Suitcases thunked to the ground. “Dillon Josiah Anders. Please tell me you had nothing to do with my mother dragging me out into this middle of nowhere cabin and locking me inside with you.”
Dillon turned abruptly. “Kali? What are you doing here?”
She halted her angry march across the room and stood still. “You didn’t plan this?”
“No.” He laughed. “I was told that I was meeting my brother here for a quick hang out. Then we were supposed to spend the rest of the weekend skiing.”
“It’s Thursday. Don’t you work?”
He plopped into a large leather armchair. “Yes. But not until Monday. I took today and tomorrow off to get in some good brother bonding time. I’m guessing that won’t be happening. Unless he came with you?” His eyebrow raised.
“Ugh!” Kali screamed. “No.”
“What’s it been? 3 years?” Dillon leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “Maybe it’s time for us to catch up.”
She stomped right up to where he was lounging on the large black sofa, hands on her hips. “You know very well our mothers have been plotting, scheming, and dreaming for the two of us to somehow magically fall in love and get married so they can be related and have grandbabies together.”
He lazily raised his head to meet her glare with a firm and steady gaze. “And?”
“So they’ve trapped us here!”
He simply looked at her as she glared.
“Doesn’t that bother you?” She demanded.
“No.” He smiled his lazy charming smile up at her. It was the same one he used to give her when he’d tossed her toys out the window and into the snow. She hadn’t found them until spring.
Kali kicked the couch. “What? Do you enjoy being manipulated and prodded?”
“No.” He sat up. “But the kitchen is fully stocked and I don’t hate you. So I don’t see a reason why I shouldn’t relax, kick back, and enjoy a free vacation courtesy of our mother’s obsession. Unless you’re planning to fall in love with me. Then we would have a problem and I would be forced to exile you to one of the small little rooms in the basement.”
Huffing and folding her arms because she didn’t know what else to do with them, she continued to glare. “I am not going to fall in love with you, Mr. Anders. You are a complete stranger to me.”
He shrugged and stood. “Strangers meet and fall in love all the time, Kali. That aside, come check out the kitchen.” He was almost out of the room before he glanced back at her. “And I know it’s been a long time but I still go by Dillon.”
Putting on her sweetest smile she laughed. “From what I remember you like to be called Danny, or was it pudding pop. Isn’t that what Irene called you after you kissed her on my doorstep?”
He let out a full-bodied laugh. “I had forgotten about that night. That was funny.”
“She was heartbroken when you broke up with her two days later.” Kali folded her arms. “What excuse did you give her? I was just trying to bug my neighbor? Or something vague like ‘we are just moving down different paths’?”
“Hey, give me a break. My mom was coming down on me hard to date you. So my rebellion was wrongfully aimed your way. Can’t you move past that? We are adults now.”
“You egged my car.”
He walked into the kitchen, calling back to her “You can’t prove that was me.”
“Why would I need proof? You aren’t denying it. And what about the time you convinced my first boyfriend, the guy I had been crushing on all year, that I was a bad kisser? You had no basis for that. I am not a bad kisser.”
Kali stormed into the kitchen after him, determined to face him while she was finally getting a few things out into the open.
She wasn’t expecting him to swoop in behind her, spin her tight into his arms and kiss her soundly. It took several seconds for her brain to remind her that she had been in the middle of yelling at him.
“What are you doing?” She breathed unsteadily as she leaned back against the counter in shock.
“Now I know.” He gave her that smile again.
Her knees twitched and her pulse skittered. “Know what?” Her eyes narrowed when she realized what he had said.
“How wrong I was.” He didn’t look away, the intensity of his gaze sharpening his vivid golden brown eyes. “You are not a bad kisser. I’ll go apologize to whatever his name was and inform him that I was wrong. Maybe I can even arrange for you to go on a date together.”
She glared at him, opening her mouth to finish yelling at him, but he cut her off.
“And I changed my mind. You are more than welcome to fall in love with me this weekend if it means I get to keep kissing you like that.” He smirked.
She pointed at him, her finger slamming into her chest. “Don’t do that again.”
“What?” His hands went out. “Admit when I am wrong?”
“No. Don’t kiss me again.” She almost stumbled over the words.
With one step he pressed her softly into the counter. “Why not?”
Kali’s mouth hung open. “I…”
“Please, Kali.” He smiled as his face drew closer. Temptingly close.
“What?”
“One more kiss.” His arms went around her.
Her brain finally showed up. “What? No!” And she pushed him away.
“This might be a fun weekend after all.” Dillon leaned on the counter next to her. “I quite enjoyed kissing you. And you know how much I love a good challenge. So how about this…if I don’t manage to kiss you more than 200 times this weekend I will forever leave you alone, no matter what any of our parents or friends say. Not even a good car egging opportunity.”
Kali folded her arms. “And if you do?”
“You will agree to happily be my girlfriend for at least 3 months.”
“No.”
He shot her a smile as he sauntered over to the fridge. “Kali, if I manage to get that many kisses in, I can practically guarantee that you will be thrilled to be my girlfriend for any amount of time. But if you think about it, one way or another it will finalize the potentiality of a relationship between us for our parents.”
“True.” She was deep in thought, when he once again swooped in out of nowhere, pulled her in, and gave her a short sweet kiss.
“One.”
Come back next week to read more of Kali’s cabin trip with Dillon.
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