I incline my head to one side. “Champagne? Don’t you think this party has gotten very…fancy?”
“It was always due for an upgrade. The last time I was here, seven years ago I think, they ran out of punch and everyone had to drink water. And they couldn’t heat the hall past seven in the evening.”
“How can they possibly afford this though?” I look closely at him, but his face is impassive.
“Maybe the mayor has some kind of lucrative criminal side hustle going on.” He glances over at the mayor, who must be in his seventies. “Meth, maybe?”
I giggle. “He does have a motor home he could cook from.”
“Oh, Magnus mentioned he loved the drawing you did for the animal shelter fliers. I don’t know if you know, but he has his fingers in lots of pies. Knows a lot of influential people. It might be worth sending him your portfolio.” He gazes down at me.
“He’s already asked for it! Fingers crossed he likes what he sees.”
“I’d love to see it sometime. Is it online?”
“Yes, I have a website. And I’d be happy to show you. I didn’t know that design was your thing.” I take a sip of my drink, the bubbles making my nose fizz.
He opens his mouth and then closes it. It’s like he wants to tell me something but can’t bring himself to. The band starts to playHave Yourself A Merry Little Christmasand Keaton leads me onto the dancefloor. I breathe in his delicious woodsy scent, the room spinning a little as we dance.
His hands stroke my back through my dress. “I’ve wanted to be this close to you for alongtime, you know.”
“And not lying in a heap on the ice with me? You mean you prefer this?” I look up at him.
He grins and his hands tighten on my lower back. “I like anything where I get to be close to you, Melody. I haven’t seen you in seven years - I’ll take what I can get.”
“Well, I’m more than happy to oblige. And I had no idea you wanted to be close to me. You’ve done a good job of disguising it with the whole grumpy Santa act.”
“I’m a many-layered Santa. Complicated.” His voice is teasing.
“And…who knew Santas were such good dancers?” I smile up at him.
“We get special training. We even practice our pole routines on leftover candy canes.” His deep voice rumbles in his chest. There’s a longing in his eyes, like he wants to hold me closer to him, but he’s trying to resist.
The pull towards him is strong. I want him to kiss me again like he did yesterday, but it’s impossible in front of all these people. Rhys may not be here, but if his best friend and I kissed, my brother’s phone would light up like a Christmas tree within minutes.
The song comes to an end and the band launches into a sprightly version ofJingle Bell Rock.
“You want to get out of here?” Keaton leans down and whispers in my ear, sending tingles down my spine.
I nod. “How are we going to do it without everybody noticing?”
“I’ll walk over to the tree and make conversation with Magnus. You slip out while we’re talking. Then I’ll meet you out back in five minutes.”
“Very stealthy. You’re good at being sneaky.”
He laughs. “You have no idea.”
Once I’ve got my coat, I take the back exit and wait outside. I’m not sure what I’m doing, but I know I don’t want to be apart from Keaton. My high school crush on him has turned into something else. It’s the kindness behind that grumpy exterior that’s reeled me in. I just don’t know if I should tell him that I know who he really is.
Keaton marches outside and puts his arm around me.
“Sorry for making you wait in the cold. I know it sounds like a line, but my house is just around the corner.”
I smile. “And my house has my grandparents, mom and dad, my sister, my cousins, and four cats. Let’s go to your place.”
He leans down and cups his hands around my face. I breathe in his woodsy scent, mixed with the icy air. His voice is low as he gazes at me. “Did I tell you how beautiful you are? And that I’ve been longing to kiss you again like we did yesterday?”
I shake my head and smile. His big hands move from cupping my jaw to the back of my head as he leans down to kiss me. A fire lights my core as his mouth moves on mine, rougher and harder than our first kiss. I moan softly, wrapping my arms around his neck as I press my body closer to his. His hands roam down my back to my hips, pulling me even closer to him.
