Muffins And Mistletoe (A Starlight Hills Holiday Novella) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Debora Dennis
Tags: Holiday Romance Novella
found the small of her back to drag her up against him. She arched to meet his embrace, her form fitting perfectly to his. She released her own groan of desire and his pants grew snug. The coffee in his hand landed on the ground at their feet.
Without missing a beat, or breaking their connection, he moved her to the side as his hands landed on the wall beside her head. Their bodies locked together, her arms went around his waist and her hands splayed across his back locking him to her.
His fingers found the nape of her neck and then tunneled through the thick tangle of her silky golden curls. Lost in the abyss, he felt her heart beating frantically within the folds of her sweater. The next thing he knew, they were sliding down the wall.
He was losing his grip on her; he leaned forward, his arm wrapped around her waist.
The swinging door opened and together they tumbled through and lost their balance. With a thud, Corinne landed on the floor with him on top of her. Too stunned to say anything, for a second he simply stared into her beautiful green eyes. She took a deep breath and a slow, tentative smile turned up the edges of her lips. His pants became uncomfortably tight and if he didn't move soon, he would kiss her again right there on the floor. Quickly he scrambled to his feet and offered her his hand. As he helped her up, she tugged her coat back into place, and he reached out to brush the curls from her shoulder. His fingers lingered on the side of her face, caressing the soft skin.
"Are you okay?"
She looked down at their coffee-stained boots and then back up at him, giving him the brightest smile he'd seen in days. "Oh, yeah."
He couldn't help but smile back, lost in the moment. Then he took a step back and remembered where he was. He turned and there they were—his father, with his arms crossed over his chest and leaning against the stainless island, and his mother, hands on her red-aproned hips with a look that he could only describe as sheer joy lighting up her face.
He knew better than to say anything. If he stood there for an hour, he'd never find the right words to express the way he felt at that moment. Embarrassed? Invigorated? At the very least, confused. Kissing Corinne set everything right in his world, ignited his soul, and he finally felt whole again for the first time in over a week. But, while she'd said they fit and that she didn't need more time, she'd never actually said she wanted to marry him.
He glanced at Corinne with her hopeful, wide eyes and then again at his parents. Sure, he could get down on one knee right now and ask her again, but he wouldn't. Not there. Not in front of anyone. While no one had the power to ignite his passions the way Corinne did, no one else could hurt him the way she did either. Right now he was the one who needed time.
With a deep breath, and as the three of them watched, he walked to the coffee urns and poured two more cups of coffee. He felt their stares burning a hole in his back, knew if he looked at them they'd draw him into a conversation he didn't want to have. Outnumbered, he had to get out of there and clear his head. Keeping his eyes on the coffee, he snapped lids on each one and gave a nod to Corinne and his parents.
"Sorry about the coffee on the floor, but I gotta go."
FOUR
Without saying a word, Corinne grabbed some paper towels to help Bitty and George clean up the coffee from the floor. Every time they looked at her she couldn't help feeling her cheeks explode with color that gave the red apron around Bitty's waist a run for its money. What could she say? She'd just tried to seduce their son, in their muffin shop, and they had fallen through the doors into a passionate pile.
She'd never done anything that impulsive before. Blame it on the mistletoe.
Even though Jimmy hadn't said anything, she'd felt him respond to her, knew he still had feelings. He'd returned her kisses and held her tight to his
Without missing a beat, or breaking their connection, he moved her to the side as his hands landed on the wall beside her head. Their bodies locked together, her arms went around his waist and her hands splayed across his back locking him to her.
His fingers found the nape of her neck and then tunneled through the thick tangle of her silky golden curls. Lost in the abyss, he felt her heart beating frantically within the folds of her sweater. The next thing he knew, they were sliding down the wall.
He was losing his grip on her; he leaned forward, his arm wrapped around her waist.
The swinging door opened and together they tumbled through and lost their balance. With a thud, Corinne landed on the floor with him on top of her. Too stunned to say anything, for a second he simply stared into her beautiful green eyes. She took a deep breath and a slow, tentative smile turned up the edges of her lips. His pants became uncomfortably tight and if he didn't move soon, he would kiss her again right there on the floor. Quickly he scrambled to his feet and offered her his hand. As he helped her up, she tugged her coat back into place, and he reached out to brush the curls from her shoulder. His fingers lingered on the side of her face, caressing the soft skin.
"Are you okay?"
She looked down at their coffee-stained boots and then back up at him, giving him the brightest smile he'd seen in days. "Oh, yeah."
He couldn't help but smile back, lost in the moment. Then he took a step back and remembered where he was. He turned and there they were—his father, with his arms crossed over his chest and leaning against the stainless island, and his mother, hands on her red-aproned hips with a look that he could only describe as sheer joy lighting up her face.
He knew better than to say anything. If he stood there for an hour, he'd never find the right words to express the way he felt at that moment. Embarrassed? Invigorated? At the very least, confused. Kissing Corinne set everything right in his world, ignited his soul, and he finally felt whole again for the first time in over a week. But, while she'd said they fit and that she didn't need more time, she'd never actually said she wanted to marry him.
He glanced at Corinne with her hopeful, wide eyes and then again at his parents. Sure, he could get down on one knee right now and ask her again, but he wouldn't. Not there. Not in front of anyone. While no one had the power to ignite his passions the way Corinne did, no one else could hurt him the way she did either. Right now he was the one who needed time.
With a deep breath, and as the three of them watched, he walked to the coffee urns and poured two more cups of coffee. He felt their stares burning a hole in his back, knew if he looked at them they'd draw him into a conversation he didn't want to have. Outnumbered, he had to get out of there and clear his head. Keeping his eyes on the coffee, he snapped lids on each one and gave a nod to Corinne and his parents.
"Sorry about the coffee on the floor, but I gotta go."
FOUR
Without saying a word, Corinne grabbed some paper towels to help Bitty and George clean up the coffee from the floor. Every time they looked at her she couldn't help feeling her cheeks explode with color that gave the red apron around Bitty's waist a run for its money. What could she say? She'd just tried to seduce their son, in their muffin shop, and they had fallen through the doors into a passionate pile.
She'd never done anything that impulsive before. Blame it on the mistletoe.
Even though Jimmy hadn't said anything, she'd felt him respond to her, knew he still had feelings. He'd returned her kisses and held her tight to his
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