Page 22 of Under The Meh-stletoe

He handed me the blanket.

I pursed my lips. My next move had to be decided in a split second. It was probably a bad idea, but I leaned toward him. The center console between us, I wrapped the blanket around both of us.

"It's okay," he said. "The blanket isn't big enough."

"Come on, get cozy. We can make it work. Let's warm up for five minutes. The battery will be fine."

He hesitated. I held the corners of the blanket tight in my hand, keeping it around us. Shoulder to shoulder, we shared in warmth.

His eyes dropped to my lips, then came back up full of intensity. Yep, a bad idea to cozy up to him, but I didn't regret it. I couldn't let him get a cold because being close to him made me nervous. Because based on the way he looked at me, he was attracted to me, too.

His hand lifted between us. My skin warmed up in anticipation to his touch; his fingers hovered by the curve of my jaw. My lips tingled, because he might kiss me… and I would let him. He got closer, but his hand didn't rest on my face.

With slow passes of his fingers, he wiped the water from my glasses. He smiled, friendly, except for the challenging arch of his eyebrow.

I had wanted him to kiss me. I wasn't supposed to want it. Not from him, nor anyone. But my stomach still ached with want.

"You're welcome." His voice rumbled low, a tease hidden in the simple words.

I rolled my eyes. Better not to think of how close I'd been to letting my weakness break me.

"Thanks." I bit my lip and leaned on the center console. It would be best if I kept it friendly and casual, and aimed for small talk. "So, tell me. Why did you move to Laguna Island? You said you thought it was doing better than it is?"

We remained shoulder-to-shoulder but, while he still gazed at me, I focused on the dark road ahead of us; the sight was blurry, thanks to streaks of dirt and dried drops I hadn't bothered to clean from my glasses. Rain continued to batter the roof, but at least warmth seeped into my skin.

With no warning or hesitation, Daniel gently removed the glasses from my face and I let him, curious to see what he'd do with them.

He wiped them with the corner of the blanket. "No. I knew it was struggling, just not this badly. But I didn't want the picket fence and 2.5 kids in the suburbs. I don't want that married, city life. I came here to have the life I want. A few good friends, a community, and a cozy apartment to hide in and read for an evening. Reconnecting with some of my Latine roots, since the town has that vibe thanks to all the immigrants that made a home here. It's still the plan in the long term."

"I see."

He checked the glasses were clean again and carefully put them back on. "Why did you ask?"

He seemed to concentrate on his task, with oh so much nonchalance. Like we did this every day. Like he looked into my eyes that way all the time.

I took a slow, deep breath. "To be friendly. Get to know you a bit more. "

"And?"

And my attempt at small talk had failed. I didn't feel friendlier towards him, but the want continued to build right under my skin.

I couldn't give him that answer, so I shared a different truth.

"I think I understand you better. You're not typically as grumpy as the town thinks you are. You like your solitude. You're willing to work hard to get what you want. Makes me like you."

Which was the whole problem.

The corner of his lips lifted a smidge. "I think I get you, too. You came back because you love your sister, but you love the town, too. You take things in stride. Few things actually ruin your mood, one of which is Christmas. You're good with grumps. Makes me like you, too."

His eyes dropped to my lips again.

Okay, then. Time to put down some boundaries.

"I am not in the market," I said.

His eyes came back to mine. "And I don't want a settled suburban life."

The rain continued to fall around us, still relentless.