Holiday Promise (Hollyberry Harbor #2)

Chapter 7

SEVEN

Snow came down hard by the time they’d returned home. Despite how cold it was, Melody was overheated. In the course of the last couple of hours, she’d started questioning herself completely.

Her crush had exploded into something more. The worst part was that she realized that she wanted nothing more than to investigate what a future could look like with Blake.

But he was her boss!

As many times as she’d said this exact thing in her head, she’d brushed it off just as many. She wasn’t blind. Blake was sending all sorts of signals in her direction. The way he looked at her. Their quiet conversations.

After she’d nearly fallen flat on her face, they continued and they grew more blatant by the minute.

“I’m going to tuck Max into bed,” Blake murmured, too closely to her ear. The house was quiet when they’d returned. Ms. Anthony had already gone home. They’d stayed out a little later than they normally would’ve—something she couldn’t complain about.

Max was asleep on his shoulder, having slipped into slumber on the way back. He’d been so excited when the snow had started falling, he’d most assuredly be thrilled with the amount that would cover the ground in the morning.

Melody nodded, briefly brushing the hair from Max’s face. She didn’t trust her voice, not now. She told herself it was because she didn’t want to wake the boy, but in truth, she didn’t think she’d sound like herself.

It was late and she probably should head off to bed herself. Doing so would save her from any awkward encounters with Blake. It was strange that she’d been essentially living under the same roof as the man for a year and while she felt like she knew him better than most, there were parts of him that she didn’t know at all—yet she found herself wishing she did.

The heat returned to her face, betraying her thoughts. Yes, it would be best to scurry off to bed so that she didn’t have to interact with Blake at all.

She peeled off her coat and hung it on a hook in the foyer. But when she turned around, she nearly collided with the man she knew she should be avoiding. Melody forced a soft laugh. “Sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was?—”

“Would you like some tea?”

“Tea?” she stammered.

He gestured toward the kitchen. “I know we have some around here somewhere. Ms. Anthony keeps it on hand.”

She blinked several times. If she accepted his request, she would definitely end up saying something stupid. But if she turned him down, she got the feeling she’d miss out on a great deal more than she bargained for. Her heart fluttered and deep down, she knew that she’d already made her decision a long time ago. “Sure, I’d like some tea.”

His brooding stare softened somewhat. If she wasn’t mistaken, she thought he might actually be fighting a smile. Blake led the way to the kitchen. They turned on the pendant lights over the island, but nothing else which made the space feel more intimate.

Blake filled a kettle with water and placed it on the stove. He opened a couple of cabinets but didn’t have any luck tracking down the tea.

She moved around the island to help, but when they reached for the same cabinet, his hand brushed hers and all focus left her body. Sparks of warning—or perhaps they were excitement—jolted between them. Melody yanked her hand away and dropped her eyes to the floor, mumbling, “Sorry.”

He didn’t open the cabinet right away like she expected. Instead, he hooked a finger beneath her chin, lifting it.

Melody exhaled softly. She should pull away—put distance between them. But the fire in her belly argued against it. The only sound she could hear was that of her beating heart. She stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to say what had been on her mind all evening—that they needed to remain professional.

But he didn’t.

Blake dropped his hand. His hard stare wasn’t one of judgement or disappointment like she’d thought it might be. Rather, it was searching for something. Consent, perhaps?

She swallowed hard, then turned quickly and reached for the cabinet. “Here it is,” she murmured softly. “You have peppermint or lavender.” Without waiting for his request, she grabbed two packages of the peppermint and held them out to him.

His fingers brushed against hers and chills raced down her spine. He didn’t move. His eyes remained locked on her, pinning her to her place. “I need to say something before I lose my nerve,” he said huskily. “And I hope you’ll forgive my candor, but it must be said.”

Warmth seeped into her face. She wanted to deny it, but she already knew what this was about. There was only one question. Was she strong enough to push him away? “Okay,” she whispered against her better judgement.

Blake paused for a moment, as if he needed to gather his thoughts. Then he reached for her hand, his thumb trailing over her knuckles. “What I’m about to say, I don’t say lightly. I’ve never experienced the desire for a fling or a relationship without strings attached. I’ve always found that my heart’s desire is usually exactly what I need.”

She couldn’t breathe. Even though she suspected this was where he was going, to have him actually say it was a whole other issue.

“I should probably apologize for my candor, but I won’t.”

Melody’s legs went numb. It was all she could do to remain standing upright. She’d had boyfriends before, but none of them had affected her the way he was in this very moment. Oh, how she wished she’d called her sister to tell her about her developing crush. She would’ve likely had a thing or two to say about it.

“I can’t fight these feelings. They’ve been growing steadily over the past few days and there’s no way to ignore them any further. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

She nodded, her mouth so dry she wouldn’t have been surprised if she spit sand when she spoke next.

Blake took a deep breath and exhaled. His next words came out in a pleading whisper. “Tell me you feel it too.”

Her shuddering breath, her roaring pulse, all of it gave her away. She might have even collapsed right then and there if it wasn’t for the fact that she leaned her hip against the counter. “I do,” she whispered. “But it’s a bad idea.”

His brows furrowed.

“Think about it,” she said quietly. “This isn’t just about us. Max would be brought into the middle of everything. If we allowed our feelings to lead us, then what happens if we no longer feel any of this?”

“That’s not how things work for me.” He searched her face as if he might be able to dig past all her hesitations.

“But what if that was exactly what happened? I can’t see him hurting again. When you hired me, it took a lot to get him to trust me the way he does now?—”

“And I don’t want him to lose you, either. Max needs you.”

“So you agree?—”

“If you’re suggesting that I agree we shouldn’t at least give it a try, you’re wrong.”

She snapped her mouth shut, unsure of where this could go otherwise.

Blake tightened his hold on her and tugged her a little closer. “I’ve managed my company for nearly a decade. I’ve had to oversee the hiring and firing. I have had to deal with clients I despise and I’ve even lost the ones I’ve held dear. I can be professional even if what you’re suggesting were to happen.”

Melody shook her head. “It would be too messy.”

He grasped her chin, his voice lowering further. “Even ‘messy’ is worth it if it means finding happiness.”

She didn’t know what it was exactly that had her wanting to believe him so dearly. It might have been the way he looked at her, or the gentleness of his touch. Heck, it was probably the way he sounded so dang believable. No wonder he’d grown such a successful company. With one twitch of his lips, one graze of his skin against hers, she lost her resolve. Melody nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay?” The hope in his voice nearly tore her to shreds from the inside out. Her stomach churned and twisted in a devastatingly delightful way. Before she knew what was happening, he’d pulled her against his frame. His hand rested at the small of her back while the other grasped the back of her neck.

He paused momentarily, his eyes meeting hers, questioning hers, before he closed the distance between them and kissed her.

His lips claimed her in ways she’d never experienced. Their kiss was soft and sweet, but at the same time there was a tang of passionate desire that only added to the thrill of it all. What they were doing would be frowned upon. No one in her family would understand. Heck, if the people in town were paying attention, they might think she’d manipulated her way into a millionaire’s arms.

She probably should be worried. No, she definitely should be worried.

Unfortunately, the way Blake kissed her made her forget everything, every reservation, and every fear. Right here, right now, all she wanted was to be held by him, caressed by him. Loved by him.