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“You don’t like that example?”

“I’m thinking Sherlock and Watson.”

“OK, that’s legit. Mulder and Scully?”

“Gillian Anderson and anyone she shares a screen with.”

“God, that woman could step on me like a bug,” Toni says.

“Hard same.”

“Anyway!” Toni says. “My point is that your mind going from kissing me to a horror hiking scenario that I would never put you in, at least not until we’ve been together for a few years?—”

“I knew it.”

“It’s all just a stand-in for your fear about us.” Toni steps forward and takes my hands. “You don’t have to be scared of me, or us. I respect that you need time. It might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I jump off cliffs wearing a bodysuit with wings, so that’s saying something. But I promise. I’ll never do anything to hurt you.”

I’m not sure if I believe her, that’s a big promise to make, but there is no doubt in my mind that Toni wholeheartedly believes it.

She’s very close. “Do you know how hard it is working with you?”

You have no idea.

“Is it? I can’t tell,” I say instead.

“Then you’re blind as a bat, Audrey Adams. I feel like all I do is stare at you.”

Stare at me is all Toni does when we’re around each other, but if I acknowledge that I’ve seen it, if I break even a little, I will push her up against the wall and kiss her until she forgets her name.

“Every day, every time I see you, I want to kiss you so much it’s almost a physical pain,” she says.

I swallow hard, reminding myself of all the reasons kissing Toni is a bad idea, the least of which is, if I kiss her, I won’t be able to stop and there is a warehouse full of families on the other side of the unlocked break-room door.

“This isn’t easy for me either, Toni.”

She raises her eyebrows, clearly stunned.

“Oh, come on. That can’t be a surprise,” I say.

“I’m surprised you admitted you want to kiss me.”

“That I want to kiss you?” I laugh. If she only knew. “You won’t have to wait forever. We won’t have to wait forever. Six or seven months.”

“OK, just so we’re clear here, do you mean that you want to, like, date me eventually?”

“Yes, I do.” I smile. “Merry Christmas.”

Toni’s grin widens. “That’s the best Christmas gift ever.”

“You’re welcome. Now. Enough flirting. Let’s go put smiles on a bunch of kids’ faces.”

“Sure, but for the record, there’s no such thing as too much flirting.”

I hold the door open for her and roll my eyes good-naturedly. “Simmer down, Casanova.”

“I think you mean Santanova.”

“Oh my God, that was awful,” I say, but can’t help laughing.