Page 45 of All I Want is You this Christmas Final

Jared pulled back, breathing hard. “Anna Beth, we need to get out of here. As much as I’m enjoying kissing you, I’m about to develop frostbite on my ass.”

“Oh! Crap!” Anna Beth scrambled off his lap and climbed to her feet. Jared laughed, getting up off the ground.

Once the haze of desire cleared, she realized her legs were stinging in the snow-soaked denim jeans. “I’m freezing too.”

“Let’s get back to the truck. We can go to my place to warm up.”

Anna Beth swallowed, her stomach performing somersaults all the way back to the truck. How warm was he talking? Getting cozy by the fire or heating things up under the cupboards? Because one of them, she definitely wasn’t ready for.

Before her mind ran away from her, Jared reached back for her hand.

“I suggested my house is because it’s only a few miles away. You can borrow some clothes and we'll dry yours before I take you home.” Jared kissed her hand. “That’s it.”

Having him say it out loud left her disappointed. “Nothing else?”

He glanced back at her and winked. “Not unless you want to.”

Anna Beth knew she wasn’t ready to jump into bed with Jared but they’d already crossed the line. Another a kiss or two couldn’t hurt.

Fifteen

Jared held the door for Anna Beth as she stepped inside, Rip hot on her heels. He kicked off his boots and slid them with one foot under the bench behind the door and hung his jacket up on the hooks against the wall.

It took everything he had not to pull her to him and kiss her as she passed. He’d promised to take this at her pace and he’d meant it, so jumping her as soon as she made it inside his house would send her running for the hills.

“I’ll head upstairs and grab some dry clothes. Feel free to look around. It’s my Mona Lisa.”

“My aunt said you did all the renovations yourself.”

“I had some help from friends and family, but most of it was just me.”

“Impressive.”

Jared followed her gaze around his living room. His floors were a marbled laminate with accents of gray and red. With the exception of the gray accent wall, the rest of the living room sported walls in a clean eggshell white. His fireplace recessed into the gray wall, while his brown leather couches ran adjacent with each side of the fireplace. Gray and red plaid throw blankets hung over the backs of the couches and in the center sat a dark wood coffee table, with wagon wheel accents on the end.

“I’m surprised you don’t have a TV in here,” Anna Beth said.

“It’s usually just me and I watch in bed, so…”

Why did you mention your bed? Now she’s going to think that’s what’s on your mind.

Not that being intimate with Anna Beth hadn’t crossed his mind, but he wasn’t thinking of that now.

Anna Beth cleared her throat. “I like it.”

“Thanks. I’ll be right back.”

He jogged up the stairs and pulled two pairs of sweatpants, two t-shirts, and a sweatshirt from his drawers and closet. When he got back downstairs, Anna Beth’s coat lay over the back of his couch. He found her in his kitchen, looking through his cupboards.

“Whatcha searching for?”

“Hot chocolate. Or tea.”

Jared set the clothes down on the island and walked over to the corner by the sink. “I have some K-cups over here in the polar bear cookie jar.”

The white chubby bear wore a pink and red hat and a scarf of the same color scheme. “Cute.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “Mom got it for me. Said my house was too sterile and needed something cute.”