Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
“Me either. I just hope it involves funnel cake.”
“It’ll probably have things that are a lot better than funnel cake,” Jamie said. “I’m hoping there’s some hot chocolate.”
“There is always good hot chocolate in the mountains. You probably won’t be disappointed.”
The elevator dinged and Jamie stepped out. “See you there.”
“See you there, Jamie,” I called out, watching as he seemed to float away.
Part of me had been worried that the next time I ran into Jamie, he’d have some sort of expectations that I wouldn’t be able to meet. After we kissed, was he going to think we’d do it again? Expect more from me?
But Jamie had been cool as a cucumber. And, I was surprised to find that as the elevator shut and whisked me up to my top-floor suite, maybe there had been another part of me that actually wished Jamie had tackled me in the elevator, pressed his lips to mine again, and taken me right then and there.
No use thinking about it, though. Tonight was going to be innocent fun at the winter festival, and then a quiet night in my suite alone.
That was easier. Better. Safer, for both of our sakes.
I was only a few beers into the evening, meandering around the fair aimlessly, when I realized two crucial things.
The first was that I’d barely eaten anything since my quick protein bar earlier, and I was already getting tipsy.
The second was that I hadn’t spotted Jamie once yet tonight. I’d been walking around long enough that I was starting to think I’d missed him.
Maybe I was a little more than tipsy, in reality.
I was surrounded by picturesque, snow-covered mountains in almost every direction, tons of booths and stalls selling pretzels, pastries, hot cider and cocoa, and various alcoholic drinks. The festival was packed with people, both local and tourists, all decked out in coats, scarves, and hats, buzzing around each glowing stall.
“Butter buns! Fresh and hot!” a smiling old man called out from a stall nearby, and I saw racks of glistening, knotted bread, golden brown and beckoning to me.
I ordered one and took a bite of one of the most delicious, soft breads I’d ever had, letting out a long breath.
“Fancy seeing you again,” I heard from behind me and turned to see Chase and Adam.
“The future husbands,” I said. “I’ve seen you three times now tonight, and I still haven’t seen Jamie. I know that marshmallow coat has to be around here somewhere.”
“We just saw him by the hypokras bar,” Chase said.
“What’s hypokras?”
“Some form of spiced wine, I’m fairly sure,” Chase said, watching me. “They love their European things around here. You should go try some. Jamie’s over there with my friend Elias. He just got in from Berlin.”
“Berlin, huh?” I asked. “Even more European things. I could use another drink. Maybe I’ll wander over there.”
Chase was grinning. “Someone’s ready to party tonight. And I like it.”
“Work hard, play hard,” I told him, shrugging. “Nothing wrong with some beer, spiced wine, and delicious bread on a winter night.”
“And that’s why you’re awesome,” Chase said, giving me a pat on the back. “Go find my brother. I’m sure he’d be glad to see you.”
The old man selling butter bread caught Chase in a conversation a moment later, and I headed over to the end of the walkway where I saw the hypokras wine tent. I got in the short line of people and looked all around, not seeing Jamie.
After I had a warm mug of the spiced wine in my hand, I stepped out toward the little Ferris wheel that was at the edge of the fairgrounds and finally spotted the telltale big, white puffy coat.
There he was. I took a long sip of my wine, which turned out to be delicious, as I walked over.
The other guy, Elias, was leaning on the side of a fence near the Ferris wheel, smiling at Jamie, the two of them lost in some animated conversation. My boots crunched on a little patch of snow on the path as I approached them.
“It was the best,” Elias was saying, his expression bright. “You have to come next time. I’m in California fairly often to visit friends.”
“Maybe,” Jamie responded, his eyes fixed on Elias’s smile.
I decided to loop back around, instead turning toward a craft stall where a young woman was selling tiny homemade decorative pillows. I was an expert at being able to tell when people were flirting, and I would have bet my life savings that Elias was trying to put the charm on Jamie. In fact, it already seemed like they were hitting it off.
Something possessive reared up inside my chest.
I wanted Jamie to be happy, and I knew that he wanted more than I could give.
So why did it feel weird to see him chatting up a hot, German bachelor?