Page 97

“Hey.” Liv held up her hands. “Don’t start. You used to ask about her all the time when we were seventeen, eighteen. I can’t believe I didn’t realize something had happened between you.”

Maya gave him a nudge, grinning. “Used to ask about me, eh?”

Heat rose in his cheeks and she kissed each one in turn.

“Who’s blushing now?” Maya asked.

Liv laughed. “You’d better watch it too. Because you were always asking about him as well.”

“Aha!” Sam said, reaching out to tickle Maya again, but she squealed and dodged out of the way. Laughing, he turned to the others. “Eat up, it’s getting dark and the big switch on is coming.”

It didn’t take long for the food to be demolished, and then they were getting their outerwear back on and heading outside.

He held Maya’s hand as they crossed the threshold, and she shot him a look when Arran shifted behind Liv to massage her shoulders as they walked. Sam shrugged. Arran was like that with everyone.

They gathered in front of the house, and Sam went into the garage to flip on the switch. There was a chorus of oohs and he hurried back out, closing the garage door behind him to get the full effect and taking up position behind Maya, circling her waist.

The night was clear, the dark skies studded with stars as the backdrop to their display. A huge wreath hung just below the peak of the roof, sparkling with multicolored lights, and they’d erected a glittering archway around the doorframe below. Matching white lights surrounded every window, and white-light icicles dangled from the gutters. They’d decorated all the tall bushes and small trees in the front garden in the same twinkly hue. A display of sparkly ice-skating penguins stood on the lawn in front of the living room window, and the garage door was draped in a large red bow, as if it were a wrapped present. A small Santa’s sleigh with a red-nosed reindeer had pride of place on the low roof above the living room window, and the inflatable Santa himself was on the grass next to the garage, waving at them and bobbing around in the breeze.

Sam reached into his pocket and took out his phone, snapping a few pictures.

“Are you going to post it on social media?” Maya asked, turning to face him.

“Kind of,” he replied, opening the e-mail confirmation he’d had for their entry into the Christmas lights competition and revealing it to her.

Maya screamed and threw her arms around him. “Yes! That’s brilliant.”

Nuzzling her neck as he held her tightly, anticipation built in his core. He didn’t want her to leave with the others. He wanted her to spend the night with him. As she leaned back to meet his gaze and kiss him, he tried to read her. Did she want that too? Or would it be too soon for her? Perhaps it wasn’t fair of him to ask—they’d had their first date only a few nights ago.

The others were all chatting and admiring the lights. Elise gave Liv a nudge. “I need to head back to relieve Mum and Dad. Do you want a lift home?”

Liv checked her watch. “Yes please. I’ve still got some stuff to do for work tomorrow.” She gave Sam and Maya a kiss, and Elise followed suit. As they headed away, Liv stopped to give Arran and Nico a hug, but Elise hung back, giving them a wave instead, and they left the driveway for Elise’s car.

“Thanks for the feed, mate,” Arran said, circling Sam’s shoulders with a squeeze.

Sam smiled as he shook Nico’s hand, addressing Arran. “Feel free to return the favor sometime.”

Arran grinned as he kissed Maya’s cheek. “Nah. You’re a much better cook than me.”

Nico gave Maya a hug, and then the two men left, disappearing around the corner and leaving Sam alone with Maya and his fast-building libido. If he were honest with himself, it’d been building ever since their not-very-fake fake kiss. Scratch that, it’d been escalating ever since he’d laid eyes on her in Kirsty’s living room.

Maya cuddled into his chest. “Can I stay for a bit?”

He kissed the top of her head, relief that she’d suggested it taking the edge off his tension. “I’d love that.”

He took her hand and led her inside, where they took off their boots. Sam’s nerves flared as he watched her unzip her jacket. Why do I feel like a teenager? Perhaps because the woman of his teenage dreams was alone with him in his house.

He cleared his throat. “Tea? Or coffee?” He turned and went into the kitchen before she could answer, busying himself in there as she shot him a bemused look from the table, where she was clearing the plates.

Maya loaded everything into the dishwasher while he made a pot of tea, still aware that she hadn’t said she’d wanted any.

Taking the pot and mugs over to the table, he glanced at her. “I’m afraid my tea isn’t as good as Liv’s.”

Maya took a seat next to him. “Don’t worry. Nobody’s is.”

Sam lifted his mug to take a sip but aborted the process when he realized it was too hot. Glancing up, he saw Maya was frowning at him.

“What?” he asked.