One Christmas Eve by Shannon Stacey

Author:Shannon Stacey [Stacey, Shannon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-27T12:33:52+00:00

Chapter Seven

Zoe was playing with fire. She knew it, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. She’d been watching him, too, and she knew he was probably starting to feel the effects of Abe’s holiday punch. There was a reason she sipped it slowly.

He walked across the room to her, phone still in his hand. The heat in his eyes burned through her, erasing her lingering guilt about getting his number out of her granddad, and she smiled up at him when he finally reached the quiet corner she’d managed to park herself in.

“You look like you’re having a good time,” she said.

He leaned closer so he could do the not-sober version of a whisper. “I think you look incredibly sexy tonight.”

“And I think you’re a lightweight.”

“Thank you. I work out every morning.”

Oh, she’d definitely spent enough time checking out his body to be aware of that. “I meant with regard to alcohol. I don’t think you’re much of a drinker.”

“I’m not, but I wanted to be friendly. When you’re the new guy trying to make himself at home in a new community, you don’t want to refuse the local customs.”

“Local customs?” She laughed. “Drinking Abe’s holiday punch is less of a local custom and more a way for the guys to survive Christmas Charades.”

“Christmas Charades?” His mouth quirked up in one corner as he took a step closer. “Is there also Christmas Twister?”

The mental image of their arms and legs tangled together was in no way diminished by the thought of a cheap plastic mat with colored dots. “No Twister, sadly.”

“How about Spin the Bottle?” He was slowly moving toward her and she didn’t back up. “Truth or Dare? Or that other game...what’s its name? The one where I get to make out with you in a coat closet?”

If she didn’t think too much about what Abe might have stowed in his coat closet, Zoe might have been on board with that party game. But she didn’t want to encourage Preston in his obvious state of intoxication, so she didn’t tell him that. “Sounds like you know how to show a girl a fun time.”

“I want to have a fun time with you.”

Even though he was drunk, the words thrilled her. “Yeah, you’ve definitely had enough to drink, and I know you drove since I saw your car out the window. Since you don’t strike me as the kind of guy who’ll happily crash on Abe’s floor, how are you planning to get home?”

“I should grab an Uber.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Good luck with that, city boy. Give me your keys and I’ll drive you home.”

“You said my car is boring,” he said, frowning, even as he dug his keys out of his pocket.

She grinned and snagged the fob out of his hand. “Not with me driving it.”

Once they had their coats, she stood by Preston’s side as he thanked their host for inviting him. Abe, who’d probably been sampling his own punch all day, had no idea who Preston was, but hugged him hard and thanked him for showing up, promising to see him soon.

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