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"You have to promise not to try to convince me to stay when it's time for me to move on." Her voice was barely audible, yet it carried the weight of her resolve.
"Why are we whispering?" he asked with a grin. And in a whisper, obviously.
She laughed again, this time louder and more insistent. "Promise me, Tommy, or this doesn't go any farther."
All jokes aside, Tommy wasn't a fool. He could acknowledge the situation, understanding the importance of her request. But hecouldn'tresist the pull between them, even if it meant agreeing to something that might wind up hurting in the end.
So, if the only way he could have her was if he promised it wasn't permanent, he'd deal with it.
"All right, Grace. I promise."
"Good," she said, a soft smile playing on her lips as she stood up on her tiptoes, making Tommy's heart pound.
"Why does this feel so big after such a small amount of time?" she asked, her lips mere inches from his, her voice wavering with vulnerability.
Tommy knew she was right, and even Nick had called him out on it. It felt like something significant was happening between them, and it scared him too. But he pushed the fear aside, knowing better than to question what felt right.
Instincts. He was all about his instincts.
"I don't ask questions I don't want the answer to," he replied. "So let's just go with it. It's only temporary, right?"
Grace nodded, her warm brown eyes conveying a mixture of excitement and relief. Then, she closed the remaining distance between them and pressed her lips to his.
Tommy was instantly flooded with sensations. The taste of her minty lip balm mingled with the smell of fresh snow surrounding them, the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips as they brushed against her jawline. He could feel the warmth of her body pressed against his, hear the faint sound of their breaths coming together as one.
The kiss deepened, both of them getting lost in the moment. Tommy's hands moved to her waist, pulling her even closer as Grace's arms wound around his neck. Their hearts raced in tandem, the world falling away until all that remained was the two of them, sharing this stolen moment on the inn's charming porch.
Reluctantly, they parted, their eyes meeting once more as they tried to catch their breaths.
"Wow," Tommy managed to say, his voice hoarse with emotion.
"Wow, indeed," Grace agreed, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling with unspoken promises.
As they stood there on the porch, snowflakes continuing to fall in the background, Tommy knew that if given the chance, this temporary arrangement would be the best thing to ever happen to both of them.
But that wasn't what she wanted.
So, for now, he would keep his promise. He'd enjoy each moment he had with her... and when it was over, he'd move on, knowing there was a saying out there about loving and losing being better than not loving at all.
Not that it would get that far, of course.
At least... he really, truly hoped it wouldn't. Because if it did—if he fell for her—he'd be in a world of hurt when she left.
CHAPTER9
Grace
Grace sankinto the plush armchair near the inn's lavishly decorated Christmas tree, her laptop open but largely ignored. The scent of pine needles filled her nostrils as she stared unseeing at the screen, the festive lights casting a warm glow around her. She couldn't stop replaying the night before... replayingthe kiss.
A kiss that felt inevitable and ill-advised in equal measure, a moment with a man who may or may not have superhuman kissing skills.
Seriously. It wasthatmagical.
But alongside those memories from last night, another darker, more unsettling one kept butting in. Snow Hill's Biggest Fan had sent her an email right after she'd dazedly watched Tommy walk into the snowy night. She'd opened it when she got back to her room, and this time, it wasn't simply an overly enthusiastic restaurant recommendation or plea to write about the fruitcake festival on Main Street.
This one was different. Scarier.
Though, it was probably silly to be scared, right?
