Page 13 of A Chef's Kiss for Christmas

She’d heard nothing from Warren, and wondered if they’d decided to give it a miss. Or possibly that they’d come in and been put off by the crowded room.

Glancing across the room after selling her eighth Christmas wreath of the morning, she spotted Warren watching her from near the entrance. He smiled at her, then rolled his eyes as his mum said something in his ear.

Catching Anna’s eye, Jen waved demurely and mouthed something which Anna had no hope of deciphering. She nodded regardless and turned to greet a couple of old ladies admiring her Christmas cards. They each bought half a dozen, and Anna had just given them their change when Warren arrived at her table.

“In case you didn’t catch it, Mum said she’s going to have a look around and she’ll come and see you after.”

He squeezed behind her table and parked himself on the chair amid her boxes of extra stock.

“You didn’t want to look around?” Anna asked.

A smirk teased the corners of his mouth. “It’s not really my thing.”

“So you’re just going to sit there and watch me?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No. I guess not.” Aside from the fact that she felt incredibly self-conscious with him there.

“I’d like to point out that it’s your fault I’m here,” he said teasingly. “If you recall, you invited my parents.”

“I didn’t think it would entail you sitting there and watching me.”

“Any excuse for a break from my parents. I told Mum I was going to help you out for a while.”

“Good. I could use an assistant.” She caught his eye and grinned.

“You know I’m not good at customer service. That’s why your brother keeps me hidden away in the kitchen as much as possible.”

“That makes sense,” she said cheekily, before being drawn away from the conversation by an older gentleman asking about her Christmas cards. When he’d bought a packet of them, Anna turned to find Warren’s gaze on her.

“Why are you looking at me?”

He shrugged. “Is it always so busy?”

“Not alwaysthisbusy, but it’s not unusual. People love craft fairs. Especially at this time of year, when they can get their Christmas goodies.” She moved to find more Christmas cards in a box on the back wall and replenished the display rack on the table.

With a steady stream of customers, she focused on them andtold herself she was being paranoid and that Warren wasn’t staring at her the whole time. Except that every time she glanced behind her, his eyes were on her.

He didn’t even pretend not to be looking at her.

Finally, she turned all the way around and held his gaze until a grin stretched over his face.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“I wanted to see how long it would take for you to tell me to stop it.” He tilted his head. “How come you just let people annoy you and not say anything?”

“I don’t.”

“You do. I see it all the time. Even when it’s your siblings annoying you, you hardly ever say anything.”

“That’s not true. I tell Carla to stop annoying me all the time.” She was fairly sure she did anyway, but, come to think of it, there was a possibility she only thought it rather than saying it.

The amusement in his eyes said he knew she was doubting herself. “Stop annoying me,” she said pointedly and turned back to the room, but there was finally a lull in customers, so she had nothing to do.

“Stop it!” she said again, certain she could feel his eyes on her. “I’ve hardly eaten today, and I’m pretty hangry, so you really shouldn’t annoy me.”

“I don’t know,” he said mockingly. “I think it might be fun to see you snap.”