“Hi, sorry to bother you guys.”
“Hey, what’s up, man?” Kyree asked.
“I just want to let you know that Richmond Stables is doing their annual sleigh rides. All the information is in this flyer,” he rattled off, handing them one before jogging off to catch two women making their way toward the Main Street gate.
“Should we check it out?” Kyree asked as he scanned the flyer. Getting two dates in one day was asking for a lot, he knew, but the magic of the holiday season hadn’t let him down yet. “I can reserve a sleigh for tonight.”
But Zuri hesitated, pursing her lips as she studied his face.
* * *
Zuri read the hope in Kyree’s eyes. She and the girls had dinner reservations at Petits Poulets tonight, but afterwards, Thao would be on her weekly Sunday night call with her grandmother, who lived in Vietnam, and Soleil and Avery were going to a candlelight yoga class at the hotel. Zuri, who preferred Pilates, had agreed to tag along. But wouldn’t she rather be with Kyree?
She felt so comfortable with him––like she was finally in her own skin again––feeling spontaneous and uninhibited. And that moment they just had under the Juniper tree… God help her, but this man was doing things to her she never knew a man could do to a woman. He made her feel like her body was one exposed nerve. Made her feel seen and alive like none other before him. A single look from him and she was trembling like an autumn leaf just barely holding on against the wind.
“Would tomorrow night be better?”
She swallowed, turning her attention back to him, his eyes undeniably sexy as he waited for her answer.
“I…” Zuri paused, sipped her cocoa, and looked across the park toward the frozen pond where four boys were playing hockey. Beyond them, bare trees stood against a blue sky peppered with wispy clouds, their skeletal branches swaying gently. “Can I think about it?”
“Of course, there’s no pressure. But before I forget.” Kyree turned and set his cup of cocoa on the bench beside him. He slanted his body toward hers, reached into his pocket, and pulled out her boy shorts. “I believe these are yours,” he whispered.
Zuri was speechless. She tried to catch her breath at the feel of his strong hand pressing into her hip as he maneuvered them into her pocket, and melted into the delicious tremor rolling through her. She loved this––loved the thrill, the excitement, the measured risk of falling for someone she barely knew.
If her options for tonight were contorting her body into impossible poses with Avery and Soleil, or getting tongue-tied with Kyree under a night sky, the choice was easy…
Chapter Nine
Sleigh Bells Ringing
The driver guided the sleigh through the moonlit forest, its runners whispering over packed snow, while silver bells on the two chestnut Clydesdales’ harnesses jingled in time with the rhythmic thud of their hooves. Branches arched overhead like cathedral vaults, and evergreen trees strung with twinkling lights dotted the trail like sentries. It felt like riding through a dream.
Dinner at Petits Poulets had been exquisite, but Zuri had been unable to fully immerse herself. Her thoughts kept looping back to Kyree like a song stuck on repeat, and the anticipation of gliding through the wintry woods with him had been foremost in her mind.
The cold nipped at her cheeks, but snuggled up next to Kyree beneath a thick wool blanket, their bodies pressed close from shoulder to thigh, she didn’t mind it at all. In fact, she could stay like this forever. She let herself savor the moment—the sleigh, the moonlight, the warmth radiating from the man beside her.
Having learned her lesson this afternoon at the park, Zuri had worn sensible clothes tonight––brown wool hat, two thin layers beneath a dark red cable knit sweater, thick black leggings, two pairs of socks with her leather boots, and her favorite chocolate-brown shearling coat with a faux fur trim.
She had come prepared for an arctic tundra, but she needn’t have worried. Kyree, who must have realized how cold she’d been earlier, had thought of everything. He’d brought extra blankets even though the flyer had said that blankets would be provided, two hot water bottles for their laps, and even a beautiful red Pashmina scarf––his cousin’s, she imagined.
Even though she’d regretted the decision before he’d even arrived at Juniper Park, and closed her coat as soon as he’d gotten a good look, she’d only worn that short dress for Kyree. She’d wanted to look good for him––to leave a lasting impression. Bryan would have called her outfit impractical and made her feel like a fool, but Kyree had simply told her how beautiful she looked, and made sure she had everything she needed to be comfortable tonight.
That kind of thoughtfulness was rare, and reminded her of the way her father took care of her mom; running her a bubble bath when she’d had a stressful day, even though he’d had one, too, or never neglecting to bring home a dessert for her when he’d had dinner with a friend or client.
Zuri shifted, tucking herself deeper beneath the blanket, and stole a look at Kyree. The beanie pulled low over his ears, the cut of his jaw, and that tartan scarf wrapped around his neck made him look polished and debonair.
“This is really nice, Kyree,” she said softly, as the horses rounded a bend and a Christmas tree came into view, its branches strung with yellow lights that glowed like captured stars. “And I can’t believe you thought to bring all of this.”
He turned and smiled, his bright teeth glowing like pearls in the moonlight. “I’ve got one—well, two more––no, three more surprises for you…”
Zuri waited with as much patience as she could muster while Kyree rummaged through the red leather backpack at his feet.
“First, these.” He handed her a heavy cookie tin, painted with an adorable, festive scene of little mice dressed in tuxedos and gowns at a Christmas ball. “Go on, you can peek,” he said, while reaching for the next surprise.
She gently pried the lid open, and the immediate, intoxicating scent of butter, spice, and melted chocolate hit her. The tin was packed with an assortment of cookies––perfect squares with holiday-colored sprinkles and icing lay next to dark rounds with soft, melted chocolate centers and chopped almonds. There were glistening sugared pecans, dollops of red berry preserves, crystallized ginger, and more. “Kyree, these look incredible!”
He chuckled. “Trust me, they taste even better.”
