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She waved her hand at the festivities. “And you didn’t notice all of this?”
“I have,” he said. “And I avoid it.”
She stalked off and knew he was on her heels because everyone backed away hastily. When she picked up a cup of Gløgg, she grudgingly got him one, shoving it in his hand without a word of explanation before she walked off. When she caught sight of Mo and Johan, she was surprised to see they were keeping their distance. She glared at them, but they only grinned in response and toasted her with whatever they were drinking.
As she stood in line for grilled meat on a stick, she saw Roth had finished the drink and was spooning up the raisins and almonds at the bottom of his empty cup. She didn’t ask him to pay for the four meat sticks, but he did. It would be childish not to give him his share. He didn’t decline the two she offered before she tried to lose him in the crowd.
Two minutes later, he reappeared at her side, but the meat sticks were gone. She rolled her eyes and bought aebleskiver, Danish pancakes, that looked like donut holes, but were much more delicious. When she offered the package of Danish pastries, he didn’t hesitate, but stuck his hand in and ate one. He hadn’t finished the first when he reached for another.
She tried to ignore him as she continued to shop, but he was too bloody big for that. Several times, he pulled out his phone. She tried to slip away while he was preoccupied, but he always managed to track her through the crowd.
She continued to practice her Danish with the locals as she purchased more trinkets and was turning away with another bag when Roth filched it from her.
“I didn’t know you speak Danish.”
“I don’t,” she said shortly and would have turned away, but he grabbed the back of her jacket, holding her in place.
She whirled to face him.“What?”
His eyes probed hers. “You’re still angry.”
She knocked his hand away and stilled when she noticed her aggressive action had gained some attention. She smiled through gritted teeth. “I’m going to be angry for eternity.”
“Staying angry requires too much energy.”
“You would know,” she snapped.
He reached out, nabbing her nape and dragging her against him. “I do know,” he murmured. “And you don’t have what it takes.”
When he leaned down, she averted her face. The hand he used to cup her cheek made her jump.
“You’re freezing!” She grasped his bare hand in both of hers, and realized she hadn’t felt the hand on her nape because of her coat and scarf. “You don’t have gloves?”
It was then she realized that he wore a suit beneath his coat, leaving his neck exposed. His outfit was suitable for London, since the most time he spent in the cold was the distance from his car to his office. It wasn’t built to withstand hours strolling in these temperatures.
“Come.”
She dragged him to a booth with leather gloves, and asked the vendor for his largest pair, before she revisited the friendly knitwear saleswoman that she bought her scarf from. She selected a light gray one for Roth and wrapped it around his neck.
“How does that feel?” she asked.
“You’re overreacting,” he growled. “I’ve been in colder weather than this, remember?”
As their eyes collided, a flash of heat burst in her stomach and traveled up to her neck.Warm me up, princess.Before that heat could go any further, it was doused by another memory, one more powerful and potent. He wanted her to remember how she warmed him after he walked in the snow in Colorado. She remembered that interlude, but she also remembered how it ended.I got a vasectomy.
She whirled away before she lost control and slapped him. He thought he was a tough guy. She should leave him to it and let him catch pneumonia or, at the very least, a nasty cold, but she couldn’t do it. When she turned to him with a beanie, his brows bunched together.
“Lean over,” she ordered.
At first, she thought he wasn’t going to do it, but he leaned over just enough for her to put it on him. She tried three before she settled on one that fit. She stepped back to take him in. The beanie and chunky scarf changed his outfit from straitlaced businessman to modern and fashionable. The knitwear should have brought him down a few notches and made him more approachable and inviting, but it only emphasized his strong features and the contrast between those cutting eyes and the soft material enveloping him.
She tugged the beanie over his ears and adjusted the scarf, since he hadn’t touched it yet. “How do you feel?”
He considered for a moment before he said, “Warm.”
Against her better judgment, she started digging through the stacks. Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the crowd with two large bags. She was feeling quite smug about her purchase until she saw Roth’s frown. She stopped in her tracks. What the hell was she doing? He wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this in New York. Years after her father retired to Tuxedo Park, he still dressed like he was going into the office every day, and Roth was no different.
When Roth moved to London, he changed. He’d been forced to conform to succeed and had worn suits ever since. She was half convinced if he wore a knit sweater occasionally, he wouldn’t be such an asshole, but that was just wishful thinking on her part. Even as she turned back to the seller to give the clothing back and tell her to keep the money as a gift, she found her way blocked by Sarai.
