“It’s not what you think,” I blurt, then immediately want to slap myself.Of course it’s exactly what she thinks: her daughter making out with her boyfriend.
Mom laughs.“Honey, you’re both adults in a committed relationship.Don’t let me interrupt.”She sets the towels on my dresser with a knowing smile.“I’ll make sure to knock next time.Loudly.”
She backs out of the room, closing the door with an exaggerated wink that makes me want to crawl under the bed and die.I cover my face with my hands.“Kill me now.”
“This is exactly what I mean,” Alexander says, standing up and approaching me.
“What?”I snap, dropping my hands.
“You’re acting like we’re doing something wrong.”He takes another step toward me.
I retreat instinctively, my back bumping against the door.He places one hand on the wall beside my head, the heat of his body radiating against mine.Despite my embarrassment, a flutter starts in my stomach.My heart hammers against my ribs, betraying me.
“While we’re here in Silverbell Hollow,” he says, his voice dropping to a low murmur, “I’m not your boss.I’m just a man who wants to kiss you.I’m going to kiss you again.”
I don’t say no.I can’t.Instead, I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting.
His lips brush softly against the tip of my nose.When I open my eyes in surprise, he’s watching me with that sly smile I’m starting to know too well.
“Told you,” he whispers wickedly.“Coward.”
“You’re such a jerk,” I breathe.“You were never this bad at work.”
He shrugs.“I can be if you want.”
I shove the towels at his chest.“Go shower.You smell like pancake syrup.”
“So do you,” he points out, but he takes the towels and steps away, giving me space to breathe again.
“I’ll shower after you,” I say, trying to regain some dignity.
He chuckles as he walks to the door.“Whatever you say, Olivia.”The way he says my name—soft, almost like a caress—sends a shiver down my spine.
As the door closes behind him, I sink onto my bed, grab a pillow, and scream into it with all my might.The sound muffles against the fabric, but the frustration remains.
I flop back onto the mattress, staring at the ceiling.“He’s going to drive me crazy,” I announce to my empty bedroom.
A month suddenly feels like an eternity.
* * *
I’m not tired—atleast that’s what I tell myself as I hurry down the stairs, desperate to escape the confines of my childhood bedroom.After that kiss and my mother’s interruption, the last thing I need is to be alone with Alexander in a room with a bed.
“You look nice,” Alexander says, his eyes sweeping over me as I reach the bottom of the stairs.
I’ve swapped my travel clothes for a blue sweater that brings out the green in my hazel eyes and dark jeans that cling to my thighs.“Thanks.”I grab my red winter coat from the hook by the door.“Mom’s already left for the shop.We should head out, too, if we want to pick up Sophie in an hour.”
Alexander nods, shrugging into a beige long coat that fits him perfectly.Underneath, he’s wearing a forest green sweater that makes his gray eyes look almost silver.It’s unfair how good he looks in casual clothes.
I open the front door.The cold air hits me immediately—not the bitter, biting cold of Manhattan, but the crisp mountain chill that smells like pine.There’s no snow falling now, but a light dusting covers the ground, and the sky is that perfect winter blue that only happens on the clearest December days.
“Here,” Alexander says, unwinding a dark blue scarf from around his neck.Before I can protest, he’s draping it around mine, his fingers brushing against my skin as he arranges it carefully.“Your coat doesn’t look warm enough.”
My heart does a little stutter at his nearness.“This is fine, I?—”
“You were born here.You should know better than to go out with an exposed neck in December.”His tone is reproachful, but his eyes are warm with amusement.
I take a deep breath.This is the new normal, I remind myself.Casual touches.Thoughtful gestures.It’s just for show.Just pretend.
