Just In Time for Christmas

by Kim Boykin

  *

  Everyone gawked at Logan. He was stunningly beautiful in his tux and looked much hotter than the photo on the auction website. If she untied that tie, unbuttoned a few of those buttons, that would complete the look she’d memorized since Pammy put the website up. And, while he cleaned up really really good, she couldn’t help but miss that sexy scruff he’d had in the picture, wondering what it would feel like scraping deliciously across her—

  “Oh, my God!” Pammy hissed.

  Miranda’s head snapped up to see Pammy staring daggers at her, red Christmas cocktail in hand. Perfect hair and makeup. Wearing the original of the Vera Wang knockoff Miranda had on. Exact same color.

  Well, this was embarrassing. Especially since Pammy had all those manmade curves that Miranda didn’t. Who knew anyone could stuff that much cleavage into a strapless dress? And while Miranda had found her rhinestone choker and dangly earrings at Slick Chicks on clearance, Pammy was wearing the real deal.

  “You look lovely tonight, Pammy,” Miranda offered and then ordered a glass of champagne, while Logan ordered a bourbon. Neat.

  “You’re lucky I’m thirsty,” Pammy snorted. “Otherwise you’d be wearing my drink, too.”

  “Come on, Pammy, it’s a Christmas party,” Logan said.

  “Yes, and by the end of the evening, you’ll be trading up to a date with me.” She waggled her phone at him.

  “Love the dress, Pammy. Really,” Miranda said, smiling as she put her arm in Logan’s.

  Logan was about to bust a gut laughing as he ushered her away from the bar. “You are one sassy lady,” he said, toasting her.

  Yes, she was. She was Miranda Hamilton, by God, and her mama had raised her better than to knuckle under to the likes of Pammy Anderson. The committee was over and done with, the success of the cotillion almost assured. If Pammy wanted to play nice, Miranda was a grownup. But if she wanted to get down in the Magnolia Bay pluff mud, so be it.

  That little bit of sass and vinegar washed Miranda’s worries away. Everything from the decorations to the lighting to the food really was perfect. Last year’s record profits had been in the rearview mirror for a couple of weeks. If everything went off without a hitch tonight, between yesterday’s events, the auction, and the cotillion, the Barbara T. Hamilton would receive twenty thousand dollars more than their record haul last year.

  “Come here, sassy girl.” Logan slipped his arm around her waist, pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “So damn beautiful,” he breathed into her ear. Her girl parts had their pom-poms out and were doing cartwheels. Cheering. Logan. Logan. Logan.

  Booty Call, started up, with the Black Eyed Peas’ “I’ve Got a Feeling,” and Miranda couldn’t help but move to the music. From behind her, Logan put his hands on her hips. She felt his breath on her cheek. “You dancing tonight?” he asked sending chills down her legs.

  “Dancing,” she said, pulling him through the crowd and onto the dance floor.

  *

  The Magnolia Bay Christmas cotillion wasn’t exactly the type of place to grind on your date. Especially with his mom there and his aunts, Daisy and Camellia, scrutinizing Miranda. But, man he wanted to.

  The way she looked at him made him wish they were alone. At his place. At hers. He didn’t care.

  “So,” she said over the music. “Has this Candice chick that’s bidding on you messaged you?”

  Well, that came out of left field. “No. She message you?”

  “I’ve chatted with her. She wanted to know what I thought of you.”

  “What’d you tell her?”

  She smiled, blushing hard. “Nothing.”

  Turning her around, her back to his front. She smelled so damn good. He slipped his arms around her. Just the tiniest bit of grinding. “Why? Are you jealous?” he teased.

  “Are you kidding? I want to find her and give her a medal,” she said, huge sexy grin.

  He gripped her hips a little tighter. “Yeah?”

  She nodded. “It’s been so much fun to watching Pammy get so exasperated every time Candice one ups her. Just look at her now,” Miranda said, nodding toward one of the tables across the dance floor.

  There sat Pammy looking beyond pissed, clicking away on her smartphone. She seemed satisfied for a few seconds until she looked at the screen. “Who is the Candice bitch?” Pammy growled.

  “I don’t know who she is,” Miranda said to Logan, “but I love her.”

  He turned her around to face him again. “I know why Pammy’s bidding. What I really want to know is why were you bidding?” The song ended. She started to walk away, but he reeled her back in. “Miranda,” he said, softly. “Why?”

  “I’m just a shill, running up the bid, Logan,” she said, but the flushed look on her face said something entirely different.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ‡

  Miranda kept her eye on one of the twelve chandeliers that seemed to be vibrating more than the others thanks to the loud music. She had been to enough of these outdoor events with fancy white tents and was well acquainted with everything that could and did go wrong. A double booked caterer or one who sent the wrong food to the party. Tables that weren’t locked properly; she’d see that one more than once. Food falling to the ground with a boom, once even a wedding cake. That wouldn’t be happening tonight.

  She’d come by the site before she went to the Sassy Scissors to get her hair done and had personally made sure each table’s legs were locked into place before they were draped with cloths. She had the party equipment company double check the portable outdoor heaters that dotted the room. But the dancing chandelier still concerned her. She’d seen one of those fall at a wedding reception, right onto the bride and groom’s table. Luckily, everyone was on the dance floor, and no one was hurt.

  But tonight, dancing chandelier aside, everything really was perfect. Daisy and Camellia had conceded that in the powder room of the Wedding Chapel about an hour ago, when they’d told her the Holiday Festival was heretofore her baby, if she wanted it. And she shocked herself by hugging the stuffing out of both of the Bloom Bitches with a resounding yes.

  While the party had been perfect, Miranda wondered what in the world she was going to do with Logan. He’d been charming and wonderful, on his best behavior for sure, but that couldn’t last. Could it? And what would that look like if it did? Logan Mauldin behaving himself? Would he be as attractive to her? Up until the party began, she would have said no, but now she wasn’t so sure. She liked him and there were times when he looked at her and smiled that crooked grin that he took her breath away. Could she trust her heart with him? Could she trust him?

  He’d always been straight up with her. It was one of his most endearing qualities if you didn’t count his quick wit. And, of course, his hotness. And she had always been honest with him until he showed up on her committee. But she’d be damned before she’d let him see how much he affected her.

  Logan looked at his watch, blew out a sigh, and smiled at her. “And now for the embarrassing portion of our evening. I have to head over there with the other cattle for the auction.” He pointed to the group of guys that were lining up next to the stage.

  “They’re expecting sexy Logan,” she laughed. Incredibly sexy Logan. She straightened his bow tie, and then surprised herself by untying it altogether, unbuttoning a few of those shiny black buttons. “I’m expecting you to bring in a lot of dough. Don’t disappoint me.”

  “Never,” he laughed and kissed her on the cheek before joining the other bachelors.

  Mayor Delaney had nominated herself as emcee for the live auction portion of the program. While her husband looked a little miffed, she was thoroughly enjoying herself, auctioning off Magnolia Bay’s finest single men.

  “Only a few more to go and we can get back to our party! Now, our next bachelor is another one of the famed Mauldin brothers. Tanner, to be exact. We have an online bid of two hundred ten dollars. Do I have two hundred and fifty?” When nobo
dy bid, Tanner gave the crowd a sexy pleading look and made prayer hands. “Ladies, which one of you wants to be the answer to Tanner Mauldin’s prayers.”

  Several green bidding paddles shot up. The mayor pumped the bidding up as high as it would go and then looked at Jamie, who was monitoring the online bidding. “Jamie, call for a final bid online.” Jamie did so, and seconds later, when the bidding was over, Tanner had brought in five hundred dollars.

  Two fireman, an ER doc, and a high school football coach later, Logan stepped onto the stage. By that time, the mayor was positively giddy with her emcee power. Her husband had gone back and forth between looking like he wanted to crawl under the table and hide, to looking like he wanted to yank that mic away from his wife and take her home.

  “And we’ve saved the best for last,” she cooed. “Logan Mauldin. You’ve worked the online bidders into a frenzy these past few weeks. Let’s see how much we can get for your very fine—”

  Logan covered the mic with his hand and took it from her. “Hair. I have great hair. Thanks mom,” he said, waving to Rosie and the crowd laughed. He blew out a breath, with a forced-looking smile, and handed the mic back to the mayor.

  She put her bifocals back on and looked at her clipboard. “Oh, my. Is this right?” she looked at Jamie who nodded. “Wow, nine hundred and seventy-five dollars. Somebody really wants a date with you Logan.”

  He leaned over the mic, “It’s the hair.”

  “Have you seen the Magnolia Bay Hottie Pinterest page ladies? Can you help me assure Logan it’s not just his hair you’re interested in,” the mayor said, eliciting whooping and hollering from the women in the audience. Even a wolf whistle from Miranda.

  And he caught her in the act, full on sexy grin that made the collective temperature in the room raise a thousand degrees. She shrugged at him, smiling. It’s all for charity, right?

  “Now that Logan feels all better, let’s start the bidding at one thousand dollars,” the mayor said.

  Pammy’s paddle shot up. And then paddles from two of the women who had arrived in limos. “Twelve hundred?” the mayor said, and Pammy’s paddle was in the air. “Let’s just cut to the chase, Pammy. How much are you willing to spend?” the mayor joked.

  “Whatever it takes,” Pammy shouted back and then gave Miranda a hard look. “Fifteen hundred dollars.”

  The crowd oohed and ahhhed. Jamie, pointed to the iPad and shook her head. “It seems you’re still been outbid at fifteen-fifty,” the mayor said. “And, just so you know ladies and gentlemen, the online bidders can put in a limit on just how high they’re willing to go, so they don’t have to keep bidding back and forth. So, I guess, Pammy, we should really be asking, a lovely young woman named Candice Taylor, one of our online gals, how much she’s willing to pay for a date with Logan Mauldin.”

  “Go Candice,” Miranda shouted.

  “Two thousand dollars,” Pammy huffed.

  Jamie looked at her iPad and then at the mayor. “Think bigger, Pammy,” and everyone laughed. “Much bigger.”

  “Oh, I give up,” Pammy growled, and the shouted, “You’re not worth it, Mauldin.”

  “Sold. To Candice Taylor.”

  The mayor declared the very successful auction over, and fifteen thousand dollars was added to the Barbara G. Hamilton Foundation’s kitty that wouldn’t have been if Pammy Anderson hadn’t dreamed up the auction.

  “Ladies, get out your cash, checks, and credit cards,” the mayor said. “You must pay for your bachelor tonight or the runner up bidder will get your man. There are attendants throughout the tent in red jackets ready to help you complete your donation. Thank you all for a wonderful evening. I hope you’ll pardon me for going old school, but party on.”

  *

  Logan pulled her into the gardens, and they danced for hours in the full moon night, mostly slow whether the music was or not. She loved his hands on her. Her face felt flushed, the pulse at the base of her throat fluttered wildly. He covered it with his mouth, and then pulled back to look at her. God, he was gorgeous.

  “Logan, it’s really hard for me to remember how to move my feet with you looking at me like that.”

  “How? The same way you’re looking at me?”

  “I am not looking at you like I’m starved,” she hissed playfully, “but I really don’t think it would be a good idea if someone caught the cotillion co-chairs making out.”

  “I think—it would be—” he said between kisses, “an excellent—idea.”

  “Logan,” she moaned as he kissed her neck. Driving her crazy, and he definitely wasn’t far behind.

  “I can’t wait to get you out of here,” he whispered, making her girl parts all quivery. That made two of us.

  After they rejoined the party, she excused herself and headed to the ladies room to see how bad she looked. She smiled at her reflection. Logan had kissed all of her lip stain off and the place where he’d kissed her throat was just pink enough for her to notice. Well, imagine that, nineteen years after her first kiss, an almost hickey.

  Her phone pinged with a text from Stacia.

  Saw you looking a hot and bothered on the dance floor before you disappeared. For hours. Now I know why—you came with Logan. :)

  Save that psychoanalysis for your soon-to-be mother-in-law. You’re going to need it <3

  Miranda never would have thought her and Logan could be so good together, but she was wrong. She took her lipstick out of her purse, looked at the mirror, but decided not to bother since her lips were still rosy and swollen, thanks to Logan. She tried to re-pin her hair to make it look somewhat like it looked at the beginning of the evening, but gave up. She took all the pins out and the clip, finger combed it as best she could. She wasn’t worried about hair or events or even Christmas. All she wanted was Logan Hamilton.

  Coming out of the bathroom, a pair of very familiar strong hands pulled her into the shadows. “Hi,” he said looking at her like he could eat her up. “Your hair’s down.” And then he proceeded to thread his fingers in it and kiss the stuffing out of her.

  “Well, you’ve had your hands in it all night,” she laughed against his chest. “It looked like hell.”

  He kissed her again and pressed his forehead against hers. “You’re killing me. You know that. Right?”

  “Let’s get you home, cowboy,” she said with a seductive smile. To her home. To her bed.

  Chapter Fifteen

  ‡

  He’d laughed when she’d gone down the list of all the things she was worried might go wrong at the party, but none of that had happened. No falling chandeliers. No flying monkeys, and best of all, when it was time for the limo to leave, she asked him if it was okay if they walked the short distance to her house.

  It was after two a.m. when Miranda said her goodbyes, and Trent piled all the Chicks and their dates into the limo. He grinned at Logan and then shook his hand. “I’d ask you if you want to get some breakfast with us,” he said just loud enough for Logan to hear, “but it looks like you’re gonna get lucky, little brother.”

  Logan smirked. He already was lucky. He’d had Miranda Hamilton and her hot little body all to himself most of the night, and if the last couple hours were any indication, she wanted him as much as he wanted her. “See ya,” he said, waving as the limo pulled away.

  The temperature had dipped into the low forties. Not long after they left the comfort of the portable heaters, she started to shiver. He took his jacket off and slipped it on her shoulders. She pulled it tight around her. One arm around his middle, her head leaned against his chest as they walked. There was a wind coming in off of the bay and the tide must have been out because the air smelled earthy, salty.

  When they got to her front steps, he didn’t ask for permission. He kissed her long and wet and deep. He kissed her neck, and she quivered with arousal. The way she whispered his name, almost make him lose his mind. “Open the door, Miranda.” He didn’t recognize his own voice.

  She was breathless. “Lo
ve that mistletoe,” she said looking up, laughing, and digging for her keys.

  “Don’t see any berries.” He kissed her again, his hands gripping her ass, pulling her against him to feel just how much he wanted her. “That guy take that last one?” His lips skimmed the tops of her breasts.

  “Yes,” she whimpered. “But I want you.”

  “He can have the damn berries. I got the girl.”

  She laughed again, her hand trembling as she finally pulled her keys out of her bag and handed them to him. “You’ve got this girl.” He unlocked the door. “But we’ll have to be quiet; I have guests.”

  “I can’t make any promises. I’ve waited a long time for this. Too damn long.”

  They fell into her house, tugging off clothes, laughing and shushing each other.

  He scooped her up in his arms, his lips pressed against the shell of her ear. “Bed.”

  “Logan,” she breathed out. Eyes heavy lidded, her face so flush with desire he was going to go crazy if he couldn’t have her.

  “Do you want this? Us. Now. You’re sure?” he asked.

  She pointed to a door at the end of the hallway and devoured his mouth, her hands gliding around his neck.

  He pushed open the door to a tiny apartment and kicked it shut behind them. A small lamp illuminated the living area, otherwise the place was dark. He opened the first door he came to. Bingo. He set her down and she looked at him. So much want.

  She unzipped the side of her dress and let it fall to the floor, and that was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Miranda Hamilton in lacy blue panties and matching strapless bra and a look in her eyes that said she was taking over. And he’d let her. For now.