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The Holiday Wildcard

Page 31

by C.H. James

"Stop what?"

"You're flexing. Every time I reach around you, you tense all your muscles like this is some kind of private show."

"I'm standing still. Your hands just seem very interested in my stomach."

"My hands are wrapping the tinsel! Now stop moving!"

I grab a handful of ornaments and start clipping them to his suspenders, keeping my eyes strictly on the clips and not on the way the suspenders frame his chest like a gift I'm not allowed to open.

"Is thigh tinsel essential?" Miles asks as I crouch to wrap a gold sparkly strand around his enormous leg.

"Symmetry is essential for a nice looking Christmas tree."

"So you're rubbing up the inside of my thighs for symmetry?"

"Trees have symmetry, Miles."

"Trees also don't usually have women kneeling in front of them."

I look up. From down here, the view is—

Nope. I stand up so fast the tinsel snaps.

The star is last.

Of course, he's six-foot-three plus an elf hat, so I drag a stool over and climb up, which puts me at the perfect height to attach the star to the tip of his ridiculous hat.

The stool wobbles as I try to balance the star though, and once again, just like he did yesterday, Miles's hands close around my hips. His hands are huge and warm, and the movement pulls me forward half a step on the stool, which places my cleavage precisely, exactly, catastrophically level with his mouth.

Neither of us moves.

His breath ghosts warm across the top of my breasts, and I briefly forget about Christmas, the sponsors, and the concept of giving my lungs oxygen.

"Audrey," he says, his deep voice vibrating between my boobs.

"Mm?"

"Tell me your ex at least appreciated these."

A laugh escapes me, but it's a little bitter around the edges. “Brett barely wanted to kiss me. Trust me, anything below my neck received even less enthusiasm.”

Miles goes still. Then he tilts his head back and looks up at me from beneath that absurd elf hat. His eyes have gone dark in a way that makes my thighs press together on the stool.

"Then Brett," he says slowly, "is the single dumbest man alive."

"That's very kind—"

"Also, you should stay very still up there."

I frown. "Why?"

"Because the bells on this costume aren't the only things currently experiencing movement."

I glance down.

Oh my God.

Oh my GOD.