Her mind started thinking about tugging him into the supply closet of the bakery and finishing what they started last night.
A slam brought her back into the moment and she found Deckard had closed the notebook with a bang on the table.
“Let’s do it.”
Her cheeks heated wondering if he somehow knew what she had imagined just seconds ago.
Bashfully January ran a finger along the edge of the table as she asked, “Do what?”
He shook his head, some of the dark wavy strands falling into his eyes. “Your list. Let’s do it.”
She immediately paused her movements. “What?”
“I don’t think I’ll understand what we’re missing unless I experience it. I mean, this list and your descriptions are too detailed to be a coincidence, and I told you that I believed you. I want to know all about how you celebrated Christmas. I bet your friend Samantha would want to join in too. Though I’m man enough to admit it, she may be tiny, but she scares me.”
Chuckling January piped in, “Don’t worry, she scares me most days too.”
Deckard reached across the table and took her free hand into one of his. “So, what do you think? Show me your Christmas.”
“I feel like that could be a terrible euphemism for something sexual, but yes, I’ll show you my Christmas.”
Chapter Four
Together they left the small bistro and walked back toward Nick’s Knacks General Store. January had worried about not calling out of work, but when she got a hold of Samantha, her friend informed her that their boss wasn’t even in the office.
She also invited herself to join them as they searched for a tree – no questions asked, even after January gave her a brief rundown on the missing holiday. She would be meeting them in thirty minutes.
Inside the store, January wasn’t prepared for what she saw. Though she knew that there was little chance that there would be anything related to Christmas, she still held out a glimmer of hope. But as they walked farther into the space, her heart dropped. It looked like it would any other time of the year, she imagined. The shelves were stocked with all the items a small town would need in the winter. Snow scrapers and shovels, de-icer, boots, and snow gear.
Deflated, January followed Deckard around the shop pointing out the items they needed to chop down the perfect tree. He grabbed an ax, tarp, and a large bucket to fill with dirt to hold the tree. She made the mistake of asking if they sold a tree stand and he looked at her as if she had grown two heads. She hadn’t considered that there wouldn’t be any available. But she was not going to be deterred.
On their way out the door, she noticed the sale on Halloween décor. A set of white and black string lights caught her attention in the large bin.
“These are perfect. Do you happen to have any ribbon?” she asked enthusiastically. She wondered if this was how her mother felt every year when it was time to decorate their tree.
Deckard pointed her toward an aisle with craft supplies and she eagerly skipped down the aisle, sighing in relief when she found a three-inch wide red ribbon. She grabbed a few spools of it and also some thinner white satin ribbon for the ornaments they could make.
At the checkout counter, she found Deckard standing handsomely at the register and she piled her findings in front of him. January noticed that he had added some gloves to their pile as he rang them out.
“So where is a good place to look for a tree?” Deckard asked just as Samantha bounced over to them.
“The woods of course!” the woman shouted as she grabbed the bags from the counter and rushed back out the door as quickly as she came.
“I guess we’re following her?” Deckard joked as he pressed his hand to January’s back to guide her out of the store. They shared a knowing smirk at Samantha’s quick entry and exit.
“Seems that way. I hope that you brought a GPS because she is probably going to get us lost.”
Holding up his phone to signify that he had the GPS covered, Deckard laughed as he stopped in front of his pickup truck. January didn’t want him to know how much she admired the vehicle with its black as night paint and large tires, but she was certain as he took in her smile that he knew anyway.
She clapped her hands gleefully as he held the door open for her to climb in. They were going out on an adventure today and January had a hard time hiding her excitement. With her foot on the running board, she heaved herself inside the cab, settling against the luxurious leather of the seat. At this height Deckard was only slightly below her eye level, and as he moved to close the door she gripped the collar of his jacket, leaned in, and kissed him the way she had wanted to in the bakery.
She had thought that their first kiss last night had made her head spin because it had been a lustful moment in a public place, but as her lips brushed against his now, she knew it was more than a one time thing. They had chemistry, neither of them could deny that, but there was something more that she couldn’t put her finger on. January had been burned so badly by her last relationship that she was skittish to try another. It seemed there was another magic at play, and instead of fighting against it as she had two days ago, January was going to revel in it.
His tongue peeked out and swiped against her lips, begging for entrance, and she greedily accepted his plea. Strong arms wrapped around her waist as Deckard stepped between her legs. Similar to last night, January felt like she couldn’t get close enough to him. It wasn’t just the clothes or the place, she felt that their connection was only held together by a small tether that was slipping away with every second that passed.
“I can’t get enough of you,” Deckard murmured against her mouth before he greedily dove back in to take more. January moaned lustfully at his assault.
January almost bit Deckard’s plump lip when a car’s horn honked beside them, startling them both. With her hands still clutching the lapels of his coat, as Deckard jumped back in alarm, he almost pulled January along with him.