Energetic, jubilant, jovial, and engaging have always been repeated words when describing her. Never seductive, sultry, or coquettish, but when approaching Nick Rafferty something had come over her that insisted she pique his interest no matter what. She simply could not help herself.
He was tall, dark, and beyond handsome. Not pretty handsome like some of the men she saw in celebrity magazines and in the movies, but a rugged handsome reminiscent of the frontier and the wild west. A dangerous masculine beauty that made her heart thunder and her mind fantasize.
In response to his devilish good looks, she had adapted a somewhat femme fatale persona that did not truthfully portray who she was, but seemed to be accomplishing the allurement she had intended. Leaning back from her provocative whisper, she stared back into eyes that were a shade of evergreen that almost made it possible to smell the spicy scent of the tree's needles. He stared at her as if she were as if she were a present needing to be unwrapped.
If it got any hotter in the room, she would need to. In the background, all of the Kerril employee's began to countdown the seconds to the new year. "One" was shouted loudly, followed by deafening cheers and the enthusiastically blown noisemakers. The hour of midnight was upon them, thus the birth of a brand new year.
Nick leaned down and closed the few inches that separated them, softly pressing his lips upon hers. Kristine closed her eyes and swam the ocean of sensations that flooded her body. Her heart clamored in her chest like a solitary penny in the hollow belly of a piggy bank when rattled by a child desperate for ice cream. Breath was hard to come by as her lungs constricted and her stomach clenched.
It was an unsettling feeling, but all the more wonderful for it. He urged her lips apart with the tip of his tongue and she yielded to his prompting, allowing his tongue to plunge forth and entwine with hers. With every stroke, Kristine's mind became focused on one thought; the idea that there was a desperate need in her that she had never realized till this very moment. After so many years of being committed to her purpose in this world, not at any time had she considered that there was something missing. But now, in this moment, with this kiss, Nick Rafferty breathed life into an ache that had yet to ever exist.
Startled by the light-bulb moment, Kristine pulled away, breaking the kiss and the spell that had accompanied it. Gasping for air, she took a step back and sought support from the nearby table that no longer held her champagne flute. All of those bubbles had lifted away her common sense, or was it solely the imposing man before her clenching his jaw so tight she thought his teeth may collapse from the pressure of his restraint.
"I must go," she stammered, turning on her heal to run.
A tight grip collapsed around her wrist, making it impossible to flee. She turned and faced Nick, holding her breath anxiously. This is not at all what she had intended. She had wanted to get his attention and discover what it was that he needed to lead his family back into the Christmas spirit. Not beguile him with feminine wiles that she was fairly inexperienced in executing. Obviously. This had all gotten way out of hand in a quick motion that still had her reeling.
"Where are you staying at? How can I get a hold of you?" he asked, a war of emotions sparking behind those blue-green eyes.
In their meeting this morning, Kerril had filled her in on Nick's forlorn past. To see him conflicted over his loyalty to his wife's memory and his kindled interest in her made her ache to soothe his torment. She should walk away and regroup.
"I only just arrived in New York, so I am not sure where I will be staying," she heard herself say without much thought in what she was inviting.
His grip tightened slightly, as if he couldn't bear the thought of letting her go. She should step away from this whirlwind of irrational circumstances and find another way to invoke belief in the population in New York City. It would be the wise thing to do.
"All of the hotels are booked solid because of the holidays, especially tonight," he said, sliding his hand from her wrist to lace his fingers with hers.
"Oh, dear," she replied, trying to think of what her options were. "I didn't take that into consideration."
"I - uh - that is, if you have no other options," he stammered, his boyish hesitation endearing. Then he rushed forward before he could change his mind. "There is an extra room at my home. That is, if you would be interested. Until a hotel room becomes available, I mean,"
She should say no and leave at once. Kristine thought of a million reasons why she should let go of his hand and run back to Nevaeh. Thousands of silver bells rang in her head with warning, and hundreds of excuses formed at the tip of her tongue, but only one word came out. "Yes."
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Myths and Mistletoe
रोमांसWhat if the elusive gift giver known as Santa Claus was real, but not in the way that everyone has come to know him? What if instead of a snow white beard and jolly belly, Santa was blonde, blue eyed, and had an affinity for candy cane striped thigh...
