Page 52 of A Cozy Kind of Christmas

FORTY-NINE

JOHANNA

Johanna rolled over in bed and glanced at her watch. “Shit, Connor. We’re super late for the party.”

“We’re late for the party,” he said, running his finger from the nape of her neck to the small of her back. “I like the sound of that—we. We’re late for the party.”

Johanna pulled away, tossing off the cover. “But we are late, Connor.”

“Fair enough. But hear me out. I’m just spitballing here, but what if we skip it and stay in bed all night?

” He wiggled his brows and patted the empty space next to him.

“I mean, because that was hot, Jo. Like super hot. What if we just stay, like forever?” He reached for her, yanking her gently back into the bed and nuzzling her wrist, letting his lips linger on her skin.

She was tempted.

Seriously tempted.

But she promised Meg.

If Meg was right about Matt proposing, she had to be there for moral support.

She had her doubts, but it would be just her luck if she didn’t show and Matt took a knee.

“Can’t.” She kissed him slowly and then ducked out of his arms, feeling an odd—yet distinctly different—sense of déjà vu as she grabbed her clothes off the floor. She felt almost drunk from love.

Her skin was warm and dewy, and her whole body glowed and hummed. She still couldn’t believe Connor was here and this was real.

What they were going to do now was a complete mystery. She’d never been in a position like this.

Not since graduating from college, and frankly, not even then.

She’d had a two-year plan and then a five-year and ten-year plan. An investment plan. A retirement plan.

Now, she was in a remote mountain town in Oregon with Connor, who had quit his job. As soon as she was back in New York, she intended to march into the office and resign, although at Connor’s nudging, maybe that wasn’t the best idea.

“Don’t quit. Make them let you go. If you resign, you get nothing. Take the severance package. You’ve put in years. You’ve given the company your life. They owe you, Jo,” he’d said between kisses.

He had a point.

A severance package would buy her time. Time to think and plan and decide what was next. Would she stay in New York or move somewhere new? It was too much to think about now.

She dragged herself to the shower, letting the hot water scald her skin as she soaked in how much had changed in such a tiny amount of time.

When she’d left the office a few days ago, she was hoping for a brain break and an escape.

Now, she had an entirely different reality awaiting her when she got back.

Enjoy the moment.

Everything else could wait. Tonight was about fresh starts and new futures and she intended to embrace that with every cell in her body.