His breath formed smoky clouds in front of him in the icy air and the temperature nipped at his skin as his feet crunched on the ground beneath him.

She tried to clear her mind and think about all the things she loved about Christmas. The decorations, the food, the festivities—the aroma of her Christmas cookies. The music and the movies. The wrapping of gifts. The excitement on the faces of kids. The contentment on the faces of those in the home with her grandmother, along with the usual sparkles in their eyes. The kindness of others. That feeling of coming together.

Darn him. She hated the way he was looking at her right now. As if he actually meant to tease and torment her. A guy should be locked up for looking at a girl like that.

Keeping a smile in place, staying calm, not showing any negative emotions, and turning any negative into a positive message.

Ben hadn’t known he’d looked at Lara like that. He hadn’t known that she’d looked at him like that. It took his breath away and he gulped.