Stolen Kisses With My Christmas Charmer by Ford Amber

Author:Ford, Amber
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

(Hudson)

______

I could have guessed it. But nothing would have really prepared me for the brutality of the Christmas games, and it’s all thanks to Derek and Kimberly. Frankly, I’m not sure why anyone else participates. Those two are beasts, their single focus on winning is admirable. Anyone trying to get in the middle of that probably has a death wish. They may be in a relationship now, but Kim and Derek exist solely to push each other to be better versions of themselves. This is why their competitive streaks will always come out, regardless of how much they love each other.

Kimberly won the gingerbread decorating contest. Then Derek won the skiing competition. I could have been in third place. But I got worried when Pippa fell behind, and I fell back to check up on her and make sure she was all right.

The past few days with her have been… I’m not exactly sure how to describe it. When she arrived in Crested Springs, my original plan was to do anything I could in order to figure her out. Because she was a mystery and she was intriguing. Now, it seems all I’m doing is everything possible to keep her by my side. Because I’m worried. No, scratch that, because I care.

There are about twenty people participating in the hike today. A hike to get to a particular marked point in the woods just outside the town. We’re all handed maps by Maureen and Ashley and given instructions on where to go and what to expect. The other people participating are around our age. A few family members of the Chases and the Thompsons have been trickling in for Christmas. Most of them are townies, people that went to school with Derek and Kim. They participate in the games every year despite knowing they’ve got no chance of winning against the dynamic duo. It’s pretty cute.

After receiving my letter, I go in search of Pippa. I haven’t seen her this morning. When I find her, she’s standing with Kim and Derek, an expression of mild frustration on her face. I smile when I notice she’s completely decked out in all her winter accessories. From snow boots to gloves and a hat to protect her head from the snow. One of the scarves I gave her is wrapped around her neck. Her expression calms somewhat when she notices me take a step toward her. And for the first time, I realize this is a dangerous game. Because the way my heart speeds up when I look at her has nothing to do with intrigue and everything to do with her.

“Hey,” I say, moving to stand with them. “Did you get your map?”

She nods, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. It’s a little distracting, and thoughts of being the one to pull her lips between my teeth flash through my mind. I clear my throat to clear the thoughts.

“This is basically a treasure hunt,” she says warily. “What if there are bears in the woods?”

“There aren’t any,” I assure her.

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