Arden forced herself not to laugh. “Yes? Care to share?”
“Yep. The ghost of Nancy Satin strikes again.”
There. She couldn’t fight the laugh anymore. “Aren’t you the devil? You’re going to blame this on Nancy?”
Kyle shrugged, putting his hands up. “Well, who else am I going to blame? Like you said, she’s one formidable ghost. And I think she’s pretty stuck on tradition.”
“You know what I think?” Arden walked closer to him until she stood right over Kyle. She couldn’t miss the effect she had on him. Those blue eyes heated right up as he looked her up and down. “I think that a very strange, very stubborn, very unexpected and uninvited guest decided to take it upon himself to explore my attic without permission. And while he was up there, he ran across a box that said outdoor decorations.”Wait. She paused. “How did you get that stuff down by yourself?”
Something in his eyes, a little bit of sadness, a little bit of knowing. “Well, I wondered that myself as soon as I dragged the box over to the opening. I just opened the box up, threw everything around my neck, and climbed down.”
“Ah, that SEAL training comes in handy now and then, doesn’t it?
“We are resourceful,” Kyle said, nodding.
Arden placed her hand on his shoulder. There was that magnet-and-steel feeling again as her stomach tried to pull her entire body straight into his. All she had to do was slip into his lap and wrap her other arm around him. Their faces, their lips, would be so close. He looked like he wouldn’t mind. She knew she wouldn’t, not after last night.And how dangerous is that?
“Thank you,” Arden said. “I wouldn’t have asked; I wouldn’t have eventhoughtabout asking—”
“You didn’t have to. And it was my pleasure. From the moment I saw that tree, it was begging to be decorated.”
“Only, it’s not quite finished.”
“No?” Kyle asked, mischief back in his eyes.
“No. Where’s the star, Kyle?”
“Star?” He tapped his chin in mock-thought. “Let me see…did I see a star?”
Oh my God, he’s annoying and adorable.
“Ah, yes!” he said. “I left the star off the top because I thought I’d let you do the last part.”
Bittersweet pain swept through her. How the hell did he know?
“Thank you,” she whispered because she didn’t trust her voice not to crack. He watched her hand as she dropped it from his shoulder and he looked disappointed. She went into the kitchen to pour herself a fresh cup of coffee. She took a sip. He made it stronger than she was used to, but that wasn’t a bad thing. As a matter of fact, it was perfect. She needed it.
“Hey.”
His voice right behind her made her jump.
“Sorry,” he said, wrapping his hands around her upper arms.
“They teach you well how to be silent, don’t they?” God, now she was babbling.
Kyle ran his hands up and down her arms. “I’m sorry that decorating the tree upset you. I sometimes do the wrong thing, and—”
Arden turned in his arms. God, those eyes.He’s desperate to please me with this. The thought sent a shockwave through her. “No, Kyle, what you did was perfect. So perfect, that it took me by total surprise.” She smiled and shook her head. “When you came to my door spoiling for a fight, I knew how to handle that. I knew how to handleyou. It’s your kindness that undoes me. Your thoughtfulness. Right down to knowing I’m the one who puts the star on the top. You have every right to hate me—”
“I don’t.”
She touched his lips to quiet him and watched his eyes soften. “I’m hard-headed and argumentative. I drive people away.”
Kyle reached up and took the fingers touching his lips in his hand. “You haven’t drivenmeaway. You’re compassionate, but not a pushover. I like that.” And then he kissed her palm.
She closed her eyes and sighed. “You could push me over with a feather right now.”
Don’t be doing this, her mind screamed.He’s just going to hurt you when the truce is over and it’s time for him to leave. Because hewillleave, and he’ll do everything he can to take Camo with him.
