Holiday Second Chance Romance (Clarice and Trevor) novel Chapter 22

22 Coward

Chrissy POV

As soon as I make it back to my apartment, I head to my room. I grab a pair of sleeping shorts that don’t leave much to the imagination and a tank top before I head into the shower. I shave and primp until my body is smooth, and I smell of sugar cookies. You can take the girl out of the North Pole, but you can’t take the North Pole out of the girl, I giggle to myself. I step out of the shower and dry off.

I apply lotion to every inch of my skin before I slip into my shorts and tank top. I put some pink lip gloss on after pulling my hair into a messy bun. I take a deep breath before stepping into the hallway. I can hear the smooth, deep voice that has been the star in many of my dirty dreams. I fight the shiver that wants to roll down my spine. As I start to walk down the hallway, I assume he is on the phone. When I step out into the living room, his back is to me.

He hasn’t noticed my presence, so I head straight to my kitchen. His words have my steps faltering by the door. “No mom, I can’t. Nick would kill me. Besides, she is far too young for me. She isn’t even thirty yet.” I know I shouldn’t continue to listen to his private conversation, but I can’t stop myself. “Mom, I know how much older you are than dad, but he wasn’t your best friend’s brother. I need to just keep reminding myself that she is off limits.” There is a pause before he speaks again.

His next words have me stumbling back against the wall. “I know you want grandchildren, mom, but I’ve not been interested in another woman since the day she came home from college. She is the only one that my heart and body wants.” I catch myself but not before making enough noise that has Jack’s whole body stiffens. He slowly stands and turns to face me. A mix of anger and fear swirls in his eyes. “Mom, I have to let you go,” he says.

As he hangs up the phone, his eyes take in my outfit and I notice for the first time since Clarice said how much I affect him. “How much of that conversation did you hear you little sneak,” he asks. Not exactly what I expected him to say, but I’ll go with it. “Enough to know you are a coward.” “Excuse me,” he says. “You heard me, Jack Frost. You are a coward. The big bad CEO and snow boy is afraid of my brother and his own feelings.”

“Now wait a minute,” he starts to say, but I cut him off. “No, I’m done waiting. I’ve been waiting for far to long for you to see me as more than Nick’s sister or the annoying little girl who followed you and Nick everywhere. I refuse to be like you and Nick. Had he really opened his heart when Clarice still lived in this town he could have saved them both a lot of heartache. I’m going to find a man that isn’t afraid to admit how he feels no matter who gets upset about it.”

His eyes seem to darken, but I don’t give him a chance to respond. I walk down the hall and back to my room before closing the door. I lock it and lean my back against it. Tears run down my cheeks. I

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22 Coward

don’t even know exactly what I’m crying for. Is it because of all the time wasted or the fact that I just told him I was done? A knock on the door startles me and I quickly wipe the tears off my face. “Chrissy open the door. We aren’t done talking,” he says. “Yes, we are. Just leave me alone, Jack” ” No, I’m done being a coward. Now, open the door so we can talk like adults,” he says.

“You don’t see me as an adult, remember. I’m just Nick’s annoying little sister. Go away Jack. I’m going to bed. Tomorrow I’ll make sure you have a room at the Inn. I can’t have you here. It hurts too much.” There is silence and feelings of relief and disappoint wash over me. What did I expect for him to break the door down? For him to profess his love. I guess he’s right. I need to grow up. turn and run right into a hard chest. “What the hell,” is all I get out before he grabs my face and crashes his mouth down on mine.

At first, I try to pull away, but it doesn’t take long before I’m giving into the kiss. When he finally pulls back, the lust filled fog lifts and I push him away from me. He looks shocked and hurt. “You don’t get to just pop in here and kiss me. I’m still angry. You have made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of you for years. Like you felt nothing for me, and now I find out that you have been pining for me. I am so angry with you, Jack for being a chicken sh*t.” “I know you are, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Everything you said was true. I was a coward, but I don’t want to be anymore. You are my one, Chrissy. You have always been,” he says.

My chest aches, and I resist the urge to punch him as hard as I can. “You don’t get to say that. If I was your one, you never would have been able to stay away from me.” I notice him shift uncomfortably before his gaze drops to the floor. “I haven’t been staying away. I’m here every night to watch you sleep, he says. “Well, that’s not creepy at all. So you’ve been here at night. What else? Have you been watching me in the shower or when I’m walking around undressed? I know you can hide yourself.”

He looks as if I just slapped him. “I would never do such a thing, Chrissy. You know me better than that,” he says. “No, I don’t. You’ve made sure of that. I know what you want me to know. Now I’m exhausted and I want to sleep, alone. So please leave.” “Fine, I’ll leave, but this isn’t over. I may have been an id**t up until now, but make no mistake, Chrissy Kringle, you are my one. I will be showing you exactly who I am and what we can be if you forgive me for being a coward,” he says. “Until my brother kicks up a fuss.”

He takes a step closer to me and my heart starts to race. “Your brother is important to me but at the risk of sounding like a d**k, you are more important. It took you saying you were done to make me realize how close I’ve come to losing you. I can’t let that happen. I was wrong to let my fear dictate my actions, but that’s over Chrissy. I’ll freeze the rest of the world to prove to you that you are it for me,” he says before he leans down and presses a kiss on my forehead. Before I say a word, he’s gone. Did that really just happen?

O

22 Coward

Clarice POV

I stretch and freeze when I feel a muscular arm lying across my middle. I went to sleep alone last night, but I know exactly who is lying next to me even without seeing his face. My eyes flutter open, and I take in Nick’s relaxed features. He really is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. His chiseled jaw is covered in a neatly trimmed beard. I never really found beards attractive, but he wears it well. His cheeks are rosy, and I softly giggle when I think of the way Santa was described

when I was a kid.

“Should I be concerned that you are checking me out and giggling,” he asks. “No, I was just thinking about the stories about Santa from when I was a kid. You have rosy cheeks but no belly like a bowl full of jelly.” He laughs and I love the sound. “My father hates that one out of the millions he has heard,” he says. His eyes open and they are twinkling. “What is your dad like?” “You’ll meet him soon. He and my mom will be here after Christmas,” he says. “I’ve already met your mom,” I blurt out. He looks at me confused.

“She was in Chrissy’s apartment after I got out of the shower. She was nothing like I expected. She doesn’t look old enough to be your mom.” “She would love to hear you say that. I should have known she wouldn’t be able to stay away. She is a meddler” he says, but I can see how much he loves her in his eyes.

“She hates how every time she sees decorations for the season she looks like an old woman. Once she pledged to my dad, she started to age very slowly. It will be the same for you when we pledge

to

ch other,” he says. “I’ve heard you use that word a few times now. What exactly does it

mean? Do we just promise to be together forever, like at a wedding?”

He turns looking at the time on his phone. When he looks back at me, he has a huge smile on his face. “We need to get up so we can go check on our little one, he says. My heart squeezes in my chest hearing him talk about the baby as his. “After we make sure the baby is all good, I’ll take you for lunch. We can talk about anything you want, and I’ll tell you all about pledging,” he says.

“I would really like that.” He leans in and presses a soft kiss to my lips. When he pulls back, I resist the urge to pull his lips back to mine. Damn pregnancy hormones, I say lying to myself. Wanting Nick Kringle has nothing to do with my pregnancy and everything to do with the man that professes to be my fate.

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