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“Yes and no. I mean, if you were looking for something more than that, would I be interested? I would. But if you’re not, I understand it.” I take a shaky breath. “I’ve had more fun with you today than I can remember having in the last year. And even if we don’t have anything more than Christmas, I want it all.”
Noel’s mouth tips, but that too-intense look stays in his eyes.
“Can I tell you something that not a lot of people know?”
“Yes.”
“I’m actually a prettyseriousguy. I had to be in order to get where I am in my career. I know what it means to commit and to work for what you love. And it’s never bothered me, on ice or off.”
I love the feel of this man on top of me, but suddenly I need to be up. I need to make sure I understand what he’s saying. He sits back, runs a rough finger over my knee, then shrugs. “Yeah, I goof around… but I don’t reallyfoolaround. I don’t get physical with women I’m not interested in having something real with.”
My heart skips. “But you’re soflirty.”
“That’sjust for fun. It makes people feel good, and, since it never goes anywhere, I don’t lose friends over it.” He takes a breath and reaches for my hand to play with my fingers. “But when I’m interested in a woman as more than a friend, I’m averyserious guy. So, I guess what I’m asking here is if you think you could be serious too?”
This isn’t happening. He can’t be for real.
Giving in to a choked laugh, I nod. Then clearing my throat, sit straighter.
“I’m actually a pretty serious girl.”
“Yeah?”
God, that lopsided grin.
“And something not a lot of people know about me… This is the only time I’ve ever kissed a guy after the first date.” Or not even a date, really.
Noel’s dark brow pushes up, pulling the corner of his mouth even higher. Hetsks. “That wasn’t our first date, Mistletoe.” And then, before I can blink, he ducks in and presses a firm, quick kiss to my mouth. “That was like our first five dates. More. One, we went eavesdropping together. Two, you made me hot chocolate. Then, we went out for lunch—”
“The Jimmy John’s drive-thru is not—”
“Hell, yes, it is.” He pulls me onto his lap and gives me another quick kiss. “A date. Ourthird. A good one too.”
It was good. We discovered our mutual distrust of mayonnaise. “Then we went to the tree farm.”
He bites that epically kissable bottom lip. “Well, first we went out for a drive. Then our next date was at the tree farm. Then shopping together.”
“Mmm. So that’s six.”
“See? Then there was the tree-decorating date. Seven.”
God, he’s fun.
“Followed by the hair-washing date. Eight.”
“Always a classic.”
“And then, we kissed. And…” I wave a hand through the air, indicating all theand. That grin says he knows exactly what I mean. “But now that we’re talking about things maybe being more serious than I was giving them credit for”— I shift around until I’m straddling his lap and his big hands are cupping my ass beneath my sweater —“maybe weshouldn’tstop.”
He groans, pulling me in closer but then pressing his forehead to mine. “You don’t even know how bad I want to be inside you right now. But we can’t tonight.”
A thought occurs to me, and I swallow hard. “Okay, are yousaving yourselffor marriage?” And then I rush on. “I mean, it’s completely fine if you are. But—”
He barks out a laugh, grinning down at me. “Um, No. That ship sailed a long time ago. Misty, I stopped because I don’t have acondom.” Then, seeing my look of surprise, he laughs again. “I haven’t had a girlfriend in two and a half years. Unlike a lot of the guys on my team, I don’t screw around casually, so I don’t carry them. But you can bet I’m going to start.”
I take a breath and then squirm off his lap, immediately hating the distance between us. But this is important. I smooth my sweater down my hips. “Give me one sec.”
“What are you doing?”
