“What are you smiling about?” Alec asks. He puts his hand on my leg and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“What?” Caught mid-fantasy, my cheeks warm. “Was I?”
Alec grins. “You were. And you had this dreamy sort of look in your eyes. Like you were someplace else.”
“Oh.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“Um.” I throw a quick glance around the room before I reply in an undertone, “I was thinking about you. By the tree.”
“Oh.” His voice deepens. Heat flares in his eyes. “You were, were you?” His hand inches up my leg, moving dangerously close to the apex of my thighs. “And what was I doing?”
He knowsexactlywhat he was doing. But I still reply quietly, “You were naked. And all glowy. From the lights.”
Alec dips his head to speak near my ear. “Was that all? Or was I doing something to you?”
“I hadn’t gotten that far yet. I was still thinking about you.”
His lips quirk. “All glowy, you mean?”
“Yes.” I swat his arm. “Laugh if you want. But it’s sexy.”
His expression sobers. “If you like it, Haze, we can keep the tree up all year.”
I give the idea a moment’s thought. “No. That would be weird. We’ll just have to come up with something new once Christmas is over.”
He kisses my cheek. “Like Valentine’s lights?”
“Hmm. Red lights? I’m not sure if that would have the same effect.”
“We can have any color you like.” In a conspiratorial tone, he adds, “I think you lookverysexy all naked and glowy, too.”
My belly clenches. An ache throbs deep inside me. In a hoarse whisper, I say, “Maybe when we get home? We could be all naked and glowy together?”
“Haze.”Alec drags me onto his lap. His arousal prods at me, hard and insistent. “What are you doing to me?”
I widen my eyes at him. “You asked.”
“What are you two doing over there?” Ronan asks. From his seat in the recliner by the fireplace, he gives us a knowing smirk. “Talking about anything interesting?”
Alec makes a face at him. “Nothing you need to know about.”
“They’re talking about couple-y things,” Winter interjects. She takes a sip of her eggnog and sets the glass back onto the coffee table. “Just likeyou’llbe doing soon, Ronan.”
Knox drags his attention away from theChristmasStorymarathon playing on TV. “Ronan. Did you meet someone and I didn’t hear about it?”
Lark brightens. “Did you? Who? Is she local? Do I know her?”
“No.” Ronan shakes his head. “No woman. And I’m not looking for one, either.”
“I was just speculating,” Winter explains. “Since the rest of the guys all found someone, I figure it’s Ronan’s turn.”
“I’m not the last single one,” Ronan retorts. He angles his head towards Max, who’s standing over by the snack table with a cookie frozen halfway to his mouth. “Max is single, too. So maybehe’llfind someone next.”
“I don’t think so,” Max replies. He pops the cookie into his mouth and chews. Once he swallows, he adds, “Some of us are happier being single.”
But he doesn’t lookvery happy as he says it.
