Finally, she grabbed hold of the cookie cutter and tore it from his grasp, releasing a satisfied, “Ah-ha,” a smug smile curving her lips.
He raised his palms, chuckling. “Alright, alright, I’ll use a different one.”
But then she met his stare, and the moment stretched like time could stop. He let his hand settle on her hip, feeling her softness through the thin material of her pajama pants. It was impossible to keep from glancing at her mouth. She was so close.
Finn cleared his throat. A simple reminder that they were not the only people in the room. Isabella bit her lip and gave Leo a playful wide-eyed look, then slipped back to her seat. A little competition, a bit of flirting, was harmless.
Wasn’t it?
Leo needed to remind Isabella what they were like when they were a couple. How their relationship used to be and what it could be like now. They’d always had so much fire.
After he used almost all of his dough, Leo realized that his mind had clearly been elsewhere, like imagining what might’ve happened had he and Isabella been alone. He’d missed the unspoken conversation surrounding the table. He glanced at Isabella who looked distracted as she eyed Finn and the cookie shapes he’d already cut out as well as the ones Nina was currently working on.
“Don’t even think about it,” Finn warned, glaring at Isabella.
“What?” Her tone rose.
“I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to size up your competition.”
“Am not.”
Leo looked back and forth between Isabella and Finn.
“Wait,” Nina said, “thisis a competition, too?”
“No,” Finn confirmed. “This is just Izzy being Izzy.”
“You’re just paranoid.” Isabella rolled the dough, then bent and admired the thickness.
Finn arched a brow. “Oh, am I?”
“Please tell me thisisn’ta competition.” Nina rubbed her forehead. “My head is pounding too much for this.”
“It’s not,” Finn and Isabella announced in unison.
“I like competitions,” Ava said, patting her ball of dough.
“Of course you do.” Isabella winked at her. “Because you’re my niece.”
Leo chuckled and shook his head. Was he positive he wanted to get even more bonded to this family? They were borderline characters onSurvivor, without the ally portion. Because this was definitely a competition. Why Nina didn’t know this by now was beyond him.
Finn puffed out his chest. “I think it has more to do with me being her father.”
“Oh, she’s definitely a Whitley,” Nina said.
Finn leaned toward Ava. “But this is not a competition. Cutting out the cookies and then decorating them is one of the best Whitley Christmas traditions.”
Isabella whispered, “Especially if you win.”
Finn gave her a death look.
Leo caught Isabella studying his rolled-out dough next. When she dragged her eyes upward, he peered into them in a way that let her know that he would be her biggest competition today. It was on.
While Mrs. Whitley rotated the pans of cookies in and out of the oven, and the rest of the family crowded around the TV to watchA Christmas Story, Leo pinched the back of Isabella’s sweatshirt, pulling her into the hall with him. He craved being near her. He just wanted even one second alone with her. “Hold up a sec,” he whispered, taking her hand.
She glanced at their hands, then gazed up at him, biting that beautiful lip. “What’s up?”
He peered down the hall toward the living room, then the kitchen. “When do you think we’ll have a chance to be alone?”
