Jordan showed Mason how to hang the ornaments. Her chest swelled with emotion every time he put his hand up for a high five and Mason responded with an awkward little slap of his palm. This was all beginning to feel too domestic for her own good.
Instead of shying away from it in an attempt to shield her heart—just in case Jordan decided he really didn’t feel the same way about her as she felt about him—Vicki decided to hold on tighter. She would enjoy this while she had the chance and deal with the consequences later.
“You know what this calls for?” she said, pushing up from the sofa. “Hot chocolate.”
“That sounds great,” he said.
“Will I find everything I need in the kitchen?”
He nodded and she turned toward the kitchen.
Vicki felt his eyes on her, following her as she walked out of the great room. Once in the kitchen, she had to brace herself on the counter and catch her breath. She was still getting used to dealing with the consequences of this new Vicki’s boldness. Inviting herself into a man’s kitchen to make hot chocolate was something she never would have done before.
A smile drew across her face.
She liked this new Vicki a hell of a lot more than the old one.
She searched around for the things she needed, grimacing when all she found was a box of instant hot chocolate mix. She should have known a man who had never bothered to put up a Christmas tree wouldn’t have the real stuff. She was able to doctor it up with vanilla extract and cinnamon sticks; both were surprise findings in the pantry.
She carried two mugs of hot chocolate back into the great room, but stopped short when she discovered Jordan taking the ornaments off the tree. Mason sat on the floor a few yards away, playing with the packaging the glittery reindeer ornaments had come in.
“What happened?” Vicki asked.
Jordan looked over at her and gave her a chastising frown laced with humor. “I would have expected better advice from a person who does this for a living,” he said.
Vicki lifted her shoulders in question, unsure what he was talking about.
His hands burdened with ornaments, he nodded toward the coffee table.
Her head flew back with a laugh when she spotted the boxes of Christmas lights. “Ah, yes. The lights go on first.”
“I realized that after we’d already put about twenty ornaments on the tree.”
“Well, why don’t you sit and have some hot chocolate while I hang the lights? Then you and Mason can do the fun part.”
Their fingers touched when she handed him the mug, setting off a torrent of tingles up and down her arms. Jordan undoubtedly felt it, too. Their eyes held over the steaming mug and Vicki’s inner muscles pulled tight with need.
He set the mug on the coffee table, then lowered himself on the floor next to Mason, who remained mesmerized by the array of shiny plastic ornaments.
Vicki did her best not to feel self-conscious as she walked around the Christmas tree, stringing the lights on its full branches. She couldn’t help but be hyperaware of every move she made, because Jordan’s eyes remained on her the entire time.
“How did your interest in floral design come about?” he finally asked after some time had passed. “I doubt that was one of the majors offered at Nillson.”
“No, it wasn’t,” she said with a laugh. “I majored in art history.”
“So you’ve always had this artistic side?”
“I can’t draw to save my life. Not like Sandra, for sure. But there is a certain artistry to floral design. It’s all art, I just happen to create my pictures with flowers.”
“According to Sandra, your ‘art’ has acquired a number of new admirers.”
Vicki could tell by the inflection in his voice that he was fishing for information about those new admirers, but she wasn’t taking the bait. Instead, she kept their conversation lighthearted.
“Don’t get me started on Sandra. She and Janelle have had their share of fun at my expense this past week.
Instead of shying away from it in an attempt to shield her heart—just in case Jordan decided he really didn’t feel the same way about her as she felt about him—Vicki decided to hold on tighter. She would enjoy this while she had the chance and deal with the consequences later.
“You know what this calls for?” she said, pushing up from the sofa. “Hot chocolate.”
“That sounds great,” he said.
“Will I find everything I need in the kitchen?”
He nodded and she turned toward the kitchen.
Vicki felt his eyes on her, following her as she walked out of the great room. Once in the kitchen, she had to brace herself on the counter and catch her breath. She was still getting used to dealing with the consequences of this new Vicki’s boldness. Inviting herself into a man’s kitchen to make hot chocolate was something she never would have done before.
A smile drew across her face.
She liked this new Vicki a hell of a lot more than the old one.
She searched around for the things she needed, grimacing when all she found was a box of instant hot chocolate mix. She should have known a man who had never bothered to put up a Christmas tree wouldn’t have the real stuff. She was able to doctor it up with vanilla extract and cinnamon sticks; both were surprise findings in the pantry.
She carried two mugs of hot chocolate back into the great room, but stopped short when she discovered Jordan taking the ornaments off the tree. Mason sat on the floor a few yards away, playing with the packaging the glittery reindeer ornaments had come in.
“What happened?” Vicki asked.
Jordan looked over at her and gave her a chastising frown laced with humor. “I would have expected better advice from a person who does this for a living,” he said.
Vicki lifted her shoulders in question, unsure what he was talking about.
His hands burdened with ornaments, he nodded toward the coffee table.
Her head flew back with a laugh when she spotted the boxes of Christmas lights. “Ah, yes. The lights go on first.”
“I realized that after we’d already put about twenty ornaments on the tree.”
“Well, why don’t you sit and have some hot chocolate while I hang the lights? Then you and Mason can do the fun part.”
Their fingers touched when she handed him the mug, setting off a torrent of tingles up and down her arms. Jordan undoubtedly felt it, too. Their eyes held over the steaming mug and Vicki’s inner muscles pulled tight with need.
He set the mug on the coffee table, then lowered himself on the floor next to Mason, who remained mesmerized by the array of shiny plastic ornaments.
Vicki did her best not to feel self-conscious as she walked around the Christmas tree, stringing the lights on its full branches. She couldn’t help but be hyperaware of every move she made, because Jordan’s eyes remained on her the entire time.
“How did your interest in floral design come about?” he finally asked after some time had passed. “I doubt that was one of the majors offered at Nillson.”
“No, it wasn’t,” she said with a laugh. “I majored in art history.”
“So you’ve always had this artistic side?”
“I can’t draw to save my life. Not like Sandra, for sure. But there is a certain artistry to floral design. It’s all art, I just happen to create my pictures with flowers.”
“According to Sandra, your ‘art’ has acquired a number of new admirers.”
Vicki could tell by the inflection in his voice that he was fishing for information about those new admirers, but she wasn’t taking the bait. Instead, she kept their conversation lighthearted.
“Don’t get me started on Sandra. She and Janelle have had their share of fun at my expense this past week.
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