Page 41 of The Naughty List Agreement

“We’ll see?” he asked when they were alone. “Do you have other plans?”

She shook her head. The sun that had been out earlier that day was setting. And there was a chill to the air that made her nose pink. She was too cute. That was going to be a problem. “What if working together every day makes us cranky with each other? You know, it might be a better idea if we just see each other at the festival instead of me being in your booth.”

“We made a deal,” he warned her.

“It was only an idea.” Putting the leftovers in her car, she stood by the open door as flakes of snow began to drift down around them.

Nick recognized Jack’s handiwork. It was soft and romantic, like something out of one of the many Christmas movies he loved to watch this time of year.

“So…” he said.

Nick wasn’t sure what to do, which was so unlike him. He wanted to go home with her, decorate a tree with her, show her all that she was missing out on, but he also recognized that she had boundaries. He still needed a wife by Christmas Eve and she wasn’t offering.

“I guess I’ll see you Sunday for the tree lighting. Be sure to wear something festive.”

“Dress like Santa?” he asked. He had the coat and hat, after all. Also, children would get so much joy from it. Her tree lighting could give magic a nice boost. He’d get some of his elves down to help as well.

“Sure. The media and the families will love that,” she said. “Uh, about what happened between us.”

“What about it?”

Her hip kicked out and she looked annoyed. “Don’t be a dick.”

“I’m trying not to be. You said you don’t do relationships,” he reminded her.

She chewed her lower lip between her teeth. “What about temporary? Do you do that?”

That was all he’d done for the last five years, but it wouldn’t help him find a wife. He wanted her, and that taster they’d had in the pantry had only served to make the craving for her stronger. It wasn’t going to ebb or go away.

“I’m not sure temporary will be enough for us.”

“Would you start there?” she asked, then put her head in her hands. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I’m not ready to write you off. I’d like … more.”

“Me too.” It was the truth.

“Okay, great.” She leaned toward him, then he noticed that his entire family were standing in the window watching them.

He pulled her into his arms and turned his back so those perverts wouldn’t see him kiss her. “Thanks for coming today. You made Thanksgiving a lot of fun.”

“Same. Wish me luck tomorrow.”

“You don’t need luck. Just be yourself, Cora.”

“I always am,” she admitted as she slid behind the wheel. He closed the door and stepped back as she drove away.

The last thing he wanted to do was go back into the house. He could always sneak back to Hearthvale, but his mom would be disappointed. She liked when they talked about all the ornaments that she’d collected and made for him over the years while they hung them on the tree.

Prepared to put up with any ribbing he got from Jack, Pete, and Finn, he was surprised that they didn’t mention Cora at all. Instead, they helped decorate the tree. Now that Cora was gone, Uncle Arthur used magic to put the lights on, making sure each branch was wrapped with the strings. Pete and Elsa danced together close to the fire as some jazzy Christmas music played. He couldn’t find Martha and then noticed her behind the tree, out of sight.

“What are you doing back here?”

“There’s mistletoe all over this place,” she muttered.

“Did someone catch you under it?”

She blushed. “It’s not like that, Nick. Kisses are one thing but too many… Why are we having this conversation?”

“Because I’m also hiding.”