A Christmas Seduction

by Daire St. Denis

  Oh, good God.

  “Mmm-hmm,” Jolie intoned. What else had Thad said?

  “It’s good for a body. Helps you sleep.”

  “Sure does.” Jo could not meet Dillon’s gaze. Or anyone’s, for that matter.

  “Have you met Curtis?”

  Thankful for the change of subject, Jo looked up and greeted the third man with a smile. Then the discussion turned to the estimated arrival times of the rest of the guests and all mention of the hot tub ceased as the men sat down to eat, Thad taking the seat right beside her.

  “Morning, Ms. Jolie. You’re looking well.”

  His words were drawn out, one syllable running into the next with weird inflections that seemed to mock, or could be suggestive. It was hard to tell with that Southern accent, which only served to remind Jolie of her early-morning fantasy session.

  Could he tell what she was thinking?

  “Thank you,” she mumbled before stuffing a forkful of egg into her mouth.

  Thad’s right hand was within her line of sight, because it rested right beside her plate. She stared. His hand was exactly as she’d imagined it. Large and well formed, tanned—or maybe that was just his olive skin tone. His fingers were long and veins stood out on the back, like he actually had muscles in there.

  Vivid images from her early-morning musings filtered through her mind. She glanced up. “You said you’re a hand. What does that mean, exactly?”

  “I could tell you, but showing you would be way more fun.”

  Déjà vu struck.

  “Then you’d better show me,” she said, as if reading from a preordained script.

  “It would be my pleasure.”

  Chills ran up her spine, sifting through her hair and settling on the crown of her head as she stared into Thad’s eyes. His dark blue eyes.

  Cerulean, cobalt, indigo... Her writer’s mind came up with a list of synonyms for blue while she got lost in the azure depths of his gaze.

  An idea washed over her as she dove into that ocean of blue. What if she stopped being embarrassed about the fact that she’d been caught skinny-dipping? What if she embraced it...no, flaunted it, instead? What if Thad really was interested—like in her fantasy—and what if she welcomed it? What would it be like to be that person?

  “What size are your feet?”

  Hell, she could be anyone she wanted to be on this trip. No one knew her. No one would know the difference.

  Thad snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Hello?”

  “Huh?” Oh, God. He was talking to her and she was staring at him openmouthed. She gave her head a shake. “Sorry. I—”

  “You were a long way off just now. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. Perfect.” She smiled. “What did you say? Something about feet?”

  “I asked you what size you are. Thought you could borrow some boots because if you’re going to be traipsing around in the snow and ice, you need a better pair of footwear than the ones you drove up in.”

  “Oh...right. I’m size eight.”

  “Do you have a size eight she could borrow?” Thad asked Gloria.

  “I’m sure I can find something.”

  “All right, then. You get suited up, miss, and meet me in the yard in ten.”

  * * *

  WHILE THAD WAITED for Jolie to get dressed, a car drove up the lane toward the ranch. He squinted in the bright sun, made brighter by all the newly fallen snow. The car was one of those sporty deals, meant for city driving. Not for snowy country roads. Good thing whoever it was had arrived this morning instead of last night.

  Once the car was parked, a man and a boy got out. The boy was probably about nine or ten years old, his hair stuck up at all angles, like it hadn’t been combed in a good couple of days. His eyes were wide and uncertain as he took in the surroundings.

  Thad started over, the dogs on his heels, but Humper couldn’t contain his zealous nature and went bounding on ahead, straight at the kid.

  “Humper!” He didn’t want a repeat of last night.

  Too late. Humper launched himself at the boy, toppling him into the fresh pile of snow. Thankfully the sounds the kid made were ones of laughter and not abject fear. Not like the soft whimpering notes that Jolie had been making last night.

  A sudden image of Jolie lying naked beneath him, blinded him. She was making the very same noises as she had last night, only in his fantasy it was from pleasure, not fear.

  Thad rubbed his eyes.

  Where the hell had that thought come from?

  Probably the result of watching that crazy dog. He whistled and Humper looked up, tongue lolling in ecstasy. That goddamn mutt’s tongue was too big for his fat head. He ignored Thad, focused on the boy, who was standing upright again, and gave in to his basic urges.

  Striding up to the dog, he pulled him off. “Sorry about that, kid. This dog’s still young and trying to exert his dominance on anything that moves. Even some things that don’t move.”

  “It’s okay,” the boy said. “He reminds me of Biscuit.”

  “You’ve got a dog, do you?”

  The boy glanced at the man. “Well...we used to. He went to a farm. Right, Dad?”

  “Right.” The guy mussed the top of his son’s head. His eyes were tired. Sad. There was a story there; Thad could see it plain as if the title of a book was written across the man’s forehead.

  “Would you like to meet the other two?” Sue and Digger sat obediently a few yards away.

  “Yeah!”

  A short whistle brought the other animals over and after a quick introduction, the kid was running around the yard with three ecstatic dogs chasing him while his father carried the bags inside.

  Thad turned. He’d been aware of the woman’s presence, as she came to stand behind him, before she’d even said a word. Why he sensed her like he did, he couldn’t say. Was it her scent? That sweet, delicious smell of peppermint candy?

  “Hi.”

  “Hiya, city slicker.”

  She grimaced at the name but then pointed at one of the animals that was chasing the kid around on the other side of the yard. “The dog’s name is Humper?”

  She continued to watch the chase and he took the opportunity to study her. She looked different by day. In the bright light, her brown hair had honey streaks running through it, and her big eyes were flecked with gold. Her mouth was wide, probably too wide, but he liked it, particularly when she smiled. In fact, he wanted to see one of those smiles right about now.

  “He comes by it honestly,” Thad explained when she met his gaze again. “Sue went out looking for a baby-daddy a year and a half ago. Must have been slim pickin’s because, while these mutts are friendly, they aren’t exactly the sharpest tools in the shed.”

  There it was. The smile he’d been going for. Too bad she went and covered it up with her mitten, because he was pretty sure her grin had turned into a laugh.

  “What’s so funny?”

  She shrugged. “I just had this image...”

  “Of?”

  “Your dog, what’s its name?”

  “Sue.”

  “Yeah, of Sue looking over her shoulder in exasperation and telling her newfound baby-daddy, ‘Stop talking, just do me.’”

  Huh. City girl had a sense of humor. She’d even done a bit of a Southern drawl for Sue, which was adorable. He chuckled. “Yeah, well, instinct is a powerful thing and when ‘the heat’ hits, even a smart one like Sue will take whate
ver she can get.”

  She smiled.

  Damn, she had a lovely mouth. The kind of mouth that was meant for kissing. His gaze dropped without warning and even though she was covered up with a winter coat, he easily recalled what was underneath. He shouldn’t have spied. But he didn’t regret it. Not one bit.

  It took effort to lift his gaze again and unfortunately the broad smile he’d been enjoying was already gone, replaced by a wide-eyed look of fear.

  3

  When on vacation I always make a point of trying new things. After all, isn’t that what traveling is all about?

  Jo Duval

  ONE SECOND SHE was feeling warm and flirty, and the next the cold hand of dread wrapped itself firmly around her throat. Squeezing.

  The boy was running their way followed by the three hounds from hell, nipping at his heels. It made no difference they had amusing names. The dogs were big, they were loud and they had incredibly sharp teeth. Just then, the boy’s father called to him from the porch, telling him to come inside. With a groan, the boy made his way to the house, complaining the whole way, leaving the dogs with no one to molest...except her.

  Without thinking about what she was doing, Jo hid behind Thad, pressing herself right up against his back and clutching his arms like they were life preservers. If she could have crawled into his skin, she would have.

  The sharp sound of Thad’s whistle only made her clamp on more fiercely, and while she was aware of him speaking, she could not make out the words.

  Eventually, Thad took hold of her hands and got her to release him as he eased her into the circle of his arms. “Hey. Hey,” he said softly.

  She opened her eyes.

  “It’s okay.” He smiled down at her. “I sent them away.”

  Dammit. So much for her attempt to be someone different on this trip.

  “You are seriously scared of dogs, aren’t you?”

  “You think?” She forced a laugh even though her fear was anything but funny.

  “What happened to you?” He brushed a wisp of hair out of her face.

  “I got bit.” She tried to recall the incident, but it was vague. “I barely remember it because I was so young, but ever since I’ve been terrified of dogs. It’s...incapacitating.”

  She looked up and realized—oh, shit—she was fully ensconced in Thad’s big, strong arms, her mittened hand resting on his chest, an affectionate gesture, much like she’d witnessed between Gloria and Dillon an hour ago. While she may have invented a seductive scenario starring Thad this morning, he was a complete stranger, someone she’d known for less than twenty-four hours, and finding herself wrapped in his arms—while very nice—was a little too familiar.

  She backed away from his embrace and he let her go.

  “You interested in overcoming that fear?”

  “Maybe. But...” She was about to say not today when he whistled, a short, sharp sound, and the older dog, who she assumed was Sue, ran over, her offspring following right behind. Though one stopped to sniff, nosing around in the snow before setting in to dig with a vengeance.

  “And...that is Digger,” he said wryly.

  She remembered the name from last night. In the daylight, the animals were certainly friendlier looking. The one named Humper sat and stared with his tongue hanging out one side of his mouth. Digger, a mostly black dog with white tips on his ears, just kept digging, turning one way and then another, snow and dirt flying out from behind him.

  The dog named Sue sat by her master’s leg, gazing up at him with adoration before turning that gaze on Jo. She could see the intelligence in the dog’s face, her eyes rimmed with white fur, like she was wearing a mask, almost appearing human as she blinked at Jolie.

  Okay, maybe they weren’t so bad.

  “Put your hand out.”

  “Huh?”

  Thad took her arm, pulled off her mitten and arranged her hand palm up. “Let Sue sniff you.”

  When the dog approached, Jo’s automatic response was to pull away, but Thad held her hand in place. The dog sniffed her before resting its chin in her upturned palm.

  “Oh.”

  Thad knelt down beside the dog, still holding Jo’s hand. With his other hand, he scratched the top of the dog’s head. “She likes it, right behind the ears. Like this.” He gazed up at her, his blue eyes brighter in the sun. “Give it a try.”

  I can do this. I can.

  Hesitating for only a second, Jo let her hand be guided by Thad’s until she was touching the soft fur on the top of the dog’s head. She buried her fingers into it, scratching gently.

  “Now you’ve got it.”

  The dog shifted to lean against her leg and Jo jumped. She pulled her hand away, not because she was scared but because the dog’s movement startled her.

  She looked at her hand. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “I touched her. Did you see that? I touched a dog.”

  “Did more than touch her. You gave her a real good scratch.”

  “I did, didn’t I?” On some level, Jo knew how ridiculous it must seem, that she was overjoyed by the simple act of petting a dog. But to her this was huge, and the result was that she felt invincible. Superhuman. Like she could do anything, anything at all.

  So she did. When Thad stood, she turned toward him, put one mittened hand on his cheek while her bare hand gripped the front of his jacket. Then she went up on tiptoe and kissed him full on the mouth.

  * * *

  HER LIPS WERE cold but that didn’t stop Thad from enjoying City Slicker’s mouth slanting generously over his. She started to pull away, but he stopped her by threading his fingers through her hair—silky soft—and holding her close. He intended to warm up those lips, taste the inside of her mouth, get her to taste a little more of him if she was willing.

  Yep. She was willing.

  He’d suspected that full mouth of hers was made for kissing, and he was right. While the woman might be apprehensive when it came to animals, her kiss indicated that she’d be anything but wary when it came to messing around beneath the sheets. An image of just such a scenario had Thad adjusting her head so he could kiss her even more deeply.

  Suddenly she gasped, sucking the air right out of his lungs and into hers as she pulled away, staring up at him like she was just seeing him for the first time.

  “Oh, my God. I kissed you.”

  “Yes, you did.” The hand on his chest pushed but Thad held on, not letting her get away just yet.

  “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Why not?”

  She tilted her head to one side. Blinked. Opened her mouth to speak and then closed it. Finally she said, “I’m not...” then paused. After another couple of rapid blinks, a small smile touched the edges of her wide mouth. “You know what? I’m not sorry.”

  “No?” He felt his lips turn up, mirroring hers. “Good. ’Cause I’m not either.”

  “I’m glad.” She gazed into his eyes, half smiling, half frowning, as if she couldn’t quite make up her mind about the situation.

  “I wouldn’t complain if you wanted to take another shot—”

  “Thad?”

  Shit. He turned to see Curtis walking across the yard. “You gonna come help finish chores or what?”

  “Yep. I’m on my way.” He squeezed Jolie’s hands. “Chores call. You coming?”

  Her features still waffled between a smile and a frown. She settled on the frown. “Uh...you know what? I’d better
go do some work myself.”

  * * *

  SITTING AT THE DESK in her room, Jolie tried to work on her article for Travel America, except every time she started typing, she found herself caught up in an instant replay of kissing Thad. She should be embarrassed...except she wasn’t. At all. How could she be when Thad was such a good kisser? The way he held on to the back of her head, tilting her the way he wanted her, holding her close? The way his lips were both soft and firm, lulling and commanding all at once?

  Divine.

  The way he’d used his tongue on the inside of her lips, tracing them, tasting her?

  Heavenly.

  The way he tasted of black licorice?

  Delicious.

  She ran her thumb over her lips, letting her lids flutter closed in recollection, playing the kiss over one more time, adding a few embellishments along the way. Like Thad’s hand dropping to her ass, his head dipping low in order to whisper naughty things in her ear.

  Glancing at the top of her screen, she read through some of her previous entries. Be the person you’ve always wanted to be... Try new things.

  “What are you going to do, Jo?” she asked herself. Was she just going to write those things for the sake of the article? Or was she going to live them?

  Pounding the desk, she muttered, “Dammit. I’m going to live them!”

  A second later, a knock sounded at her door and when Jo called for whoever it was to come in—what if it was Thad?—the door opened and Gloria peered inside. “We’re heading out to find a tree. Do you want to come?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  She grabbed her jacket and followed Gloria to the porch, where the rest of the guests had congregated. Their hostess introduced everyone: there was the father-and-son duo, Simon and Zak, and a young couple, Kaylee and Evan.

  “We just got married last month,” Kaylee explained, beaming with happiness. “This is our first Christmas together.”

  After congratulations, Gloria said, “I hope we can make your stay a memorable one.” Then she clapped her gloved hands. “And we’ll start by finding the best damn Christmas tree there is. Dillon says the nicest ones grow up on that ridge.” She pointed to a spot that looked an awfully long way away. “As long as everyone’s game, we thought we’d ride up there.”