The bell above the door dings as Gloria enters. “Hey, Glory.”
“Glory? Your sister Gloria?” Cami glances between the two of us before walking towards her and giving her a hug. I never got that warm greeting. “You were ten years old when I last saw you.”
“Camomile?” Glory’s eyebrows pinch together. “I wasn’t expecting you. I’m sorry about Great-Aunt Betty.”
“Thank you. I must thank your parents for arranging the funeral.”
“Of course. She was like our aunt, too.” Glory’s right, she was probably more of an aunt to us than Cami, with her living so far away, she didn’t have the same relationship with Betty like we did.
Glory takes her cardigan off and hangs it on the coat hook. “Gray, I have to leave early today to set everything up for the production this week.”
“No problem. Cami’s here now. She can help in the shop.” I give Cam a smile, and she hesitantly smiles back at me while lifting the tree box.
“I didn’t realise your sister worked here, too.”
“She works on weekends while studying Theatre Arts at the North Pole University.”
“North Pole?”
I grab the box from Cam and carry it into the stockroom. “You know the university here is called North Pole University.”
“Oh right.” She wipes the dust from a folded table before I carry it into the tearoom. “While I was going through the books, I noticed you pay for a domain name and hosting space, but you don’t actually have a website.”
“I have no idea what you just said.” I place the table where the tree was and Cam slides a chair underneath.
“Tranquili-tea.com is your website address, but there’s no website uploaded, just a holding page.”
“Betty had some IT guy set that up for the email address. She didn’t think she needed a website, but we use the emails for suppliers and stuff.”
“You definitely need a website. Every business needs a website. I’ll sort that out for you while I’m here.”
“Whatever you say, Cam.”
Glory flicks on the radio. The usual holiday cheer plays out through the Candy Cane Key broadcasting station.
Cami rolls her eyes. “You have got to be kidding me!”
A chuckle rumbles from my stomach, causing my shoulders to shake as Holly Jolly Christmas plays through the speaker. “Oh, come on, Cam. It might cheer you up a bit.” Something has to. “A little holiday cheer might be what you need to warm up.”
She bristles. “I’m warm enough, thanks. What’s with the weather? It’s like a hundred degrees in here.” She fans herself with a branch of the silver tinsel tree, wafting the dust from it. Damn, that tree really has seen better days.
“The air isn’t on.” I point to the switch on the wall and flick it. “There.”
I’d like to cool her down with a bucket of ice over her head. A smile tugs at my lips. Then I think about what else I could do with ice, gliding it over her heat, my tongue lapping as it melts between her thighs. Damn, it is hot in here.
Today should be fun, showing her the ropes. If she doesn’t smash the radio up first. She already removed the tree without even asking me, but I’m happy to go along with a few changes if it’s going to help the business. Hopefully, I can buy another, bigger and better one later in the year.
CAMI
My breath hitches as I take in the sight of Gray in nothing but white brief shorts, clinging to his meaty thighs. A patch of missing hair on his knee highlights a scar that I want to press my lips to and kiss him better all the way up his inner thigh.
My mouth curves as I sip my morning tea. He rubs his dark hair with a towel, ruffling it in a way that makes me want to run my fingers through it and hold on while I…
“What’s up with you? Something funny?”
“No.” I avert my eyes, but glance again at the tattoos on his chest. A lion, my lion. I remember him getting the outline when he got his college scholarship to play for the Lions, but I don’t remember the flowers. My eyes focus on his side, is it a daisy? “What’s with the daisy tattoos? Bit feminine for you, aren’t they?” I sip on my drink, waiting for him to bite back with a snarky remark.
“I got them for a girl I liked.” He stops in his tracks and stares at me, like he wants to say more. “But it didn’t work out.” His eyes darken like a storm cloud has hidden the amber sun that was shining there a moment ago, and I suddenly don’t feel like teasing him about it.
