Free Jane and Bingley (Countdown to Christmas Book 8) by Jenni James Page A

was gently reminding her of everything she’d been missing. If that was his ploy, it worked. Without the heavy discussions, there were plenty of moments to enjoy and be in the moment.
    Jane had forgotten how comfortable she was around him. How easily they slid into playful banter. Deep down, there was a strong friendship there. They could easily talk for hours about absolutely nothing. That night, they had—and danced and laughed and got outbid over and over again by some pretty high fliers. But none of it mattered—what mattered was that they were together, and she was allowing her heart to be sewn back together again stitch by stitch.
    As they approached her apartment and he walked her to the door, her spine tingled from the light touch of his hand on the hollow of her back under her coat. So warm, so protective.
    Charles tugged slightly and turned her toward him. “I have a gift to give you tomorrow. Will you be here?”
    She grinned and looked up at him coyly through her lashes—her mask had been removed hours before. “Maybe.”
    His eyes stared into hers for a little while, then roamed over her features—she loved seeing him smile. “I’ll take my chances.”
    “I bet you’ve got something fun planned up your sleeve for ten leaping lords.”
    “Of course I do. However, if you’ve rather have a night in and catch up, we could do that too. It’s up to you.”
    It was up to her. It was such a simple concept, it amazed her how profound it seemed. All of the joy or sadness depended on her. “When were you planning to come over?”
    He shrugged. “The gift is best opened during the evening, so I figured I’d start there. Well, I wasn’t sure if I would be seeing you tonight, so honestly, the plans I had were more like dropping the gift at your door again.”
    She tried not to feel ashamed, but she did. A little. It was time they actually cleared the air. “Would you like to come over for brunch and stay awhile?”
    “Are you sure you want me?”
    He looked so handsome in his tux, trying to appear nonchalant and not too eager for her answer. It was charming, really. “I think we should talk.”
    Charles straightened and cleared his throat. “Uh-oh, that sounds a bit ominous.”
    She tilted her head and swung the mask around her hand. “I don’t know if it’s ominous, but I think I’m finally ready to explain myself. So, does tomorrow work?”
    He nodded, his eyes going a bit serious. “Thank you.” Then he unexpectedly stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips and then another. “Thank you for coming tonight. You stole the show—everyone was definitely looking at you.”
    Oh, good grief. She blushed and went to pull away, but he caught her elbow and tugged her in for another kiss. This one was a bit more wonderful than the last two. His free hand came up to her shoulder and then cradled her head. Jane was completely lost.
    Charles suddenly pulled back.
    “Are you okay? Did I…?” She trailed off, not sure what to say.
    He seemed to be having a hard time breathing. “No. I mean, yes, I’m okay. I’m more than okay. You . . . uh, you . . .” He cleared his throat. “I forgot how well you kissed.”
    Jane could feel herself going bright red, and she bit her lip before she said something stupid.
    “Don’t look at me like that.” He shook his head and then grinned. “I want to push open this door right now and never leave.”
    It sounded like heaven to her. What would it be like to be married to him?
    “But we’ve still got some things to sort out, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    She didn’t move, and neither did he.
    “I mean it. I’m going to walk away right now.”
    Jane’s grin grew.
    “Those lips are incredibly tempting. Are you trying to kill my resolve here?”
    Yes. “No.” She blushed. “Go home, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    Neither moved.
    Then all at once, he pulled her in. “Just one more for the road.”
     
     

CHAPTER TWELVE
    Ten