Holly Garland on Santa's Lap [COMPLETE]

CHAPTER 5 ~To earn one's c̶r̶u̶s̶t trust~

A cold breeze hits my cheeks, and I'm barely awake when I decide to bury my face deeper into the warmth that's keeping the rest of me cozy.

Mmm... much better.

The tip of my cold nose tingles against the hard, warm surface it's pressed against. I wiggle it a bit, still half-asleep, but my nose is waking up faster than the rest of me, pulling my sense of smell into the game too.

I catch a whiff of something woodsy. Intrigued, but still groggy, I slide a hand out from under the blanket and press it against the warm, smooth surface. Not my pillow. And judging by how cold it is in here, I probably left a window open.

But wait.

I'm not in my room.

This isn't my blanket.

And, nope, this is definitely not my pillow.

I bolt up on one elbow, blinking, and that's when it hits me—oh my God, I fell asleep on some guy's half-bare chest.

Memories from last night come flooding back.

"Oh no..." I groan.

"Morning, Gingerbread! Sleep well?" Nick asks, rubbing my back with the arm that's still wrapped around me.

He's got this sleepy, bed-head look going on—hair all messed up, eyes half-closed. Honestly, he looks kinda adorable.

I push him away and sit up completely.

"Ugh... This feels worse than waking up after a wild night out," I complain, rubbing my face before looking back at him. "You know, when you said a night with you would be unforgettable, I didn't expect this. But yeah, you were right—I'm not gonna forget it anytime soon."

He chuckles.

"Oh yeah? You didn't seem to mind when you were snuggling up to me in the middle of the night."

I glare at him, my face heating up. I glance at his open coat, the bare chest that I'd just been nuzzling against, and quickly look away.

"That's a lie! It was probably you who pulled me into your arms!"

"Nope. You practically threw yourself at me for some of my body heat. Not that I blame you." he adds, naturally sliding his hand into my hair to discipline it a little.

"I refuse to believe a single word of this ridiculous story!" I snap back, still blushing like crazy. "And when did we start to become so familiar with each other, huh?" I ask, pushing his hand away.

"Since we spent the night together...?"

I don't even dignify that with a response. Change the subject. Quick.

"What time is it, anyway?"

"Almost 9," he says, glancing at the dashboard's LED display.

"Oh, crap! I'm gonna be late for work!" I exclaim, frantically shoving my feet back into my heels. "If we leave now, maybe I can still make it before the 10 a.m. briefing!"

"Whoa, slow down!" Nick finally sits up, pulling off the blankets. "You're not going anywhere."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"We're on the run, remember?"

"You said I couldn't go home. You didn't say anything about me going to work!"

"Don't be dumb, Ginger. It's the same thing! We need to lay low!"

"How long is this supposed to last? In case you forgot, we're out of money, and the only place we have to sleep is in this damn car! I'm not spending another freezing night here, got it?"