As we got closer, I could see some of the guys from around town cleaning up and clearing away the snow. One of them offered me a wave, but the magic of the festival was certainly on hold.
Noelle broke free of our grasp and darted forward, sliding on the snow as she went. Beside me, Holly gasped as she watched her daughter run with reckless abandon.
“She’s going to turn me gray before my time,” Holly confessed.
Somehow, the distance between us had vanished, and when my hand brushed against Holly’s I froze and looked down.
“I didn’t mean …”
The last thing I wanted was for Holly to feel uncomfortable and think I was putting a move on her.
“Come on!” Noelle called out, interrupting the moment.
Together, we fell in step as we approached the entrance to the festival. Holly and I turned and walked beneath the arch of holly and garland when Mark, one of the guys I’d known since middle school, called out.
“You’ve gotta kiss!” he cat called.
“What?” I replied, confused.
“It’s mistletoe. You have to kiss. It’s the rule.”
I looked at Holly who looked stunned. “We don’t have to,” I offered.
A weird smile crept across Holly’s face as her eyes lit up. “You heard him, it’s the rule.”
Holly stepped toward me, and I felt my heart pounding in my chest. When her hand rested on my hip I took a breath. This was really happening. With her eyelashes fluttering, Holly’s tongue snuck out and wet her lips, making them glisten. This angel wanted me to kiss her, and I wasn’t about to let her down.
Not wanting to miss my only chance, I set the bag of books on the ground by my feet before I reached for her, tugging her so our bodies pressed against each other. I could see her breath coming in short, shallow pants. With one hand, I cupped her face, frustrated at my gloves and wishing I could touch her skin as I ran my thumb across her cheek.
“Chris …” My name fell like a plea from her lips, and I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I stooped my head and pressed my lips to hers. It should’ve been a short, innocent mistletoe kiss, but I don't think it would ever be possible for me to kiss Holly like that. When her hand pressed against the center of my back, holding me close, I deepened the kiss. Holly opened for me, and I plunged my tongue in.
It was the single best kiss of my life.
If I never kissed anyone again as long as I lived, the memory of this kiss alone would be enough to sustain me.
I heard a whistle and ended the kiss, keeping our foreheads pressed together not wanting our moment to be over.
“That was …” Holly began.
“Magic,” I finished. It was the only explanation that made sense. That wasn’t normal, it was so much more.
“Ew! You’re kissing,” I heard a small voice point out, followed by a deep laugh.
Holly and I broke apart and I felt lost and alone. She was barely a foot away and I already knew it was too far.
While Holly went to talk to Noelle, I wandered over to the group of guys huddled around Santa's sleigh.
“How’s it going?” I asked as I approached.
“Who’s the girl?” Jonathan asked, nodding in Holly’s direction.
“Absolutely none of your business,” I replied. If I only had Holly for a few more moments, I wanted every single one of them to be mine. I was a possessive bastard, and I had no intentions of sharing. Not today. Not ever.
“How busy are you tonight, Chris?” Dominic asked, redirecting the conversation.
“He’s busy getting busy,” Rob joked, and I wanted to knock his head off. Holly wasn’t a joke to be laughed at.
