Last Christmas (Private 0.60)

behind and cuddled into her back, their bodies melding together.

Ariana forced a laugh, not turning around. "I should go," she said softly, without moving. She knew she

should pull away from him. Should get up and walk out the door. Go to Vermont. End this thing with

Thomas, whatever it was, while she still could. But the strength of his arms seemed to soothe her. They were

so close she could feel his heart beating. Her whole body slowed under his touch, making it impossible for her

to do the right thing.

"You're not getting out of here any time soon. Not if I have anything to do with it."

She wanted to tell him that he didn't have anything to do with it, didn't have any say in what she did. But she

would have been lying. And she couldn't bear the thought of being both a cheat and a liar. That wasn't her. It

couldn't be her. She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

"Did you sleep okay?" she asked.

"Sure." Thomas softly brushed her hair aside and kissed the back

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of her neck. His words hummed on her clammy skin. "But I would have preferred that neither of us got any

sleep." He slid his hands across her hips and started to move them up her stomach.

She raised her hands to his, stopping him, and rolled over to face him. He had a crease on one side of his face,

stubble covered his chin and cheeks, and his hair stuck up in back. But even with all this, he was still so

handsome.

"Tell me something about you," she said.

She needed to hear something that would justify all this. Something that would make it okay that she was here

with him instead of on the slopes with Daniel. She needed him to make this okay.

Thomas smirked, bringing his lips close to her ear. "Why?" he whispered.

Chills shot down her spine, and suddenly it didn't matter if he made it okay. All she wanted to do was kiss

him. "Because." Ariana was so breathless as she looked up at him, she could hardly form the words. "Because

we just spent the night in the same bed and we hardly know each other."

As she looked into his eyes, she realized that wasn't really true. They might not have spent much time

together, might not have known the small details, but somehow, she knew him. He knew her. She could feel it

in the way her mind, her body responded whenever he looked at her. Even if she didn't know his middle name

or whether he'd worn braces or if he loved his parents ... she knew him.

"Well, I've never actually told anyone this," Thomas said softly, his face serious. "But I'm psychic."