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Now that she was single, it was as if some unseen chains had been unlocked, setting him free to claim her.
“Well, stick a fork in me,” Macie exclaimed as it crept ever closer to midnight. “I’m done.” She and Coop rose from the table, the others all having said their goodbyes over the course of the last half hour.
He and Gia waved as the couple left.
They were alone. Finally.
“Should we call it a night too?” Gia asked, glancing toward the exit, grinning.
Gladys Stockman, one of the social’s committee chairs, had hit the spiked cider a little too hard and had now taken up residence next to the exit. For the past hour or so, she’d shanghaied every couple on their way out, pointing to the mistletoe she’d strategically placed above the door.
Macie and Coop, her latest victims, were doing the mistletoe proud.
“Sure,” Xander said, rising. He helped Gia put on her coat, placing his hand on the small of her back as they walked to the door.
Gia pulled up short as they approached the exit, pointing out the trap. “We might want to leave separately, since apparently I can’t handle one of your kisses.”
Xander chuckled. “I’ll take it easy on you,” he lied, continuing to propel her forward.
As expected, Gladys stopped them, pointing above their heads. “Mistletoe,” she said loudly, laughing with glee.
Gia grinned as she faced him, her face pure mischief as she closed her eyes and puckered her lips in an exaggerated way.
Xander shook his head, amused but undaunted. He held steady, waiting her out. When he didn’t kiss her, she cracked open one eyelid.
“You ready to take this seriously?” he asked, his voice deep, husky. He’d had all night to think about this kiss.
She nodded just once before he lowered his face, cupping her cheeks as he placed his lips against hers.
He tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss until she gasped. Taking advantage, he stroked his tongue over her lower lip before sweeping inside her mouth. They tasted the same—beer and sugar cookies, an oddly tantalizing flavor.
He wasn’t sure how long the kiss lingered. It could have been seconds or hours. When they parted, her eyelids rose slowly, and she had to blink a few times to focus her vision.
“Damn,” Gladys murmured.
Xander stood there, staring at Gia, aware that he’d just found his next big adventure.
Her.
Walking to the parking lot together, he opened the passenger door for Gia, equal parts amused and annoyed by the surprise on her face by his gentlemanly gesture.
“Ooh, la la,” she teased, like he’d done something ridiculously fancy.
Didn’t her stupid ex ever open a car door for her?
“Thanks,” she said, giving him a sunny smile that drew his attention back to her lips. He wanted to kiss her again.
Goddammit. He was going to kiss her again. A lot. As often as he could.
He resisted the urge as she climbed into the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt. Xander circled the car to climb behind the steering wheel.
Gia spent the first part of the ride to her house flipping through Spotify on his radio, looking until she found a fun Christmas mix. Then she started happily and loudly singing along to “Winter Wonderland” and “Here Comes Santa Claus,” while he laughed.
“Sing with me.”
Xander shook his head. “Don’t want to ruin your holiday spirit.”
“Grinch,” she said, diving right back into the song.
