Liam leaned in again, but this time, his mouth brushed her ear.
“Next time,” he said, “you should probably avoid spruce trees. Dim lighting. And me.”
Cassidy was pretty sure her knees melted into marshmallow fluff.
She didn’t say a word. But as she turned back to the sink and the cool water and her steadily flushing cheeks, she knew one thing for certain: This man was a walking temptation. He was endangering her promised year of no men. He was doing things to her that Jean-Paul never did. Not even close. Jean-Paul had been a cold, calculated performance. Liam was heat and passion. There was promise in his eyes of the wicked things he could do. And heaven help her, she wanted to experience them all.
TWELVE
LIAM
Tuesday, December 2nd
Liam knew it was best to put as much distance between him and Cassidy as possible.
What in the hell were you doing?he chastised himself as he stepped outside the Cocoa Corner.
The cold wind whipped across his face and Liam prayed it would cool the hot, raw energy that had been building in his veins. He had been mere seconds away from crushing his lips to Cassidy’s, pulling her close, and taking everything she would’ve given him. He would’ve tried to be gentle, but he couldn’t make any promises. She smelled like chocolate and caramel—and a whisper of spice.
It was madness. There was no other explanation. There was no reason a woman he’d just met should have this much pull on him. But he couldn’t deny it.
She was so full of life. So vibrant. So damn joyful. Liam had forgotten what it was like to see that spark in someone’s eyes. He used to have that, genuinely, deep down inside him. But since meeting Cassidy, he felt more and more like he had been faking it, playing a role in Maple Falls. Until Christmas and theanniversary came around, he fulfilled that role dutifully. The charm. The flirting. The parties. But the happiness? That was surface level. A performance. To him and everyone else. It had been like that for the last four years.
All show. No substance.
And he’d built that persona himself. Hyped it up, even.
He didn’t date, not long-term. Bachelor parties. Girls’ weekend trips. If a woman came to Maple Falls looking for a Midwestern romantic fantasy, Liam was her guy. They’d both get what they wanted, and she’d leave by Monday morning.
No strings. No complications.
Liam preferred it that way. It was safer. And he hadn’t been ready for anything deeper, not after what had happened that Christmas, years ago.
Deep down, he didn’t believe he deserved love again.
And yet… there was Cassidy.
The way she moved through town with that bright-eyed determination, cocoa in hand, cheeks pink from the cold, calling out greetings to everyone she passed. The way she wore that elf hat with zero self-consciousness, like she couldn’t help but dive headfirst into joy, even when she had every reason not to.
It should have annoyed him. Should have had him running a mile in the opposite direction.
But it didn’t.
And Liam didn’t understand why.
The downtown area was steadily filling up with locals and tourists for the tree lighting festival. The town’s gas fireplaces were blazing, and people stood around them with knit hats pulled low and scarves wrapped tight, socializing with steaming cups of boozy hot toddies or mugs of hot buttered rum from the Kettle.
Cassidy might’ve cornered the market on hot cocoa, but the Kettle still had the best hot cocktails in town.
The square also had miniature trees set up in stands, and bins of plastic ornaments for kids to decorate them with while their parents mingled. A saxophone player stood on the corner wearing a Santa hat, playing “Here Comes Santa Claus,” while the holiday trolley pulled up to the end of the street. The trolley, bright green and decorated with multicolored lights, brought locals from the residential district to the downtown area so they wouldn’t have to drive over and find a place to park.
Laughter echoed through the streets, the scent of cinnamon was thick in the air, and it was only the beginning of the holiday season.
Liam smiled at Mr. Alders from the hardware store, waved at Zach’s mom, Anita, and purposely avoided meeting Mrs. Bishop’s eye, despite her best attempts.
He wondered how quickly word would get around that he was into Cassidy.
Knowing the locals, it would be common knowledge by nightfall.
