“Just trying to go to sleep,” he said. “I have to work in the morning.”

“Oh. Right. Tomorrow’s Monday. Of course. I’m sorry for bothering you,” she said and hung up.

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit!” she muttered, squeezing her eyes closed. She shouldn’t have called him. She was acting so inconsistent. He had to be wondering what the hell was going on.

Her phone vibrated in her hand.

He was calling her back.

Part of her didn’t want to answer, but she knew that wouldn’t be fair. She’d called him first, and he’d picked up. “Hello?”

“Damn it, Harper.”

“What?” She was surprised by the frustration in his voice.

“You’re giving me such conflicting signals.”

She let her breath seep out in a long sigh. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“So? Are you coming over or not?”

She caught her breath. “Do you want me to?”

“You know I do! I’ve made no secret of that.”

“I’m scared of what I’m doing, Tobias. Of what we’re doing.”

“Is that a no?”

“Shit,” she muttered again.

“Harper?”

Taking a deep breath, she climbed out of bed and started grabbing her clothes so she could get dressed. “It’s a yes,” she said. “I’ll be at the corner in twenty minutes.”

Harper shivered as she climbed out of her bedroom window and hurried around to the front. It was a cold night, and the Christmas lights adorning the houses on Karoline’s street glowed dimly through the thick fog that had rolled in when the sun went down and the temperature dropped.

Tobias was at the corner, as promised. By the time Harper could see his taillights, she was winded—from daring to sneak out again more than the exertion of running down the block.

When she opened the passenger door, he clasped her hand and pulled her into the warmth of the cab. But she didn’t give him the chance to drive off as he obviously planned. She scooted across the seat and kissed him.

“So the gingerbread house wasn’t my consolation prize?” he whispered against her lips.

“You don’t like it?”

“I like having you in my arms a lot better.”

His warm lips, the stubble on his jaw, the smooth skin of his neck, the solidness of his chest—it all felt so satisfying. She loved his broad shoulders more than any other part of him “What about the cookies?” she asked.

“This is better than those, too.”

“You’re sounding pretty ungrateful. You know that?” she teased. “I had to brave letting my sister meet you to bring you those treats.”

“I like that you did. I liked meeting your girls, too. But nothing beats this.” His hands slipped under her coat and shirt, and he flattened his palms against her bare back as he massaged the muscles along her spine.