“He also came to Thanksgiving and annoyed my mom, too.” Everyone whips their attention to Enzo on the floor who is busy drawing.
“I thought you spent the day with a teammate,” my mother grills me.
“That was the plan, but…”
Lainey pretends to glance at an invisible watch. “Look at the time. I probably need to head across the hall and get the little guy ready for bed. There is still wrapping paper scattered around the living room that needs to be cleaned up too.”
I can’t blame Lainey for faking a reason to escape. The room is closing in on us. She helps Enzo pack up his pencils and books before she makes her round saying goodbye to everyone.
As soon as I open my door, Enzo races across the hall and opens their unlocked door. She takes a step but then pauses and spins on her feet to face me. “That was fun.”
My eyes widen, and I blow out a breath. “I mean, it was, just a lot, you know. They can be…”
“They’re special.” She means that sincerely.
I drag my thumb along my chin. “Yeah, they are. Detectives, but family. They always want what is best.”
“Good.”
My face sours, and I scratch the back of my head. “They might have this crazy idea that I’m really into you and we are a thing.”
Her head retreats back slightly. “Is that a crazy idea?” She’s testing me, I can see it. Maybe she is curious.
I’m just going to own this moment; a few seconds pass, and my face eases into a soft smile. “Yeah…” My voice is delicate, even I recognize it. “I am into you.”
She absorbs my words then steps closer, peeking over my shoulder to ensure nobody has snuck into the hallway behind me to watch us. Lainey brings her warm palm up to cup my cheek. “I think I like that.” The corner of her mouth tugs because we are both inagreement.
Her finger points up. “You weren’t joking about the strategic mistletoe.”
I follow her line of sight, and my mouth drops open. Someone must have just put that there because that was not there two hours ago.
“I’m supposed to be enjoying the holiday cheer, so in that case.” I lean in to give her a respectable but long kiss on her cheek. Chaste with a hint of wicked.
We enter our little world again where time stops and our eyes tie together.
“I guess you are away for games the next few days.”
I nod. “I am. We even have a game on New Year’s Eve. It’s a 2pm game, but we probably won’t get back to Illinois until late. Not the first time I’ve missed when the clock strikes midnight.”
She doesn’t say anything. Maybe she was hoping that we could spend it together, or at least I was hoping we could spend it together.
“Doesn’t sound cool. We’re going to a New Year’s party a few floors down. The parents of Enzo’s friend are throwing one. It’ll be easy to get Enzo in bed after midnight,” she explains.
She’ll do anything for him, but maybe I sense that in a different time and place, it wouldn’t be the way that she would celebrate. I wish I could change that. The celebration part.
“Well, I should get back inside,” I mention, but I would rather be here.
“Me too.”
Neither one of our feet moves. I can’t help it, I lean in to kiss her mouth, but she meets me halfway because she wants it too. This isn’t a soft kiss, it’s wild, reckless, and I trap her against the wall next to my door. I kiss under her jaw thenback up to crash my lips onto her mouth. Her hands land on my hips, and she jerks me closer.
But I’m aware where we are and do my best to unglue our mouths. Her mouth is red and swollen which means my mouth must be a mess. Our breathing is heavy and everything about it screams that I would take her to bed right now if I could.
Alas, all I can do is enjoy her angelic smile. “Happy Chrismukkah, Tyler.”
“Happy Chrismukkah.” I grin.
She heads inside her apartment, and I wait for her door to click closed before taking a breath to stabilize myself and return to my place.
