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In the shop, the bell rings, letting us know someone has just walked in.
Xavier drops his forehead gently against mine, his thumb still working over my clit as he slides a finger down, making it hard for me to think straight. "Maybe if we stay really quiet, they'll leave."
"It might be a customer." But I don't make any effort to move away from him, especially not when he slides that finger inside me, making me moan.
"I know you're here, Xavier," a woman yells. "I don't care if you've got caramel on the stove at a critical point. Get your meddling ass out here."
"Alice." Xavier huffs. "She probably won't come back here. I made the kitchen off-limits to my family after—"
"And I will come back there, Xavier," Alice yells. "I don't have to respect your boundaries if you don't respect mine."
"Shit," he says. But he pulls his hand free slowly and I'm so turned on the panic of being caught hasn't managed to sink in. He lets go of my wrists and steps away from me, but his eyes don't leave mine as he puts the finger that was just inside me in his mouth and sucks. His eyes close and he moans like he's just tasted something delicious.
My body thrums, and my core tightens. If I was a violent person, I'd be entertaining thoughts of murdering Alice. But I've never been violent or vindictive, unfortunately.
"I'll go out first." I pull the cups of my bra back up and yank my shirt down. "Give you a chance to recover." I look down at the very obvious bulge in his pants and sigh with longing.
"Stop looking at it like that. Or I won't let you leave."
I grin and hop down from the counter. "Save it for later."
But even as I cross the room and push through the door into the shop, my brain is whirring back to life, reminding me I'm here to win back RJ. There's nothing wrong with having some fun until we're together again, but I can't lose focus.
Alice is standing behind the counter, sucking on Xavier's candy canes, which he put out today for the first time. I've had three and they're delicious.
She startles when she sees me, but recovers quickly. "Hi, Cherry. I didn't expect to see you here."
"Your brother is my boyfriend." I'm feeling more than a little defensive. "I've been working on his window display."
Her eyes light. "I saw it on my way in. It looks amazing so far."
My chest warms with pride. Alice isn't my friend and has no reason to lie to me. "Thanks. That means a lot."
Her smile falters as Xavier walks in behind me.
She puts her hands on her hips and glares. "I hope you're happy with yourself. James and I have broken up."
My stomach drops. We did it. We broke up RJ and Alice. So why don't I feel good about it?
Xavier looks positively thunderous. "That asshole dumped you?"
Alice crosses her arms over her chest. "No, you judgmental busybody. I dumped him because you two made it impossible for me to ignore what a self-centered, immature little twerp he is." She stomps a foot. "And I was having fun with him. He's the first man to move to Yuletide, who isn't ninety or someone I've known since kindergarten."
Xavier's face goes slack in surprise or confusion, maybe both. "Why didn't you just tell me that?"
"Because I wanted you to trust me, Xavier. I'm not a kid anymore. I don't need you to protect me."
I should be relieved that I didn't destroy a relationship between soul mates, but I feel oddly off-kilter. My head is light and my mouth is dry. This is what I want. I already knew everything Alice has said about RJ, but he'll grow to be a good man, I just know it.
He'll grow to be a good enough man for me, anyway. The kind of man who'll never leave.
"You're right," Xavier says.
I twist my head so fast my neck aches. I can't remember the last time I've heard a man, any man, tell a woman she's right.
"What did you say?" Alice asks in a sing-song voice, hand cupping her ear.
Xavier huffs, but he's smiling. "You're right. I've been seeing you as a little kid and that's not fair. You're an adult and probably smarter than me. I'm sorry. I won't interfere in your love life again."
