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I need to know what it is.
When I come toe to toe with her, I can see she’s even taller than I first thought, although those boots have something to do with it. Regardless, I like that she doesn’t have to break her neck to look up at me as I top out at six foot seven. She has to be at least five ten herself.
Pointing upward, I say, “It must be fate.”
She appears confused as her eyes lift to the spray of holly leaves, cranberries and tucked inside… mistletoe. It’s hanging on the archway that opens between the two rooms.
The woman tilts her head, brows furrowed. “Fate?”
“That’s mistletoe.” I point upward again. “It’s good luck to kiss under it.”
Her eyes move around the room briefly before coming back to me, her expression amused. “Now how do you know that’s mistletoe?”
I take a step closer. “My older brother told me about it. Said it was guaranteed to get a girl to kiss you.”
She laughs, tipping her head back, and fuck me… those dimples. When she looks at me again, I extend my hand and she takes it. “Bain.”
“Kiera,” she replies and neither of us pulls away, and she asks, “So I’m just supposed to kiss a complete stranger.”
“We’re not strangers,” I reply, looking pointedly at our palms still pressed together. Her grip is strong, but her skin is soft. Her nails are unpainted and short but well-manicured. “You’re Kiera, I’m Bain. And now we know each other.”
With an almost reluctant sigh, she tugs her hand from mine. “While the idea has merit, I’m not sure it would go over well.”
“Are you here with someone?” I ask.
“You mean, am I here with another man?”
I just stare at her, because that’s exactly what I’m asking. I need to know whether to move on. She shakes her head with a wry laugh. “No way. Happily single.”
“You say that like it’s a creed or something,” I observe with a knowing smirk.
“Oh, it is.”
“Commitment averse?” I guess.
She nods quickly. “No one depending on me.”
“Totally get that. Able to come and go as you please.”
“Taking what I want, when I want it.”
I grin. “We’re like two peas in a pod. Relationships give me the wiggins. But speaking of taking what you want, when you want it… if you want that kiss, I’m more than happy to find a private area.”
Kiera appraises me for a long, silent moment. Then she surprises me by taking my glass from my hand, lifting it to her lips and sipping. She holds the liquid in her mouth, savoring the taste before swallowing. She licks her lower lip and hums with appreciation.
Christ, that’s sexy as fuck.
Handing it back to me, she says, “I’m going to have to decline.”
I never actually expected her to run off with a stranger for a kiss, but I’m curious about her reasoning. “I promise I’m safe.”
“Yeah… I can actually tell you’re a big ol’ teddy bear.” She’s not wrong about that. Despite being a defenseman and participating in my share of brawls, I’m quite the pacifist. Kiera gives me a sly smile, lowering her voice as she leans into me. “But in this instance, I can tell that if you and I engaged in a kiss, it would never be enough. We’d surely find ourselves naked and sweaty in some closet in Brienne’s house.”
Shouldn’t have chosen that moment to take a sip of my bourbon because I almost choke on it. As it is, I’m able to keep my surprise to a gasping cough. She stares back at me, blue eyes sparkling with humor, but I can tell… she’s not joking.
“At the risk of sounding too forward—but somehow thinking I’m safe in saying it—I’m more than willing to leave this party right now if you want to go somewhere and have a drink. Get to know each other.”
“And have sex?” she asks, one eyebrow arching high, but I can hear the teasing in her tone.
