Under the Mistletoe

He reached over, pulling off his glove, and touched the side of her face. His hand was warm against her skin. “Me, too.”

She leaned over and kissed him, just a quick brushing of lips before removing the rest of the paper. He took it from her and wadded it up in his hand and tossed the ball of wrapping into the nearby trash bin. “Open it.”

She took the lid off the box and pushed the tissue paper aside to reveal a pretty, thick wool scarf. The colors were soft and muted, almost like the sky just after dawn. The wool was so soft that she couldn’t stop touching it. It was an exquisite gift. “Thank you.”

He nodded then reached into the box and took out the scarf. He stepped closer to her and wrapped it around her neck, tying it carefully before pulling her hair from the back where it had gotten trapped by the fabric.

“I really like it,” she said.

He cupped her face and tipped her head up so that their eyes met. Even in the darkness his were still brilliantly blue. “I really like you.”

He kissed her then, slowly, as if they had all the time in the world. Passion built inside her as his mouth moved over hers. His tongue was gentle but firm as he thrust it into her mouth and she dropped the box to the ground to reach for him. Putting her arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him close to her, she reveled in his power and strength. His chest was solid against hers even through the layers of their winter coats. And the snow that fell lightly around them was a counterpoint to the heat they generated.

He wrenched his lips from hers and then dropped a series of soft kisses on her face before he stepped back and bent to retrieve the box she’d dropped. He walked over to toss it in the trashcan. As he slowly headed back toward her, she watched the way he moved, with that confident stride and the languid grace of a man sure of himself and his woman. His woman. She had pretty much agreed to be that. Penny rubbed her lips, which still tingled from his kiss. She was electrified from his touch. Couldn’t wait for him to kiss her again and to see how this evening turned out. What kind of lover would he be?

“Why are you watching me?”

“I like the way you move,” she said, getting more excited by the prospect of this Christmas romance. There was no pressure to be what he wanted so they could make things work out. There was nothing for her to do except enjoy her time with him. Something about him just made her feel warm inside. When he was just a few feet away, she leaped toward him and saw a look of surprise before he opened his arms to catch her.

She laughed as he hugged her close and spun her around. She threw her head back as the snowflakes fell on her face and she released all the past hurts and emotional baggage that she normally carried with her. For this Christmas, she was ready to let go and enjoy it.

He slowly lowered her down the length of his body and she kissed him with all the fierce desire building up inside of her. She couldn’t believe that it had only been this morning when she’d met him.

Savoring the moment, the feel of his lips ravaging hers, she marveled at how someone’s world could change that quickly. How a chance encounter could completely make her open her eyes to a world she had never realized existed until now.

“I guess you like the scarf,” he said wryly as he put her on her feet.

“I do. But I like you more. I think this is going to be the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time.”

“Me, too,” he murmured.

The attendant returned and the driver climbed into the front of the carriage while she and Will were seated in the back. The blankets they had for their legs were thick and woven in a traditional red, green and gold plaid. They were handed a thermos and two insulated mugs for their drinks, which were stowed in a small basket on the floor.

“Ready?” the driver asked.

They nodded and the sleigh took off, pulling them through the snow with only the sounds of their breathing, the bells on the horses’ necks and the whistle of the blades over the snow to accompany them.

4 (#ub9b12f0c-4326-52d8-b963-1c62d4251ac0)

WILL WRAPPED HIS arm around Penny as the sleigh traveled over the path in the moonlight. The snow had stopped falling and the trees on either side of them were all aglow with white lights that made the snow twinkle as they moved past it. The high back of the sleigh kept them protected from the wind.

He hadn’t expected his present to generate the reaction it had from her. She was cute and sexy and all signs pointed to her being everything he wanted in a lover. But he’d felt something else when she’d thanked him for the scarf.

A stirring of unfamiliar emotion that had been so intense he’d had to force it back down inside himself. He wanted Penny, he reiterated to himself. He was going to enjoy Christmas with a woman instead of by himself, but that was it.

“Do you know how to pick out any of the stars?” Penny asked, jarring him out of his thoughts. “I’ve always really liked looking up at them, but I’m afraid I can’t ever pick any of the constellations out.”

He tipped his head back, gazing up at the sky. “I know the basic ones. Like right there is the Little Dipper.”

He pointed to it.

She looked up. “Do you see the star the wise men followed?”

“I can’t really, but I bet we could find a bright star that would work.”

“Or we could each find a star that is leading us,” she said. “My mom used to do that whenever we couldn’t find an answer. Or if we didn’t have a tradition, she’d say let’s make up something we both like.”

He liked the sound of her mom. He’d come to terms with the fact that he’d never have that kind of family. His parents’ death in a car crash had left him set for life financially, but there were times when he was reminded of the stuff he’d missed out on. Penny made him want to have that. She was spontaneous, he realized. The phone throwing, the jumping into his arms...

Did she always leap like that?

“Have you ever followed something like a star?” he asked curiously. It seemed like something she’d do. “Just took off believing it would lead you to something special?”

“No... Well, that’s not true. One time I followed a dog I spotted after school. Every day after that, for a straight week, it waited for me outside of my classroom. I thought it was a stray and that maybe I could keep him.”

She turned to face him, her pretty gaze serious, and she licked her pink lips. His eyes tracked the movement and his blood flowed thicker in his veins. “What happened next?”

“When I approached the dog it sort of took off, not running but just heading somewhere. I had saved half of my sandwich at lunch so I could sort of bribe the dog. It was a cute little poodle and in my head I’d named it Fifi.”

“Sounds like you had a plan,” he said.

“And a big imagination. It’s part of the reason I’m good at creating events,” she said. “So I followed Fifi and she turned down my street. I was eight at the time so please don’t think this is too lame.”

“I’d never think you were lame,” he said, enjoying the way she told the story. Seeing how her eyes sparkled and hearing that note of excitement and joy in her voice was truly infectious.

“Okay, I was so excited. Fifi trotted past my house, but instead of stopping at my place, she ran straight past it. I followed her round the corner and saw her disappear through a redbrick house with a doggy door.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t get your dog,” he said.

She laughed good-naturedly. “I was so disappointed, but it wasn’t meant to be. I did have a fun adventure following the dog, though. And my mom got us a cute miniature dachshund when I told her the story.” He thought about Penny’s story. He’d never been that aware of his environment, sure he’d followed things on the internet, but in the real world he tended to just keep his head down and move forward. He couldn’t remember ever being different even as a child.

“That’s sweet.”

“Thanks,” she said. “She was good about making sure I had what I wanted. Not that I was spoiled or anything.”

His lips twitched with humor. “Sure you weren’t.”

“It’s hard to not be a little spoiled when you’re the only child,” she admitted with a cheeky grin.

“What about you? Spoiled? Siblings?” she asked.

“Only child, as well.”

She arched her eyebrow at him. “We both are used to getting our way, then. That could make things interesting.”

“I wasn’t spoiled,” he said. He left it at that. He didn’t want to talk about his parents’ deaths or being raised by distant relatives. It created an image that he wasn’t comfortable sharing with her. They were temporary playmates, nothing more.

“Did you ever follow anything home?”