I bite my lip and start the timer before I throw my arms around his neck and press my mouth to his. He hums in appreciation as he kisses me back, and we only reset the timer twice before we come up for air.
“We’d better …” I begin, licking my lips.
He nods and gulps. “Can’t forget the bread pudding.”
I grin. My mom wrote down her recipe for me yesterday, and Landry and I spent the earlier part of our afternoon figuring it out … I think. I hope, anyway.
He grabs the warm baking dish from the oven after already having loaded all the gifts, and I run to the bathroom for a quick touchup on my lipstick before we go. I don’t usually wear much makeup, but it is Christmas Eve, after all.
“Aren’t you going to ask about our game plan this time?” Landry smirks as we pull up at his dad’s house a few minutes later.
I let out a shaky exhale. “I think you’re getting way too good at this.”
“At what?” he asks, clearly amused by my nervousness.
“At reading my mind,” I reply quietly.
He chuckles and grabs my hand. “I would say it’s because I’m making the effort now, but I think it’s just a result of not having to hide how closely I watch you.”
Oh, gimme a break. How the heck am I supposed to keep my composure and not react to stuff like this?
I know Landry’s not usually afraid to say what’s on his mind, but the idea that he’s been struggling to keep himself from developing romantic feelings for me all this time is sort of terrifying. Because now that he’s suddenly open to those feelings, he hasn’t been holding back with his affection. He’s come a long way practically overnight, but I don’t know how I’ll recover if he never changes his mind about commitment and marriage after giving me so much hope.
I take in another deep breath, and he furrows his brow. “Did I say something wrong?”
There he goes again, paying attention.
“No. It’s just … it’s getting harder to rein in my optimism. You’re giving me the warm fuzzies, too, you know.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, laughing again. “I guess I hadn’t realized how much I’ve been suppressing for the past few months.”
“Months?” I squeak out.
He shrugs shyly. “I kept trying to convince myself it was all just appreciation and familiarity. But I’m afraid it’s so much more than that.”
“It is?”
“I still don’t know where we go from here, Daze, and maybe we should keep our marriage to ourselves for a little longer, at least until we figure things out. But I’m not going to be able to hide my feelings for you anymore.”
I nod eagerly. “I’m fine with that plan, as long as it involves more kissing.”
He smiles as he leans in to press his lips to mine. “That’s definitely included in the plan,” he says once he pulls away. Then he comes around to open my door and piles the dish and the gifts in one arm so he can take my hand with the other.
We walk into the house with our fingers intertwined, and the noisy kitchen quiets as everyone’s attention lands on us.
“Um, Merry Christmas,” I offer awkwardly.
A grin spreads across Lilley’s face. “Merry Christmas, you two,” she returns, stepping forward to take the dessert from Landry and gesturing to our clasped hands. “What’s this about?”
Landry clears his throat and glances at me. “Exactly what it looks like.”
“Looks like you asked your teacher to bring you to the potty,” Loren quips from the other side of the kitchen. Landry grunts, and my cheeks redden as everyone snickers behind her.
He lets go of my hand to set the presents down. I watch carefully, expecting to see him upset, but he’s actually smiling when he turns and curls an arm around my back.
“That’s not a bad idea. Maybe we’ll sneak away later.” He shoots me a sexy smirk as he says it, then he leans down to whisper near my ear. “We’ll call itPlan A, and you can decide how long to set the timer.”
I look away in an attempt to keep my face from flushing any darker and find Blake stifling another laugh at my reaction to Landry’s smushy side. But it’s not just his sexy offer that’s got me so flustered; the fact that he doesn’t seem to mind Loren making a joke at his expense feels like a pretty big turning point.
