Hours later, I sat at the table for the rehearsal dinner. Besides the villa, this was the warmest venue since arriving in Lapland. It was nice to not have to bundle up in fur and gloves. I took everything off and enjoyed the soothing atmosphere.
Restaurant Kuu provided a welcoming ambiance for us. It had a harmoniously simple interior—wooden furniture, dimly lit candles, and a large fireplace right next to our table. Together, everything delivered a cozy environment for our gathering.
Kuu meant moon in English. At the top of the menu the restaurant boasted that all the food was so amazing, one would have to go to the moon to eat better. Browsing the menu, I was excited to try everything out. There was a range of Finnish classics and Scandinavian dishes with a modern touch—rice pies, cured salmon, brown dumplings, Finnish meatballs, and more.
I helped seat everyone, making sure that Holly and Nikolas would be relaxed for this evening. I put Nikolas’s parents right next to me, while the happy couple was located far on the other end of the table. Before I could instruct Saint, he sat on my left. I had planned for him to be closer to Holly and far from me.
O-kay.
Once I inhaled his scent, I couldn’t move him.
He leaned my way and whispered, “You’re on mother-in-law duty for tonight?”
“Yes. Am I doing a good job so far?”
“You are. You’ve managed to keep her a good ten feet from my sister.”
I winked at him. “This is what I do.”
One of his male cousins gestured for him. He responded and was dragged into a long conversation. I didn’t gather what it was about. All my focus remained on him.
Damn. Why must he be so gorgeous?
Saint sat at that table like he owned it. Tonight, his blond hair was stylishly tousled. Those blue eyes glowed bright in the warm light. Magical and alluring.
Saint must’ve noticed me watching him because under the table he moved his hand to my thigh and tenderly squeezed it. I swallowed down my hunger. When he moved his hand away, so many emotions filled me—need, fear, love, and sadness.
No matter how I ran from him or tried to avoid dealing with my emotions, he drew me back.
Stop staring at him.
I dragged myself away from that view and checked my right. Nikolas’s mother, Mrs. Ingram buttoned up her jacket and shook her head at me. “Why would Holly pick such a cold location, Ivy? What’s wrong with her? If my mother were here to see this, she would be disgusted.”
“Mrs. Maude would have loved this place.” I gave her a sad smile. “Grandma too. They both loved Christmas.”
She nodded. “They did.”
“Anyway.” I cleared my throat. “I believe Holly said that Nikolas likes the snow and was super excited about this venue.”
“He doesn’t. He hates snow and being cold. In fact, he wanted the destination to be in the Caribbean.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that.”
“Holly insisted on this location and getting married on Christmas.” Mrs. Ingram hugged herself as if she were freezing. I found it a bit dramatic being that heat vents also surrounded us, blowing out warm air and keeping the space cozy. “It’s selfish.”
I frowned at her. “Mrs. Ingram, we’re at the rehearsal dinner. What’s done is done.”
“Someone had to be the voice of reason.”
“Not at the rehearsal dinner, ma’am.”
She glared at Holly and Nikolas. “They’re getting married too early. They’re only twenty-eight. They have no idea who they are yet and can barely take care of themselves.”
“They bought a house. They’ve been working in their jobs for years. They’ve been taking care of themselves for a long time now.”
“You’re too young to understand, Ivy. There is more to marriage than attraction.”
I shrugged. “That may be true, Mrs. Ingram. I just respectfully ask for you to be positive and accepting for the sake of your son and new daughter-in-law, who. . .could be the mother of your future grandchildren.”
She raised her eyebrows and then glanced back at them. “That is a good point. And it would be nice to have some grandchildren, running around. I’m not getting any younger.”
“That’s being very positive.”
Groaning, Mr. Ingram gestured to his wife and pointed at the menu. “More reindeer steaks. Does this city have any other protein besides reindeer?”
“I don’t know, honey. Have you seen any cows? I mean really.” Mrs. Ingram shook her head and picked up her menu. “You have been aggravated since coming back from the fishing trip.”
“They slung us in an ice-cold lake as if it was a good idea. I screamed for them to get me out of there.”
“Yes, honey. I know. You’ve told all of us several times.”
“It was a ridiculous trip. Never again will I let her book anything for me.”
I laughed and turned back to Saint.
He’d been watching me the whole time. Those blue eyes delivered a blaze of heat through me. He swept his gaze along my collar bone. Then slipped it down to my cleavage.