Page 52 of Sleigh My Heart

Her heart pounded.

“You… had sauce.”

She picked up the napkin, but instead of wiping her face, she just stared at him. “Is it gone?”

He leaned in. His breath, pepperoni and spices, mingled with hers. Her eyelids fluttered closed as his nose brushed hers.

“There’s a little… here.” His mouth touched the side of her lip.

A breath shuddered out.

Then slowly, he moved to the other side. Again, a soft kiss on the edge of her lip.

“Did… um…did you get it?”

“What?” His chest brushed hers.

Her nipples tightened, begging… longing. This is… wrong? She should move back, stop. But it was Nick. Her Nick.

In a minute. She needed to see what he’d do next.

His mouth hovered so close she couldn’t slip a candy cane between them. She opened her eyes. Blue irises searched hers.

“Mickey.” His voice a whisper.

Her insides melted. Just the one word, her name on his lips, had her core temperature rising. She would have steam coming off her if she were in the snow.

His gaze held so much. With each blink of his ridiculously long eyelashes, the cracks he’d left in her heart years ago fused, cell by cell.

His brow rose.

“What?” She’d totally forgotten what they were talking about. She just wanted his lips on hers, even though she knew it would be a mistake.

Nick flashed a grin a second before his mouth covered hers.

Yes. This was so right in so many ways. Her heart begged to pull him closer. But her mind shouted for her to push him away, protecting her traitorous heart.

Before she could make a choice, he pulled back. Cold air rushed between them.

She blinked.

“Daddy?”

Ava. Nick must have heard her.

Well crap. Not one of her cop senses came to her aid at that moment. She hadn’t even heard the television sound had stopped until Ava was standing next to them. Or feel the paws of the furry creatures that now slinked around her legs. Way to go, girl.

“Yes, honey.” Nick spun to face his daughter. His hand wiped his mouth.

“Can we have ice cream tonight?”

“How can you have room in your belly for ice cream?”

“I do.” She rubbed her hand over her flat stomach. Michelle couldn’t see where she put all the pizza.

“Not tonight. But you can grab one of the cookies, then it’s time to get ready for bed.”

Ava grabbed a cookie from the box then scurried into the living room, back to her movie.