Page 3 of Kissing Nick

I pick out a button-up shirt, put it on, and step back out of the room. Holly is looking around my apartment as she waits for me.

“Are you going to get a Christmas tree?” she asks.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” I say.

“You’re not into the holiday spirit, huh?” she says, smiling teasingly. Her pretty lips make my heart thud.

“I didn’t say that,” I say. “I just don’t see the point of getting a tree if it’s just for me.”

She looks a little put-off at my unamused response, and I once again feel shitty for acting like this around her. If she only knew the reason why.

I clear my throat. “Well? Should we get going?”

“Yep,” she says, moving toward the door. “We should.”

We make it downtown in good time. It’s only the beginning of December but the city is already overflowing with Christmas spirit. Garlands hang from storefronts and potted poinsettias line the sidewalks. String lights sparkle in the daylight as we drive through the city streets.

Holly parks in the small lot that’s been reserved for vendors and we get out of the van and go find her booth. She seems pleased with it when we find it—it’s in a good location, I guess—and she talks to an event coordinator for a few minutes before gesturing for me to follow her back to the van.

When Holly opens up the back of the van, I’m amazed at how full it is. There are boxes upon boxes, all markedFRAGILE.

“Looks like you’ve been busy,” I say as she loads a few of the boxes into my arms.

“I have been,” she says. “For months.”

“This event’s kind of a big deal, huh?”

“That’s putting it mildly,” she says. She gives me a small smile, but I can see the stress in her face, too. I get the feeling it’s a hell of a lot more important than she’s letting on.

I carry the boxes in my arms back over to her booth and she follows close behind with more supplies. We have to make numerous trips between the van and the booth to get everything unpacked.

At least I have something to keep my mind off of Holly…well, to keep my mindmostlyoff of Holly. It’s still maddening to be around her like this, but the distraction of work helps.

Holly sets me to work setting up a couple shelves on either side of her booth. As I work, she sets up the main table.

After assembling the first shelf, I look over and am impressed by how good her table looks already. She’s got a big piece of luxurious-looking fabric spread over the table and several small stands on top of it to display her pottery.

I watch as Holly opens up the first box of pottery and begins to set the pieces around the table, moving them from place to place to find the perfect spot. I love watching her work. I’m so damn impressed that she’s accomplished all that she has.

It makes her even more beautiful.

Holly bends down to grab another box from the ground, and before I can avert my eyes, I get a glimpse of her perfect cleavage. Instantly, my cock twitches, and I clench my jaw.

Then I force my eyes away.

Chapter Three

Holly

To my surprise, Nick is actually incredibly helpful as he assists me setting up my booth. Based on his historical lack of warmth toward me, I guess I assumed he would do the bare minimum, but it turns out he’s being just as helpful as my brother would have been if he was here—actually, maybe even more so. After putting together the shelves, he noticed that one was a little uneven and took it upon himself to fix it.

Now he’s helping me put my pottery on display. And seeing my pottery in Nick’s hands…it’s amusing, if I’m being honest. The pottery I make is really small and delicate, and Nick…yeah, those are thelastwords I’d ever use to describe him. He’s tall and muscular, with large hands that make my pottery look like it’s made for a doll.

But despite the size and strength of his hands, he’s handling the pieces so carefully.

Conversationally, though, Nick is still being cold to me in that annoying way he always has been. I don’t know what his deal is. Am Ireallythat awful to be around?

Maybe he’s one of those assholes who takes one look at a curvy girl and thinks she’s not worth anything. I don’t want to believe that’s true, but it’s a possible explanation.