He spun around, his cheek twitching as his grip on my elbow tightened. He stopped walking, and without meaning to, I glanced up and found a gorgeous, perfect little mistletoe hanging above us. Something inside me came to life.
Flustering him, pushing him to the edge, was a pastime of mine. Even before that night at the bar, I’d flirt with him to the point he blushed. Licking my lips, I nodded up. “If you wanted to kiss me again, all you had to do was ask. No need to pretend with mistletoe, Hayden.”
I swore the heat from his fingers moved through my sweater, into my skin, and flowed through my veins, warming me inside out. Christmas music played in the background, with the sounds of people laughing carrying through the air like wind chimes. The fire crackled. I squeezed my toes in my fuzzy boots, waiting, breathing, hoping for Hayden to take the bait. My tummy felt like a firecracker had gone off, exploding inside me as I waited.
And waited.
Time stood still, like we had frozen in a movie. Our gazes met, his dark pupils expanding before cooling. His body leaned toward me, just an inch, his lips parted and wet, like he too couldn’t wait for our mouths to meet again. But then he growled, “Charlotte.”
He said my name like it was ten syllables long and a warning. All the maybes and hope-filled thoughts crashed and burned, just like they did three years ago. His angry eyes bored into me, telling me the things he wouldn’t say.
Gulping my pride, I poked his trim side and flashed a fake smile. “Gotcha. Been there, done that, no repeats. I’d rate you five out of ten stars.”
Something like a grunt or groan left his mouth, but I paid no attention. My adrenaline would get me through this. I was cool as a cloud. My heart wasn’t racing and my skin itching with embarrassment. Nope. Not me.
Liar.
“Char,” he said, the timbre of his voice back to normal, “there’s a bench over there. Let’s sit.”
He jutted his chin to a cozy bench near a different fireplace. There was a small Christmas tree, covered in popcorn and only blue ornaments. I loved the look. It was like a sexy winter tree. Dark and light blues combined with grays, and wow, they were all snowflakes. I touched one shaped like a star. It had the names Maggie and Mark and the year on it.
Our family went bonkers on Christmas, but I’d be lying if I didn’t fantasize about having what my parents had, whatChristian and Penny would have.As long as they still have a wedding.
Worry etched its way down my spine, swirling and gripping me. I knew what I had heard, and couldn’t believe it. What could’ve happened to have them consider calling off the wedding? I chewed my nail as I took another sip of my old-fashioned.
Hayden slid into the other side of the booth, his eyes intense as he stared at me. “I can’t drink whiskey and not think of you.”
“I feel like that’s a compliment,” I said, nervously laughing.
“It is. Very much so.” He sipped his Guinness, his attention all on me. He had a way of making me feel like the center of the universe when he looked at me that way. “So about us—”
“Penny and Christian,” I blurted out, refusing to acknowledge whatever he wanted to say. I thought myself bold, and over him, but I was neither bold enough to have this conversation nor over all my feelings for him. I wanted to be friends with him again someday, but these pesky feelings remained. “Can you sense their tension?”
Hayden gripped the back of his neck, wincing. “Yeah. I see it now. I’ve been a little distracted, so I didn’t pick up on it, but Christian has been acting weird the last week or so too.”
“Right? Okay, I thought the same, but with my interview—wait, why are you distracted? Is everything alright?” My thoughts went to Gwen, but he wouldn’t be up here if he was stressed about her.
“Work stuff.” He shifted in his chair, his sweater pulling against his chest in a magnificent way. “I think you were right earlier.”
I blinked. “I mean, I love hearing those words any time of day, but what are you specifically referring to?”
“Doing whatever Penny and Christian want, which are these games. Every time they are involved in a challenge, they bond, or maybe it’s an aphrodisiac. I don’t really know with them, but competition is romantic to them.”
“That’s true.” I tapped my chin, focusing outside the window. A couple kissed next to a candy cane sculpture. “We could remind them of all the times they teamed up and won?”
“Yes, and we do everything in our power to win these stupid games.” He lowered his voice, leaning closer to me. “If we win, they’ll be so thrilled, they’ll forget about whatever they were arguing about.”
I sighed, a deep sadness seeping into my bones. I met his stare and poured my heart out. “That’s our endgame. They have to get married. I can’t fathom…” My voice shook, and I cleared my throat, taking a quick sip to settle. “Okay, we focus on winning these games for them, at all costs.”
“I’ll toast to that.” He held up his glass, his lips quirked up on the side like he had an inside joke. “Win at all costs.”
“For Penny and Christian.” I clinked his glass and relaxed further into my chair.
Hayden sipped his Guinness before placing it on the table, his large fingers tapping on the top. The movement caused the table to shake. He ran a finger over his eyebrow before leaning on his elbows. “I have a question for you.”
I braced myself as my stomach flipped. “What is it?”
His jaw twitched before he asked, “Why didn’t you come to me to talk about this potential coaching job?”
