Kira wiped her face with her mitten. ‘And here I was, thinking you were such a nice guy.’
‘I am a nice guy.’ He pushed the snow-crusted hair out of her face, his smile softening around the edges. ‘I just take snowball fights very seriously.’
She huffed, trying to pretend to be mad but the way he was looking at her was quickly melting her resolve. He looked too damn cute and too damn happy, like a kid home from school on a snow day. He raised his head and planted a kiss on her nose.
‘How can I make it up to you?’ he asked, and Kira got a mischievous look of her own.
‘Well, I don’t have anything to decorate my tree with, but I thought we could check the attic. I’ve been too scared to go up there alone.’ She fluttered her lashes at him, damsel-in- distress style and he laughed.
‘I’m sure I could find time for a trip to the attic this morning.’
‘Yay! Now let’s get out of this snow. I’m freezing.’ She wiggled her way off his body in an entirely unnecessary way that had him red-faced by the time they were both standing again and not because of the cold.
‘Let me help you carry it back,’ she said, gesturing to her tree, attempting to ignore the heat in his gaze.
Bennett raised an eyebrow.
‘I can do it,’ she insisted, not willing to be outdone in her snowball-fighting and tree-carrying skills in one morning.
Ben shrugged. ‘You get the top and I’ll get the bottom.’
‘Okay.’ She grabbed the spindly top of the tree and Bennett hefted the back and she was sure she wasn’t doing anything but leading the way and getting her gloves all sappy, but it was nice to feel helpful.
‘I might be starting to understand why people like this,’ she said, glancing back at Bennett, who was definitely carrying the bulk of the weight. She got distracted by his arms again and almost led them into a snowbank.
‘Oh, yeah?’
‘Yeah,’ she said, steering the tree and getting them back on a straight path. ‘It’s very … festive.’
Bennett chuckled again. ‘Glad you’re coming around to it.’
They trudged back up her front path. ‘And you look hot as a lumberjack.’
Another low chuckle.
‘I might have time for more than just a trip to the attic,’ he said, and Kira’s toes curled in her boots.
‘Oh really?’
She looked back and his gaze was hot even out here in the snow.
‘How can you possibly look at me like that when I’m dressed in a sleeping bag with sleeves?’
‘I remember what’s under it,’ he said, waggling his eyebrows and Kira laughed, heat rising to her cheeks.
‘Don’t you have to work today?’ she asked, as they dragged the tree up the front steps.
‘I don’t think either of us can do anything today until we’re plowed out of here.’ Bennett gestured to the still-covered driveway and the parking lot of the tree farm in the distance. It was all untouched whiteness and Kira wished it would last.
‘Is it wrong that I kinda hope Logan’s truck is outta gas?’
Bennett had propped the tree up beside the door and pulled her close instead. He smelled like pine and the metallic scent of cold air on warm skin.
‘It’s not wrong. I mean, it was my Christmas wish that got us snowed in in the first place.’
She glanced up at him and he was smiling, his eyes bright this morning.
‘Right. I forgot you were responsible for this whole winter storm.’
‘What can I say? I’ve been very good this year.’
Kira laughed, leaning into him. Had it really only been a week ago that she’d pictured doing this at the tree-lighting festival? And now it felt so easy, so natural. Already something she felt entitled to.
She pulled away. ‘Wow. And so modest, too.’
He shrugged the playful smirk on his lips. ‘How about some breakfast before we search the attic?’
‘Sure.’ Kira followed him into the house, appreciating what little warmth it held after being out in the cold. The power had been restored sometime in the night, so at least they had that. They shucked off their outerwear, hanging it over chairs and hooks to dry as Bennett talked about hopefully finding a tree stand up in the attic and needing to get some decorative fairy lights, too. And Kira tried desperately not to get too attached to the cozy domesticity of it all.
But it was too late of course.
Her gnawing loneliness was already eating this up. This time with Bennett, his aimless chatter, his warm body, his sweet smile. She wanted it. And the spoiled, rich girl inside her stamped her foot, fists clenched at her sides. She wanted it. She wanted him.
And the worst part was she could see perfectly how she could get him. It wouldn’t take much to convince him. She could picture it.
Even with his assurances that he had no plans to stay, Kira knew a few well-placed comments, a few promises, a few more farm disasters and the scales would easily tip in her favor. Bennett would stay. He would fill the lonely bits in her heart. He would do all the shit around here she didn’t want to do, or didn’t know how to do.
And maybe for a while they’d be happy.
