Holiday Heat

by Janelle Denison

  He’d been her first love, and he’d unceremoniously dumped her with the printed words A high-school crush was never meant to last. It’s time we both move on. Dylan. Not even Love, Dylan.

  Then he’d gone on to change his name from Dylan Northwood to Dylan North and quickly became America’s heartthrob, staring at her from the cover of every magazine in the supermarket and drugstore.

  Now he stood before her. Holly exhaled slowly, trying not to let Dylan see that his return had her trembling.

  He stared with the half smile and the dimple America adored on his face. “How about a hello hug for an old friend?” he asked with more than a hint of challenge in his voice.

  Touching him would be like looking for an electric shock, but if she turned him down, he’d assume she still had feelings for him. Which she didn’t, she assured herself. None at all.

  Liar. “Yeah, I think I could manage a hug. For a friend,” she added, more for her benefit than his.

  She stepped forward and was immediately surrounded by his heady masculine scent and engulfed by his strong arms and a wealth of emotion she’d tried hard to bury. Her cheek nestled into the nubby wool of his sweater, and his jean-clad thighs brushed against her light slacks.

  Shaking, she stepped back before she embarrassed herself, the practiced smile she reserved for her most trying patients on her face. “So what brings you by?”

  His steady gaze met hers. “I couldn’t come home without seeing my Midnight Angel… I mean, without seeing you again.”

  She swallowed hard, his use of the endearment taking her off guard. Dylan’s father had walked out when he and his sister were young, only to return again for another try. When that second chance failed a few weeks before Christmas their junior year in high school, his mother had broken the star on their Christmas tree in frustration. Holly had bought the family an angel to put on top instead. New memories to replace the old, she’d explained when she’d given it to him at midnight on Christmas Eve.

  He’d called her his Midnight Angel.

  She’d believed they would last forever.

  She shivered and forced herself back to the present. “Well, I’m glad you came by. It was good to see you again.” And it would be just as good to have him gone. “As you can see, I was just finishing up here. I’ve had a long day.”

  She was sure she looked as exhausted as she felt, yet somehow she resisted the urge to fix her hair or excuse herself and run to her office to touchup her makeup. This was who she was. No sense hiding it. Though she considered herself attractive on a good day, today wasn’t one of those.

  The Hollywood hunk might have dated her once, but the gorgeous women he saw daily and at award shows and premieres made her look like roadkill in comparison. Especially in contrast with Melanie Masterson, the actress the magazines constantly paired him with.

  He glanced at his watch. “Actually, I was hoping you had time for one more patient today.”

  “You?” she asked, surprised. He didn’t look sick.

  “Flu shot. I never managed to get one before I left L.A.” He shoved his hands into his back pockets and grinned at her like an adorable little boy who’d forgotten his lunch money and was begging for a loan.

  The effect was potent, more than any other good-looking man had had on her ever. Guiltily, thoughts of John, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, arose. She and John had started dating when she’d returned home to take over her sick father’s practice a little over a year ago. But while John was ready to settle down and had begun pressuring her for more of a commitment, she wasn’t ready, and lately she’d been wondering if she ever would be.

  She’d been putting him off with flimsy excuses, but I need more time and Let’s get to know each other better didn’t hold much weight when they’d known one another since grade school. John provided comfort and ease but not this overwhelming sexual desire she felt just looking at Dylan again.

  “Hello?” Dylan waved a hand in front of her face. “I asked if you’d give me a flu shot.” He studied her with concern.

  She shook her head to clear her thoughts and focus on keeping Dylan in the past where he belonged. Forcing a smile, she said, “Sure. I can manage one more shot.”

  She gave him a quick exam, not wanting to spend too much time examining his broad, tanned, muscular chest or any other part of his body that created that longing feeling swirling inside her. After a quick escape to gather her equipment, she walked back into the exam room.

  “So are you going to Whipporwill’s tonight?” he asked about the town’s annual Christmas party. He pushed up his sweater sleeve in preparation for his shot.

  She shook her head. “I haven’t had any down-time lately. I thought I’d head home and relax.” In fact, she’d already called John and cancelled, claiming exhaustion. Her bed beckoned.

  Once she’d slept, she would wake up refreshed and full of holiday spirit, ready to shop for the gifts she normally purchased way ahead of time. But since her father died, she’d been so busy keeping his practice alive that she’d had no time for anything that resembled fun.

  “That’s too bad. I was hoping I could steal a dance.”

  She shot him a disbelieving glance. A dance? Was that something like their hug? Did he really find being around her that easy, making conversation that simple, as if they’d never meant anything to each other beyond friends? Was the attraction that swirled inside her even now nonexistent for him when he looked at her? She clenched her jaw in pain and frustration.

  “I thought we could hang out and catch up. You know, like old times. Come on, Holly. Please?”

  She closed her eyes and counted to ten, seeing her relaxing night evaporate. If she didn’t show up at the party, Dylan would think she was avoiding him, or worse, running from her feelings.

  “Fine,” she said with forced cheer. “I’d love to hang out with an old friend.” As long as he didn’t call her his Midnight Angel again.

  And since he found it so easy to be her friend, she decided there was a nice, fleshier place than his arm for her to insert the needle for his shot. One where he wouldn’t forget her quite so easily this time.

  “Oh, Dylan? I need you to do me a favor first.”

  He grinned, obviously pleased she’d agreed. “What’s that?”

  “Drop your pants.”

  He groaned, and she laughed, her first free and easy laugh since he’d walked into her office unannounced.

  Chapter Two

  Whipporwill’s was the fanciest restaurant in Acton and often doubled as a catering hall for weddings and other assorted affairs. By L.A. standards, it fell short of chic, and by Boston standards it was a family-style restaurant at best. Still, it was the best Acton had to offer, and tradition dictated the whole town show up for an annual bash the week before Christmas.

  Dylan leaned against a scarred, wood-paneled wall, smiling and greeting friends, both old and new. His mother, Kate, stood on the opposite side of the room, holding court, gesturing proudly to her famous son. He’d flown his mother to L.A. a few times a year and he’d come home to visit and left just as quietly. Having him here to show off was a first, and she reveled in the attention. Meanwhile, he was looking around for Holly, who was nowhere to be found.

  Dylan had all but dared her to show up tonight. In his arrogance, he’d thought that just because he’d once been able to anticipate her actions, he could still do the same. But as the minutes passed, he was forced to admit he’d miscalculated. Badly enough for him to admit defeat.

  Before he could come up with an excuse that his mother and everyone else would accept so that he could leave gracefully, a guy he recognized from high school walked over and joined him.

  “Dylan, I heard you were in town. It’s good to see you.” The other man held out his hand.

  Dylan grinned. “John Whittaker? Damn, it’s been a long time.” He pumped his old friend’s hand.

  “Last time I saw you, we were cleaning toilet paper off the football field to keep Coach
from calling the cops and reporting the school had been vandalized.”

  Dylan laughed. “I remember.” It had been their high-school graduation farewell prank. Dylan had left for L.A. a few days later.

  “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought of that night over the years. Every time I see your ugly mug on the cover of a magazine, in fact.” John shoved his hand into the back pocket of his chinos.

  He still favored the preppy look while Dylan had always liked jeans and T-shirts best. Unlike many of the guys Dylan had greeted tonight who sported bald spots or comb-overs, John still had a full head of sandy-brown hair.

  “Tonight must feel like a high-school reunion for you,” John said, understanding in a way that surprised Dylan.

  He grimaced. “Worse. I think you’re one of the first people who’s happy to see me for the right reasons.” Friendship, not awe, he thought.

  “As soon as they all realize you’re still the same, the fame thing’ll pass.”

  Dylan shrugged. “I hope you’re right. So what’ve you been up to?”

  “I work at an investment firm in downtown Boston,” John said, propping one shoulder against the wall.

  “That suits you. Married?”

  “Not yet, but I’m trying to get the woman I’ve been seeing to settle down.”

  “Anyone I know?” Dylan asked.

  John studied Dylan in pointed silence. “Actually—” John’s cell phone rang, cutting him off. He glanced at the incoming number. “Hang on, and we’ll pick this up in a few minutes,” he said to Dylan. He answered the call, walking off to talk in private, leaving Dylan to watch the door some more and hope Holly would show up after all.

  After heading home for a nap, a shower and some serious primping, Holly met up with Nicole on the steps outside Whipporwill’s. The chill in the air and impending snow signaled Christmas was coming soon. Holly loved the holiday season. She was suddenly glad she’d come tonight, and the festivities weren’t the only reason. Neither was the challenge Dylan had issued earlier. Dylan himself was the man motivating her actions.

  “I still think you should have surprised John instead of calling him and telling him you’d decided to come tonight,” Nicole said, interrupting Holly’s thoughts. “Spontaneity is good for relationships, and from what you’ve told me, John could use some good old-fashioned surprises in his life.”

  Holly couldn’t deny that comment. “I just thought he deserved to know I’d changed my mind.” She’d show up at the party, spend time with both the past and present men in her life and hopefully leave Whipporwill’s with a clear mind, ready to move on.

  “I bet you were afraid he’d think you came just to see Dylan,” Nicole said knowingly.

  With a groan, Holly pulled open the door and entered the festive party. Red and silver velvet bows adorned the walls, and tinsel fell enticingly from each potted plant and fern, while poinsettias were strategically placed around the room, their beauty enhancing the holiday atmosphere.

  “Do you want to stick with me?” she asked Nicole, knowing her friend was still fairly new to town and didn’t know everyone yet.

  Nicole shook her head. “Actually, I see someone I want to talk to,” she said and, with a brief wave, disappeared into the crowd.

  So much for needing a guiding hand, Holly thought wryly. She paused to hand her jacket to the coatcheck girl before heading inside.

  No sooner had she glanced around than her first challenge came to greet her. “Holly, I’m so glad you changed your mind and decided to come,” John said, grasping her hand in his. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” She took in his polished look, the pressed chinos and collared shirt paired with a polo sweater, and smiled. “You look pretty good yourself.” She kissed his clean-shaven cheek, his familiar aftershave surrounding her.

  “Well, well, look who decided to show up after all.”

  Dylan’s deep voice sent sizzling awareness shooting through her veins, leaving no part of her body unaffected. While John’s scent had been warm, Dylan’s cologne caused a distinct path of heat to travel along her nerve endings and settle in the pit of her stomach.

  “I thought you said you’d be missing this shindig.” He cocked his head and pinned her with a knowing grin.

  “You two have seen each other already?” John asked, obviously surprised.

  Dylan was the one subject John never broached with Holly. He knew the history. He’d been through school along with them, but John and Holly had begun dating once they’d returned home as adults. As if by mutual agreement, they’d left Dylan behind and started fresh. But Holly realized that Dylan had always been with her even when she wasn’t aware of it.

  She wondered if Dylan had heard she and John were an item. She wondered if he’d even care. After clearing her throat, she tackled John’s comment. “Dylan stopped by the office this afternoon.”

  “I wanted her to promise me a dance tonight,” Dylan said with that sexy look back in his gaze.

  Obviously he hadn’t heard anything about her and John being a couple. She winced and jumped to explain his comment to John. “Actually, Dylan came by for a flu shot.”

  She didn’t want John to get the wrong idea. Or was it the right one? Holly wondered, her traitorous heart beating hard in her chest because Dylan was near. Obviously the old feelings weren’t gone. Not even the anger or sense of betrayal, which still lay in her heart like lead, could dilute the spike of desire he caused.

  “The good doctor didn’t mind giving me one, either.” Dylan grinned and rubbed the affected spot just below his hip. He laughed until his gaze fell to Holly’s hand, still enclosed in John’s grasp.

  His eyes opened wide, and an uncomfortable silence fell until finally Dylan spoke. “This is the woman you’ve been seeing? The one you’ve been trying to get to settle down?” His voice sounded hoarse to Holly’s ears as he cocked his head to one side, understanding dawning.

  Instinct had her pulling her hand back from John’s.

  “And you’re the reason she’s been avoiding commitment. I don’t know why I didn’t realize it before,” John said, sounding certain of his conclusion.

  “Excuse me.” Holly interrupted the two men. “But could you both stop speaking about me like I’m not here?” She turned to John first. “Dylan has nothing to do with my feelings about commitment,” she assured him. But her queasy stomach and sweaty palms made her wonder if her words were a lie.

  “I know you want to believe that, but I’m ready to move forward with you or without you.” John turned to Dylan. “How long are you in town for?”

  Dylan looked as stunned as she felt as he replied, “Through Christmas, but—”

  “That’s decided, then.”

  “What is?” Holly asked, nothing around her making sense.

  John stood up straight and pulled his coat check ticket from his pocket. “Spend the next few days with Dylan or alone with your own thoughts—I don’t care which. But deal with the past and decide what you want for your future.”

  Holly blinked. “Can someone please tell me when I lost control of my life?”

  “Oh, about the time this guy took off for Hollywood.” John reached out and squeezed her hand tight. “I care about you, and I want what makes you happy. But I want to be happy too, so let’s both agree to use these few days wisely, okay?”

  She had thought she would walk in here tonight, take one look at John, who was ready to give her a future, take one look at Dylan, who’d caused her nothing but pain, and be ready to ride off into the sunset with John. Well, her thinking had been naive in the extreme, because Dylan wreaked a kind of havoc on her body and soul that she couldn’t explain or understand. He promised nothing, and yet she couldn’t give herself completely to any other man.

  She had to take this time with him now. Knowing John had understood that even before she had, she nodded. “Okay.”

  To her shock, John turned and shook Dylan’s hand, then kissed Holly on the cheek, not on
the lips. Not, she noticed, like a man staking his claim or giving her something to remember him by as she weighed her options. But, then, she and John had always been about companionship and caring, not all-consuming love and desire. Wasn’t that what made him the perfect choice for her future?

  Dylan’s return was temporary, and he certainly wasn’t offering forever. They barely knew each other anymore. Yet she felt like she still did know him. So even if the likelihood was that he’d leave for L.A. and her heart would be broken once more, she needed closure. Once again something John had understood before she had.

  “Well, well, that certainly was interesting.” Dylan watched John’s retreating back. “I had no idea you two were involved.”

  His voice brought Holly back to the present. To the man who’d caused more upheaval in her life than anyone she’d ever known. “How would you know anything about me? It’s not like you kept in touch over the past decade.”

  “True.” He inclined his head. “And I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for a lot of things we’ve yet to hash out. But I’m back now and plan to make up for lost time.” His eyes glittered with determined fire.

  The same fire she’d bet kept him stoked and primed as he’d quickly climbed through the ranks in Hollywood. Holly shivered. “What makes you think I want the same thing?”

  He shook his head and let out a low, chiding sound, but his lips were turned upward in a grin. “Don’t make me kiss you senseless in front of this crowd just to prove a point.” He leaned in closer, his roughened cheek against hers, making her skin tingle. “Because when I kiss you again, and you can be sure I will, we’re going to be alone, where I can take my time and go oh so slow and deep.” His husky voice rumbled over the last two words.

  Her breath caught in her throat, and her own vivid imagination took over. She envisioned his lips covering hers, his tongue thrusting inside her open mouth while his body made love to hers just as he’d described.

  A low moan escaped her throat, but thank goodness the music was loud and their audience, though rapt, couldn’t possibly capture the subtle undercurrents running between them.