Every year when Christmas came around, it reminded me of all the miracles in my life.
Later, Holly and I sat on the couch laughing and watching the children open their presents. Christmas carols tinkled in the background, and the lights twinkled on the tree.
“No!” December yelled excitedly from her perch on the floor. I looked around to see what was upsetting her, but she started crawling towards the large picture window in the room. “No! No!” she pointed outside.
Holly laughed and got to her feet, walked over and scooped our baby into her arms. “That’s right, December. Snow!”
All the kids exclaimed and ran over to the window, jumping up and down with exuberant enthusiasm.
“Looks like sledding has been added to today’s activities,” I drawled.
“God bless us, every one!” Nicholas crowed.
I couldn’t imagine what else I could possibly be blessed with. I moved to stand behind my wife, slipping my arms around her and nuzzling my nose in her neck. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
The Santa Trap
A hot, single dad.
Plus a sweet & sexy baker.
Brought together by two mischievous boys with a plan that leads to a ho-ho-ho-happily ever after.
The holidays have never been so romantic.
Prologue
Luke
Dropping into my chair, I set my backpack on the floor and kicked it under my seat with the heel of my foot. Then I slumped down over my desk, wishing I’d been at school for the past week instead of on a holiday break—which was sad because I always looked forward to days off school.
“Thanksgiving with your mom was that bad?” Tyler asked after getting settled at the desk next to me. We’d been best friends since we met on the first day of kindergarten two and a half years ago. My dad had told me we were lucky to be in the same class for second grade since we’d gotten into trouble a couple times last year for talking too much, but I wasn’t really worried about it. I knew my dad. If they tried separating us, he’d be at the school to convince the principal to change his mind before I could even complain about it. My dad was just that awesome. My mom on the other hand...
“You’re not going to believe this,” I hissed, leaning over so nobody else could hear what I had to tell him. There were only a couple of other students in the room since the morning bell wasn’t going to ring for another fifteen minutes. Our teacher was over by her desk, looking at a stack of papers. “My mom’s getting married to some guy. With a daughter! I’m going to have a stupid stepsister, and she expects me to be all happy about it.”
Tyler wrinkled his nose in disgust. “A stepsister?”
“Yeah! And she’s not even two yet. Why should I be excited about a little baby who’s going to want to follow me around everywhere and will probably break all my toys when I’m not around?” I complained.
“Ugh,” Tyler groaned. “At least my sister’s older and kinda cool most of the time.”
“Kinda,” I snorted, thinking about all the times she’d helped us build forts in the basement of his house. Or how she took us to the park when our parents didn’t want to go. And the movies. Pretty much anywhere we asked. “You don’t know how lucky you are. Your big sister is way cooler than my baby stepsister will ever be.”
“I guess so.” He shrugged his shoulders. “At least your dad is great, right?”
“Yeah, he’s the best,” I agreed. “But I still wish my new stepdad had a son who was our age. Or older.”
Tyler gave me a weird look. “I don’t know, if he did then maybe you’d want him to be your best friend instead of me.”
“No way! You’ll always be my best friend.” I held out my fist, and we bumped knuckles.
“Just think how cool it would be if we were step-brothers instead. We’d have sleepovers all the time.”
“And we’d always be on the same baseball team,” I added. We both frowned at the reminder of how we’d competed against each other last season.
“It isn’t brothers, but what if?” he mumbled.
“What if, what?” I asked.
“If my sister and your dad got married, then we’d be like cousins or something. Right?”
I thought about it for a second. “No, your sister would be my stepmom, so you’d be—”
“Your stepuncle!” he crowed.
I rolled my eyes and groaned. “At least that’d be better than the dumb baby stepsister I’m getting from my mom.”
“My sister doesn’t have a boyfriend. What about your dad?”
I wrinkled my nose at the thought of my dad dating anyone. He hadn’t brought any girlfriends around for me to meet, but neither had my mom and she was suddenly getting married. So what’d I really know? But he had me most of the time, and it’d be hard for him to hide a girlfriend from me. “Nope. No girlfriend.”
“I think we should give it a shot. Get them to go on a date or something. But I don’t know how we’d do it.”
“We need to come up with excuses for them to see each other.” I tried to think up ways that wouldn’t make my dad figure out what we were up to right away. “Like you could ask your sister to bring you over to my house instead of your mom or dad.”
“Yeah, she’d do that,” he agreed. “And I’ll ask if she can start picking me up from school instead of my mom.”
Our parents always talked to each other after school. “Great idea! What else can we do?”
“Is your dad helping as Santa again for the thing the school does at the mall right before Christmas?”
I shook my head. “He hasn’t mentioned it, but last year he said there was no way he’d ever do it again, not even if they couldn’t find anyone else.”
“You’ve got to get him to change his mind,” Tyler insisted. “My sister loves the mall. She and her friend, Holly, go there every year to shop for Christmas stuff together.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like she’s going to visit Santa while she’s there so that won’t help.”
He rubbed his hands together. “Just get your dad there as Santa and leave the rest to me. I’ll make sure she visits him. After they see each other all the time at school and stuff, it’ll be perfect.”
Chapter One
David
“Dad!” Luke yelled, pointing two cars over from us in the school parking lot. “There’s Tyler! I need to talk to him real quick.” Before I could respond, he’d taken off in the direction of his best friend. As I followed at a more sedate pace behind him, my eyes were drawn to the unfamiliar car and the driver exiting. It wasn’t his mom or dad like usual. It was…
Holy shit.
It was a woman wrapped in a bulky coat to keep her protected from the harsh Connecticut winter. But she had long, dark hair, the color of chocolate, flowing down her back in waves. She bumped fists with Luke, then turned to glance in my direction and I stopped in my tracks.
Her face was heart shaped, with high cheekbones, dusted with pink from the cold. Large brown eyes sparkled with laughter as she smiled with the most sensuous mouth I’d ever seen. She waved merrily at me and I started moving again.
“Hey, Mr. Clark,” Tyler greeted me. We also bumped fists, then he waved in the woman’s direction with a proud smile. “This is my much older sister, Harley.”
Harley’s lips turned down and she reached out to gently whack Tyler on the back of the head. “Watch it, kid. Or I’ll start referring to you as Ty-Ty, again.” Tyler looked horrified and I couldn’t help chuckling. I also wondered just how much older she was….
“This is my dad, David,” Luke chimed in.
I held out my hand and she placed her glove-covered palm over mine. Despite the layers of leather, I felt a shocking spark as they touched. I felt it down to my bones and it warmed me all over. Her eyes widened with confusion and she slowly pulled her hand back. I was reluctant to let it go, but didn’t want to seem creepy and scare her off.
“It’s nice to meet you, Harley.” My voice had lowered involuntarily and
was practically a purr. I wanted to shake my head to clear away the fog I was suddenly immersed in. But then her cheeks turned even more pink and she grinned, charming me even more.
“Oh! I forgot my homework packet in my classroom,” Tyler exclaimed. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll help you find it,” Luke added quickly and they both raced off toward the school’s front doors.
Suddenly, I was alone with Harley and felt oddly tongue-tied. “Um…Tyler’s parents out of town?” I asked lamely.
Harley rolled her eyes and laughed. “Nope. Apparently, they just aren’t cool enough to pick him up. Since I work a couple blocks down and get off shortly before school is over, I figured I might as well cement my status as the ‘cool’ older sister.”
I laughed and nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I dread the day when Luke decides I’m just his boring, old dad.”
Smirking, Harley’s beautiful eyes ran over me from head to toe, leaving a burning trail in their wake. “You’re awfully young to ever be his boring, old dad.”
I shrugged. “We had Luke young, but I’m still creeping up on thirty, which is apparently ‘sooooooo old,’” I said, imitating my son on the last two words.
Holly chuckled, but some of the sparkle in her eyes dimmed. She glanced toward the school and shuffled her feet before looking back at me. “Here come the boys. It was nice to meet you.”
Her tone was dismissive and I was suddenly confused. Was I the only one who’d felt the connection between us?
“Your wife is probably anxious for you both to get home.”
Oh fuck. She thought I was still married. “My ex-wife lives an hour away with her fiancé, so I doubt she’ll notice.”
“Oh, um. I’m sorry.” She certainly didn’t look it. I suppressed a smile at her attempt to hide her delight.
“Dad, can Tyler come over tomorrow after school?” Luke asked as he stopped beside me.
“Sure,” I responded, ruffling his blond hair and laughing when he ducked away with a glare.
“You’ll drop me off there, right Harley?” Tyler pleaded with practiced puppy-dog eyes.
Her eyes briefly darted to me before she looked back down at her brother. “Sure, kid.”
A grin spread across my face. “See you tomorrow.”
The red of her wind-blown cheeks deepened again and she nodded. “Tomorrow.” Then she quickly got back into her car. “Come on, kid,” she called. “Hot chocolate is calling our names!” Tyler did a fist pump, then high-fived Luke before rushing into the car.
Luke and I started toward our own vehicle, but I couldn’t help looking back one last time to catch a glimpse of the beautiful woman I couldn’t wait to see again.
“No way, Luke,” I growled, trying to ignore his pleading expression as we decorated our Christmas tree. “Last year was enough for one lifetime.” Playing Santa at the mall for a school charity event had been a nightmare. The hot, itchy suit, crying kids, angry parents…I shuddered.
“But Dad, they can’t get the real Santa and you’re the best fake Santa ever.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. “Nice try, sport. Telling me that I closely resemble a fat man isn’t going to get the job done.” I patted my flat stomach, self-consciously feeling for any sign that I was letting myself go.
“Not because of that, Dad,” he said with a dramatic eye roll. “Tyler even said you were the best one. And, his sister takes him to see Santa every year.” He threw his arms around me and looked up with hopeful eyes. “Pleeeeeeease?”
Son of a bitch. I was such a sucker for my son. It had nothing to do with the thought of Harley on my lap… “Fine,” I relented, not bothering to hide my irritation. “I’ll call them tomorrow and accept. But this is the last year, Luke. I mean it.”
“You’re the best, Dad!” He went back to decorating with a huge smile, and as much as I was dreading it, I loved seeing such joy on my son’s face. I briefly wondered what Harley’s would look like when she visited Santa…me. Would she smile with that kissable mouth and light up? I licked my dry lips at the thought and then shook the thoughts off and went back to our activity.
Despite my attempt to put her out of my mind, I dreamt about her that night. I imagined what was underneath all those winter layers and what would happen once I got her out of them. I woke in a sweat and ended up having to take a cold shower before I could get back to sleep.
The next day, I buzzed with anxious energy the whole time I was at work. As the owner of a successful toy company, I was able to keep my schedule flexible so I could always be there for my son. However, this was our busiest time of year and I was swamped with meetings. But, I barely paid attention to any of them, counting down the minutes until I would pick up Luke.
Chapter Two
Harley
“C’mon, hurry up already.” I tapped my toe as I stared at the clock, counting down the minutes until my shift at work was finally over. Time was moving slower than usual, and that was saying a lot since that last half hour was always a killer. Today was different though. I had to pick my brother up from school and drop him off at Luke’s house later...which meant I was going to see David. Or at least I hoped I was.
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him ever since he’d told me Luke’s mom was his ex—something I should have realized all on my own since Tyler never talked about his best friend’s mom. Only his dad. His smokin’ hot dad who I couldn’t get off my mind.
“Finally,” I sighed when it hit the top of the hour. I clocked out and said my goodbyes as I raced towards the door. I had time to spare, but I was hoping I might bump into David while waiting.
With that goal in mind, I pulled into the parking lot and snagged a spot up front. Since there were only a few other cars there, I took the extra time I had to flip down my visor and apply a swipe of mascara and lip gloss. I wasn’t one for a lot of makeup, but I wanted to look my best—and a little older than usual so David didn’t think of me as just Tyler’s big sister.
“Too bad this is about as good as it’s going to get,” I muttered to myself as I climbed out of my car and spotted David standing on the sidewalk near the front doors. I felt butterflies in my stomach just looking at him. At six foot two, with a lean, muscular frame and dark, wavy hair paired with piercing brown eyes; he put tall, dark, and handsome to shame. Dressed in a gray suit and a black wool overcoat that fit him perfectly, he was so out of my league. But it didn’t seem like he agreed, not with the way his eyes lit up when they zeroed in on me and swept down my body. Those butterflies swarmed so much that I felt like I might puke.
“Keep it together, girl,” I mumbled to myself as I stepped over the curb and walked over to him.
“Harley.” His raspy greeting sent goosebumps down my spine, and they only multiplied when he slid his palm from my elbow to my wrist and tugged me close enough to press his lips against my cheek.
“Hey,” I breathed. I couldn’t get any other words out since I was trying hard not to squeal like a little girl. Then I caught the glare one of the perfectly put together moms was sending my way, and I frowned up at David. “I think someone’s trying to get your attention. Either that or she thinks she’s the female version of Cyclops and she’s going to kill me with her laser beam eyes for standing too close to you.”
“An X-Men reference?” I nodded and shrugged with a grin. “Could you be any more fucking perfect?”
“Umm, I don’t think I’m the perfect one.” I jerked my head in the direction of the tall blonde headed our way.
“Fuck,” he groaned when he looked up. Then he bent his head low and whispered in my ear, “do me a favor and go with it?”
“What?”
His brown eyes widened pleadingly. “Please.”
“Uh-huh.” I nodded. Because really, what else could I say with him looking at me like that?
I stumbled into his hard chest when he yanked me closer and wrapped his arm around my waist. He rested his palm against my lower back, and the heat of it bu
rned into my skin through my sweater and winter coat like they weren’t even there.
“David,” the blonde cooed when she reached us. Her blue eyes iced over when she took in how he held me close, but then they warmed right back up when she smiled at him. “I’m so glad I bumped into you today. The sign-up sheet for the holiday party is filling up fast. I saved a few of the easier items in case you wanted one of them, like paper plates and plastic cups. But if you’d like to tackle something a little harder this year, I’d be more than happy to lend you a helping hand. I’ve been told that I make the absolute best cutout cookies ever, and Luke usually asks for an extra one whenever I bring them in for the class. Maybe I could come over and teach you the recipe.”
It was ridiculously obvious she had more in mind than baking cookies, and I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Hard.
“Thanks for the offer, Janice.” He squeezed me tight. “But Harley and I have it covered this year. Go ahead and sign us up for cookies. We can do a trial run tonight to make sure the batch Luke brings in for the party are perfect.”
“Oh.” Her enthusiasm dimmed, but I had to give her credit for trying to keep up the façade...before she failed miserably and her gaze raked over me again. “Did you hire a new babysitter for Luke?”
“Nope.”
I stifled a giggle at David’s one-word response, which was technically true since I wasn’t Luke’s babysitter even though I’d watched him and my brother for my parents many times. “Has Tyler signed up for anything yet? If not, you can put him down for cookies, too. If my mom can’t make them, then we’ll just make a double batch and the boys can bring in the same kind.”
“Tyler? Mom?” she sputtered, her eyes getting wider by the second. “Are you—you’re—you can’t possibly be telling me that you’re dating the sister of one of your son’s classmates?”
Tis the Season for Love Page 4