Page 46 of 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe

Delilah pushed Anthony away and searched in the dark for her sweatshirt and found it hanging on his emergency brake. She scooted out from under him, grabbed the pink hoodie, and pulled it over her head. “Was this some kind of competition with the two of you? Go after the same girl and see who can nail her first?”

“Of course not!” Anthony reached for her, but she shied away. “You really think I’m that type of guy?”

“I don’t know, Anthony. You ignored me for days, and when Pike struck out with me, you wanted to talk. You insisted on it, and then you—”

Delilah couldn’t even say it out loud. He’d been incredible, made her lose herself like no one ever had, and he’d done that knowing he was supposed to be meeting Pike any minute.

“Delilah, I didn’t plan on what happened between us, but I don’t regret it either. It had nothing to do with Pike and everything to do with wanting you.”

Delilah wanted to believe that so badly, but his phone rang again, Pike’s face flashing across the screen.

“Can you hand me my clothes so I can get dressed? Then you can be on your way.”

Anthony picked up her leggings and held them out to her, ignoring the call and setting his phone in the cup holder. It beeped with a text seconds later from Pike. Before he could check, Delilah looked at the phone and whatever she saw made her face fall. Anthony picked up the phone and read the text.

I was just going to tell you, I’m sitting at a table with these two beautiful women seeking a holiday adventure.

Delilah shook out her underwear; her jaw clenched as she slipped her feet through the holes and wiggled them up her calves and thighs. “It sounds like your friend Pike bounced back from my little rejection and has a fun-filled plan for you. The good news is, you didn’t clear the pipes, so you should be good to go.”

“Stop it!” he snapped, taking her leggings from her and turning them right side out. “I’m going to help you get dressed, and while I’m doing that, I need you to understand he is my best friend. This is something I’ve never done before and I feel guilty as hell, so I’m going to go out with him and try to find the right way to tell him. I’m not going for the girls.” He gathered the left leg and rolled it over her ankle, doing the same thing to the other side. “This is what Pike does when he’s unhappy.”

“Finds gorgeous women to drink with? I’m pretty sure that’s every time you go out.” Delilah yanked up her leggings, and Anthony passed along her socks and tennis shoes.

“Pike hasn’t been happy in a really long time, so when he was interested in you, I backed off. I knew you’d had a crush on him for years, and he has a big heart. He deserves someone who will treat him well.”

What about you? Don’t you deserve someone?

“And where does that leave us? Is this going to be another interlude we don’t talk about?” Delilah knew she sounded like a bitter woman, but they’d had an incredible moment and he was running.

“Absolutely not,” he said firmly, cupping her face in his hands. “I need to go now, but I’d like to continue this conversation later.”

“Tonight?” she asked.

“I was thinking tomorrow? I’m not sure when Pike will finish tying one on.”

Disappointment swept through her and Delilah turned her head and he released her face. She could feel him watching her as she put on her socks and shoes. “I’m headed to Boise in the morning, remember? I’ll be gone all weekend.”

“What if I drive you?”

Delilah laughed, then realized he was serious. “That’s crazy. You’d drive me to my parents’, turn around, and head home?”

“No, I’d visit my dad. He lives in Boise and invited me for Thanksgiving, but I didn’t want to make the drive.”

Delilah thought about the night at Brews and Chews, when Anthony talked about his family estrangement. He’d had no plans to see them, and yet suddenly, he was headed to his dad’s and could drive her?

The fact that he was willing to do something so uncomfortable just to be near her made her anger dissolve slightly. Especially when Anthony took her hands and brought them to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. “But, if it means I get to spend two hours in the car with you and two hours driving home Sunday, that will give us plenty of time to hash all of this out.”

Delilah wasn’t stupid; rarely did anyone get one over on her, but despite her initial suspicion, she wanted to give Anthony a chance to tell her everything. If she didn’t like his answers, it would be a long drive to Boise, but her dad could always drive her back on Sunday.

She tied her shoes and nodded. “I want to be on the road by eight a.m. Meet at my house?”

Anthony flashed a smile. “Sounds good.”

Delilah opened the door on his driver’s side and slowly climbed out, dropping gingerly. “Also, we’re taking my car. Better gas mileage, and I don’t feel like I will fall to my death getting in and out of it.”

Anthony hopped out of the passenger’s side and came around the front of the truck, catching her against the hood. He pressed his pelvis into her, and she could feel the telltale signs of his unsatisfied arousal against her.

“I know you don’t fully trust me yet, but I’m not interested in hooking up with anyone. I’m going to the bar to ensure that Pike doesn’t get himself into trouble, and then I’m going straight home.”