“I talked to the owner of the farm.” Lacee drops down next to me. “She says nothing like that has ever happened before.”
“You mean, nobody has ever been dumb enough to be dragged around by one of the reindeer?”
“Nope. You’re the only one.” She hides her smile behind her hot cocoa cup.
“Maybe they should be worried about a lawsuit. I could’ve been hurt, and nobody even cared.” I feign offense.
Lacee gives me a pointed stare. “Hurt? By what? Baby Blitzen’s soft fur? Or lack of antlers?”
“Those hooves are more powerful than you think.”
“Let’s just say I knew you could handle it.” She smirks, taking another sip of her drink. “Mmm.” Her eyes close. “This is what Christmas tastes like.” She nods twice, then slowly opens her eyes.
“I didn’t know Christmas had a taste.”
“It has a taste, a smell, a sound, a feel. It’s magical in every way possible.” She takes another big gulp of her drink.
I tilt my head, amused by her.
“What?” Her shoulders drop as she lowers her cup.
“I’ve just never seen anybody enjoy hot cocoa so much.”
“Drinking hot chocolate is an art form.” She sits up and tucks her feet underneath her, facing me. She leans in as her expression turns serious. She’s clearly flipping into the role of a hot chocolate connoisseur. “It’s all about the experience. You’ve got to savor every sip.”
“Is that why you’re keeping it on your face? To savor it?” My eyes dart to the whipped cream on her skin, and I wipe at my cheek to signal to her.
She makes a dramatic show of licking all around her mouth. “Did I get it?”
“Not even close.” I point to the side covered in cream. She reaches her tongue out even farther but still doesn’t touch it.
“Are your hands broken?” I bite back my smile. “Because you could get it with one swipe of your fingers.”
“Nope.” There’s a flirty gleam in her blue eyes. “I’m waiting for you to gently wipe it off like they do in the Hallmark Christmas movies.”
“I would, but my tiny T-Rex hands can’t reach that far.”
Lacee bursts into laughter—something loud and boisterous. The entire farm looks over at us—again—to see what’s so funny. Normally, I work hard to stay out of the limelight. It’s my job to stay hidden and go unnoticed. But I kind of like the thought of everyone looking at me and the beautiful, energetic redhead sitting next to me. I’ve always been jealous of couples doing normal things like having a drink at a cafe. But right now, at this moment, I’m the one to be jealous of.
Lacee’s laughter fades, but the spark in her eyes doesn’t. “I thought I told you I was kidding about the whole tiny hands thing.”
“I’ll never get over it. It wounded my pride.”
Her brows lift. “More than getting tackled by a baby reindeer?”
“No, I guess that was worse.” I laugh, staring back at her. Something about her smile and goofy expression with whipped cream on her face strikes me.
This is fun. This is normal.
I slowly reach across her body and gently run my finger over her cheek, wiping away the cream. Her stare holds mine and her breath covers my hand in hot spurts. I bring my cream-covered finger to my mouth and lick it off right in front of her.
“Is that how it’s done in the Hallmark Christmas movies?” I say between us.
“If it isn’t,” her smile tilts, “then it should be.”
There are hundreds of reasons I should pull back, but instead, I find myself leaning forward, inching closer to Lacee. My fingers gently lift to her chin as our mouths meet. Everything is cold at first—her lips, the tip of her nose, her skin against mine. But slowly, the warmth of our lips seeps around us as our mouths move together. It’s a simple kiss, nothing like the one on the escalator in the mall, but it’s more meaningful because I know her now. I know she likes to sing out at the top of her lungs to Christmas music. I know she likes adventure. I know she shares too much information when she tells a story, and I know she likes to drink a million ounces of water a day. It’s not much, but spending time with her is like being on chapter one of a thousand-page book and trying to read as fast as you can so you can get the entire story as soon as possible.
She pulls apart and gazes back at me. A whimsical smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. “You just bought yourself another hour on the day-date.”
