“I hadn’t thought of that,” she said, rising to her feet and grabbing a bag of ornaments.
An hour later, Will stood back and examined the tree. “Well, what’s your expert opinion? I’m pretty sure the lights and ornaments are evenly distributed.”
“It looks very nice.” She reached into one of the bags to pull out a wreath and hanger, then handed him a string of white twinkle lights. “I think these would reflect very prettily in the water if you string them along the deck railing. Why don’t you do that, while I hang the wreath on your front door?”
Grinning, he took the lights and headed for the patio door. “More stuff to take down in a few days.”
But somehow he didn’t really mind. He had actually found himself enjoying spending the time with Macie, and he discovered that he had missed celebrating the holidays.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you take the decorations down and put them away, Mr. Scrooge,” she laughed.
Her smile and the delightful sound of her laughter caused an unfamiliar warmth to spread through his chest. “I’m going to hold you to that,” he said, looking forward to spending more time with her.
After he had the lights attached to the wooden railing, Will reentered the houseboat to find Macie looking at the ceiling. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No, I’m just trying to decide where you should hang this,” she said, holding up a small green sprig. “I think maybe the foyer would be best.”
Taking one of the chairs from the table in the dining area, he tacked the mistletoe to the ceiling where she indicated.
Though why he was putting up mistletoe he had no idea, he thought as he carried the chair back to the table. He wasn’t about to kiss Harley and he had already decided that kissing Macie wouldn’t be a good idea.
But as he walked back to where she was standing, looking up at his handiwork, the light scent of her herbal shampoo and the sight of her nibbling on her bottom lip quickly had him realizing he was fighting a losing battle. Where would the harm be in just one kiss? After all, they would only be observing the time-honored Christmas tradition of kissing under the mistletoe.
CHAPTER THREE
“I THINK WE’RE DONE,” Macie said, scanning the room. “The tree is decorated, the outside lights are hung—and I need to get home to make one more batch of fudge for the party.”
Will nodded. “I have to admit, the place looks pretty good. What do I owe you for the decorations?”
“Nothing. These were all extras from my own decorating.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “The tabletop tree is the one I used in my apartment before I moved here and I’m afraid I overbought when I went shopping to decorate for my new tree. My family has always made a big deal out of celebrating the holidays and I may have been trying to assuage my disappointment at not being able to make it to Leavenworth for Christmas this year.” She started to get her jacket from the coat rack, but his hand on her shoulder stopped her.
“Where are you going?”
Turning to face him, she caught her breath at the look on his handsome face. “Will?”
Stepping closer, he pointed to the sprig of mistletoe hanging above her head. “If you insist that I observe the holiday decorating tradition, then I suppose we should respect this custom, as well,” he said, loosely wrapping his arms around her waist.
Macie couldn’t have found her voice if her life depended on it. Earlier, when Harley had bumped into her and Will had caught her to keep her from falling, she had thought he would kiss her. And, heaven help her, that was exactly what she had wanted him to do. But now?
After she had recovered from the embarrassment of practically begging him to kiss her, she’d decided that it was for the best that he hadn’t. She was equally glad that they had both ignored the moment as if it hadn’t happened. So why now was she even contemplating going along with his suggestion that they adhere to the ritual of kissing under the mistletoe?
“Macie, I’m going to kiss you,” he said, his voice so low and sexy, she thought she might melt into a puddle at his feet. “Are you all right with that?”
“I...uh, well...” Why couldn’t she seem to form a coherent sentence?
His smile curled her toes inside her cross trainers. “Is that a yes?” he asked.
She started to shake her head, but unable to think of the many reasons it was a bad idea, she found herself nodding that it was what she wanted, too.
Instead of drawing her close as she expected, Will brought his hands up to gently thread his fingers in her hair. As he lowered his head, her eyes drifted shut, and at the first touch of his mouth to hers, the world stood still.
His firm lips moved softly over hers and Macie didn’t think she had ever been kissed with such tenderness. When he coaxed her to part her lips for him, the touch of his tongue to hers sent a lazy warmth flowing through her body and her knees felt as if they were made of rubber. Hiding behind the persona of a stoic, workaholic software engineer, was the real Will Parker, world-class kisser and, most likely, consummate lover.
A shiver of desire coursed through her at the thought of making love with him. Swaying, she clutched the front of his shirt to steady herself. He moved his hands to her back to draw her close, and as he explored her with a thoroughness that stole her breath, she delighted in the feel of his solid muscles surrounding her. She knew it wasn’t wise to allow the kiss to continue, but it had been a year since she’d been held by a man and she missed the contact, the sense of being cherished.
But the feeling was short lived. Harley pushed against their legs, trying to get between them and claim some of the attention for himself. It effectively ended the kiss and helped restore Macie’s sanity.
She hadn’t lifted her moratorium on men and didn’t intend to. So why on earth had she agreed to kiss Will?
“I...really need to...go,” she said, cringing at how breathless she sounded.
Will stared at her for several long seconds before he finally nodded. “I should take Harley out.” He took her jacket from the coat rack and held it for her to put on. “We’ll walk you home.”
“Thanks, but that’s not necessary.” She had to put some distance between them, had to regain her perspective and ensure her resolve to keep men out of her life was intact. “It’s not that far.”
“It might be close, but it’s dark,” he said, bending down to clip the leash to Harley’s harness. When he straightened, Will reached up to lightly touch her cheek with his fingertips. “And I want to see that you get home safely.”
The intimate tone of his voice and the look in his dark green gaze sent a longing straight to her soul. She couldn’t have argued the point any more than she could keep the sun from rising in the east each morning.
Neither had a lot to say, though, as they walked the short distance to her houseboat at the other end of the dock, and by the time they reached her door, Macie breathed a sigh of relief. She needed time and space to analyze what it was about Will that caused her to lose her wits.
“Good night, Harley,” she said, bending down to hug the dog’s thick neck. “Stay out of trouble and stop trying to be an escape artist.” Standing, she smiled at Will. “Thank you for walking me home.”
“No, I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
“I was happy to help you decorate,” she said, her smile broadening.
His intense gaze captured hers. “I wasn’t talking about the decorations, Macie.”
“Oh.” Not her most intelligent response, but staring into his eyes, it was all she could manage.
He grinned, then turned to walk toward the community parking area. “Have a nice evening.”
Letting herself inside her house, she headed straight to the refrigerator and opened the freezer. Her cheeks were on fire, but she wasn’t
sure if the sensation was from embarrassment or the intense longing that still coursed through her. Either way, from now on she fully intended to steer clear of Will Parker. He represented over six feet of pure masculine temptation, and considering her track record with men, an indulgence her sanity just couldn’t afford.
* * *
THE NEXT DAY, WILL WATCHED Harley romp around the dog park with a border collie and a couple of terriers, but his thoughts kept straying to the night before when he had lost his mind and kissed Macie. What the hell had he been thinking? Hadn’t he come to the conclusion that there was nothing even remotely casual about Macie?
He had convinced himself that a simple kiss under the mistletoe was safe and wouldn’t harm either of them. He had never been more wrong. He had anticipated that her lips would be soft and sweet, but never in a million years would he have expected the chemistry between them to set a flash fire in his belly that not even a cold shower had been able to quench.
Shifting on the park bench to relieve the growing pressure in his jeans even now, he took a deep breath. Unless he missed his guess, Macie had experienced a similar reaction. And he was certain she was shaken by it, too.
When Harley’s new canine buddies and their owners left the dog park, the puppy wandered over to where Will sat and plopped down at his feet.
“Ready to go home and take a nap while I get some work done?” Will asked, reaching down to pet the pup’s large head.
Harley looked up at him, then rose to his feet and rested his chin on Will’s knee.
“If it hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t be in this mess,” he said, scratching behind the dog’s ear. “I would have been much better off if you hadn’t run up and introduced yourself to her the other night when I brought you home.”
In answer, the dog whined and licked Will’s hand as if to say he needed a woman in his life.
“I’ll bet my grandmother told you to say that,” Will said, laughing.
Clipping the leash to Harley’s harness, Will led him to the SUV and drove the short distance to Crystal Cove. Maybe now that the pup had run off his excess energy, Will could get some work done. Between taking Harley for walks and Macie deciding his house needed Christmas cheer, he hadn’t accomplished nearly as much on the new program as he would have liked.
Speak of the devil. As he got Harley out of the Explorer and started toward the dock, he noticed Macie drive up and emerge from her car, loaded down with bags of groceries. The dog immediately started pulling on the leash to greet her and in good conscience Will couldn’t allow her to carry all of that food by herself.
“Let me help you,” he said, hurrying over to catch a bag of fresh vegetables that slipped from her hands.
“Thank you, but if you could hook that bag over my wrist, I can make it to the house on my own,” she said, struggling to hold on to everything.
Will didn’t give her a chance to protest further. Taking the bags she held, he looked inside the car and decided it was going to take him two trips to carry everything. It would have taken her at least three, or maybe four.
“Do you think you can handle Harley while I carry these bags?” he asked, handing her the leash.
“Of course, but—”
“You take the dog, I’ll carry these and while you’re putting this stuff away, I’ll come back and get the—” he looked in the cargo area of her MINI Cooper “—the ham and whatever else is left.”
“That probably would save a lot of time,” she said, nodding. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”
Will shook his head. “It’s the least I can do.”
She looked confused. “What do you mean?”
Because the kiss we shared last night was the beginning and the end of anything between us. “You brought Harley back and helped me figure out how he was escaping.”
She visibly relaxed at his words and started leading Harley toward her houseboat. “I wouldn’t have thought to do anything else.”
As he followed with the groceries, Will considered what Macie had said. He didn’t really know her well. Hell, he didn’t know her at all. But there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she was the type of person who expected nothing in return for lending a hand when it was needed. His ex-wife had been the exact opposite. Was Macie different from Suzanne in other ways? Would she respect his commitment to his job?
Will set the groceries on the counter and started back out to get the last of the bags from Macie’s car while she closed a door off the living room and unsnapped Harley’s leash. “Are you sure you want to let him roam around while you’re putting things away?” Will asked. “He’s been known to clear an end table with one swipe of his tail.”
Laughing, she started pulling fruit from one of the bags. “That’s why I closed my office door. It’s really the only place that he could do any damage.”
“As long as you’re sure,” Will said, heading for her car again. When he’d carried in a huge ham and several more bags of food, he set them on the counter and looked around. “Who are you expecting tomorrow evening? A small army?”
“I sometimes buy more than I need,” she admitted as she nibbled on her lower lip.
Will almost groaned out loud as he watched her. Remembering his decision to keep his distance, he reached for the leash and called to Harley, who was lying sound asleep on the rug by her patio doors. “We’ll get out of your way and let you find a place to put all of this.”
“Please stay for a cup of coffee,” she said, motioning toward the coffeemaker. “I just put on a fresh pot and I won’t be able to drink it all.”
“Thanks, but I should go home and do some work before Harley gets his second wind,” Will said, edging his way out of the kitchen. The space was small, and having to stand so close to her was playing havoc with his good intentions.
“Why is he so tired?” she asked when the pup failed to rise at the sound of his name.
“I took him to the dog park to let him run and play off-leash,” Will explained.
She grinned. “Those are the words of someone who owns a dog, not just fostering one.” Before he could respond, she poured him a cup of coffee and set it on the snack bar. “Cream or sugar?”
“Black is fine,” he said, taking off his coat and settling himself onto one of the bar stools. He might have tried declining her hospitality, but if he was completely honest with himself, having a cup of coffee with her was much more appealing than going back to his empty houseboat.
He frowned. Where had that come from? He didn’t mind being alone and hadn’t had time to be lonely in the three years he’d lived here. So why was he even thinking about it now?
Pondering, he took a sip of the hot, dark liquid. At the awful brew, he took a deep breath and then another to keep from making a face. It was quite possibly the bitterest cup of coffee he had ever tasted.
“Maybe I will take a little sugar,” he said, blinking to keep his eyes from watering. Thankfully she had her back turned to him and was unaware of his reaction.
“I’ve only made coffee a couple of times,” she said, handing him a bowl of sugar and a spoon. “Since I’m by myself, I usually only make individual cups with those instant bags. I hope it’s not too weak.”
Weak? The damned stuff was strong enough to grow hair on a marble slab.
“No, it isn’t weak,” he said, hoping the sugar would make it a little more palatable. He noticed that she wasn’t drinking from her own cup of the foul-tasting brew. “Aren’t you having any?”
“I tried,” she said, sighing. “But I’ve been having problems with my allergies and my sense of taste is pretty much nonexistent. I’m hoping it returns in time for me to enjoy the food at my party.”
When she moved to stuff the ham into her already full refrigerator, he eyed the planter at the end of the snack bar. He could pour the offensive liquid
in the potting soil, but it would most likely kill the plant on contact.
Resigned to drinking it, he added several spoonfuls of sugar. “Seriously, how many people are you expecting?” he asked as she continued to shove food into whatever space she could find.
“Well, the Cravitts next door have gone to visit their daughter’s family down in Portland, and Mr. and Mrs. Swenson are away on a charity mission with their church group.” She paused to do a quick mental calculation. “I think that takes the number down to about twenty, unless someone brings a friend.”
“I’d say you have enough to feed twice that many people.” He tentatively took another sip of the sweetened brew and gave up. There wasn’t enough sugar in a five-pound bag to take the edge off Macie’s coffee.
“Do you need me to warm that up for you?” she asked, reaching for his cup.
He quickly shook his head. “This is fine. I don’t usually drink a lot of coffee because it keeps me up at night.”
It was an outright lie, but he didn’t want to offend her. It wasn’t unheard of for him to go through two or three pots a day when he had a deadline looming. But that was coffee he could actually drink.
“I guess it’s important for a software engineer to get plenty of rest when he’s writing a program,” she said, smiling.
Grinning, he nodded. “It doesn’t hurt.”
“Do you have a lot of projects going at the same time?” she asked, rinsing some fresh vegetables while they talked.
“Unfortunately, yes. In the past year my workload has doubled because of company cutbacks,” he said. “I have to juggle being project manager as well as writing most of the code. I would prefer to have more time on the more complicated programs, but I don’t have a lot of choice.”
“Since you’ve been working so hard, why aren’t you taking these two weeks to rest and relax?” she asked, starting to cut carrots into sticks. “Everyone needs downtime. Otherwise, you’ll suffer burnout.”
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