He nodded, all serious once again.
Charlotte had a new goal–Micah needed to laugh as often as possible. Could she be attracted to a man’s laugh? Because Micah’s made her want to throw her cocoa cup to the ground, grab the front of his coat, and seal their lips together in a way that would land her on the Naughty List.
“What do you think of the pig on a motorcycle?” she asked.
Micah’s eyes did that dancing thing, and her brain went all fuzzy. “It’s good. But I’m partial to the...” he paused to take in the next partially done sculpture, “giant binkie?” he whispered.
She smothered her giggle since people were around–many who wouldn’t appreciate their jokes. “Stop–you’ll get me in trouble.”
Micah took her empty cup and tossed both of them into the garbage. He pulled her close. His eyes traced her face and outlined her lips. “I think it’s the other way around,” he said huskily.
Her breath caught. The sounds of chainsaws and hammers and people talking faded away. Micha’s words, woodsy scent, and the feel of his fingers, as he brushed her cheek, made it impossible to think about anything but him. His hand was warm against her cold skin, and she wanted nothing more than to snuggle up to him and take a long winter’s nap.
And kiss. She would very much like to kiss him right now.
He stared at her in wonder. “You make me believe, Charlotte.”
“Believe in what?” she replied as she placed her hands on the front of his coat and stepped closer, erasing the tiny space between them.
He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe he was about to say what would come out of his mouth. “In magic… Christmas… love–all of it.”
“I have a gift,” she batted her eyelashes.
He brushed his thumb below her ear, and she shivered.
“I feel likeyouare a gift.” He inched closer, the heat from his skin drawing her in.
She closed her eyes, tired of fighting this feeling and desperate to fall into it. “Careful what you say, Micah. A girl could lose her head over a man with words like that.” She tipped her face into his touch, moving on instinct.
“What about her heart?” he asked, his lips impossibly close.
“Yes,” she breathed.
His lips brushed hers in a combination of fire and ice. The fire lit inside of her. Swooping through her chest, down to her lower belly, and then back up again, lifting her to her toes. The ice because the air was cold, and when she moved her hand up his coat, it brushed away snowflakes.
The contrast was perfect; both extremes were in perfect balance because neither overwhelmed the other.
Like the two of them.
Her enthusiasm and belief in Christmas Magic and his gruff, thoughtful, faithful life.
He pulled back, and she saw the reflection of her revelation in his deep brown eyes. Her whole world shifted with that moment to include Micah. To move back to where she’d been only seconds before would be impossible. To find a new place without him in it would be worse than waking up to an empty tree on Christmas morning.
The only path forward that made any sense was the one where they were together.
ChapterFourteen
Micah was disappointed that Charlotte had three-night shifts in a row, and he wouldn’t be able to see her again until the elementary school Christmas pageant. They texted throughout the day–when possible. Charlotte managed to run her business during the busiest time of year and still send memes that made him smile.
“Do you want a story tonight?” he asked Lizzie at bedtime. Her face had that just-washed shine, and her hair was slightly damp.
“I can read it to Wishy.” She leaned over and picked up the illustrated version of The Night Before Christmas that she’d borrowed from the school library. They’d read it enough times that he believed she had it memorized.
She burrowed deeper into the blankets and opened the book on her lap. “It was the night before Christmas…” she began, and then stopped. “You can go, Dad.”
He blinked at her. “You don’t want me to stay?” This was a new development and left him feeling off-kilter. They always read a story before bedtime.
“I read all the time at school.” She looked up as if he’d exasperated her beyond her patience level.
