Page 11 of Silent Snowfall

I was too busy processing the fact that his mouth felt funny. Like scratchy cloth, not smooth lips or stubble on a cheek. I didn’t catch the undercurrent of the comment that we were familiar with one another.

When I did, my tummy fluttered again. First with butterflies…then the fiber joined them. It took everything inside me not to become a human whoopy cushion.

“Stabby? You want stabby? Okay, fine. I’m going to stab you if you don’t get off me,” I snapped.

He rubbed his cheek against mine. Fabric brushed between us. “And how am I supposed to do that? Your tight little ass keeps grinding against my dick.”

Oh, this was horrible! There was nothing redeeming or sensual about the truth. Maybe if we hadn’t eaten those stupid beans, or if I’d been better about having a balanced diet the fiber wouldn’t have attacked me.

But I was not going to let him know the truth. No! That would kill me.

“Get OFF!” I shoved.

Rumbling a laugh, he moved.

I scrambled around the counter. My hands shook as I picked up my water. If I needed to, I could hurl it at him.

A light flicked on a moment later. Blinking against the sudden brightness, I tracked the intruder’s movements as he pulled a backpack off and set it on the kitchen table. Madonna mia, he was tall. He was probably a good foot taller than me, which put him at six-four, maybe six-five. That large body was covered head to toe in black.

“What’s with the mask?” I demanded before taking a sip of water.

People who had keys to houses didn’t need ski masks.

“It’s cold outside.”

Swallowing the water wrong, I choked. “Wimp.”

His dark eyes flashed. It felt like he smiled at me. But he could just as well have snarled. The masked man turned and began staging a scene with the elves.

To keep busy, I rummaged through the cabinet where Nonna kept tinctures, vitamins, and other home apothecary remedies. In the far back was a bottle of goopy pink liquid. The date was expired.

It was better than nothing.

I unscrewed the cap and glugged back the noxious sludge. Pepto-Bismol was much better in pill form. Gasping, I grabbed my water and drained it.

In the time it took to drink that, the masked man had the elves perched on the chandelier with poles and fishing line. He attached red candied fish to the hooks and then dumped the container over the table.

“Just so you know, I don’t give my kids processed sugar,” I grumbled.

The red dye would make them bounce off the walls.

“I know.” He held up the box, showing me that it was a brand of cleaner candy, made with fruit coloring. It was the same organic brand I used to splurge on when I did purchase sweets.

My mouth fell open.

No way…. No freaking way.

“Wait—” I shook my head. “How could you possibly know? Who are you?”

He tucked the package back into his backpack. “I did my homework, Rose.”

Warmth trickled through my veins. He cared. This masked man, this intruder, this stranger…cared.

“I also wanted to apologize about the Nintendos. I knew that the boys had them on the Christmas wish lists they filled out for Uliva. She informed me that I should have asked first.” He leaned against the back of a chair, studying me. “Your grandmother said she was partly to blame because she made them create the lists, but it was me who executed the plan. So I’ll take responsibility on that one. It won’t happen again.”

My jaw swung loose.

A man who apologized and admitted wrongdoing. He didn’t throw my grandmother under the bus for her part in it, neither did he tell me I was the one who was wrong for having a problem with his gift.