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CHAPTER ELEVEN
KELSIE
I kissed Pierce. In a moment of madness, high on the adrenaline from going down the mountain, I kissed him. And he kissed me back… And holy shit, was it a good kiss.
No, good doesn’t even cut it. It was mind-blowing, world-altering. Metaphorical sparks flew between us, and if we weren’t outside with my daughter—and most of the town—nearby, I would’ve kept going because the second our mouths touched, I felt the connection I’d been trying to fight between us. When I said I’d be open-minded and give us a chance, I didn’t plan for us to kiss the next time we saw each other, but I don’t regret it in the slightest. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be against doing it again.
“The tree lighting is going to happen soon. Want to get some warm drinks and find a seat?” Pierce asks, shaking me from my thoughts.
“Sure,” I choke out, wondering if he’s still thinking about the kiss the way I am… the way I’ve been thinking about it for the last damn hour.
Pierce buys us each a hot chocolate and then we make our way over to where his family is all standing and chatting.
“Kelsie!” Marta smiles. “So nice to see you.” She kisses my cheek. “Are you having a good time?”
“We’re having a great time. Your son even got me onto that mountain despite my fear of heights.”
“It was so much fun,” Jordan adds.
“Are you excited about the tree lighting?” Marta asks Jordan.
“Yep. It’s the biggest tree I’ve ever seen in my life.” She looks around. “Is Tilly here?”
“She’s around here some—”
“Jordan!” Tilly shrieks. “You’re here!” She runs over and stops in front of Jordan. “I have hot chocolate too!” The girls bump their cups playfully and are still giggling when the mayor—according to Pierce—begins to speak.
He talks about the tradition of the tree lighting ceremony and then everyone begins the countdown. When we hit one, thousands of twinkling, multi-colored lights appear, bringing the beautiful tree to life as fake snow is blown into the air, making the event even more magical. The crowd cheers, and Christmas music begins to play.
Everyone around me, including Tilly and Jordan, starts dancing, and when I glance up at Pierce, he’s smiling down at me.
“What?” I breathe, my eyes landing on his lips, wishing I could taste him again.
“Dance with me.”
He extends his hand, and without thought, I take it, letting him pull me flush against him. The music is fast-paced and upbeat, and Pierce has no problem dancing like nobody is watching. At one point, when the girls are shaking their butts to the music, Pierce joins in, making me push him away and crack up laughing.
“You look gorgeous like this,” he murmurs, pulling me into his arms when a slower song comes on. He wraps his arms around my waist as mine go to his neck.
“Like what?” I ask, confused because I’m wearing a simple winter coat, jeans, and boots. Nothing special…
“Happy,” he says, shocking me with his admission. “You have the most beautiful smile, and your laughter is so addicting. I could listen to it for hours.”
“You’re acting like this is the first time you’ve seen me smile or heard me laugh.” I roll my eyes, playing off his words.
“It’s not, but I don’t see it enough. If it were up to me, you would smile and laugh as often as possible every day. I think tonight is the first time since I’ve met you that you let loose, left all the outside bullshit out, and just had fun.”
I want to argue with him and tell him that’s not true, but he’s not wrong. Most days, I’m just trying to survive. Take care of my daughter. Provide a roof over her head and keep her belly fed. And because of that, sometimes I forget to actually enjoy life.
“It’s because of you,” I admit. “You make me smile and laugh. And it’s not just me… Jordan too.”
He opens his mouth to respond, but before he can, someone shouts, “Mistletoe!”
“What?” I look over Pierce’s shoulder and find Marta grinning from ear to ear.
“Mistletoe,” she repeats, pointing up.
I glance up and see we’re standing under a mistletoe hanging from the decorations.
“You know what that means,” Pierce says with a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. “You have to kiss me.”
“I have to kiss you?” I scoff, suddenly nervous. Kissing him in the heat of the moment without any eyes on us was one thing, but here, with everyone watching. No way. “Why can’t you kiss—”
My question is cut off when Pierce frames my face between his hands and brushes his lips against mine. The moment our mouths touch, it’s as if the entire world ceases to exist, and it’s just Pierce and me. One second our mouths are moving against one another, and the next, his tongue is caressing my own. His hands glide down my neck, over my arms, and land on the curves of my hips, pulling me closer to him. It’s cold outside, yet in Pierce’s arms, I feel nothing except warmth.
