Last Christmas (Private 0.60)

"Good. Then I propose a bet," Thomas said, picking his coat up off the couch where he'd tossed it earlier.

"What kind of bet?" Ariana asked.

"I bet I can prove that Daniel Ryan is no virgin," Thomas said, looking down at her. "If I'm wrong, I'll..."

"Come back here and clean this mess up on your own?" Ariana suggested, though the very idea of leaving it

behind made her skin crawl.

"Fine, and if you're wrong, you have to kiss me again," Thomas said.

"Very creative," Ariana said, rolling her eyes.

"Men are a simple breed," Thomas joked.

"Fine," Ariana said. "Let's get this over with."

She pushed past him and yanked her own coat off the sofa. She knew Daniel would never lie to her. Not about

something this big. And after the way he'd demeaned her, she couldn't wait to wipe that cocky smirk off

Thomas Pearson's face.

134

NEAR MISS

***Thomas shoved open the back door of Billings and they were both blasted in the face with ice and snow.

Ariana could hardly see three feet in front of her.

"Come on. I'll make sure you don't blow away." Thomas had to shout to be heard over the whistling wind.

He offered her his ungloved hand.

She took it with her gloved one, telling herself it was just for survival purposes and for no other reason, and

together they set out into the storm. The snow had piled up so high it kissed the frames of the first-floor

windows. As they took their first steps, their legs sank down and the snow came right up to their knees.

Ariana cringed as the cold soaked her fresh pair of jeans. Sharp gusts of wind blew the falling snow in

dizzying circles around them.

Ariana's eyes burned. Tears spilled down her cheeks when she blinked.

135

"Maybe this was a bad idea," she yelled. She turned around and stared longingly through the window into

Mrs. Lattimer's apartment. The memory of the cozy little kitchen disappeared with the next blast of wind.

"Just keep going," Thomas replied.

They trudged the rest of the way without trying to speak. When they finally reached the back door of Ketlar,

they huddled under the overhang, out of the way of the ice and snow. Ariana took a deep breath. Her hair was