Beyond the Mistletoe: A Christmas Romance (Beyond Love Book 7)

by Karice Bolton

  A server came over and took our drink orders. She was very friendly and hadn’t been involved in the earlier mystery dinner. A flash of recognition ran through her gaze when her eyes landed on Derek, which made me wonder if he’d been frequenting this bar a lot.

  “Do you mind me asking what your script’s about or is that too personal?”

  He brought his eyes back to mine and reached across the tiny table and touched my cheek sending a spark through my entire body. I honestly couldn’t wait for more, if I could just get to more.

  “You’re extremely special.”

  Like “special” or special?

  “I could take that a few ways,” I laughed.

  He shook his head and brought his hand back. “I’m starting to realize you have absolutely no idea who I am.”

  I bit my lip and stared at him harder. What was I missing?

  “You know, I feel kind of foolish. I don’t even know your last name.” I twisted my lips into a pucker as I thought about what in the world he was talking about.

  “Binter.”

  “Derek Binter,” I repeated. “Still not ringing any bells.”

  Our server slid the drinks in front of us and asked if we needed anything else, which we didn’t. She also informed us the drinks were on the house and gave a funny look to Derek.

  I glanced at Derek who only shrugged, so I took a sip of my spiked cinnamon hot chocolate and felt the warm liquid slide down my throat. That ought to do the trick for the hard-hitting questions.

  Derek took in a deep breath, and the look in his eyes told me he hadn’t planned on going here with me; yet here we were, and I had to admit I was completely fascinated by what he was about to tell me.

  “Derek Binter probably wouldn’t.” He scowled. “But Derek Binterelli might.”

  I gasped and nearly dropped the hot chocolate out of my hand before setting it back down, trying to collect my calm.

  I was having drinks with Derek Binterelli. The Derek Binterelli who I’d hung posters of on my wall when I was a teenager and followed until he seemed to vanish into thin air. He’d started to party and lose control and in a blink of an eye, it was over.

  No more magazine covers, roles, or tabloid stories until several years ago when he resurfaced, somewhat.

  “So you’ve heard of me.” He grimaced slightly.

  Was I supposed to be honest in this situation or act like I had no idea who he was? I chewed my lip and brought my gaze up to his brown eyes. How in the world had I not recognized him? Those soft luscious lips and brooding eyes were the death of my teenage years.

  “You’re a lot more good-looking now.”

  He almost choked on his beer and shook his head.

  “It’s true, and I would know because I had posters of you plastered all over my room.”

  The cute dimple in his left cheek surfaced again and he groaned.

  “You wrote that film about the fighter, and you pissed everyone off by not showing up to receive your award for best screenplay,” I added.

  He nodded.

  “What was that movie called again?”

  “The Fighters.”

  “That would make sense for a title. See, if you had shown up to accept your awards a few years ago, everything this weekend would have been clear as day. I would have recognized you.”

  “Is that a good thing?” he asked.

  “I actually have no idea,” I confessed.

  “The script you’re working on is the sequel?”

  “It is.”

  “Are you afraid of not living up to the first one?” I asked. It came out more blunt than I anticipated, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. Instead, his dimple deepened.

  “I am, which is why I’m behind schedule. I’m hoping the move will help put things in perspective.”

  “What things?” I asked

  “Love and family.”

  I nodded. Truth be told, I hadn’t seen the movie that won him award after award in Hollywood. The topic hadn’t interested me. I wasn’t into boxing.

  “You haven’t seen the movie, have you?” His grin widened.

  “No,” I confessed. “But I’m sure it was excellent.”

  “The stars aligned.” He shrugged and took another sip of beer.

  “It wasn’t just luck. The movie obviously resonated with millions. It’s rare for fans and critics to love the same thing. That’s talent and a story that means something to many.”

  “Possibly or it could just be a great marketing campaign and a production company that doesn’t want to lose money.”

  “If only it was as simple as pouring money into a project…” I arched my brow. “You have talent.”

  “You haven’t seen it so that’s—”

  “Even more reason to listen to me. Let’s rewind shall we? I’m the one who could barely remember you in the first place. I have no reason to kiss your ass. I doubt we’ll see each other past this weekend.”

  “Is that really what you think?” he asked, leaning forward. His gaze was my downfall so I glanced out the window to distract myself.

  “Which part?”

  “That we won’t see each other past this weekend.”

  “I’m a realist. There’s no real reason too.” I sucked in my breath. “I’m not into prolonging the inevitable. I went into this weekend with the idea of strictly having fun with no expectations.”

  “How’s that working for you?” he asked.

  “So far so good. But I hadn’t expected my teen idol to be sitting across from me.”

  “Does that change things?” he asked, almost resigned.

  “It shouldn’t. But I can’t help but wonder why you’d be here with me when you can have your pick of just about any actress or model.”

  “How do you figure?” He circled his index finger along the wood grain of the table.

  I arched a brow but didn’t respond.

  “That’s not what I’m interested in.”

  I thought about his online dating confession and wondered if that was a front. Why would someone in his position do an online dating site? Maybe he was just acting. Maybe this entire weekend was his last easy fling before he went to Montana.

  I looked into his eyes and knew that couldn’t be the case, or I didn’t want it to be the case.

  “Did you really do the online dating thing?” I asked.

  “Do you think I’d lie about something that traumatic?” His brows furrowed, but there was a hint of a smile behind his gaze.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “Besides the wackos that actually showed up for the dates, I also got one who postponed a date three times, and then when we were finally set to meet up, she just didn’t show. I never heard from her again, and she even shut down her profile.” He shook his head and threw his hands into the air. “I’m beginning to think it’s me and even imaginary people on the interwebs can sense I’m not the one for them.”

  “When was that?” I asked casually, even though my heart raced wildly. I had postponed the guy I’d stood up three times. Please let it not have been Derek.

  “A month or more ago,” he laughed.

  “What name did you use?” I took another sip of my drink. The person I’d canceled on wasn’t named Derek. It was LuckyCharm76. His first name was Chance.

  “I don’t know if I’m ready to embarrass myself to that degree or not.”

  The server came by, and we both ordered more drinks, this next round a little more substantial.

  “Oh come on. I think you’ve already breached that wall,” I teased.

  “Are you saying I should be embarrassed about my past as a teen idol?”

  “From what I remember about the Big D…”

  “You remember that nickname?” He smiled.

  “I probably remember far more than I should ever confess to. You had quite the persona.”

  “It was hard to live up to.”

  The server delivered our drinks, and I took a sip of my vodka martini.
>
  “It was probably really difficult.” I set my drink down.

  “You’re teasing me.” His eyes narrowed as he studied me.

  “Possibly.” I took another sip of the smooth vodka and flashed a smile. “So how did Lily get you here this weekend?”

  His lip turned up slightly and he shook his head.

  “Come on. You’ve got to tell me.”

  “Lily and Ayden are very convincing. Not to mention I would never miss Jason and Gabby’s celebration.” He swirled his drink in his glass but didn’t take a sip. “They told me I took things way too seriously, and I needed to just let loose and have fun.”

  “Do you take things too seriously?” I was surprised we’d both been delivered the same line.

  “I have high expectations, and I don’t like to fail,” he said in all seriousness. “And relationships are the one thing I seem to fail at miserably.” His eyes locked on mine. “So I thought a weekend of fun could be exactly what I needed. You?”

  “Same. But it’s never been my style. I tend to freeze up and run away.”

  “You don’t seem to be running away.” The look in his eyes was dreamy and took my breath away.

  “Yet,” I added, and he shook his head, beaming.

  “They also told me a cute redhead would be at the festivities.”

  “Really? Have you seen one yet?” I teased.

  “Right in front of me.”

  Even though I led him right into that one, I couldn’t help but love what his words did to me.

  “I’m not a natural redhead.”

  “Your olive skin kind of gave that away,” he confessed.

  “You do pay attention.”

  A few beats of comfortable silence sat between us.

  “I spotted a covered patio with a fire pit from my room.” He took a sip of his whisky. “I ordered marshmallows to roast. They’re waiting for us at the front desk, if you’re game.”

  “I’d like that very much.”

  He stood up and took another swig of his drink before holding out his hand for mine. I stood up quickly, almost losing my balance as my imagination ran wild. Would I be able to really let loose and be with him? Was he even asking for that? I had no idea, but I quickly wanted to throw my worries and speculation out the window. I wanted to forget about tomorrow and be in the moment without dragging emotion and sentiment to everything I ever touched.

  I slid my hand into his and felt the immediate connection I so desperately craved but was afraid to let myself have.

  We stopped at the front desk where they had a bag of marshmallows and skewers waiting for us. Derek grabbed everything with his free hand and led me down the hallway to the large wooden doors that opened onto the covered patio.

  I expected to see other people around, but outside was completely empty. Large benches circled the fire pit and several outdoor heaters warmed the space up. The white of the snow caught the amber glow of the flames. There were two wool blankets folded on the bench in front of us. He placed the marshmallows and skewers on the bench and shook out one of the blankets, wrapping it around me before he looked up and smiled.

  “What?” I whispered, following his gaze to the tiny green bundle dangling above us.

  “We have to follow the rules,” he murmured, closing the gap between us.

  Even in the frigid temperatures I immediately felt a rush of heat run through my body as he pressed the strength of his body against me, making my world spin. He tilted his head slightly and pushed my hair to the side, whispering for me to come closer. I nodded, and before I even had chance to move, his lips touched mine.

  My blanket fell to the ground as I closed my eyes and melted into his embrace. His lips slowly parted, and I kissed him back, hungry for the companionship I was afraid to let myself have. I ran my fingers through his hair as our kisses deepened, and everything else drifted away. I no longer cared where I was or where I’d be tomorrow. For now, I was where I needed to be.

  He ran his hands along my sides, and my body shuddered with the slightest touch. His fingers gently dipped along the curves of my waist; our kisses deepened, and the sweetness of his lips tasted beyond anything I’d imagined. I wanted so much more.

  And that was the problem. No matter what I told myself, I wanted more than just a good time over the weekend. I wasn’t wired any other way, and he sensed it.

  His lips slowly parted from mine, leaving a tingling sensation as I opened my eyes to see Derek smiling at me, his gaze taking me in.

  He let out a deep sigh and shook his head while bending over to pick up the blanket that had slipped to the ground. I stood almost paralyzed by the longing that flooded my veins. I wanted to be kissed all over. I wanted to experience more of Derek. He sat on the bench and pulled me onto his lap before covering us both in the blanket.

  “I’m not sure I can do just fun with you,” he murmured, his words landing deep into my core.

  I rested my head on his chest and let out a sigh, feeling the strength in his arms as he held me.

  “It’s always the way, isn’t it?” I whispered.

  He nodded and placed a sweet kiss on my cheek.

  Chapter Nine

  I’d replayed our kiss over and over since the weekend away. I could still taste the sweetness of his lips as I sat here in the bakery on the Wednesday before Gabby’s wedding. The rest of the weekend had gone by in a blur. Derek and I’d managed to team up on the treasure hunt and chili cook-off. I looked for any reason to accidentally rub against him or feel his electrifying touch dance off my skin. The chemistry was undeniable, which made it even more difficult not to wind up in bed with him.

  But if I had, I’d be even more obsessive about Derek, and there’d be feelings involved besides lust and daydreaming. I’d done an amazing job of protecting my heart since my divorce, and I wasn’t about to throw away all that hard work.

  The door of the bakery chimed, and I made my way out front. Rush hour had already passed, and now was when the more leisurely crowd appeared.

  “Hi there, Mr. Gibbs,” I said, waving at one of our regulars. His pure white hair was mostly hidden under his driving cap, but his blue eyes sparkled with pure joy.

  “Good morning there, Emily,” he replied, tilting his hat slightly. “I see you’ve got the Christmas decorations up.”

  “We finally made it happen.” I began working on his drink, a cappuccino, and asked what he’d like for a pastry. “Between Gabby’s wedding this weekend and her party last weekend, I thought I might not get to it.”

  “They look splendid, especially the train. I’ve always had a fondness for trains.” He cleared his throat a few times. “I’d actually like to add an extra cappuccino, and two slices of cranberry bread instead of one.”

  I spun around and flashed a grin. Walter Gibbs’ smile widened before speaking. “My lady found me.”

  “A lady found you?” My brow arched. “How does a lady go about such a feat?”

  Mr. Gibbs had lost his wife seven years ago, and he’d thrown himself into the antique store they owned. At eighty-five, he was considered the area expert on rare coins and decoys.

  He gave a wry grin, which deepened the wrinkles around his kind eyes, and I couldn’t help but delight in the details of his recent find.

  “She had a trunk full of ducks, and one of them turned out to be carved by A.E. Crowell. I put her in touch with an auction house, and let’s just say she doesn’t have to worry about the rest of her years any longer.”

  I smiled, pouring the steamed milk into Mr. Gibbs’ cup.

  “She had no idea what she had on her hands,” he continued. “One of the rarest of the rares.”

  “A lot of dealers might have just bought it off her and sent her on her way.”

  He frowned as my words settled over him.

  “Isn’t that the truth?” he grunted. “And our world is only getting more ruthless, but I refuse to be a part of it. I’ve seen that if ya kick someone while they’re down, life has a way of cutting
ya off at your knees, and I like my knees. Even though they’re really not mine any longer after all my surgeries.”

  I chuckled and handed him a drink carrier and the bag with two slices of cranberry bread before ringing him up.

  “So what’s her name?” I asked.

  “Dorothy,” he answered. “Sweet Dorothy. I’m lucky our distance didn’t sway her to another. She’s a real looker.” Mr. Gibbs winked and I chuckled.

  “A long distance relationship, huh?” I asked, handing him his change. “That seems like it could be really difficult.”

  The door jingled and in came Gabby. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement.

  “Distance should never be a problem when the hearts are one. Better to have someone you’re fond of somewhere than have no one you’re fond of anywhere,” he whispered.

  His words made more sense than I cared to think about.

  “Have a good morning, Mr. Gibbs.”

  Gabby held the door open and took a deep breath in, waving with her free hand as Mr. Gibbs trundled out of the bakery.

  “How are you doing this fine morning?” Gabby asked.

  Mr. Gibbs didn’t respond, rather he made his way into the parking lot, and I answered for him as Gabby shut the door.

  “Mr. Gibbs has found a lady friend,” I said.

  “Is that so? That’s a surprise. He always seemed so disinterested in dating after his wife’s death.”

  “Maybe he got too lonely. So what brought you in? I doubt it’s just to make sure the Christmas decorations are up.” I put both hands on my hips, knowing full well what was coming my way.

  “I wouldn’t have had to come all the way here had you answered my questions over text. This phone thingy is a really neat little gadget,” she said with a sarcastic undertone.

  “I honestly don’t have an answer for any of the texts you sent.”

  “You were interested in Derek, right?” she prompted, taking a seat at one of the tables.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, that’s the only answer you needed. We could all see the sparks flying between you two the entire weekend.” She furrowed her brows in confusion.