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“Why, scared I’ll want you to kiss me under it?”

“No.” His gaze locked on hers, and the air thickened with his next words. “I’m scared I’ll want to kiss you. And I don’t even need the damn mistletoe.”

He turned away, giving her a great view of his retreating ass.

Eighteen days they’d spent doing things Colin had asked of them. From getting the tree, to skating, the spa, the tattoos, drinks, a romantic meal. Movie night.

Increasingly, it felt like her brother was building up to something. That he was slowly bringing them together.

Yet Luke had admitted he was the sort of guy she needed to give a wide berth, so wouldn’t Colin know that?

Do you know something I don’t? She asked her brother silently.

Making a decision, she grabbed the mistletoe.

* * *

Luke sat on his bed and stared at the email again. He’d read it on the way back from the gym but not been able to digest it properly. Some of that had to do with Pearl, Anna and a bunch of mistletoe.

A shower and a visit to Mateo later and he still couldn’t believe it.

He’d got the fucking job.

Why had a broad grin not split his face? Why did he feel a pulse of satisfaction, but no burst of joy?

He was going to North Carolina to run a small center that specialized in working with teenagers going through a tough time. Giving them a break from caring, like he’d desperately needed when he was their age. If he’d had it . . . his stomach tightened. Maybe things would have been different.

It was his dream job.

He wished his lackluster response to the offer was only down to the knowledge he’d never see Anna’s tits in all their glory. His eyes fluttered closed as images of her from last night burned through his brain; singing all she wanted was him, sitting in that cute bra, her sexy as fuck cleavage taunting him as she flat out told him she wanted sex with him.

Sex with her wasn’t, and never had been, on the cards though, and the fact he’d be moving away just made it more certain. Still, it wasn’t his dick that ached at the thought of being so far from her. It was his damn heart.

“I’ve made you a hot chocolate.” Anna’s soft drawl sounded outside his room.

He shut the laptop without replying to the email and scrubbed at his face with the palms of his hands. Tomorrow. He’d deal with everything tomorrow.

“Coming.” Watching shitty Christmas movies was probably just what he needed to take his mind off the complicated emotional muddle he’d got himself into.

But when he stepped into the sitting room and saw two mugs of hot chocolate side by side on the coffee table, Anna huddled on the sofa under a duvet with a daft Christmas hat trying to perch on top of all her curls, he realized that far from taking his mind off the muddle, this was only going to add to it.

And that was before he caught sight of the damn mistletoe hanging from the wall light behind the sofa.

“Did you take care of what you needed to?”

Her tone said she was pissed he’d been secretive. “I went to see Mateo.”

Instead of being happy he’d told her what he’d done, she looked even more cross. “Why didn’t you say? I’d have come with you. I mean, if you’d wanted me to, which obviously you didn’t, so forget it.”

The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. He was used to doing everything by himself, not answering to anyone. “Sorry. I didn’t think. I’ll let you know next time.”

He was rewarded with a smile. “Thank you. Now, come on, time to watch movies.” She lifted the duvet and despite knowing how dangerous it was, he was helpless to do anything but slide in next to her.

Keep your hands to yourself.

He lurched forward and grabbed at the mug in front of him, with both hands.

Anna giggled. “Wow, didn’t think you’d be a fan of hot chocolate but yay, let’s do this.” She reached for her mug, clunked it against his and snapped off a selfie of them. “Here’s to seeing how many Christmas movies we can watch before falling asleep.”