Page 25 of Santa Baby

We were still staring at each other as the crowd all around us started to move again, the noises and vibrations of the event rushing us both back to reality. Mason cleared his throat as another man stepped up to the kissing booth to take his place, and Mason awkwardly moved out of his way. I hopped out of line, not interested in canoodling with the new guy.

Mason stepped up to my side. With his hand splayed across my lower back, he guided me through the crowd. “We should do the dance competition,” he said, the words a bit wobbly with feeling, like he was nervous.

“Do you really want to?”

“I think you’d have fun,” he replied, his hand dropping from my back as we walked down the stairs, following the crowd.

I did like to dance but not competitively. What was I supposed to do? Throw down with a random stranger and hope my college moves still held up to today’s standards?

Now I was the one dragging my feet, but Mason charged ahead, and soon we were standing toward the center of a large group of couples while Shelly climbed on one of the library tables and tapped on her mic. “The rules are you have to remain touching the whole time.” Shelly grinned into the mic. “Whatever couple makes it through, wins! Good luck!”

Mason placed a hand on my hip and took my hand in his, standing closer to me than ever before. I had a view of the crook of his shoulder but not much else. My nose barely brushed his chest because of our height difference.

“Shelly is so happy we’re doing this.” I laughed, letting go of my earlier nerves as Santa Baby blared over the speakers, the first of what I soon realized were at least a dozen songs in the lineup. Couples started dropping out in search of other adventures, and before I knew it, Mason and I were one of only three couples left standing.

“I think we have a shot at this thing,” Mason whispered as we swayed together. His hand on my hip was warm and steady. His touch burned into my skin through my jeans.

“It’s the sweaters. They’re lucky,” I whispered into his chest, and he chuckled, tightening his grip in a way that made me suddenly, utterly heated through and through.

“Fia?”

“Yeah?”

“I feel⁠—”

“That’s it!” Shelly’s voice howled over the mic. We both winced as the music scratched to a halt. “Congratulations to our winners of the Mistletoe Dance Competition!”

We looked around in shock as we noticed we were the last ones standing. A light applause followed, and Shelly pranced over to slip a gift card to the pizzeria into Mason’s hand.

“Thank God,” he murmured sardonically. “I wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise.”

I playfully swatted his chest but he caught my wrist. “Fia, I was going to say…” His expression fell a bit, his brows pinched in contemplation.

Suddenly, it felt like we were the only people in the area. The noise of the event ceased, replaced by my own wild heartbeat.

“I kind of like you, Mason,” I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

“I kind of like you, too,” he replied, meeting my eyes, but then he looked up at the mistletoe hanging over our heads. He lowered his gaze and stepped closer.

I stepped closer too, like I was being pulled in by a magnet. He brushed a kiss over my lips, gentle and tender, and I shivered as his mouth ever so slightly met mine.

“I owed you one,” he said softly. “Since I missed you at the booth.”

My heart jumped against my ribs as he slowly pulled away.

I wanted so much more when I shouldn’t.

12

MASON

Iwasn’t sure how to feel after kissing her. It was a quick kiss on the lips, sure, but still a kiss. I’d had to fight all my instincts to stop myself from pulling her in and pressing my mouth to hers again like I really wanted to.

Now we were waiting on the sidewalk in a flurry of thick snow. Rex, my driver, was stuck in traffic across town, and there was no telling when he’d be here.

“You know, I live nearby.” Fia shrugged, motioning to the east.

“We could walk through Central Park for a while on the way, if you don’t mind, of course.”