Holiday Hostilities (Cyclones Christmas #2)

by Katie Bailey

But in not a single one of my daydreams about seeing Aaron Marino in the flesh again do I have a massive wedgie. Clearly, reality can be much crueler than fiction. Because here I am, finally living in this moment, and all I can think is… Wow, I really should have worn a thong tonight.

Sofia claps her hands. “It’s like a double date.” “Absolutely not!” I cry as Aaron holds his hands up and says, “It’s nothing like that.” Well, there you go. We finally agree on something.

“You two behave while I’m gone, k? Aaron, no flirting with my sister. And Liv, no murdering Marino with a butter knife.”

“What’s up, Lil Griz?” I inquire with an innocent smile. I gave her that nickname a million years ago. Mostly because, back in high school, I thought she was insanely hot and it was a good way to constantly remind myself that she was my best buddy’s little sister. A decade later, the name has stuck. She’s still hot, too.

She’s cute when she’s mad. Not that I’d ever tell her that.

How, underneath all the banter and sparring, I was always kind of obsessed with the fire in her eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be off somewhere practicing hitting a puck into a net instead of hanging out here annoying me?” I smirk. “Practice? Baby, I don’t miss.”

“I hate you.” “You know what they say, don’t you? ‘Hate is much closer to love than indifference.’ Which means you practically love me.” Her cheeks flare an entirely new, quite pretty, shade of maroon. “In your dreams, Marino!” And, purely for scientific purposes (AKA to see if I can make those cheeks darken to an even deeper red), I wink at her. “Every night, Lil Griz.” Like I said, when in doubt, act like a jackass.

Besides, I have no idea what Aaron does for Thanksgiving and I don’t care to know. Perhaps he doesn’t even celebrate because he has male pattern baldness and a micropenis and therefore feels he has nothing to be thankful for.

“That guy wants you,” Jing hisses under her breath as we stack our trash bags in the galley. “No, he doesn’t.” “He winks at you like he wants you.” I give her a look before retrieving our carry-ons from the staff overhead. “That’s what you said about poor old Mortimer, and it turned out he just had a lazy eye.” “Details, details.”

According to recent scientific research, octopuses occasionally punch fish who happen to be swimming by for no reason other than spite.

Okay, the thought isn’t exactly repulsive—Aaron has an ego for a reason. The reason being that he’s disgustingly good looking in a way that makes me want to simultaneously retch and stroke his biceps.

But Jimmy nods sagely. “He does have a very large deck, this is true.” This makes Aaron howl with laughter. “See, Liv? I told you it was a fact.”

I figured Olivia would be out of here the second dinner was over. I certainly didn’t expect her to be standing in my kitchen after everyone else went home.

“So, Marino, feel free to use me any which way you like while you have me.”

“Don’t tease me like that unless you mean it.”

I meet her eyes. “I remember everything about you, Olivia. Every last detail.”

“Don’t worry about those guys. It’s probably just Larry and a friend.” “Larry?” Aaron’s voice goes up an octave. “The local weed dealer,” I admit.

“Olivia.” He turns around and his eyes meet mine. “I don’t give a damn about my car right now. What I do give a damn about is getting you home safe. Will you please allow me to do that?”

He’s looking at me with such horror that I have to laugh. “Welcome to the mad house, Marino.” Because if I don’t laugh, I might cry.

Aaron looks me up and down, his eyes lingering on the strip of bare stomach where my tank top ends and my sweatpants start. When he looks up, I swear I see heat flaring in his gaze, but he blinks, and I think I must have imagined it.

net during a game, I notice. “Youshouldmoveinwithme.” I blink. My ears must be deceiving me. “Pardon me?” This makes him laugh. “That might be the most polite thing you’ve ever said to me.” He smiles,

“It’s not charity.” He pauses. Clears his throat. “There’s something in it for me, too.” My eyes widen. “I’m not having sex with you!” This makes him really chuckle. “Noted. But no, I didn’t come here to ask you to be my live-in sex partner.”

“And when my stalker stabs me to death in my sleep like I’m a life-size voodoo doll, I will come back and haunt the crap out of you.” “Awh. You’d spend your afterlife haunting lil old me?” “Definitely.” His eyes meet mine. “I’ve always wondered if you’re a lacy camisole or flannel pjs type of girl.”

But that’s not exactly true. I like Olivia, always have. I just really like getting a rise out of her.

“Living with the Italian Stallion himself,” Jing says with a sigh. “Jing, nobody calls him that!” “If they don’t, they should.” She winks at me. “And FYI, I’d saddle up that horse in a hot second if I were you.” “You are unbelievable,” I mutter, even as more nervous anticipation tightens in my core.

“Nah, I was always more into redheads.” “Ha, ha.” My voice feels suddenly thick and I hope he can’t hear it. He illegally parks the truck right where he illegally parked his car the last time he dropped me home and turns to look at me, his eyes burning into mine with undeniable heat this time as he says, “I’m not joking, Olivia.” And then, before I can say anything at all, or even catch my damn breath, he gets out of the truck.

A flicker of unease moves through me, because some of the thoughts I’ve been having this evening would probably make him want to murder me in cold blood. But I brush it off. Offering her a hot meal counts as watching out for her, right?

“Sit.” I raise a brow. “Is that an order?” “Yes.” Her gaze is unwavering. “I’m used to giving the orders, not taking them,” I say with a smirk. “Sit your ass in the chair, Marino.” I sit my ass in the chair.

Walk him like a dog sis walk him like a dog

I then head to the pantry, where there’s a neatly stacked shelf full of snacks. All clearly labeled “nut free.”

Yesterday, I found a pink hair tie in my hockey bag. No idea how it got there, but it sure ain’t mine. It made me smile, though, because I like to see that she’s making herself at home.

Her smile grows, and despite how focused I am on sorting out this Brandi stuff, I can’t help but notice how beautiful she is.

Because I kissed Olivia Griswold, and instead of punching me in the face, she kissed me back. With an intensity that told me she was as into it as I was.

“Well luckily, I have a better idea,” I tell her. “Before we check out your apartment options, wanna hit up Essy’s?” “Now you’re speaking my language, Marino.”

For the rest of the night, he’d go out of his way to surreptitiously trail his fingers on my arm in passing, and there were a few moments where I found him watching me from across the room with such an intensity, it made me lose my train of thought mid-conversation.

“I know.” She smiles. “I saw your face when you realized that your grandmother witnessed you with your tongue in my mouth.”

“Ah, well,” Mom says and I look over to see her smiling at me, a knowing glint in her eye. She clearly caught me in the act of gazing at Olivia.

“What do you mean you don’t know what this is between you? You’re clearly head over heels for her.” “Hopelessly so,” Nonna adds cheerfully. “You should see your face when you look at the girl. You’re a lovesick fool for her.”

“No, it’s accurate. And it’s not an insult. That’s exactly how I imagine I look at Patrick Dempsey, especially when he’s playing McDreamy.” Nonna sighs.

“And don’t worry about keeping the noise down,” Nonna says as she gives me a big smacking kiss on the cheek. “Your mother brought her earplugs and I plan on taking a sleeping pill.” With that, she steps into her room, giving me another one of those terrifying winks as she goes. I doubt I will ever be able to scrub my brain clean of that particular image.

“Please tell me you didn’t overhear that conversation.” “What conversation?” She blinks innocently. “Oh, you mean the one where your dear, sweet grandmother sent you off to have a night of wild sex with me?”

And right there, in the darkness, I realize with startling clarity that I have, indeed, fallen head over heels in love with her.

And just when his lips are about to meet mine… A squeal behind me startles me so much, I almost fall over. “What on earth?!” Aaron is laughing. “I think Nonna may have been eavesdropping on our conversation.”

I know I’ve worked my ass off, and I’m endlessly grateful for my career. So much so that I feel stupid even thinking any of this, but sometimes I don’t feel worthy of being where I am and get convinced that I’ll never live up to my own hype.

“I just want to be someone that people can believe in.”

Wow

“Too exhausted to give the Italian Stallion the night of his life?” Jing says with a big wink. “Shut it, Bing,” I tell her with a laugh. She shoves me, and I add, “Maybe we could arrange a double date soon. Me, you, the Italian Stallion, and the Kilted Wonder.”