Page 21 of Midnight and Mistletoe
“It’s your fault for having a full bookshelf and no Wi-Fi password written down.”
I laugh and almost choke on a piece of toast.
He continues, “What else… Griffin Hall likes long books but not short books because I checked and everything under four hundred pages is on the bottom shelf. Griffin Hall has three copies of the same A. Lawton novel.”
“They’re different editions, and one was a gift.”
“From who?”
“From me, to me.”
He laughs. It’s low and warm and hits me right in the chest. This is getting into dangerous territory.
We finish our breakfast. I’m setting the plate on the bedside table when Fox grabs the book and opens it to a seemingly random page.
“His hands were rough, but his mouth was reverent.”
He reads it completely deadpan. Like he’s narrating a documentary about migratory birds.
“Foster…”
“I’m just reading, Griffin.”
He flips a few pages farther in.
“He kissed his way down—”
“Stop.”
“—slowly—”
“Fox, I’m warning you.”
“—mapping every inch of skin like he was memorizing it for later—”
“Give me the book.”
“No.”
I reach for it. He lifts it out of my reach without even looking up. His arm is longer than mine, and he knows it. His other hand plants itself gently on my chest to keep me at bay while he continues reading.
“It wasn’t a kiss so much as a promise—”
“Fox.”
“—and Gideon felt it in his bones.” He turns to me. “Who names their romance novel hero Gideon?”
“A. Lawton, apparently.”
I lunge for the book. Foster rolls sideways to keep it away from me, and I end up half across his chest, one hand grabbing for his wrist while he holds the paperback higher over his head, grinning openly now.
The dimple is back.
“Give it.”
“Nope.”
“Foster Crue.”
