Kiss Me in Christmas

by Debbie Mason

  “It’s why they call it a hot tub, Chloe.”

  “Well, I know that. I’m just not sure the heat is good for my heart.”

  He sighed and reached over, fitting his big hands under her arms to haul her into the tub. “Your heart will be fine.” He plunked her down beside him. “Okay?”

  She nodded, biting on her bottom lip as she glanced up at him through her lashes. “I’ve decided not to sue Vivi and Nell.”

  “Glad to hear it. I don’t have time to play your personal bodyguard for the next few days.”

  Her heart did a little flip, and she wasn’t sure if the water’s heat or his words caused the reaction. She rubbed her chest. “You would have protected me?”

  “Umhm,” he murmured, his eyes on her hand. He covered it with his. “Relax, you’re fine.”

  “Are you fine? I mean, is it helping your leg?”

  Water glistened on his broad chest as it expanded on an irritated sigh. “So that’s why you did all this?” He gestured to the cabin and grounds. “You felt sorry for me?”

  “No…Well, yes, I did it for you, but not out of pity. You were injured serving our country, keeping people like me safe, and it wasn’t right that you were treated so badly. I was going to write to the VA on your behalf, but thought, why wait when I could do it for you myself.” A muscle in his jaw pulsed. She knew his pride would be a sticking point. Good thing she’d prepared for it. “Fine, I’ll come clean. I’m used to a certain standard of living, and the cabin didn’t cut it. I like my creature comforts, and since I was going to be living with you—for a few days, I mean—I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I took care of my share of the chores for like the entire time I’m here, and I got a nice place to stay.”

  A slow smile curved his lips, and he slid an arm around her shoulders. “You’re full of it, Scarlett.”

  She frowned and tipped her head back to look up at him. “Why do you think I did it then?”

  “Because despite what everyone thinks, you’re not the spoiled drama queen you pretend to be. You’re still the sweet, thoughtful, generous girl you were growing up.” He shifted and faced her. “Is that why you did it, Chloe? To make up for what you did to me and Cat?”

  She lifted his arm from her shoulders and moved away from his warmth. “It’s funny how that’s all everyone remembers. No one cares that Cat stole you from me first.” Afraid she was about to get teary-eyed, she looked up at the stars and blinked.

  “What are you talking about?”

  A sad, brittle laugh escaped before she could stop it. “Even you didn’t know. How pathetic is that?” She looked at him. “We were fifteen. We spent nearly every lunch hour together for four months.”

  “I know, we played chess in the library.” He angled his head as though thinking back to their high-school days, then he scrubbed his hand over his face. “Mom had just been diagnosed with cancer, and I didn’t feel like being around anyone. You were the only one I could talk to. I forgot about that. It was a tough time; I guess I didn’t want to remember.”

  “Sometimes I wish I could forget, too,” she murmured. From the moment she fell in love with Easton, her life changed. For the better, and then for the worse. “Looking back, I realize it was silly to think the popular star quarterback could fall in love with me. But you made me feel special, as if you saw past the headgear and glasses and chubby face.”

  “You were special, Chloe.”

  “Not special enough. Only I didn’t know that then. I mistook your pity and kindness for love. I thought about you all the time, talked about you to Cat. She knew I was in love with you, but she didn’t care. She went after you anyway. I remember the day I saw the two of you together on the football field after practice. Cat was in her cheerleader uniform, and you said something to make her laugh. Next thing I knew, she was telling me you had a date, and you stopped coming to the library to play chess.”

  He grimaced. “I stopped coming because I had football practice. But I’m sure I told you that.”

  “No, you didn’t. I would have remembered.”

  “Are you sure you told Cat you had a crush on me? Because that doesn’t sound like something she’d do.”

  “I didn’t tell her who I had a crush on. Maybe I was afraid she’d laugh at me. But she had to know. You were the only boy I hung out with.”

  He took her hand and tugged her back to his side, then pressed his mouth to her temple. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. I honestly didn’t know.”

  “It doesn’t matter. It was a silly schoolgirl crush.” But the way he looked at her now and the tender touch of his lips to her temple didn’t feel silly or foolish, and she was more confused than ever. She gave herself a mental slap. She was doing the same thing she did in high school. “What you and Cat had was real, and I messed that up for both of you. Now I have a chance to fix it.”

  “What if I told you I don’t want you to?”

  “Why not? Two days ago you were all for the plan.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” He looked down at her and lifted her chin. “But it’s not Cat I want to kiss right now, it’s you.”

  “You want to kiss me?”

  Instead of answering her whispered question with words, he lowered his head and slanted his mouth over hers, silencing her surprised gasp with his warm lips. And for the first time, he was actually kissing her, not her pretending to be Cat. But this was not the kiss of the boy she remembered. This was the kiss of an experienced and confident man. Slow and languid, their hands and bodies moving in sync, they explored each other tentatively. Her fingers tracing the line of his jaw, down his neck to his hard pecs. She opened her eyes to find him watching her as he gently drew her bottom lip into his mouth. She whimpered at the erotic feel, at the desire turning his blue eyes black. He pulled her onto his lap, the moments of slow seduction over as he pressed a hot and possessive kiss to her mouth. There was no more gentleness now. Only heat and passion and hunger. This night wouldn’t end with just a kiss. This was already more than a kiss. It was…

  There was a distant pounding on a door, and someone called out, “Chloe, Easton, where are you?” And then another voice called to them. Chloe was still somewhere between heaven and earth; too far gone to make out who their visitors were. She just knew Easton had frozen with his mouth on hers. Until it wasn’t and she found herself practically airborne when he launched her onto the seat across from him.

  He stared at her, then he gave his head a slight shake and dragged his hand down his face. “Liz, Dad, back here.”

  Chloe groaned and briefly closed her eyes, opening them in time to see a white light streak across the night sky. It was a shooting star. A sense of wonder filled her at the sight. Had her father and Easton’s mother sent her a sign from up above?

  Chapter Nine

  Chloe looked at him with a stunned expression on her beautiful, flushed face. He understood the feeling. Every memory he had of his relationship with the O’Connor sisters had been turned on its head by a simple kiss. Simple kiss? If only that was all it had been. He wished he could put his reaction down to experience, hers and his, but it was more than that. He’d kissed her when they were seventeen and had a similar reaction. But back then he’d put his feelings down to being a horny, inexperienced kid who wanted to get laid, and he’d mistaken her for her sister. Only the kisses he’d shared with Cat couldn’t compare to what he’d experienced with Chloe. It’s too bad he hadn’t clued in to the difference all those years ago. They might have avoided the heartache that followed.

  Caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice Paul and Liz staring at them until his father cleared his throat. Their respective parents were looking at them like they were seventeen again, and they’d caught them making out naked in the hot tub.

  Good thing they hadn’t arrived a few minutes later or they might have been naked. His brother’s earlier warning echoed in Easton’s head.

  “Chloe, honey, are you all right? Chance told—” his father b
egan, only to be cut off by a furious Liz.

  “Chloe O’Connor, I have never been so ashamed of your behavior as I am now. You have gone too far this time! Now get out of that hot tub and get on the phone to your lawyer.” It was obvious where Chloe got her dramatic tendencies.

  Only right then his little drama queen looked more hurt than anything else, and that pissed him off. “Town’s rumor mill must be slow today, Liz. Chloe isn’t suing Nell and Vivi, despite the fact she has every right to. Hope you let loose some of your temper on my great-aunt and didn’t save it all up for Chloe.” He swung his legs over the side, making sure to hide a wince of pain from his father when his feet hit the concrete.

  Liz lifted her chin. “I didn’t know.”

  “Now you do. So might be a good time to apologize to your daughter,” Easton said as he helped Chloe out of the hot tub.

  She gave him a sweet smile and whispered, “Thank you.”

  If he wasn’t transfixed by the curves his transparent T-shirt revealed, the worshipful look in those leaf-green eyes might have made him nervous. “No problem.”

  “Son, there’s no reason to get testy with Liz. It was an honest mistake.”

  “No, he’s right, Paul. I should have given Chloe a chance to explain. I’m sorry, darling.”

  “It’s okay, Mommsy. I’m used to everyone thinking the worst of me. But I’m a little surprised you believed I’d sue Nell and Vivi. They’re family, after all.”

  Easton looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.

  She shrugged, her kiss-swollen lips tipping up at the corner.

  “You’re taking it much better than I thought you would, darling. That photo Nell put up of you was horrible, not to mention—”

  He felt Chloe stiffen beside him and quickly intervened. “So what do you guys think of the changes Chloe made to my place? Pretty amazing, eh?”

  His father frowned. “Well, yes, but I thought—”

  He widened his eyes, sending his father a silent message to keep quiet. Easton planned on coming clean with Chloe tonight. Preferably after she had several more glasses of the wine he’d tasted on her lips. She took his hand and beamed up at him. Okay, so maybe he’d wait until they’d made love. Because after that kiss, he had no intention of sleeping on the pull-out couch tonight.

  Liz and his dad followed them to the front of the cabin. Easton held open the door. “Wait until you see what she’s done inside.”

  From there, Chloe took over. She led Paul and Liz around the small space, pointing out each and every change. With every word of praise their respective parents showered on her, Chloe surprised him by redirecting credit to the crew. As she led her mother into the bedroom, his father walked over to where Easton stood at the sink, filling the coffeepot with water.

  “You wanna tell me what’s going on here, son?”

  “A little miscommunication, but I’ll handle it, Dad.”

  “See that you do. Your breakup with Cat put enough strain on our families. I’d prefer not to have a repeat now that I’m married to Liz.”

  A couple of days earlier, he would have laughed at his father’s warning. The thought of him and Chloe ever dating was the furthest thing from his mind. But now…“We’re not kids anymore. What happens between us has nothing to do with you and Liz.”

  “Oh my goodness, Chloe, you have a bruise on your bottom.” Liz’s voice came from behind the bedroom door.

  His father’s gaze jerked to his.

  “Come on, you can’t seriously believe I had anything to do with that?”

  “How am I supposed to know? These days all you hear about is kinky sex.”

  “We’re not having kinky sex.” Although, if Chloe wanted to, he was totally down with that. But it’s not a discussion he wanted to have with his father. Ever. “She fainted, and her ass hit the floor before I caught her.”

  A concerned frown creased his father’s brow. “Your brother mentioned—”

  The door to the bedroom swung open. “Paul, Chloe fainted today. And she wasn’t faking like she usually does.”

  “Mommsy, how can you say that? I have never fake-fainted! Any other time I’ve had a weak spell, I’ve had my pills and…” She wrinkled her small, upturned nose when she realized what she said. If she weren’t standing behind her mother wearing only a pink bra and panties that left little to the imagination—and Easton’s was working overtime—he would have thought it was cute. She didn’t look cute; she looked centerfold hot.

  “Don’t get upset, darling. Paul will check you over.” Her brow pleated with worry, Liz motioned for his father.

  In response to her mother’s concern, a look of fear came over Chloe’s face. Easton had planned to talk to her about her panic attacks and figured now was as good a time as any. “Chloe, get some clothes on and come join us at the table. Liz, Dad, sit down, and I’ll get us all a cup of coffee.”

  “Son, what’s going on?” his father asked, holding out a chair for Liz.

  “I’ll tell you in a minute,” he said, looking over at the clicking sound. Chloe walked to the table wearing her fancy slippers. She’d changed into a short, cream satin robe that wasn’t much better for his focus than her panties and bra.

  The three of them looked at him expectantly as he placed the pot of coffee on the table along with sugar and cream. He handed them each a cup, then straddled a chair beside Chloe. “Liz, Chloe doesn’t fake-faint. She has a panic disorder.”

  Chloe released an outraged gasp. “I do not have a panic disorder, Easton McBride. I have a heart condition.”

  “You had a heart condition. You don’t anymore.”

  “That’s not true! I’m not emotionally unstable or…or overdramatic. My symptoms are real. You don’t know how it feels. My heart races, and I get dizzy and weak. I can’t breathe, and I have tingling in my arms and fingers and get all sweaty. Those are symptoms of a heart attack, aren’t they, Paul?” She cast a pleading look at his father.

  Paul got up from his chair and patted Easton’s shoulder as he went to crouch by Chloe’s side. Liz sent Easton a helpless, stricken look. He reached over and put his hand over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

  “Chloe, honey, Easton’s right. You don’t have a heart condition anymore. A panic attack can mimic the symptoms of a heart attack. But it doesn’t make what you’re feeling any less real or frightening.”

  Her chin quivered, and she wrapped her arms around her waist. “I’m not crazy. I’m not making this up.”

  “Of course you’re not. And I’m sorry I didn’t pick up on this earlier. What you went through as a little girl was traumatic. You spent four years in and out of the hospital. That’s tough on anyone, but especially for someone as young as you were.”

  She bowed her head. Long tendrils of her hair escaped from her clip to fall across her pink cheek as she murmured, “They said I wouldn’t live to my fifth birthday.”

  Liz gasped. “Oh darling, I didn’t know you heard that. Why didn’t you tell us? You were always such a little trouper. You never complained, never once told us you were scared. All this time…” Her mother started to cry.

  Chloe glared at Easton. “Now look what you’ve done.”

  * * *

  “I know you’re awake, sleeping beauty, so you might as well open your eyes and talk to me. I’m not leaving until you do.” She felt the gentle brush of Easton’s lips over hers and smelled the cool, minty freshness of his breath.

  She kept her eyes closed and forced herself to remain stiff and unresponsive. She’d felt like an idiot last night, and it was Easton’s fault. He’d ambushed her in front of her mother and Paul. Now everyone would know. At least if he’d told her his suspicions when they were alone, she could have handled the attacks on her own. “Go away, I’m not talking to you.”

  “Chloe, I get that you’re mad, but you needed to know that it’s panic attacks causing your symptoms, not your heart. And so did your mother.” The bed creaked as he stretched his big, hard body out besid
e her. He nuzzled her shoulder.

  She wriggled away. “Your hair’s wet.”

  “I had a shower.” He tugged her back against him. “You need to have one, too.”

  Offended, her eyes shot open. “I do not smell.”

  His mouth quirked. “Never said you did. But there are chemicals in the hot tub. Wouldn’t want you to damage your silky skin.” He drew a finger down her bare arm.

  “Oh.” She shivered in response to his touch, then took in the matching black stretch top and shorts that hugged his masculine frame and frowned. “Why are you dressed like that?”

  “What are you, the fashion police?”

  “Ha-ha. I, at least, have a sense of style.”

  “I’m biking into town. Comfort is my concern, not looking good.”

  “It doesn’t matter what you wear, Easton, you always look good.” She ignored his self-satisfied smile; of course he knew he did. How could he not? “But that outfit doesn’t…What do you mean you’re biking into town? What about your leg?”

  “I bike every day. The exercise is good for my leg.”

  “If it was, you wouldn’t be in so much pain. I don’t think you should ride today. Call Chance and—”

  “I don’t want to talk about me. I want to talk about you.” He twisted a piece of her hair around his finger, then gave the strand a gentle tug. “I thought maybe we’d set up an appointment for you to talk to the doctor my dad suggested.”

  She crossed her arms and stared up at the ceiling. “You mean the psychiatrist.”

  He cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him. “Yeah. Dad says she has a lot of experience with PTSD. She does a rotation at Christmas General on…”

  Her heart started to race, and her palms got sweaty. She had the same reaction whenever she went to the hospital, but she’d hidden it from her parents. She’d avoided hospitals for the last ten years. “I. Can’t. Go.” She forced the words past the lump in her throat, hoping he didn’t notice she was breathless and…panicked.

  “Okay, take it easy. You don’t have to go to the hospital. She has an office in Denver.” He drew her into his arms and rubbed soothing circles on her back.