Anthony felt a small laugh bubble up at the look that swept across the lady’s face. She was clever though, not one to be made a wallflower, and instantly Anthony felt the regret of his small joke. She turned away from him as if to make off and he reached out as if to stop her, wrapping her in his arms. A laughed “No, no!” escaped his vocals before he could stop himself or realize she hadn’t in fact moved. That neither of them could move. The frown that creased his brow at the realization was quickly dispelled as Anthony followed the lady’s gaze upwards. Oh, bollocks. This had just become a lot more complicated. His heart rate increased again as he glanced at her, blue gaze meeting blue. They were infinitely closer now as he’d perhaps stupidly tried to prevent her walking away by drawing her closer. He hadn’t expected the mistletoe however; he’d simply assumed she’d tug out of his grasp with a coy little smile. Now, he found himself with an armful of Ms. Torie and a blush that she could definitely detect from such close proximity.
Albeit all his reservations, Anthony felt a smile flicker across his face.
“We can’t have that,” the brunette mumbled softly, sweetly, as he considered his next action. His gaze dropped to her mouth then, instinct and longing taking over any rational thought. He eased closer, giving the lady a moment to hedge away if she was going to find him terribly off-putting. He hoped not, especially as everything inside of him screamed to simply close to distance between them. A beat passed and the lady made no such movement so Anthony decided to take the plunge. Pressing his lips against hers in a gentle little peck, the brunette brought one hand to the small of her back. He could deal with the repercussions later.