Her eyes darkened in her elfin features, wide with repressed emotion, still tight, still unopened to him.
She gazed around the room, then at the clock. “It’s late. Maybe we should quit for tonight.”
He always clenched his teeth when things went rough on the job, and when he did it now pain shot through his jaw.
When Nick didn’t reply, she went to the tree and turned on the lights. A multitude of miniature candles blazed at him, and the neon effect almost gave him a headache.
“I’ll help you put away the boxes,” he said.
“No. I’m just going to get it all out again tomorrow night and finish. Besides there’s more to do.”
The tightness of her features, the strain he saw there, asked him to use persuasive measures.
The feel of her lips flickered through his mind. A vision of Abby’s mouth hot and yielding under his startled him back to reality.
“Can I help you finish decorating tomorrow night?” he asked.
Surprise flickered over her features, turning into caution. “You still want to help me?”
“Sure. What’s left to do?”
“The dining room, the kitchen, the bathrooms, my bedroom….” She gave him a furtive look. “I know it’s a lot, but it’s what I want.”
“Then we’ll do it.” Nick decided the seriousness of this conversation had continued too long. “Besides, I’m looking forward to hanging up the mistletoe.”
She wiped at her eyes and smiled. “Who says I’m going to let you hang up the mistletoe?”
“At least save the first kiss under it for me.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“So what else is new?”
Shaking her head, she plucked an errant strand of tinsel off her sweater. “You. You in my life.”
“Is that a good thing?”
Caution guarded her eyes, but she nodded. “Becca and I needed your help. It’s been great.”
Not exactly the type of reassurance he’d been looking for.
After thanking her for dinner, he retrieved his coat. When he reached the door, he remembered the one thing he’d forgotten to ask.
“Say… um...” He couldn’t believe how damned twisted his tongue felt. Why couldn’t he just ask her? No big production needed.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Would you come up to the cabins at Beggar’s Point during Christmas? My family would love to meet you.”
Surprise suffused her face, and her mouth came open. “Well, I—I don’t know...”
A feathery panic tortured his spine. “Just for Christmas dinner. Nothing elaborate. For a few hours. I’d like them to meet my illustrious employer. Besides, if the cabins aren’t already decorated, my mom probably will bring some along with her.”
She chuckled. “I don’t know, Nick.”
“Come on. It’s no big deal. I realize you want to have Christmas your own way, but won’t it feel strange to be alone all day?”
Abby’s tentative smile disappeared. For a moment he thought she might still refuse. Then she cracked a grin. “All right. When you put it like that, how can I say no?”
Relief filled him. “Great.”
Nick leaned forward to press a quick kiss to her forehead, knowing that if he brought her into his arms for a deep kiss, she might pull away from him. Then he winked and watched Abby’s smile widen as he saluted and left.
The Christmas cookies Abby put out for customers that morning went slowly. After Nick had left last night, she’d given in to a bolt of determination. His invitation to meet his family had thrilled her far more than it should have. Yet the inspiration it gave her, the holiday feeling it inspired made Abby rummage until she found a Christmas cookie recipe she’d been dying to try. She’d managed to bake three dozen before she decided the insanity had to stop.
Now, with most of her cookies remaining untouched on the platter, Abby wondered if she’d screwed the pooch and they tasted awful. Nick worked in the back office and hadn’t tried the cookies yet.
When he came out of the office at closing time, her memory harked back to last evening and the revelations in their conversation. She remembered all too well the comfort she’d garnered from being close to him. Every time she thought of his strong arms around her, the memory warmed her from head to toe. It was damned distracting.
When he reached the front of the store, she didn’t let him walk passed the cookies without taking one of them.
“These are great. Where did you get them?” he asked.
“I made them. I… uh… went a little batty.”
He picked up another cookie. “I’m surprised there are any left. They’re great. Not too sweet. Like shortbread.”
The man was sickening. He knew it was shortbread? How many men paid attention to something like that? “You’re right. It’s a shortbread recipe.”
“My aunt used to make shortbread, but no one in my family has made any since she died. I’d forgotten how good they are.”
“I’ve got another batch at the house. If you help me finish the decorating, I’ll give you a dozen.”
“Bring some up with you on Christmas. My family will love these.”
The more Abby heard about his family, the more she found she wanted to meet them. Such thoughts were dangerous, but she couldn’t stop it. It felt way too good.
Before she could reply, a tall, thin woman with short, carefully styled, straight blonde hair appeared at the half closed gate at the front of the store. “Nick!”
Curious, Abby watched as Nick’s expression showed surprise and a hint of dismay. He headed for the security gate. “Candace.”
The woman ducked under the gate and came toward him.
Abby recalled Nick mentioning that he’d dated Candace. The woman reached him, putting her arms around his neck and planting a full kiss on his mouth. The woman’s lips appeared collagen-enhanced, pouting prettily.
Abby resisted the urge to hide in the back room where she wouldn’t witness their affection. Nick pulled away from the woman quickly. Candace’s lipstick wasn’t even smudged.
Candace glanced over at Abby. She lowered her voice, but Abby could still hear. “I didn’t have any plans this weekend so I figured I’d surprise you.”
A tight, suffocating feeling entered Abby’s throat. She busied herself at the counter. Something more primary, like an ache, welled within her.
She knew in that moment that Nick had managed to wedge his way into her heart. His sense of humor, his kindness, his gorgeous smile, and his reliable presence in her life had changed her fundamentally.
Don’t do it, Abby. Don’t even think about falling for him. You’ll be hurt and disappointed. Besides, this woman already has a claim on him.
“It’s good to see you,” he said to Candace. “I’ve got to finish up here, and then I’ve got plans this evening. Can I call you later?”
Candace’s pretty face registered surprise and not a little perturbation. “I suppose. If you can find the time. I’m staying at the Fairview Chateau. I would have called to tell you I was coming, but I figured with your light schedule you’d be able to fit me in. When you were working at the resort, you found the time.”
Abby winced at the instantaneous change from syrup-sweet to sub-zero in the woman’s tone.
“Can I call you later?” he asked again, his voice a little frosty.
“Yes.” With that simple, pithy ejection, she walked up to the counter. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
When Abby looked up, she saw that Nick’s expression had hardened. He came back to the counter. “I’m sorry. Abby, this is Candace Petersburg. Candace, Abby Manners.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Abby shook the woman’s hand, already certain she didn’t like the blonde. Candace’s grip was bruising for a woman with skinny hands.
“When Nick told me he was going to work at this little place,” Candace glanced around, assessing the area like a displeased mother at a debutante’s ball, “I thought may
be it was one of those rare book dealers.”
It was one of those moments Abby dreaded. Women with undisputed power, influence, and sharp edges always made her nervous. Abby often got sliced in the process. She recognized Candace’s brand of communication. Succinct. Self-assured. Unremittingly hard. It reminded her of Aunt Cassandra all too well.
“Abby is co-owner of the store,” Nick said.
“Oh?” Candace arched an imperial brow. Makeup covered any imperfections with a flawless finish, her subtle brown eye shadow designed to complement her frost-blue eyes. “How nice.”
Abby suddenly felt ragged. She knew that the glacier queen couldn’t have cared a crap less about meeting her. Candace Petersburg epitomized cool sophistication and a disdain for anything that didn’t fit her supercilious ideals. What did Nick see in the woman? High-quality looks? A good lay? Ridiculous anger picked at Abby like a chicken eating feed. She wasn’t proud of her reaction, but it came over her nonetheless.
“We were about to close up,” Nick said.
Candace turned to him. “Of course. Don’t forget to call me.” She brushed at non-existent lint on the front of his sweater, touching his pectorals with a possessive sweep.
Slow, undeniable jealousy tweaked at Abby until she slammed it deep inside where it couldn’t turn her in to green soup.
When Candace had gone, he sighed. “How could I forget? I’m sorry about that. Candace can be a little rude.”
Curiosity made her bold. “Just a little? Is she your girlfriend?”
“A friend.”
“As in a buddy? A pal?”
He grinned. “Why do you care?”
She shrugged. “I’m just curious.”
Nick came around the counter and as he got close, a tingle of undeniable excitement stilled her jealousy. He looked interested. Ready to kiss her. Lord, that would be so nice.
“Why do you care?” he asked again.
“She’s a cool character. Not your type of woman, I don’t think.”
“Uh-huh. What do you think my type of woman is?”
“Clever. Sophisticated in dress and style. A woman with a similar background to yours.”
He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. “Candace is all those things.”
Abby wondered if she’d made a huge mistake. “Look it doesn’t matter. She’s your friend and I shouldn’t make disparaging remarks about her.”
Nick eyed her as if he could read her mind. The sensation of being scanned for information didn’t appeal to Abby. “Clever is good. Sophisticated is good, too. But similar background isn’t always important.”
“I don’t agree. If you aren’t within a comparable socio-economic status there can be problems—”
He laughed. “You’re starting to sound like a professor I had in college.”
“It’s true.”
Nick leaned on the counter. “Many people with different backgrounds get hitched and live happily ever after. If they respect each other and have other things in common, it won’t matter.”
“What about love?”
He inclined his head slowly, as if the motion would pinpoint the importance of his belief. “There’s got to be love. Without love, there’s emptiness.”
His words reminded her of her aunt and uncle’s relationship. Devoid of love, they’d lived a farce. One that damaged not only themselves, but destroyed any example of normal family life they might have shown Abby. “I’ll second that.”
His intense perusal made her want to reach out to him, forget all her hang-ups and dive straight into the inferno.
“You know what I think?” he asked. “We ought to finish up and get out of here so I can help you decorate the rest of your house. I want to earn those dozen cookies.”
When he smiled like that the foundation crumbled beneath her. “Oh, you’ll earn it all right.”
“What do we have to do in your bedroom?” Nick asked Abby as they headed upstairs later that evening. “I suppose you have Santa sheets on the bed?”
His calm tone caressed her like warm fingers. As Abby opened the door to her bedroom, heat gathered in her stomach and traveled downward. “Actually, no. Red satin.”
He glanced around the room as he came inside. “Hmm...red satin. What does it feel like to sleep on satin sheets?”
“Oh, come on. I refuse to believe you’ve never slept on satin sheets before.”
“I haven’t. I’d be afraid of sliding out of bed at night.”
She chuckled. “I don’t know what it’s like either. I just put them on this morning.”
Abby felt hot all over, as if she’d allowed him to peek into a secret section of her diary. She’d always wanted to try red and green satin. Perfectly decadent for Christmas.
He crossed to the bare artificial tree she’d erected in one corner. He grabbed the box of lights and unraveled them from the container. “You weren’t kidding about another tree.”
“I’m determined to see all of this decorating through to the end.” She knew it sounded like a warning, but she didn’t want to hear any more jabs, playful or otherwise about indulging in Christmas trappings. Last night had been enough. “And pestering me won’t convince me otherwise.”
“Okay, I promise not to harass you. I think.”
Abby playfully punched him in the arm. “Take that.”
“Ow!”
“Be a good boy or there’ll be no cookies and milk for you.”
He winked. “Whatever you say, General.”
They continued in this vein, and she found that he was teasing her again. But instead of badgering her about decorations, his jibes became flirtatious insinuations that kept her from thinking in a straight line.
Abby knew she’d lost the battle she’d waged for days to resist him, and she didn’t care.
In the midst of their playful dalliance, she decided to raise a subject she feared. “Did you call Candace?”
“No.”
She plugged in a string of lights to see if they worked. They blazed, and smiling with satisfaction, she reached for a box of velvet decorations. “Why not?”
“After I got ready to come over here, I didn’t have the time.”
“You can call her from here.”
“I’m putting off the inevitable verbal battle.”
“Are your conversations with her usually mêlées?”
“Candace has a stubborn streak.” He cocked one eyebrow. “Kind of like you.”
Unease gathered within Abby, as if a boa constrictor had her in its grip, ready to choke its helpless lunch.
“What?” She wasn’t sure she liked being compared to Queen Bitch of the Universe.
“You’re both headstrong, but Candace doesn’t take no for an answer, so it takes more than one try to get her to understand. I knew after I arrived in Russel that I should have broken up with her. I should have called her right away.”
A selfish satisfaction twisted through her. “Oh?”
“She called me the night you brought me the soup and medicine and said she had something to tell me.”
“She wants more from you. I can tell. She’ll be hurt if you don’t come clean with her.”
“You’re giving her too much credit for feelings. Candace has the hide of an armadillo. She’s gone out with other men since she’s known me. In fact, I’m certain she’s been sleeping around.”
Though it shouldn’t have, the idea of him sleeping with Candace left a raw sensation in Abby’s stomach. “And yet you’ve gone out with her how long?”
“About seven months.”
“Then I guess the arrangement was good for both of you for awhile.” She knew it came out terse, but she couldn’t help it.
“It was. But what I had with her isn’t what I want anymore. I was using her to hide my real feelings.”
Afraid she’d excavated a facet of his personality she didn’t like, Abby said, “She was convenient.”
Nick’s gaze focused hard and intent. “What do you mean?”
/>
“While you were a corporate mogul, she was a convenient date. She’s smart, she’s very nice window dressing, and my guess is her economic status isn’t too shabby.”
A frown punctuated his forehead, and he stopped in the middle of stringing the lights on the tree. “I don’t go out with women because of their economic status or because they’re window dressing. Candace is entertaining, she has a great sense of humor.” He shrugged. “But she’s got a ruthless streak, too.”
Nothing in Nick’s steadfast gaze made her believe he’d break a woman’s heart intentionally. “I’m sorry. What I should have said is that because you’ve got money, chances would be good you’d meet women with a lot of money.”
“You’re right. She used to work for a rival hotel chain when we first met. Then she got hired as an assistant to one of the managers at our Denver resort.”
“You weren’t worried about dating someone within your company?”
“I never worry about gossip. If people are concerned about my love life, they have too much time on their hands.”
Abby almost dropped a decoration, her hands unsteady. Why was this conversation rattling her? “I’ve always been worried about what other people think.”
“I can tell.” Nick dropped the rope of lights and clasped her shoulders. “Are you worried about what I think of you?”
Abby wanted to say yes. But if she spoke, he’d understand how vital he’d become to her and that spelled heartache with a capital H. She wouldn’t, couldn’t let him nearer.
When she didn’t speak, he said, “You know how I feel, don’t you?”
She clutched one hand and the sharp end of a miniature light dug into her palm. Abby welcomed the discomfort, because it made her recognize reality. This moment and this man were real. The moment waited for her to make a move.
Be honest. Be honest.
“How do you feel about me?” she asked.
Subtle warmth lit Nick’s features and his grip loosened, sliding up to her neck. Abby shivered in reaction. She didn’t move as he cupped her face in his big hands. With tender strokes, he brushed his thumbs against her face, inciting soft tremors across her skin. She felt the gathering pulse between them build.
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