something I should know in case someone asks about our future plans.”
“No. I think I’d want something spontaneous. Small, with the people I love. Nothing fancy. No tuxedos or centerpieces. You know that’s not me.”
“It’s not, and that’s okay,” he says, and I see his hand twitch at his side.
I think he wants to reach out and touch me.
“The game is working already,” Aiden says, and he sounds positively giddy. “Okay. I’ll ask each of you a question. You’ll write your answer, then you’ll both hold up your whiteboard with the responses. We’ll see how well you do.”
“Going to kick your ass, Daniels,” Shawn murmurs in my ear. “I know you like the back of my hand.”
“Oh, yeah?” I uncap my dry erase marker and lift my eyebrow. “Game on, Holmes.”
“Shawn, what is Lacey’s least favorite food?” Aiden asks, and we both scribble down our answers and hold up the whiteboards. “Okay. You both wrote mushrooms. Nice job.”
“See?” Shawn says, and I roll my eyes.
“One question right does not mean you know me.”
