Read Online Beyond the Mistletoe: A Christmas Romance (Beyond Love Book 7) by Karice Bolton - Free Book Online Page B

voice burned into the back of my head. “But I guess it works.”
    Absolutely mortified, I turned around to see Derek grinning at me as I held the remote. I just kept shaking my head in horror as Derek laughed.
    “I let myself in when you didn’t answer. The door was propped open so I assumed—” His gaze caught something on the television that made him speechless, which made me afraid to turn around.
    “Please make it stop.” I shoved the remote in his hands.
    Derek’s laughter filled the room, and I sat on the couch completely defeated by my chiwoodle.
    “I had no idea they made Christmas porn,” Derek said, tossing the remote on the coffee table and walking over to the television to turn it off manually.
    Why hadn’t I thought of turning the television off like that? I obviously wasn’t good under pressure.
    “Learn something new every single day,” I said with a sigh, bringing my eyes to meet his.
    “I bet that cost a fortune.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “We could have gotten into the Christmas spirit a lot cheaper.”
    I slapped my forehead and groaned. “That hadn’t even occurred to me.”
    “Well, when you’re in the mood, sometimes money is no object,” he teased.
    “I didn’t order that.”
    “Sure you didn’t. Are you trying to tell me housekeeping provided that as part of the turn-down service because I didn’t get that in my room.”
    “Bodie ordered it.”
    Derek’s brow arched. “You do realize you have to confirm something like that several times before it’s actually ordered.”
    “And how would you know that?” This time it was my turn to raise a brow.
    He shrugged. “Just a hunch.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Just a hunch?”
    “I told you I’m into the classics. Real classics. You won’t find me anywhere near Miracle on 69 th Street or whatever not-so-creative play on titles they’ve come up with.”
    “You don’t think that’s actually a movie, do you?” I asked.
    “Beats me, but I wouldn’t want to find out.”
    “Now I’m just creeped out.”
    “Sure you are,” he said chuckling.
    “I am. I had nothing to do with that.”
    Derek took a seat next to me on the couch and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, hearing the elves on the television made me hyper-aware of everything going on between us. The thought of Derek producing those sounds in me made me blush, and hoped I could be that lucky.
    “So where is the man of the hour?” Derek asked.
    “He’s sleeping in the bathroom very peacefully. I actually still need to take him potty.”
    “I can do that while you call the front desk and try to get that charge wiped off your bill,” Derek offered. “Unless, you want to save the movie for later.” He stood up and laughed his way to the bathroom.
    I walked over to the phone and dialed the front desk while Derek got Bodie all ready for the outdoors. Derek played with Bodie and teased him for his choice in movies as they wandered out the door, and I began my appeal to wipe my slate clean.
    Things could only go up from here.
    I’d just hung up the phone as Bodie led Derek back into the hotel room.
    “Who’s walking who?” I asked, unfastening the leash from Bodie’s collar.
    “I’m starting to believe your story about Bodie. There was a golden retriever downstairs that he wouldn’t take his eyes off.”
    “Are you serious?”
    Derek nodded. “The owners looked quite concerned.”
    Bodie hopped onto the couch and made himself at home.
    “So did you get everything cleared up?” Derek asked. The glint in his eyes was hard to resist, and it wasn’t like he’d even attempted to kiss me, but there was something about him that made me wish he had.
    “The movie had been on for fifteen minutes, and the lodge’s policy states they can’t refund after ten minutes on that style of movie.”
    “You’re kidding. I wonder who the lucky person was to average out the timing on that one.” He shook his head, and his eyes locked on mine.
    “Just