“I think you do.” I bend down, giving her time to pull away. “Couples touch.” I pause, letting my breath caress her lips. “Kiss. And they’re comfortable doing it.” I brush my lips against hers, and the energy crackles between us. “Think we can manage that?”
Our eyes lock, and we exist, breathing the same air.
“Yes.”
“I think so, too,” I whisper.
“I don’t want to lose us in this.” Her lower lip trembles.
“We won’t.”What if we found more?
“Promise me.”
“I promise,” I kiss her forehead. “I think it’s time to lay a little groundwork. Being seen together.”
“We’re always together.”
“Not like this.” I twine our fingers and pull her back onto the main sidewalk. I lift our hands and kiss her hand. “You know I do nothing half-assed.” I’m not sure if I’m lying to her or myself. We’ve unlocked something I’m not willing to relinquish my hold on.
“Of course, we have our roles to play.” She smiles up at me, fixing an adoring expression on her face. “Let operation Christmas Romance begin.”
She swings our hands.
“What are you doing?” I ask, amused.
“Setting the stage.”
“For a horror movie?”
“A small-town romance, you jackass,” she hisses.
“Is that right?” I smirk. “What should I do then?” I bat my eyelashes. “This.”
She snickers. “Knock it off.”
“All you have to do is be you, Dec. That’s plenty to fall in love with.”
She stumbles, and I pull her to me, placing a steadying hand on her lower back.
“You okay?”
“Oh, my God! You guys are together now?” The familiar voice hits me like ice water.
“Showtime,” I whisper, helping her stand as we turn to face my older sister, Brenda. So much for easing into things.
“You caught us.”
“Not like you were trying to hide it very well.” She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you kept this from us.” Brenda looks between the two of us.
“Wanted to make sure it would stick before we got the families involved.”
Brenda laughs. “Are you kidding me? Everyone’s been waiting for this to happen since high school. The way you look at each other has always spoken volumes.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
Brenda grins like a Jack-o’-lantern leftover from the Halloween season. “All that matters is that you’ve finally figured it out.” She frowns. “Crap.”
“What’s wrong?” December asks.