I snort. “Well, thanks for going the extra mile for me.”
“Don’t mention it,” he says with a wink. He loads his plate with meat and cheese. “You know what would make this better?”
“What?”
“Bread and mayonnaise.”
I laugh. “So you want a sandwich?”
“Not right now. Maybe later.” He picks up the remote and searches for a Christmas movie. “Give a yell when you see one you like.”
“Home Alone,” I say.
“Good choice.” He throws an arm across the back of the couch, fingers brushing my shoulder.
“It’s easy to follow.”
“Yeah.” He nods. “Which is good because I might try to distract you.”
“Oh really?”
“How can I not? You’re so beautiful, and I’m only human.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I duck my head. “You’re pretty distracting yourself, you know.”
He grins, clearly pleased. “I’ll take that as permission.”
“Permission for what?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“To do my best to keep your attention off the movie.”
I shake my head, laughing. “Good luck. I’ve seenHome Aloneat least one hundred times. I can quote most of it by heart.”
“Perfect,” he says. “Then you won’t mind if you miss a few lines.”
“Not unless they’re my favorite parts.”
“Deal.”
The movie starts, and for a while, we eat and laugh at the antics on screen. Every so often, his knee brushes mine or hisfingers graze my shoulder where his arm rests behind me. Each slight touch feels deliberate and unhurried, making my body hum.
When Kevin starts setting booby traps, he chuckles under his breath. “I always wanted to do that as a kid.”
“I bet you still would,” I say, popping a grape into my mouth.
“You’re not wrong. I could rig the best snowball launcher on the block. In fact, I might have to make a competition between my brothers and me happen.”
I look up at him. “Ooh, can I be there to watch?”
“You better be. I’d need my girlfriend there to cheer me on.”
I smile. “I love the sound of that.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Mmhmm. That’s the one.”
“Me too. What do you think? Would you like to take that title on full-time?”
