Ethan

Ethan watched Chloe run down the hall and disappear downstairs, but the feel of her in his arms lingered. The impression of her soft cheek against his chest had immediately erased any anger that had remained toward his brother. And her glasses completely obliterated the similarities between Chloe and Margot from Ethan’s mind. He wished she’d wear them all the time.

The sisters might be alike at first glance but the more time he spent with Chloe, the more Ethan began to see the subtle differences. There was also the obvious. Chloe was shorter and curvier with beautiful full lips and the perfect hourglass figure. Ethan preferred girls like that as opposed to Margot’s rail-thin frame. And Chloe smelled like sugar cookies. That was way better than Margot’s overpowering perfume of the week. Chloe’s hazel eyes were lighter than her sister’s and the warm glow of the white Christmas lights in the hall had illuminated the gold flecks that shimmered in Chloe’s green-brown irises. But perhaps the most interesting difference in Chloe was the way she made Ethan feel.

Unlike Owen, Ethan didn’t let himself fall for every pretty girl who batted her eyelashes at him. Actually, Ethan didn’t date at all. Despite what he said to Owen about not hiding the truth, Ethan hated the idea of letting someone close enough to see just how messed up he was. Plus, he didn’t see the advantage of getting attached to people. All that did was give them the potential to one day hurt him.

Yet, there was something about Chloe that drew him in and made him want to drop all his defenses. She had this soft, vulnerable aura that surrounded her, inviting him in, even when her words didn’t. So when his feet carried him to follow her downstairs instead of back to his bedroom, he wasn’t that surprised.

Chloe

Chloe was standing in the kitchen, stirring hot vanilla soy milk into her gingerbread hot cocoa mix when she felt Ethan’s presence behind her. She didn’t know how she knew it was him, but she did. And she hated the way the thought of him made her heart race.

“That smells good,” he said. “Got enough for one more?”

She sighed, reminding herself to be a gracious host. Her mother would kill her if she were anything but polite to Margot’s friends. And honestly, making Ethan a cup of hot cocoa was the least Chloe could do after insulting him at dinner, tackling him in the hall and then assuming he was flirting with her.

“Sure,” she replied, pulling another ceramic mug from the cabinet.

Chloe rolled her eyes realizing the mug was one she’d made when she was in elementary school. It had her name painted above a snowman face with a sloppy red and green handle that was meant to be his scarf. She shouldn’t be surprised. They only had Christmas mugs in her house. Just one more perk of living Christmas every day of her life.

The Christmas craziness of her home and life was the norm for Chloe, but from the way Ethan gawked at her family’s overdone decorations, it was obvious this was far outside his comfort zone. She thought about looking for a less Christmas-y mug for him, but rummaging around in the cupboard for a new mug would only make it seem like Chloe cared—which she didn’t.

So Chloe filled the embarrassing snowman mug with hot cocoa and handed it to Ethan, determined to keep her winter break plans of healing her broken heart—which would never happen if she fell for the gorgeous college boy standing shirtless in her kitchen. She was through with boys and all the drama they brought to her life. At least she wanted to be . . . but the way Ethan stared at her sure made it difficult.

“Aren’t you cold?” she asked.

“Actually, I’m freezing. I’m not sure I packed appropriately for this weather.”

Chloe smirked, finding it hard to believe Ethan hadn’t brought at least a t-shirt. “Where did you think you were going, Barbados?”

“Bermuda, actually.”

“What?”

“I was supposed to be on an island right about now sipping daiquiris until my brother changed his mind about where we were spending Christmas.”

She laughed. “Wow and he chose upstate New York instead? Bad choice.”

“It wasn’t exactly a choice,” Ethan said taking a sip of his hot cocoa. His eyes flashed to hers as he swallowed, filling her with heat. “This tastes amazing, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Chloe added quietly. She took a sip of her own hot cocoa, trying to forget the way it felt being pinned by his blazing eyes. Instead, she wondered what he’d meant by, ‘It wasn’t exactly a choice.’

Maybe Margot had forced the issue. She knew how persuasive her sister was when she wanted something. She glanced at Ethan while taking another sip of cocoa. Maybe he was just as weirded out as she was to be spending Christmas with strangers.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“For what?”

“For what I said earlier about your family.”

Ethan shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

“No, it kind of is. I’m not usually a jerk, it’s just . . .”

“Your sister bringing two strangers home for Christmas royally screwed up your plans?”

She smiled. “For a stranger, you’re pretty good at reading my mind.”

Ethan gave her that almost-grin of his again and it sent shivers down Chloe’s spine. Shivers he mimicked.

“Let’s get you a shirt,” she said walking to the hall closet.

There were sweatshirts, jackets and blankets stuffed in every spare closet of the Price house. In Pine Island you never knew when you’d need one. Smirking to herself, Chloe pulled out one of the many spare ugly Christmas sweaters from the lodge and handed it to Ethan.

He looked at the real jingle bells adorning the light up wreath on the front of the sweater and frowned. “You can’t be serious?”

“Do you want to freeze?”

Ethan gave the sweater a shake, making the bells tinkle. Darcy barked at it. “See, even the dog thinks it’s hideous.”

Chloe laughed. “Darcy just thinks it’s a snack. He thinks he can eat everything, isn’t that right?” she asked scooping the little dog up.

Ethan took a step closer and scratched the dog’s head. “Darcy? As in Mr. Darcy?”

Chloe’s eyes widened. “You read Jane Austen?”

“Guilty,” he replied.

“Why?”

Ethan huffed a laugh. “Can’t a guy just enjoy Austen?”

“No.”

He laughed again. “Alright, you got me. Owen’s an English major. I read his books when I’m bored.”

“Shut up!” Chloe exclaimed. “That’s what I wanted to be.”

“Wanted to be?”

Embarrassment prickled Chloe’s skin. “Yeah. I decided it wasn’t a very practical major. I’m going for nursing instead. Or at least I will be next fall.”

“Really? Where are you going?”

“Columbia.”

Ethan’s dark eyebrows rose. “Impressive.”

“Thanks, I know,” she replied sarcastically. “I’m also graduating top of my class, with my AA so I’ll actually be taking junior level courses next year.” Chloe bent down to place the dog on the floor and give him a treat. When she stood up she asked, “Where do you go to college?”

Ethan’s steady eyes met hers. “Columbia. I’m a freshman.”

Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. Did he just say Columbia? Would she be at the same school as him next year? She couldn’t fight the giddy excitement that suddenly welled up inside her.

“What?” he asked, noting the flurry of emotions coursing through her.

“Nothing . . . it’s just I realized I’ll actually know someone when I start in the fall. But I’ll be one year ahead of you, in case you weren’t sure.”

Ethan

Ethan could barely fight the urge to smile as he caught the teasing tone in Chloe’s voice. Now he was even more intrigued by her. The girl was beautiful and smart. Plus, she liked the classics enough to name her dog after one.

He secretly adored them, but he felt declaring himself an English major would be following in his brother’s footsteps too closely. Besides, he really wasn’t sure that’s what he wanted to do with his life. Actually, nothing really interested him enough to choose a career path. He was sort of just limping along, undeclared.

Owen was right. Ethan did need to try to find something to make life enjoyable. But that was easier said than done. He glanced at Chloe again. What do you say, Chloe? Are you something I’d enjoy?

The thought entered Ethan’s head so swiftly it surprised him. What the hell was he thinking?

Ethan tried to clear his head. The last thing he needed was to get involved with Margot’s sister. But he couldn’t deny that there was something about Chloe he was drawn to. Maybe a little flirting wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world?

A silence had settled over them and Ethan realized he was staring. He put his mug of cocoa on the counter and sighed looking at the little dog. “She’s gonna make me wear this isn’t she, Darcy?”

The dog cocked his head to the side as if he was trying to understand and Chloe smirked, reaching for the hideous sweater Ethan held. “I can get you something different.”

Ethan pulled it out of her reach. “Oh, I see how it is. Once you know someone shares your taste in books they don’t have to wear the ugly sweaters?”

She laughed and a coy smirk lifted one corner of her perfect lips. “Maybe.”

“That’s rather snobbish, Chloe, ” he teased.

She rolled her eyes and tried to tug the sweater from him. “Maybe I’m a snob.”

Ethan didn’t let go. “I think you are.” He tugged the sweater back toward him, pulling Chloe with it. “But I think I’m kinda attached to this hideous sweater now.”

“Suit yourself,” she whispered. But the teasing tone had left her voice and Ethan couldn’t help noticing how close her lips were to his. All he’d have to do is bend down another inch or two . . .

What are you doing to me, Chloe?

Chloe

Chloe was pretty sure she’d forgotten how to breathe. She’d definitely forgotten why she was holding onto the ugly Christmas sweater that was balled up between her and Ethan. If it weren’t there she’d be pressed against his toned chest again.

She couldn’t help glancing longingly at the slight tan that kissed every inch of his skin. Heat blossomed all over her, like the sun was somehow contained in Ethan’s veins. Chloe followed the long, lean lines of his arms all the way up to his perfectly chiseled face.

Ethan was obscenely beautiful. Chloe knew boys preferred to be called handsome, but she didn’t care. That word wasn’t exquisite enough to define Ethan’s superb features. From the obsidian of his hair to the emerald shade of his eyes to the dark fringe of lashes to the tiny scar on his chin—all of it was perfection.

It wasn’t fair, really. How was a girl to resist? But she had to. Right?

If she gave in to this momentary attraction drawing her near, Chloe would only end up breaking her barely healed heart all over again. And that was not her intention.

As if he knew she was about to pull away, Ethan released his hold on the sweater. The jingle bells rang like tiny alarms, telling her to run.

Nothing good can come from kissing this boy, Chloe.

But as Ethan looked down at her with the same longing in his eyes that she felt in her bones, Chloe changed her mind. Without even knowing she’d made the decision, her body rushed forward until her lips met his.

The kiss was fast and electric, and though the taste of sugar and spice from their cocoa burned its way into Chloe’s mind, it couldn’t scorch away all the reasons she shouldn’t be kissing a shirtless college boy in her kitchen right now.

She pulled away, stopping their kiss as suddenly as it had started. Her hand flew to her lips. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Ethan reached toward her but she leapt away, shouting a hurried, “I’m sorry,” over her shoulder as she ran out of the kitchen and back to her bedroom with Darcy hot on her heels.