A Kiss at Christmas

by Meg Easton

  And then, Tessa told a story about how she grew up in a rural area and their family was super poor, but they decided that a neighboring family needed gifts for Christmas worse than they did. As they were sneaking across the fields to deliver them, they ran into the family they were headed toward, who were sneaking through the fields to give everything they had for Christmas to her family.

  While Tessa told the story, Parker had his hand resting at the side of his chair and Kelli’s was resting at the side of her chair. And all she could think of was how much she wanted to touch his hand. To reach out and close that distance, make that connection.

  But it was scary. No, terrifying. What if she wasn’t ready for this? What if it was a big mistake that she would regret once they got back to real life and saw each other at work five days a week?

  What if he didn’t even want that connection? What if she reached out and then she just ended up feeling stupid and had to find a way to avoid him for the rest of the trip?

  She was feeling pulled to him so strongly, though, that she had to try. With a hand that managed to only be a little shaky, she reached across the six inches of space separating the two of them and ironically, just like in the story Tessa was telling, he was reaching out across the space between them as well.

  Their pinkies touched first, just brushing up against each other so softly that she held her hand there, just taking in the gentle, sweet feel of his skin barely touching hers. Then, in a burst of bravery, she linked her pinky with his.

  It was such a simple thing and was such a small part of her touching him, but it was so much more than a casual or accidental brushing touch. Their pinky fingers were entwined, choosing to hold onto each other.

  He had caught her from falling. He had danced with her. He had held her in his arms, keeping her in one piece. Yet somehow this felt more intimate. More daring. More like a line had been crossed. A choice had been made. A choice to be reckless and brave and vulnerable and fearless.

  When Tessa finished her story, Parker turned back to look at her, his expression so deep and layered that she could’ve stared into his eyes for days trying to figure out all of it. But before she got enough of a chance, Graham clapped his hands and said, “Alright, everyone head into the family room—we’re playing Christmas Charades!”

  Parker and Kelli were placed on different teams, so they sat on opposite sides of the room. But she found his eyes wandering to her just as often as hers went to him. Now, though, the night felt charged, and she wondered if she was ever going to feel tired enough to head to bed. Most people seemed to feel that way, even after all the laughing from the bad acting and the hilarious guesses, so all sixteen of them played game after game, until people finally started to break away, one by one, to go to bed.

  Merit walked to the windows and looked out. “I guess when we brought sixteen adults and a baby from a place as snowy as Colorado, we couldn’t help but bring some snow with us.”

  “It’s snowing?” Kelli jumped up and ran to the window, pressing her hands against the window at the sides of her face so she could see past the light in the room. “It’s snowing! Is it even supposed to snow here?”

  “It does sometimes,” Parker said as he stepped up to her side and looked out. “I checked before we came.”

  “We should go out in it. You all brought coats, right?”

  The handful of people who were still in the room looked at her with confused faces.

  “You want to go out in the storm?” Graham asked.

  She looked around at everyone. “Don’t you all go outside whenever it storms?”

  “Not if I can help it,” Elise said.

  Roman shook his head. “Me neither.”

  “But storms are so exciting.” It was baffling that none of them raced outside whenever it rained or snowed, so they could experience it in person instead of just behind a window.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  Parker’s words were as attractive as the smile on his face. She gave him a big, grateful smile back. Then she hurried up to her room to put on her coat, boots, gloves, hat, and scarf before he had a chance to change his mind. When she came back down to the main floor, he was already waiting by the door, all bundled up, and they headed outside.

  The air was cold, and with each breath in, it felt like the cold was zinging into her body. In Colorado, it always seemed to warm up when it snowed. Like the clouds were a blanket in the sky, holding in all the warmth. But the wind had blown hard to bring in this storm, and it had blown all that warmth they’d felt earlier in the day to someone else. “Do you think we just got too acclimated to the warmth since we got here, and that’s why the cold is such a shock?”

  “Maybe,” Parker said as he looked out across the ocean. “It definitely feels colder.”

  Kelli held her hand out to catch a snowflake as they neared the bottom of the road that their mansion was on. “Or maybe it’s just because this snow is wetter.”

  “Are you cold? Because we can head back.”

  “I’m fine. Unless you’re cold?”

  He smiled at her in a way that made her warm all the way down to her toes. She would be just fine out here as long as she was with Parker. “I’m fine, too. But we could just watch the storm from the balcony at the mansion. That way we’d be close if things get too cold.”

  “No, because look!” Kelli pointed to the main resort area as it came into view. “Look at all the Christmas lights! Oh, my twinkling tinsel, it’s so beautiful! We have to go see them in the snow.”

  The Christmas village was completely lit up in colorful lights, and so were all the buildings and pathways, even more than they had been when they’d gone to the dance. Each building and the trees and pathways around it were lit up in a different color, so one building was all purples, one was all greens, one was blues, one was reds, and one was whites. An archway of lights went down the main pathway, each arch a different color, making a rainbow. It was the most incredible display of lights she had ever seen.

  And with the snow falling, all the lights seemed to twinkle, like a magic spell had been cast over the whole resort. “I am so sad for everyone who stayed back in the mansion.”

  Parker looked at her, smiling, and she thought it was possibly the most amazing smile she had ever seen. She snuggled in close to him as they walked down the first pathway of lights, and he wrapped an arm around her, keeping her warm and protected. She hadn’t even thought about snuggling into him before she did it—it had just seemed so natural. Maybe all her fears had just been stupid excuses to not be brave.

  It wasn’t like she had the best track record when it came to dating, though. She usually just went with what made her heart happy and kept logic out of it. She was trying to use logic this time around, and logic told her that she shouldn’t be dating someone who could make things awkward at work. It told her that she shouldn’t be dating anyone right now. She knew that a man with a great family was her kryptonite, and with things being so unsettled with her dad, she knew her heart was extra unprotected. She needed to keep it far from danger, not snuggle up to danger.

  So she ran. A bunch of pathways converged in one big open crossroads, with lights twisting up the five street lamps surrounding the area. She just needed to put a teeny bit of space between Parker and her, and she hoped he saw it as her running to the magical spot instead of running from him. She put her arms straight out and turned around in a slow circle, her face turned up at the sky, soaking in the beauty of the meandering snow falling softly on her, the lights casting a warm glow on everything.

  She stopped turning and looked at Parker, who was looking at her with the same expression that she’d just had as she’d marveled at the lights and snow. It made her want to go to him. To snuggle into him. Maybe she didn’t need to run from danger. Maybe knowing what her weaknesses were and being cautious when it came to them, and brave when it came to everything else, was all she needed.

  Because this man smiling at her from a dozen feet awa
y was so very perfect.

  A loud crack sounded off in the distance. The lights all over the resort shut off at once, plunging everywhere into darkness, and Kelli screamed. She hadn’t even noticed there was a new moon until she didn’t have even its light. And with the clouds from the snowstorm covering the sky, all the lights from the stars were hidden. Silence was everywhere.

  She wasn’t afraid of the dark.

  But this wasn’t the dark. This was the absence of everything, including sounds. It made her feel as though there wasn’t anything around her. Like everything had fallen away, leaving her drifting and alone with nothing to hold on to, nothing to ground her. “Parker?” she called out, her heart racing as she shuffled forward, hands out, desperate to grasp hold of anything.

  “I’m here. I’m coming.”

  Hearing his voice helped her to slow her panicked breathing. She hoped that her heart would take the hint and calm down, too, but it didn’t.

  Parker must’ve pushed a button to light up his watch, because she could suddenly see a faint light heading toward her. The light was enough to give her something to fix her eyes on, making it feel like she wasn’t alone in a void. She stopped moving her arms in front of her, frantic to find something to grasp, and just kept her eyes on the light as it bobbed its way toward her.

  And then Parker was there and she grabbed hold of him tight, pulling herself into that strong chest of his, and a peace washed over her. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing the middle of her back in calming strokes. She felt safe in his arms, and this time, both her breathing and her heart started to calm.

  “It’s unnerving. I know.”

  “Do you think the power will be back on soon?”

  “I don’t know. But I’m sure they’ll have backup generators going soon. There will be enough light to find our way back before long.”

  She nodded, and lay her head on his chest as the snow fell all around them in the complete darkness, wishing she could hear the comforting sound of his heart through his coat. But she could hear his breathing, and that was enough. She was so grateful that he was so quick to help, so good at comforting her, and so sweet and thoughtful.

  For so long, she hadn’t let herself notice all of the good things about him. At first, it had been out of fear that things would be even more awkward at work than they’d been after their first disastrous date. Then it had been because they had both started dating other people. They had both been single for a while now, but she’d still held back out of fear that her heart couldn’t handle being open to the risks again.

  He moved one of his arms that had been on her back to her side and said, “Will you tap my watch?”

  She reached a gloved finger up and gave his watch a tap, lighting up the screen and illuminating his beautiful face as a smile spread across his lips.

  “Merry Christmas, Kelli Ellis.”

  “It’s after midnight?” He nodded, and she smiled so big, she felt it breathe excitement into her whole body. “Merry Christmas, Parker Brockbank.”

  She had gotten to know and admire him here so much more deeply than she ever had at work. She had seen the goodness in him. As he held her in the darkness, the two of them seeming to be the only things that existed, she realized that when they got back to the office, things couldn’t be the same. They had already both been changed too much to ever go back to the way they were. So maybe there wasn’t harm in moving forward. She knew her heart needed protecting, but Parker had shown that he was pretty good at protecting her when she was most vulnerable—maybe she could trust him with her heart, too.

  A hum sounded in the distance, followed closely by the buzz of the streetlights above. Only every third light turned on, and only at a fraction of its usual brightness, but it was enough to show that things other than the two of them existed. Enough to show the faint outline of Parker’s face.

  And enough to show a sparkle of light in his eyes as he looked at her. At her back, his arms shifted as he pulled one glove off. Then he brought his bare hand to her face, wiping a few melted snowflakes off her forehead and temple with his knuckles. His hands were so warm and soft and gentle, and as his fingers got to her cheeks, she leaned into them, soaking in his touch.

  Then she took off one of her own gloves and reached her own warm hand up to his face. She brushed her palm against his neck, her thumb resting just in front of his ear, her fingertips finding their way under his hat and into his hair.

  Linking pinkies with him at dinner had felt bold and risky. As her eyes went back and forth between his eyes and the faint outline of his lips in the darkness, the thought of kissing him felt so far beyond bold and risky that she was afraid she would back out.

  Except that it also felt so right.

  And from the way he was looking at her, she could tell that it felt right to him, too.

  So she rose up on her toes slightly and pulled him toward her with both the hand on his neck and the hand clutching onto the coat at his chest. He responded by wrapping his fingers around to the base of her neck and pulling her closer at the waist.

  She pressed her lips against his, soft and careful. As they kissed, their cold noses brushed each other’s cheeks, but their lips warmed quickly. He let out a whisper of a groan, and she melted into him, loving that their kiss was having as strong of an effect on him as it was her.

  Everything in the world seemed to fade around them, but instead of it being terrifying like when the power had first gone out, this time it made her feel like she had everything she needed right there in her little bubble.

  He deepened the kiss, and she knew she was a goner. She was handing him her entire heart, and he was putting his strong hands around it, keeping it safe.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Parker woke to the sound of Graham and Merit strolling down the hallways, singing a very loud and very off-key rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas and knocking on everyone’s doors. Parker rolled over to look at the alarm clock on his bedside table, but apparently the power was still out. He picked up his phone—which he’d plugged in, but was now down to ten percent power—and saw that it was barely seven a.m. Five a.m. Denver time.

  He pushed his phone into the pocket of his pajamas, because his parents hadn’t known when they’d be on shore and available to call, and he didn’t want to miss it. Then he took a look outside. It was still dark and everything was wet and very cold-looking, but it was beautiful. And not exactly the white Christmas Graham had been rooting for.

  He headed downstairs with every other bleary-eyed ZentCube employee, most of whom had blankets wrapped around their shoulders and shuffled more than walked. He was used to waking up at five-thirty Denver time, so this wasn’t too far out of the ordinary, but he also never went to bed as late as he had last night if he had work the next day.

  They all gathered in the family room around the tree. As soon as he saw Kelli and the way her face lit up as soon as she saw him, he decided that any amount of sleep deprivation was just fine with him if it involved being able to see her. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but Graham and Merit had placed dozens of candles around the room. He couldn’t take his eyes off Kelli, marveling at how beautiful she looked in the golden glow of the candles. He wished he could place kisses on those beautiful lips, on her temples, and all along that beautiful jaw line.

  Instead, as he stepped up to her, he reached for her hand, brought it up to his lips, and brushed kisses across her knuckles. She closed her eyes and sighed. Maybe believing in the “magic of Christmas” wasn’t something just for childhood.

  “Sit down, sit down,” Graham said. “Everyone find a seat.”

  Parker sat down next to Kelli on one of the couches and listened as Merit told a story about his childhood Christamases. They had been super poor, and any presents they got were inexpensive. So his mom had started a tradition of going around and having everyone say what they were grateful for before opening anything. By the time they had all finished, they felt like they already had everything
they could possibly want. So the presents were just icing on the cake and they were always happier with Christmas than any of their friends—even the ones who got everything they had hoped for.

  As they went around the circle, each person saying what they were grateful for, he thought about how much he had been dreading this Christmas, and how it had turned out so much better than he could’ve ever hoped. He definitely had a lot to be grateful for.

  Including last night. He had wanted to kiss Kelli for quite a while, but he had wanted that moment to be perfect for her. He never would’ve chosen their first kiss to be in the freezing cold, their coats and shoes getting soaked, and with the power out, scaring her. But even with all that, it had ended up being perfect after all. There may not have been electricity at the resort, but he had felt electricity coursing through him plenty.

  That kiss blew his mind. Never had a kiss felt like that before. As they had stood there in their winter gear and he held her close, everything fell away, all his worries and cares, and all that was left was a beautiful woman who was more amazing than he’d ever known, who seemed to want to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her.

  His perfect evening with her also would’ve included an unseasonably warm night, a clear sky full of stars, and Christmas lights surrounding them. But they had found a bench and sat down in the near darkness and enjoyed a peaceful silence that could only come from a power outage and falling snow, her head against his shoulder and his arm around her shoulders. They had talked for hours on that bench, and he couldn’t think of anything more perfect. And he couldn’t imagine himself falling more fully for anyone.

  But now that it was morning, fears started settling in. He wanted things to work out between him and Kelli more than he’d ever wanted it with anyone else. And things were going so well between the two of them.