I m Your Santa

by Lori Foster, Karen Kelley

  “Are you going to wash my hands, too?” He leaned on the crutches, staring into her face.

  “Are you flirting with me?”

  “Turn about is fair play. You’ve been flirting with me since I walked into the burger joint.”

  “I didn’t think preachers knew how to flirt.”

  “Flirt…and a whole lot more.” He propped his crutch against the wall. She didn’t move. He wanted to tell her to run away as fast as she could, but when he looked down into her eyes, she took his words away. Hell, she took his breath away.

  Unable to stop himself, he slipped a hand behind her neck and pulled her closer, lowering his head and brushing his lips across hers. His body trembled with need and the force it took not to ravage her mouth.

  She moaned, pressing against his. He slipped his hand behind her, skimming her back, slipping lower…

  Laughter from the other room brought him crashing to earth. He ended the kiss, his breathing ragged.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “I’m the one who kissed you,” he told her. “And I’m not sorry.”

  Her laugh was shaky. “I guess preachers know how to flirt—and kiss.”

  Yeah, and that was his problem. He could talk just about any woman into crawling between the covers with him. Bailey was different. Not like the women from his past. He wanted her, but his lie stood between them.

  They rejoined the others who were moving into the dining room. Everyone was talking and laughing. Wade and Fallon settled the twins on their booster seats.

  Trey glanced around the room. This was what a real family did during the holidays. He could feel the love they had for each other. He was the odd man out. A stranger on the outside who was being allowed to look through the window into their lives. But it wouldn’t last.

  What the hell was he doing here? He didn’t belong. They were only being nice. He was trapped. He felt hot then cold. He couldn’t breathe. He…

  Bailey slipped her hand into his, then smiled up at him. Calmness swept over him.

  Her father cleared his throat. Silence reigned at the table. Even the twins quieted as their grandfather stood.

  He bowed his head. “Dear Lord, thank you for this food we are about to receive, thank you for bringing this young man into our lives so that he could share this meal with us, and Lord, thank you for my family. Amen.”

  There was a mumbled amen, and the silence was broken as everyone began to talk at once.

  “Trey has a Harley,” Wade said.

  Trey shifted in his seat as all eyes turned toward him, then questions flew from everyone. Questions from what color to the size of the engine. Suddenly he wasn’t on the outside looking in. This was one thing he could safely talk about. He had a passion for the Harley.

  The conversation carried through the main course. By dessert they had pretty well exhausted that topic and Mike began to talk about his residency, but all of a sudden, the other twin, Julie, burst out crying, surprising everyone.

  “Baby, what’s wrong?” Wade jumped from his seat and hurried to his daughter.

  “No one wants to hear me,” she said between sobs.

  He hugged his daughter close and looked at Fallon with pleading eyes.

  “Honey, we’re so sorry. If you want to talk, go ahead,” Fallon said.

  Julie dried her eyes with the back of her hands, sniffed loudly, then looked at everyone at the table.

  “Don’t you have anything to say, sweetie?” Bailey asked.

  The little girl drew in a deep breath. “My mommy doesn’t wear panties to bed at night.”

  There was a nervous cough.

  “And Auntie Bailey and the preacher were kissin’ in the baffroom,” she continued since she had everyone’s attention. “And Grandpa and Grandma were…”

  “Okay,” Bailey’s father quickly spoke up. “Who wants pie with whipped cream?”

  “We’d better before all the family secrets are aired,” Wade said.

  Trey nervously laughed along with everyone else. When he caught Bailey’s gaze there was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. He would’ve thought she’d want to crawl under the table from embarrassment. She was, after all, a fourth-grade teacher.

  He smiled and she winked back. Maybe there was more to this teacher than he’d first thought.

  When she picked up her knife and tapped it against her glass, everyone looked her way. Now what was she up, too?

  “I have a very special announcement to make,” she said. “I spoke with the pastors in town and they all want Trey to be one of the speakers during the Christmas service.”

  Everyone clapped. Wade stood. “A toast. May all your Christmas wishes come true.”

  His stomach churned. He couldn’t do a Christmas service. What the hell could he say? Oh, God, he was going to throw up. Suddenly, he didn’t feel like an actor. No, he felt like a fraud.

  Later, in the car, he realized for the first time in his life he felt as though he’d been part of something. At least, until Bailey had made her announcement. When everyone discovered he’d duped them, they would turn against him and despise him for the lies he’d told.

  “My family can be a little overwhelming at times,” Bailey said. “And that was without my other brother. He’ll be here Christmas Eve.”

  “I like your family. They were nice.” His glance moved to the window as the Christmas lights of town flashed and sparkled. There was a tall tree on the courthouse lawn decorated with tinsel and lights. A white angel sat on top.

  It reminded him of the movie the other night. He closed his eyes, his fingers curling into fists. This wasn’t good. He was starting to wish for something he could never have, something that wasn’t real. He wasn’t a traveling preacher. No, he was a phony.

  “We enjoyed having you,” she said.

  She pulled into her driveway and turned off the ignition. He couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. He mumbled a good-bye. It wasn’t so late that he couldn’t call Monty and tell him that he’d had all he wanted of small-town life.

  So what if he was running away. Nothing new for him. He’d gotten really good at leaving people before they left him.

  Once he was inside, he grabbed his cell and speed dialed his agent’s number. The phone rang again and again but Monty didn’t answer. Trey finally gave up and just left a message asking his agent to send a car.

  He was tired of pretending to be something he wasn’t.

  Nine

  The temperature had begun to drop. Bailey knew this because an hour ago she had the television on the weather channel. It was either that or infomercials about an exercise machine that twisted you into a pretzel while claiming you could lose all the weight you wanted in as little as ten minutes a day.

  No, thanks.

  She’d drunk a glass of wine, and enjoyed it so much that she’d drunk another one, and thought maybe she could fall asleep this time if she went back to bed.

  Wrong.

  She flung the covers off. It might be cool outside but she was burning up. It was all Trey’s fault. He’d flirted, he’d kissed, and now she was restless. Every time she closed her eyes, she thought about him.

  They were such good thoughts!

  What was the use of staying in bed if she couldn’t go to sleep? She scooted out of bed and padded through the house. Her gaze strayed to the guesthouse. A light glowed. He couldn’t sleep, either.

  Interesting.

  Or maybe his foot was hurting him. Maybe his crutches had fallen and he couldn’t get to the sink to get a glass of water so he could take a pain pill. Maybe…

  Yeah. Maybe she should write a book. What she was dreaming up would make great fiction.

  She went back to the bedroom and slipped her arms into her robe and her feet into slippers. What she was about to do was so wrong. But it felt so right.

  Trey flipped through the pages of the magazine. He’d read an article on cleaning tips, one on the best ways to tan, and a horrible one on waxing. Women didn’t
really do that, did they? He wanted to write an article titled: JUST NOT WORTH IT.

  Men weren’t. Men were selfish, out for their own pleasure.

  He tossed the magazine to the side. He was bored. He couldn’t sleep. And the reason why was just across an expanse of yard—a very short expanse. He could be at Bailey’s backdoor in less than five. But that was the worse thing he could do and he knew it.

  It didn’t stop his heart from beating harder when there was a light tapping at his door. He should pretend to be asleep. Man, this was so low—even for him. If she came inside they would make love. He knew that as sure as he knew he would end up breaking her heart. But for one night he wanted to feel whole and he knew Bailey could give him what was lacking in his life.

  “Come in,” he said.

  The door opened, bringing in the cold air—and Bailey. She was so damned beautiful with her mussed hair, full lips that begged to be kissed, and blue eyes that reflected both of their need.

  “I wanted to…uh…” She bit her lip. “Is it so very much of a sin that I want to make love with you?”

  He turned the covers back. Their eyes locked. She slowly untied the robe and slipped it off her shoulders. White satin slid down her naked body and puddled at her feet. Trey drew in a sharp breath as she quickly joined him.

  She turned toward him as he pulled the covers over her. His lips met hers and he lost himself in her taste…in the heat from her body. Trey trembled. Damn, no woman had ever made him tremble.

  When the kiss ended, she pulled back and stared into his eyes. “I want you so badly my body aches. I’ve never felt like this before. Make love to me, Trey.”

  He wanted her, too, but he couldn’t go any further until she knew the truth. He’d lose her, he knew that, but he couldn’t leave a lie between them.

  “I’m not the man you think…”

  She placed two fingers over his lips. “You’re the man I want to make love with. That’s all that matters right now.”

  He hesitated. She took his hand and placed it over her breast. He groaned, lost in the warmth of her flesh.

  He flicked his thumb over her tight nipple. Her moan caressed him, sending shivers of need over him and all thoughts of trying to be a hero fled. Hell, he’d never been a hero before now so why muddy a clean record.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered as he fondled her breast before lowering his head and taking her into his mouth. His tongue flicked back and forth across her nipple, then scraped it with his teeth.

  “Yes,” she cried out, arching toward him.

  Her hand snaked downward, stroking his hard length. He closed his eyes, lights exploded behind his lids.

  “I want to take you into my mouth. I want to taste all of you,” she told him. Before he could do more than groan, she’d slid down in the bed and nudged him to his back.

  His brain had stopped functioning a long time ago. He mindlessly obeyed. She took him into her mouth, sucking gently, her tongue swirling around the tip of his erection. Wet heat swirled around him as he rocked his hips until he knew he couldn’t hold back a second longer.

  He reached down with supreme effort and urged her back up and into his arms.

  “I can’t take any more,” he said, his hand moved down to her curls. Soft as silk he massaged between her legs, tugging on the fleshy part of her sex. He dipped a finger inside her, feeling the wetness, knowing she was more than ready for him, but wanting to build the excitement…the need inside her.

  “I want to taste you,” he told her close to her ear, his breath fanning her neck.

  “I can’t,” she told him, her breathing ragged. “I can’t wait. I need you now.” She reached to the side of the bed and grabbed her robe, pulling a condom out of the pocket and ripping it open with her teeth.

  He took it from her and rolled it down his length. He didn’t need any more encouragement then what she was now giving him.

  When he sank inside her tight body, they groaned at the same time. He slowly lowered his body, then came back up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he sank inside her once again. Just when he thought it couldn’t get any better than this, she contracted her inner muscles.

  Lights exploded around him. He pumped inside her faster and faster. She cried out, her body tightening. He stiffened as his orgasm washed over him in wave after wave. This was so damn frigging good, he thought, as he rolled to his side taking her with him. He never experienced anything like this. He’d never felt so much a part of someone else as he did right now.

  “I think I might be falling in love,” she said.

  Her whispered confession curled around him, tightening like a noose around his neck. No! Don’t lose your heart to me, he wanted to tell her but when he opened his mouth, the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he brushed a kiss across the top of her head.

  You’re a liar, he silently told himself. Your whole life has been one big lie. What would Bailey think about him when she discovered the truth?

  She snuggled closer, her hand curling around his. Her breathing deepened and he knew she’d drifted asleep.

  “I think I’m falling in love, too,” he whispered, but knowing she didn’t hear his words. He was playing it safe again. Making no commitment, taking no chances.

  Bailey believed his lies. She was living in his fantasy world and thinking he was this perfect man of God. Never realizing he wasn’t worth her time or trouble.

  He slipped out of her arms, grabbed his clothes, and hobbled to the bathroom. He couldn’t even look at his reflection in the mirror. He disgusted himself. Why had he let himself get so involved?

  The best thing he could do would be to leave before he could do more damage, cause Bailey even more pain.

  When he came out of the bathroom, he was dressed. He took one look at her sleeping form and his stomach twisted into knots. He was only supposed to act a part, get into the role. He wasn’t supposed to get involved with these people.

  He grabbed his jacket and keys, then gritted his teeth and walked out the front door. He didn’t need the worn Bible, he didn’t need the suitcase of clothes. His ankle hurt but the physical pain was good. It helped him to forget about the rest.

  The night air had a chill in it but he didn’t care. He welcomed the cold. Why not, he already felt frozen on the inside.

  He climbed on the Harley. His foot throbbed as he roared out of the driveway and Two Creeks, Texas. He never looked back.

  Ten

  Bailey stretched and yawned feeling very satisfied. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Trey wasn’t in bed. She slowly rose on one elbow, pushing her hair out of her eyes. He wasn’t in the room and the bathroom door was open.

  His Bible was on the bedside table, his suitcase next to the bed. Maybe he’d gone to her house to fix breakfast. A nice warm and fuzzy thought.

  Her gaze landed on his crutches. Cold chills ran up and down her spine. Something was wrong.

  She jumped out of bed, throwing on her robe and belting it as she flew out the door, not even bothering to put on her slippers.

  “Trey,” she called.

  Silence.

  Where was he? She ran through the house, just to be certain, looking into each room. What had happened? Was it something she’d done? Well of course it was—she’d seduced him. What the hell was he going to do when she boldly threw herself at him?

  He was a fallen angel now. Completely out of God’s grace. And her? She was a jezebel. Her life couldn’t get any worse.

  She shoved her hair away from her face and hurried to the front door, flinging it open. Her hands began to shake as she stared at the driveway.

  The Harley was gone.

  He’d left the same way he’d come in, except this time he took her heart with him.

  She slowly closed the door, made it as far as the living room and collapsed on the sofa. She hugged the pillow close to her, but it wasn’t the same as hugging him. Oh God, he must hate her so much. She’d tarnished him.

  Two, three hours pass
ed but time meant nothing.

  The doorbell rang. She raised her head, not wanting to move. Then hope flared inside her. Trey? Was he back? Maybe to explain why he’d left without a word.

  She ran to the door and flung it open, ready to launch herself into his arms.

  A chauffer stood at the door, a limo parked next to the curb. She raised her eyebrows when she looked back at the stoic young man.

  “Can I help you?”

  “I’m supposed to pick up Jeremy Hunter.”

  “The actor?”

  He nodded.

  “Boy, have you got the wrong house. The wrong town for that matter.” She started to close the door when he spoke again.

  “His agent told me he might be going by the name Trey Jones.”

  Her body went from cold to hot then back to cold again. She slowly opened the door a little wider. “What?”

  “His agent told the limo service I was to pick up Mr. Hunter at this address and take him to the airport.” He dug a piece of paper out of his pocket and glanced at it, then at the numbers on her house. “This is the right address.”

  Jeremy Hunter and Trey Jones were one in the same. He’d used her, got whatever thrill he’d been looking for, then dumped her.

  “Is he here?”

  She took a deep breath, barely controlling her murderous thoughts. What little dignity she had left, she pulled around her like a cloak. “He’s already left.”

  His forehead puckered. “Oh. I guess I should call the agent and let him know.”

  “Yes, you do that. Good-bye.”

  She closed the door, surprising herself that she didn’t slam it—then slam it again…and again…and again! It wasn’t the young man’s fault that Jeremy Hunter had gone slumming.

  Bailey made it as far as the sofa and sat down with a hard thud. Oh God, he must’ve laughed his ass off at her seduction attempts. Him, the playboy, the big Hollywood star. Her face burned when she remembered thinking he might even be a virgin.