Page 28 of Suddenly Mine
“I want a plaque,” he said.“Christian: Restorer of Christmas Spirit. Bringer of Cheesesteaks.”
She laughed, head tipped back slightly, and he felt the heat rise in his chest. Their sandwiches arrived wrapped in brownpaper, still steaming from the grill. Merry peeled hers open and her eyes grew wide. “Oh my God.”
Christian bit into his. The flavours hit so hard he let out a satisfied sigh.
Merry took her first bite and let out a noise that was halfway indecent. Christian’s brain stalled. He tried to recover, but his mouth was full and his body had already decided that whatever that sound was, it was very much his business. Merry caught the look on his face and laughed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Oh my God,” she said, a little breathless. “Sorry, that was uncalled for. It’s just, this is literally orgasmic.”
“Right?” he said, swallowing hard. “And your little moan was—”
“Embarrassing?” she interrupted, nose wrinkled.
“Not the word I’d use.” He took another bite just to give himself something to do, but it was too late. Every nerve in his body was paying attention now.
They stood under the awning of the stall, pressed shoulder to shoulder as they ate, sauce dripping on to their napkins, and when Merry went to take another bite, the cheese stretched out across her hands and down her chin.
Christian handed her an extra napkin. “You’ve got cheese on your—”
She took it and wiped blindly at her cheek. “Did I get it?”
“Close,” he said, then reached over and ran a thumb over her chin. She froze, watching him for a second too long. Her lips parted, just a little, but enough to make Christian’s chest hitch at the sight of her perfect pout. Oh, the things he’d like to do to that mouth.
She cleared her throat. “Okay. So, we need drinks to wash this down. Cider?”
“Cider,” he confirmed, heart thudding. “This way.”
They made their way towards the drinks stand as they finished their sandwiches. The air was still damp but no longer biting, filled now with laughter, ‘Jingle Bells’ and the faint hum of festive music crackling from overhead speakers.
Christian ordered two hot apple ciders, both crowned with a towering swirl of whipped cream and cinnamon, and a side of half a donut glistening with sugar.
“Careful,” he said, handing a cup to Merry. “They said it’s lava.”
Merry gripped hers between her gloved hands, inhaling deeply. “Thanks,” she said, looking intensely at her drink. She hadn’t met his eye since he had touched her and a part of him wondered if he’d overstepped the mark.
The worry settled low in his gut. He wasn’t exactly a master of restraint, especially around her. But he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. He was thinking about how to apologise when Merry turned to him, frowning. “I know you’re leaving,” she blurted out.
Christian blinked. “What?”
Merry finally looked up at him. “You’re not staying in New York, are you?”
His breath caught, and for a second, he considered lying. But something in her face told him not to. So, he simply nodded. “After Christmas.”
Her gaze dropped to her cider. She gave it a little swirl, whipped cream sliding down into the cup.
“I heard. I just wasn’t sure if you were going to tell me. Not that it’s any of my business.”
“It is,” he said quietly. “I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. And I wasn’t sure if you’d come here with me this evening if you knew.”
Her mouth twitched, like she was fighting a smile. “I knew and I’m still here.”
“Right.” He shifted closer, the noise of the market somehow fading beneath the weight of this moment. “I wanted to give you something before I go. Something Christmassy. Because when you told me you’d fallen out of love with the holidays, I couldn’t let that go. I didn’t want to leave without trying to fix that.”
“You’re not responsible for fixing my Christmas spirit,” she said. “That’s not your job.”
“I know,” he said. “But I wanted to anyway.”
She didn’t reply right away, just looked at him, and in the silence, Christian felt dangerously close to wanting more than he knew he should. She blew gently across the surface of her drink, then took a slow, careful sip. The moment the heat hit her tongue, she gave a quiet, contented sigh that went straight to Christian’s bloodstream.