Page 45 of Gotta Have Mistletoe

“Glen?”

“I’m sorry,” he says sheepishly. “I couldn’t sleep and—”

“You came here?” I swallow hard. I try to remember what I said when I thought I was speaking with imaginary Glen.

“It’s a real fine place, Your Majesty.”

I smile, but then I remember all the awkwardness since we returned from the Christmas Market. “I’m sorry about the kiss.”

He stiffens. “Don’t worry.”

“I shouldn’t have let you kiss me,” I tell him. “I apologize. Most likely I did it all wrong and—”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” He takes my hands in his. “In fact, it was mighty nice.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” He rubs his thumb over my wrist, and my pulse jumps under his touch. “I wanted to kiss you.”

“You did?” My voice is too high-pitched.

“Uh-huh,” he drawls. “I think you’re real special, Your Majesty. But I know I’m only here for a couple of days and that cowboys and royals don’t mix. I—”

And then, by Solberg, I launch myself into his arms and kiss him.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Glen

One moment I’m having a sort of awkward conversation with His Majesty, and the next moment he’s kissing me desperately. I ain’t a fool, or maybe I am—reckon I haven’t made up my mind on that yet, and I kiss him back.

His soft hands link around my neck, and his heartbeat thunders so forcefully under his shirt, that I can feel it. I wrap my arms around his slender waist to steady him.

He withdraws from my mouth reluctantly. “I’m sorry. That was—”

“That was nice,” I assure him.

“You thought so?” I feel him smile against me. “I thought so as well.”

“I’m gonna miss you,” I tell him.

“I’ll miss you too.”

I hesitate. This is the time I say goodnight to him for real. But it don’t sit right with me, and I keep hold of his hands. “Someone might come check here again.”

His shoulders slump. “Yes.”

I hate the dejected noise he makes. That wasn’t my intention.

“I want to keep kissing you,” I promise him.

He straightens. “Oh.”

He don’t say nothing, and my heart spins. I think of all the magazines with him on the cover.

He opens his mouth, then closes it.

He opens it again, then says, “I have a bedroom.”