“Right,” I snorted. “Because that’s so much worse than dating the mom of one of Luke’s classmates?”
“I never—” Her face turned beet red and it looked like she was about to explode before she turned on her heel and stormed away.
“Geesh, do you have to put up with crap like that all the time? Who knew the elementary school was the busiest meat market in town.”
“I’ve made it damn clear that I’m not interested in dating, so most of the moms have left me alone.” He shrugged his broad shoulders, but didn’t let go of his hold on me. “Janice has been the exception to the rule, but hopefully that’ll change from now on.”
“Well, if you ever need someone to shield you from her again, I’m your girl,” I offered.
His dark eyes heated as they scanned my face. “Same time, same place, tomorrow?”
“Sounds perfect to me.”
“But that doesn’t mean you’re getting out of teaching me how to bake cookies today when you drop Tyler off to play with Luke.” His head tilted to the side. “You do know how to make them, right? Because if not, I might have to email Janice and tell her to sign me up for those paper plates after all.”
“Have you ever tried the cookies at Cake Walk?”
His brow wrinkled in confusion. “The bakery down the street? Of course I have. They have the best desserts in town.”
I flashed him a smug grin. “Then prepare to be wowed because that’s where I work.”
“Well, hell,” he mumbled as the bell rang and kids poured out of the school doors. “There you go, being even more perfect than before.”
Chapter Three
David
My heart sped up at the sound of the doorbell. Luke went streaking from the kitchen to answer it with Lucky, our cocker spaniel, flopping along behind him.
I rounded the corner into the entryway just in time to see two small sets of feet and four furry ones, disappear up the stairs.
Harley stood just inside the door, her arms full of plastic bags. She smiled a little shyly at me and it was adorable. I wanted to kiss those plump lips but I stifled the urge and instead, took the bags from her. “Let me take these.”
“I brought decorating supplies”—she grinned and rolled her eyes upward—“though that clearly didn’t pique Tyler’s interest in helping.”
“No problem. That just means I get a one-on-one cookie baking lesson from a gorgeous pro.”
Harley laughed and the sound mesmerized me for a moment before I shook it off. “Kitchen is this way.” Pivoting on my heel, I led her to the back of the house where I’d laid out all the ingredients and supplies according to her texted instructions. I set her bags on the only free space and then took her coat. I almost started drooling when my suspicions were confirmed about what was beneath those heavy layers.
She was wearing a soft, white sweater that clung to her high, full breasts and tapered down to her small waist. Her jeans showed off the flare of her hips, a tight ass, and long, long legs. Right then and there, I knew without a doubt that eventually I’d be squeezing that ass while those legs were wrapped around me. Grateful for the excuse of hanging up her coat, I hightailed it out of the room and took several deep breaths, adjusting the uncomfortable bulge in my pants. After a few minutes of thinking about anything boring and ugly, my hard on subsided and I was able to return to the kitchen.
Over the next couple of hours, she walked me through the process of making sugar cookies and I listened to every word. More because I was enchanted with the sound of her voice than in an interest to learn. I couldn’t keep my eyes from frequently straying to her curves. Damn she was gorgeous.
We cut the dough into Christmas shapes and started the process of shuttling them through the oven. She bent to slide in a tray, giving me a fantastic view of her ass and I licked my lips. When she stood and turned around, I dragged my eyes up and chuckled at the sight of powdered sugar streaked across her cheek.
“C’mere,” I encouraged, holding out my hand. She took it without hesitation and her brown eyes sparkled. “You’ve got something on your cheek.” Once I’d pulled her close, I leaned down and gave in to my urge, licking the sweet sugar from her skin. “Mmmm delicious.”
Her breath caught and her head reared back slightly, her eyes wide with surprise, but with a hint of intrigue. “I think these cookies aren’t the only thing that would taste amazing covered in frosting,” I murmured. Reaching to the side, I swiped my finger into the bowl of creamy goodness and tapped the tip of her nose before licking it clean. Her mouth fell open and I took advantage, smearing her lips then lowering my head to suck and kiss it off. When they were devoid of every drop, I slipped my tongue into her mouth and groaned in complete bliss. She tasted like the sweet, vanilla frosting, cinnamon, and something else intoxicating.
My hands splayed across her back, plastering her chest to mine. Her arms slowly caressed my body until they were circling my neck and she enthusiastically returned the kiss. I’d just taken hold of her ass and was about to lift her onto the counter when the clattering of feet running down the stairs broke the spell and we jumped apart. The boys barreled into the kitchen, heading straight for the bowl of frosting.
I was breathing hard and quickly spun toward the sink to hide my aroused state. Harley jumped into action, grabbing a spatula and lightly smacking Tyler’s hand before he could stick his finger in the bowl. “Only helpers get to sneak tastes.”
Tyler looked up at her with big, brown, puppy dog eyes and an overly exaggerated pout. Luke copied his expression and she threw her head back, laughing heartily.
“Okay, but wash your hands first and use a spoon. You each get one taste.” She waved a hand toward the spot on the counter we’d prepared for frosting the cookies. “If you help, I’ll let you guys lick the bowl.”
Both boys immediately perked up and pushed me aside to get to the faucet.
The oven beeped and Harley grabbed oven mitts and removed the tray, quickly replacing it with another. She avoided looking at me as she transferred the cookies from the tray to wax paper so they could cool.
Then she busied herself helping the boys pick out the decorating supplies they wanted to use. I sidled up behind her and laid my hand at her waist, giving it a gentle squeeze. Bending low, I whispered in her ear, soft enough that only she would hear. “This isn’t over, beautiful.” A shiver ran through her body when my lips brushed along the shell of her ear and I grinned.
We focused on the boys, and it took another couple of hours to get the cookies done. It was time for dinner when we finished, but Harley declined our invitation to join us, saying their parents were waiting on them.
I didn’t have another moment alone with her, so I made sure to covertly touch her any time I could. When they were bundled up and ready to walk out the door, I gave her a meaningful look and longingly dropped my eyes to her pink lips for a moment. It was hard to let her go without getting another taste, but it wasn’t the right time.
“Tomorrow?” I asked softly. Her cheeks blushed pink and she nodded before scurrying out the door and rushing to her car to get out of the cold.
For the next three weeks, I was tortured with seeing her each weekday at school. Unable to touch her or get any time alone with her. Tyler and Luke had a few more play dates, but she didn’t stay when she dropped him off which meant I didn’t get the chance to do more than sneak in a quick kiss before she left. My constant state of need was making me edgy and having a negative effect on my Christmas cheer.
I tossed and turned every night, my bed suddenly seeming too empty and my dreams full of our naked, writhing bodies.
The more I got to know her, the more I was convinced she was meant to be mine. Luke adored her, and she’d even charmed Lucky into following her around worshipfully whenever she was here. She belonged in my house, in my bed, permanently.
I just had to come up with a plan to sweep her off her feet and convince her of the same thing.
Chapter Four
Harley
“I’m so glad I was able to drag you out of the house,” I exhaled as I plopped down onto a chair, slurped at my smoothie, and tried to focus on my best friend who I missed terribly—and also tried to stop thinking about David and how I was already falling for him. Hard. “It’s been way too long since we last had H’s united time. I miss you.”
I grinned at Holly when we simultaneously lifted our pinky fingers and locked them together, just like we’d been doing ever since we’d come up with the silly nickname back in kindergarten almost thirteen years ago.
“I miss you, too,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a recluse lately.”
“Hey.” I reached for her hand. “It’s not like I don’t understand why. I just wish you’d let me be there for you, especially at this time of year when I know you’re missing her more than ever.”
I officially felt like the world’s worst best friend when she laid her head on my shoulder. I should have spent the past few weeks focused on how hard this Christmas was going to be for her instead of being consumed by my thoughts about David. She and her mom had always been super close, and this was the first holiday season since her mom moved to Florida after falling in love with a great guy and getting married. With all the snow on the ground, the airports had shut down before they could make it back to Connecticut to spend Christmas with Holly.
It shouldn’t have taken me until Christmas Eve to drag her out of the house she used to share with her mom and make her continue our tradition of shopping together. “Your mom wouldn’t want you moping around on her favorite holiday.”
“My mom really does love the holidays,” she laughed.
“Obviously, since she named you Holly,” I teased.
She dished it right back at me, just like always. “Hey, it’s better than your dad loving his motorcycle so much that your parents named you Harley.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I drawled. “Like I haven’t heard that from you before.”
“Only about a million times.”
“You know what else I’ve heard about a million times?” I asked, jumping up and dragging her to her feet with a mischievous smile on my face. “Ho—”
“Ho! Ho!” the mall Santa finished off for me as we neared the North Pole display in the middle of the mall.
“Oh, no!” she tugged on my arm, trying to back away.
“C’mon! It’ll be fun,” I insisted, refusing to let her go. I figured I could make two of the most important people in my life happy with one little trip to see Santa. I was sure it would put a smile on Holly’s face, and Tyler had been bugging me about asking Santa what I wanted for Christmas all week long. It was the strangest thing, but maybe this would get him off my back.
“We’re too old to go sit on Santa’s lap,” she protested. “Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, they’re not going to let us do it.”
“Sure they will.” I pointed towards the female elf, an old friend from high school who’d been on the cheerleading squad with me, managing the line. “Kayla will make sure we get in.”
“Crap,” she muttered as she begrudgingly got in line with me. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait too long or else she probably would have bailed. Since Holly seemed uncomfortable with the whole idea I went first, singing “Santa Baby” as I settled myself on Santa’s lap. Only I hadn’t expected to recognize the brown eyes gleaming at me from the mall Santa’s face, or to recognize the hard body beneath mine.
“David?” I gasped.
“Santa,” he corrected softly, jerking his head towards the line of kids behind Holly.
“Oh, right. Yeah.” I felt completely thrown off. It wasn’t just that I hadn’t expected to see him; it was also because I was sitting in his lap and... “Is Santa happy to see me or is that a really big candy cane in your pocket?”
His hips jerked up a little. “I’m not the one handing them out.”
“Hmm,” I murmured, wiggling in his lap. “Then I think I know what I want for Christmas.”
His nostrils flared, his cheeks filled with a deep red color, and his fingers dug into my sides. “That’s a Christmas wish Santa is more than ready, willing, and able to fulfill.”
A startled gasp spilled from my lips, and I leaped off his lap before I did something that none of the kids in line needed to see. I moved to the side and took some deep breaths in an attempt to cool down so my panties wouldn’t be completely ruined by the time I got home later. I noticed David made sure Holly was sitting on the very edge of his lap and felt a little smug at knowing he was as affected as I was.
I missed part of his conversation with Holly though—which might have also been because it was super awkward to see my best friend on his lap even though I knew it was innocent—and then I felt horrible again when I heard her holiday wish.
“My Christmas wish isn’t a what. It’s a who,” she whispered.
“Me, too,” he admitted softly, and the way his eyes locked with mine had my heart racing again. But I needed to focus on my best friend right then, so I helped her off his lap and wrapped my arms around her.
“Oh, Holly. I’m so sorry for pushing you into this. Of course your Christmas wish is to be with your mom.” Instead of looking sad, her cheeks heated with embarrassment. Tugging her away from the North Pole display, I asked, “What’s up with the blush?”
“Nothing.”
I didn’t believe her answer. Not even a tiny bit. “Spill it, Holly. Why were you blushing like that?”
“Because for some stupid reason, the first thing that popped into my head when your Santa-boyfriend asked me what I wanted for Christmas was Jacob.”
“Jacob Marley?” I gasped.
“What other Jacob would it be?” she grumbled.
My surprise was understandable since she hadn’t mentioned him in years. During the rest of our time at the mall and in the car on the way to her house, we talked about how much she missed him—right down to her mental countdown of exactly how long it’d been since she’d seen him. It made me worry about her even more.
“It doesn’t feel right, dropping you off like this,” I grumbled as I pulled my car into her driveway. “My mom and dad have asked me a million times why you aren’t spending the night with us.”
“Tell them thank you, but I feel like I need to be here tonight. I’m going to read a steamy holiday romance and maybe get a little tipsy on some eggnog. Well, maybe not since my mom isn’t here to add the liquor.”
“Okay.” I heaved a huge sigh, wishing she’d just go inside to pack a bag and come back to my house instead. “But if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
“You’re going to call and check up on me as soon as you get home, aren’t you?”
I shook my head and rolled my eyes since we both knew that was a dumb question. “Of course I am!”
“Just remember,” she warned as she stepped out of my car and leaned inside to wag a finger at me. “The more often you call, the more chances I’ll get to ask you about Santa.”
“Shit.” I should have known I wouldn’t get away with not talking about David, not even when she was distracted by her own guy issues. “There isn’t much to tell.”
She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows at me. “Uh-huh. And Peter Pan was one of Santa’s elves.”
“Fine. Every time you ask me about him, I’ll just have to ask you about Jacob. And harass you about why you’re such a chicken and haven’t tried to look him up,” I said, hoping that’d be enough to make her let it go. At least for now, while I tried to figure out where this thing with David was going.
“You’re impossible,” she grumbled, and I flashed her a triumphant grin. But as I drove away, it faded. I hadn’t been joking when I’d told Santa that I knew what I wanted for Christmas.
Chapter Five
David
I watched Harley’s ass sway as she walked away from the North Pole display at the mall. Her visit had been unexpected, but it gave me hope that my plans for the ev
ening would be met with enthusiasm.
“Um, Santa?” My head jerked around, and I looked at an expectant Kayla who gestured to the waiting line of children.
Taking a few deep breaths, I calmed myself down and focused on being jolly, old saint Nick for a few more hours.
Finally, nine o’clock rolled around and I headed home to my empty house. Luke had volunteered to spend Christmas Eve at his mother’s house after talking me into the Santa gig. He was coming home early tomorrow afternoon. While I was sad to miss the time with him, I was going to take complete advantage of the opportunity.
I’d been planning things for a week and had started off by having a chat with Harley’s parents. I’d expected a little resistance from her father, considering how fast things had happened and the age difference between Harley and myself. But, he’d simply laughed and taken his wife’s hand before saying, “when you know, you know.”
Since I had to be at the charity event until nine, I hadn’t felt too bad about asking to take Harley away from them for Christmas Eve, and I was pleasantly surprised when they readily agreed. Her mother winked and told me not to rush bringing her back the next morning. This made her father sputter a little, but he didn’t outright object. I beat a path out of there before things could take an awkward turn.
After gathering a basket of supplies and some warm blankets, I loaded everything in the sleigh I’d managed to borrow from a friend and customer who owned a chain of Christmas stores. It was lucky for me that Harley’s house was only a few blocks away, or I might have worried about freezing my balls off. And I had high hopes for the use of that area later that night.
It wasn’t long before I was pulling the horses to a stop at the curb in front of a familiar home where I’d often dropped off Luke. I hopped down from the sleigh and made my way to the front door, all while giving myself a pep talk to convince myself that Harley would see what I already knew without a doubt—we were perfect for each other.
Tis the Season for Love Page 5
