Snow One Like You Read Online Free

came in her twenties. Whatever weight she gained, went to
the right places. She had a great body.
    He cleaned his plate, only to
accidentally drip syrup at one corner of his mouth with his last
bite. Without thinking, Allie grabbed a paper napkin, rose slightly
off her chair, and went to wipe his lip. Unplanned, yet perfectly
timed, his tongue darted out and swept two of her fingertips. She
dropped the napkin, and he fully sucked her fingers into his mouth.
Time startled, stilled.
    Their breathing slowed, shallow and
intimate, as he dared swirl his tongue, slowly, sensually. The
action could win or fail him. He needed the win.
    “ Do I taste good?” her
voice was no more than a whisper.
    “ Good enough to eat,” he
said, as she withdrew her fingers.
    She dropped back on her chair. Dazed.
Uncertain.
    He wanted to lick his way down her
body, but controlled himself. He settled for dessert instead.
“Cake,” he requested. It was a family favorite. His,
too.
    “ You’re in luck,” she said.
“There are two slices leftover.”
    She collected their dishes, and took
them to the sink. There, she rinsed them off and stuck them in the
dishwasher. Moving down the counter, she came to the cake stand.
She removed the cover; dished up the cake made with walnuts, fruit,
and a healthy dose of brandy. She gave him the largest
slice.
    He was stuffed at the last bite. Ready
to burst. He pushed back from the table, needing to move. Seeking
activity. He glanced out the kitchen window. Snow whirled on the
wind. Slamming against the glass. Whatever he did, would be done
inside. What to pursue? Besides Allie.
    “ What were your plans for
tonight?” he asked her.
    “ Alone, I would’ve
restocked. Set up after-Christmas sales.”
    “ I can help do
that.”
    “ No need.”
    He shrugged. “Not much else to
do.”
    “ There’s a TV in the loft.
Go watch.”
    “ It’s Christmas Eve. I’d
rather hang with you.” And he meant it. “I’ll carry boxes from the
storeroom. Assist with your displays. We can listen for Santa’s
sleigh and reindeer hooves on the roof.”
    She was wistful. “We’ve spent a lot of
Christmases together over the years.”
    They had a lot of memories between
them. All good. Tonight could be even merrier. He had a lot of
Ho-Ho-Ho in him. He’d brought a gift for her. One chosen by his
heart. A sterling silver necklace with a mistletoe pendant. It
represented their first kiss. And hopefully not their
last.
    “ Holiday music?” she asked
as they left the kitchen for the main store. He nodded. They both
ducked around the mistletoe. Total avoidance. She proceeded to
download several songs, then connected her iPhone to a speaker
docking station located on a shelf of snow globes. She kept it
light. Updated versions of Santa Claus is
Coming to Town . Jingle Bell Rock . He hummed and she
sang along to All I Want for Christmas is
You . Their eyes locked with the final
notes. Her cheeks pinkened. She was first to look away.
    “ What did you request from
Santa this year?” she asked, her back was to him as she organized a
display of assorted teas in decorative tins, making room for more
flavors.
    “ New skis, which I’ll pick
out and pay for. You?”
    “ A second shop,” was said
so softly, he barely heard her.
    “ Another general store?”
This was news to him.
    “ Smaller, on the order of a
gift shop. An extension of Hartley’s, perhaps in a hotel or
lodge.”
    “ I have a
lodge.”
    “ I wasn’t
hinting.”
    She’d never asked him for anything.
Doubtfully ever would. He scratched his jaw. Forester Lodge had a
small recreation room off the central lobby. Tables and card games
presently filled the space. It was seldom used. Guests at the lodge
chose outside activities. They came to excel. To hike, ski,
snowboard, to physically exert themselves.
    Following supper and after-dinner
drinks, visitors scheduled time in the spa. A sauna or massage.
Dust had long-settled on Monopoly and Clue. The seal on the deck