Page 33 of Naughty-ish

“Pun intended,” Eva laughs.

“Who is the guy at the bar? The one trying to get everyone to drink Fireball shots.”

“That’s Brock, Zebb’s brother.” Eva rolls her eyes. “He’s harmless but a real Grinch. He hates Christmas.” Eva giggles. “Then again, I used to, too.”

“I’m struggling with it myself this year.”

Eva nods as if she understands. “It happens. The holidays are so overwhelming. The pressure. The packages. The family. The frenzy.” She waves her hands around her head. “But this year, I’m loving all of it.”

Being that she’s newly married to Zebb and adopting his daughter, plus secretly pregnant, there is much to be excited about.

“I need to get back to that feeling. Of loving the holidays.”

Eva glances back in the direction of Zebb and Nick. “Maybe you’ll get your own Father Christmas, like a fairy godmother, only sexy and in a Santa suit.”

I glance at Nick as well and laugh. “Maybe.”

The song shifts to “Christmas Time Is Here” and the dance space clears a bit as people take a breather with the slower melody. I watch as Nick sets his beer down on a table and stalks toward me.

“They’re playing our song,” he says, wrapping an arm around my waist and tugging me against him.

I catch myself on his chest and shakily laugh. “Our song?” Instantly, I remember dancing under the lights at the Botanic Garden. While the bar’s ceiling is covered in blinking Christmas lights, it’s not quite the same as evergreens and firefly-like dots.

Nick lowers his head and takes one of my hands in his. With my other hand still on his chest and his arm around my back, he dangles our joined hands along our sides.

“I feel like I’ve hardly spoken to you tonight. And I want to punch Brock for flirting with you.”

I snort. “Easy there, Santa. Don’t want to suddenly make the bad-boy list. And I don’t think buying me a shot was flirting. Plus, you’re a popular guy. You seem to know everyone.”

“It’s just the CFD.” Chicago Fire Department. “We’re a huge family.”

“Must be nice. I’m only the neighbor.” I don’t intend to say it as loud as I do, but Nick stills. His heavy brows pinching, suggesting he heard me.

“Why would you say that?”

My mouth pops open ready to explain myself but what can I say? The neighbor is who I am to him. I’m the one with foolish hopes of wanting more. And my response was snarky honesty. I’m envious of this fireperson community. For just a moment, I miss my old neighborhood.

He presses, “Do you think that’s all you are to me?”

“That’s how you introduced me. It’s no big deal—” I lose my train of thought when he gently pinches my chin.

His eyes search mine, deep and questioning. “What do you think the other night was?”

“I . . . I don’t know.” A lonely woman responding to a generous gift that the smexy man next door offered her.

“You have no idea how tempting you are, do you?”

My brows lift. “Well, I am the hot neighbor,” I anxiously tease using Zebb’s words and what Nick’s mother almost called me when he phoned her on our way to the light festival.

Nick chuckles. “Jesus, I’m not doing a good job here if you don’t get it.” With my hand already in his, Nick leads me back toward our table where I’d left my jacket. Without breaking hold of my hand, he swipes up my long coat and leads us toward the entrance, only he veers hard left and presses through an exterior door. The cold night immediately hits me as we stumble onto an enclosed patio.

“Put this on.” Nick releases my hand and holds out my jacket. After the heat of the bar, the night air feels refreshing but I won’t last long out here without my winter coat. Slipping my arms inside the heavy material, I turn to face Nick.

His hands cup my jaw. Then he’s kissing me.

The warmth of his lips keeps the combustible flame inside me on a high burn. His tongue crosses the seam of my lips, and that flame becomes an inferno. His mouth is hot and eager like he kissed me beneath the light tunnel when we ran from security. Only, we aren’t being chased tonight. We aren’t hiding in a kiss to disguise ourselves. This is pure passion on the outdoor patio of a city bar underneath a dark December sky.

Nick breaks first. “I’ve been wanting to do that since the first time.”