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“I need to say something.”
“Uh-oh.”
“I just want you to know that I’m not interested in you because of what you’re doing for Finn. I mean, obviously the fact that you’ve been so good to him, and you’re helping him walk again, is going to have an influence. But that’s not why I like you. And it’s not your money, either.”
“Okay.”
“I need you to know that.”
As the chorus hits, I twirl her in a circle, then bring her back into my arms, and she laughs. “I’m serious,” she protests.
“I know. And I appreciate it—it means a lot to me. You know Damon?”
“Yes.”
“He was living with a girl for a while, and James overheard her saying to a friend that she only wanted Damon for his money. He broke up with her pretty quickly after that.”
“Oh no! What did she do?”
“Cut up all his suits and keyed his E-Type Jag. He wasn’t a happy bunny.”
“No shit. Aw. Poor guy.”
“He’s better off with Belle. But anyway, I appreciate you saying that. I’m glad you’re with me for my winning personality.” We both give a short laugh.
“That first day at your office, Juliette told me you were the grumpiest guy in the history of the universe,” she says. “I know you well enough now to understand that you’re not deep down.”
“I dunno. I earned the nickname of Oscar the Grouch for a reason.”
She giggles. “Have you always been grumpy?”
“No. I guess I’ve just got more cynical as life has thrown things at me.”
She tips her head to the side. “Like what?”
One day, maybe I’ll confess what turned me into such a curmudgeon. But tonight’s not the night for it. I don’t know her well enough yet, and it’s nearly Christmas, and I don’t want to spoil the atmosphere.
So, as the music changes to Mariah Carey’sAll I Want for Christmas is You, I say, “Can you dance properly in those high heels?”
She laughs and says, “I guess we’ll find out.”
We sing the slow opening lines together, and I don’t miss the irony as I sing about wishes coming true. Then, as the beat picks up, I spin her around, and we start to dance for real.
I’m not a great dancer, but Damon’s parents used to perform in competitions, and one Christmas when I was eighteen and I stayed with them, his mum taught me a few moves that I use now on Missie, making her laugh as we turn to the music.
We continue to dance as the snow falls on the cabins, while the fairy lights sparkle, filling Missie’s eyes with glitter, and making me want to kiss her more than ever.
Chapter Ten
Missie
Alex is such a strange guy, full of conflicting qualities. He can be grumpy, terse, and impossible to read, he’s obviously a workaholic and a control freak, and I’ve heard rumors at Kia Kaha that he pushes the staff hard, although no harder than he works himself. But he’s also kind, generous, funny, and sexy, and he can dance! I didn’t expect that.
My heart races every time I wonder what he’s like in bed. Some of his comments have made me think that maybe his control freakiness extends to the bedroom. Oh my God, I would kill to go to bed with a man like that. Judging by the look in his eyes, though, I won’t have to resort to murder. He could melt a chocolate truffle at fifty paces with the heat in his gaze.
I can tell he’s thinking about kissing me again. And I’m sure he’s thinking about what I look like naked. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken a guy into my bed, and I’m nervous about exposing my body when I’m not as young and tight as I used to be. But I’m also super-excited at the thought of sharing myself with him.
There are things to work out before we get there, though, and that’s making me concerned. I don’t know if he’s fully thought it through. But there’s not a lot I can do about it—we’ll have to have a conversation, and just see if he feels the same way afterward.
