Free Mistletoe Not Required by Anne Oliver

his eyes twinkled, his lips twitched. ‘We need to get it out of the way if we’re going to be in such close quarters for the next few days.’
    Her heart leapt into her throat then took a giant tumble. ‘You’re coming with us?’
    ‘Isn’t that what you want?’
    ‘No—yes... Um...’
    ‘You’ve changed your mind?’
    ‘No. No. Not at all. Brie’ll be thrilled.’
    ‘Not you?’
    ‘Of course. I’m happy too. Very happy. For Brie’s sake. And thank you,’ she finished.
    ‘Okay, I can live with that.’ Jett didn’t think he’d enjoyed anything more in a long time than watching a twitchy Olivia blush and stammer. It was almost worth taking this marine misadventure just to see her lost for words.
    Almost.
    She pushed her hair off her face, seemed to regain her composure and said, ‘You’d better get a good night’s rest, then, because you’ll need to familiarise yourself with the safety aspect before we leave. We need Brie.’ She tapped her phone. ‘Brie? I need you down at the marina asap.’ She smiled at something Breanna said. ‘Jett’s decided to join us.’ Pause. ‘No, I didn’t talk him into it. Okay, see you...um...how long do you think you’ll be?’ Pause. ‘Okay.’
    She disconnected and pushed up. ‘Brie’s on her way. We rise at four a.m., race starts at one. I’ve got stuff to do.’
    ‘Wait just a damn minute. We still haven’t had our discussion.’
    ‘I don’t think we—’
    ‘Neither do I, Trouble, but here we are.’ If he was going to die at sea, he wanted to make sure it was worth it. He pushed up as well and stepped into her path at the edge of the table, and their bodies bumped.
    He felt her breasts rise against his chest as she sucked in a breath and stared up at him. It wasn’t the only body part rising—and she knew that too.
    The sea lapped softly against the hull and cast the late afternoon’s watery reflections across the boat’s interior, bathing them both in a blinding crimson glow.
    She didn’t step back, nor did she encourage him. She simply continued watching him, expressionless but for the spark of heated arousal in her eyes that gave her away.
    ‘I want you to think about this...’ Contemplating, he slid his index finger along the top of her dress, his gaze following the freckled swells and the valley between.
    She shifted restlessly against him. ‘We can’t...’
    ‘So tell me to stop.’ He lowered his head to nuzzle. Just a nip on that tender spot between shoulder and neck, a lingering taste where her fragrance bloomed with the heat of her skin.
    She arched her neck, giving him better access, and murmured, ‘St-o-p.’
    ‘I’ll stop when you mean it.’ Sweeping her hair aside, he cruised his lips from the side of her neck to beneath her jaw to a neat little ear lobe. Greedy little bites that only whetted his appetite for more. ‘You taste incredible.’ He nibbled along her jawbone. ‘I want to taste you all over,’ he murmured and was rewarded with a little shiver. ‘But I’m prepared to stop at a kiss.’
    She didn’t answer, obviously too turned on by his moves to speak.
    ‘For now,’ he finished. He smoothed her hair again, loving its silky feel and fascinated with the way the light played over its vibrant strands, turning them golden. He straightened and watched her face, animated with conflicting emotions.
    ‘Jett, it won’t make a scrap of difference.’ She watched him, her chin firm, her eyes resolute. ‘This race is too important on so many levels. I can’t be distracted...’
    He smiled and her almost appalled gaze dropped to his mouth. Banding his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer, explored the shell of her ear with his tongue and whispered, ‘Wrong.’
    She pushed at his chest. ‘No, I—’ He cut off her excuses with a kiss that started out to prove a point and quickly turned into something more.
    Her mouth yielded and opened beneath his and he took instant advantage of the honeyed heat within,