“You’re going to keep me in suspense,” he drawled with a twinkle in his eye.
I nodded shyly while I tried to focus on the fact that he wassingle.
All the Christmas cheer flooded back into my life. And not only was he single, he was giving me his undivided attention.
Stammering, I said, “I-I guess so. But you’re evading; you never answered my question.”
“What question? About the cock warmers?”
My cheeks flushed pink, but I said, “Yeah. Which one would you wear?” Asking that question was the closest I’d gotten to flirting before in my life.
Easton rolled right along with it, relaxing right in front of me as he chuckled. “All right. This is serious business we’re talking about. Which one’s the biggest?”
My mouth dropped open. “I didn’t know you’re so conceited. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked the question!”
Easton studied the window display. “A man’s cock warmer needs to be personalized. So I’d go with the holiday design right there, and I’d have them add the personalization ofBig Beast.”
I blushed wildly.
“Was that too much?” he grunted out. “I tend to be a joker once I get to know people. I hope you’re not offended.”
“No, I’m not offended. So you like the Christmas one?”
It was bright red and oversized, with green holly leaves festooning it.
“Yup. It’s the only one that will do.”
“So, a man like you actually gets into Christmas?” I asked while I tried to get over the fact that sexy Easton was talking to me.
“Are youkidding? I love Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday. My grandpa and I—”
Easton stopped talking suddenly, his eyes clouding. Then he took a deep breath. “Sorry. We lost him earlier this year, and it’s been a difficult transition for me. It’s the first Christmas without him, and it feels…”
That’s when I realized this big, sexy mountain man was on the verge of tears.
But he cleared his throat and blinked a few times, and the moment passed.
Without meaning to, I reached out and took his hand. “Losing someone you care about can be hard.”
“Yeah. Yup. It is.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “But there’s a time and a place. My gramps would be pissed at me if he knew I was wasting a perfectly good holiday market moaning about him. Have you made it to the peppermint bark booth yet? Stephanie and Cory make the best peppermint bark in the country.”
“Mm, do they? I hear good things about their turtle doves, too.”
“Turtle doves, huh?”
But if I was hoping to elicit a reaction from him, his face gave nothing away.
Easton wasn’t my Secret Santa. He was just the man I’d been crushing on hard from a distance.
“After that, any chance you want to go ice-skating?” he asked. “We’ve got an awesome rink on the edge of town. It’s just a pond, nothing fancy. But we like it here. Or we could go to the roller rink in Fernwood. I remember you were singing that song about roller skating. Ice skating’s similar, just a little colder.”
I had no idea why Easton would want to spend the evening with me. But my answer was a resoundingYES.
I’d say yes to this maneverynight.
“That sounds lovely,” I told him, feeling shy all over again. It’s not like he’d asked me on a date-date. This was more of a hang-out-date.
But the look on his face almost said itwasa date-date.
