Secret Santa

by Mina Carter

  Lifting his head he checked the time. Over half an hour early, but he hadn't been able to stay away. Reaching forwards he turned the engine off. Now he just needed to figure out an excuse that didn’t make him look pathetically eager for showing up at this time.

  In the area? Nope, wouldn't work. Jo knew he didn't live locally so the only reason he had for being here was to pick her up. Finished early and thought I'd head on over? Nope, made him sound like he had no life. Which he didn't, not really. All he'd done after work was drive home like a maniac so he could get ready and get over to pick her up faster. The truth it might be, but he had some male pride left.

  Long drive so I thought we'd get a head start? Straightening up, he looked over at her house. The lights were on upstairs as well as down. She must still be getting ready. The snow which had started to fall earlier was thicker and faster now so the line might just work. He wasn’t lying; he would have to be a little more careful on the road to get them to the restaurant.

  Very exclusive, Ashton Grange was an old manor house converted to a hotel and restaurant and like most old manors it was out in the wilds. Nodding to himself, the beginnings of a smile crossed his newly shaven face. Yeah, that could work. That could definitely work. Removing the keys he got out of the car, ducking his head against the snow as he headed for Jo's front door at a dash.

  *

  Jo stood at the bottom of her bed, torn between the classy little black dress and the more casual strappy top and black pants laid out full length. Standing there in her underwear, Jo nibbled her lip as she tried to decide.

  She edged towards the little black dress, but... could that be a little too formal for a first date? Pausing again, she tried to quell the jitters in her stomach at the thought. Was this even a date? Come on… men like Drew Carson, sex on legs Drew Carson, didn't ask mousey divorcée's out on dates. Not in this universe anyway. But he had. For some reason after their amazing kiss last night he'd asked her to dinner!

  She nibbled her lip again and hissed, remembering her make-up. She'd spent ages doing her face and she didn't want to mess it up before Drew got here. Turning to the bed again she made a snap decision. Pants and top. She didn't want to look desperate.

  She pulled them on before she changed her mind, zipping the pants up and smoothing them over her hips as the phone downstairs rang. Her spirits crashed but she headed for the door anyway. It would be Drew, calling to say he'd changed his mind.

  *

  Drew reached Jo’s front door in record time, using the meagre shelter offered by the tiny porch and stood on the doorstep shivering as he rang the bell. Something moved behind the frosted glass, a feminine figure appearing for a second before the latch clicked and the door started to open.

  “Look James, I don't know how you got this number but it's over.” Jo's voice filled Drew's ears as he stepped through the door, closing it behind him and shutting out the foul weather. He frowned as he picked up the stressed note in her voice.

  “No James, I don't have to see you. That's why the courts awarded the restraining order against you... yes, yes... I do have the right to do that. You're not my husband anymore.”

  One look at her pale, drawn face and Drew had had enough. His temper flared. Oh, this bastard didn't give up did he? He moved up behind her, his male brain automatically registering and appreciating the curvy figure under the shiny top and pants as he reached around her to take the phone.

  “I’m sorry, you appear to have the wrong number sir,” He said over the male voice still ranting on the other end. Then he cut the call off, putting the receiver back in the cradle as Jo turned to him.

  “Don’t let him get to you Jo, you don’t have to put up with his crap anymore.”His hand lifted of its own accord, his thumb whispering over her cheek in a soft caress. He wanted to do more, so much more, but he restrained himself, acting the gentlemen. A small voice in his head snickered. You might be acting it now but if she gives you half an opening to get her into bed you’ll take it like a shot.

  “Thank you,” Jo shivered, her eyes fluttering closed as she turned towards his hand. Her lashes rose, those dark eyes studying him. The shy, almost coltish air she had about her hit him in the gut. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and keep her safe from harm.

  “Ahh what the hell,” he murmured, giving into the impulse and pulling her into his embrace. His strong arms wrapped around her, holding the slender female figure tight against him as he dropped a kiss on her dark curls. “He can’t hurt you any more sweetheart, I promise.”

  She shuddered but didn’t fight his hold. Instead she snuggled closer, nestling against him with a trust which stunned him. After all she’d been through, that she could still trust, much less a grumpy bastard like him took his breath away. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, savouring the sensation as she let him hold her.

  *

  “How far is the restaurant anyway?” Jo asked as the snow hitting the car windscreen got heavier. Already Drew had slowed the car to a near crawl, scowling at the blizzard obscuring the view like bad static on a television screen.

  “Might as well be the other side of the world in this,” A frown on his face, he changed down a gear as a hedge loomed large ahead of them. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think the weather would get quite this bad.”

  “No worries, I'm sure you'll get us there safely.”

  In truth Jo was glad the journey was taking a while. With the snow pelting down outside around them the warmth and soft music inside the car had created their own little world. One she was in no hurry to leave. The call from James earlier had rattled her. Her number was ex-directory and she changed her cell number on a regular basis so he couldn’t track her down and harass her. But when he did get hold of her, she never knew what to say. Just hearing his voice made her freeze, all her pre-prepared arguments flying out of her head as she struggled to frame a response. She just wished she could hang up on him like Drew had earlier but somehow she never managed to.

  She slid her companion another covert glance. Dressed in a suit he didn’t look much different to how she saw him at work, maybe a little smarter. Normally his tie only lasted half an hour into the day and the neat style of his hair suffered under his habit of running his hand through it when thinking. His tall, well muscled figure lounged in the driver’s seat. The action of driving, pressing the pedals down in the foot-well making the fabric of his pants pull taut over his thighs.

  Oh my, what would it feel like to have those thighs against hers, entwined with hers? Heat flooded through her and Jo hastily dropped her gaze. She should be locked up if the sight of fabric over a guy’s thighs tipped her into a hormone fuelled fantasy!

  “I certainly hope so,” Drew ‘s concentration was fierce as he navigated the big car around the twists and turns of the small country roads. The silence between them stretched as the speed of the car slowed and slowed until Drew hissed in frustration. “It's no good, I think we're going to have to stop. I can't see a thing and I don't want to drive us off the road.”

  Jo looked from him to the scene outside in concern. She'd been aware the conditions had been getting worse for a while now but hadn't wanted to say anything to disturb him.

  “Do you think it'll last long?” She asked, her tone worried. There was something magical about snow, a holdover from childhood when the fresh white blanket signalled hours of fun building snowmen or in snowball fights. As an adult the magic dimmed a little, worries about needing to get to work and whether the heating would pack in during a cold snap intruding.

  “I'm not sure, I hope not.”

  He pulled the car over into a field gateway which appeared to the left, trying to pull the big vehicle off the road and out of harm’s way. It just fit, filling the space available. Which shouldn't be a problem, Jo didn't think any farmer would out and need to get into his field in all this.

  He pulled the handbrake up with a short movement and leaned forwards, his arms on the steering wheel as he tried
to gauge the snowfall in the headlights. Falling thick and fast, it was almost a vertical sheet of white. “I hate to say this but we might be stuck in here for a while.”

  Jo shivered. An automatic response. She had her coat with her but that was all. How cold would it get? She knew without asking that Drew wouldn't be able to keep the engine running. After all they didn’t know how long they were going to be stuck here. Far better to save fuel so they could get moving once the weather cleared.

  She squinted out the window, trying to see through the snow. The black of the night and the white of the snow rendered the world outside monochrome. Next to her Drew scowled at his mobile phone. “Typical, no signal either.”

  She nodded, not surprised. The signal around Newbolton with some networks was dicey at best, non-existent at worst. “Ok, we should get comfortable I guess. I don't suppose you've got camping kit hiding out in the boot have you?”

  Of all the responses that was one Drew hadn't been expecting. He let go of the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Oddly a sense of pride filled him. He should have known she wouldn't throw a fit. His Jo was too practical for that. A frown crossed his brow. When had she become his Jo?

  “I’m afraid not, I wasn't expecting to be on an Arctic expedition tonight...” No, with any luck tonight would be heading to action of the more romantic type. He didn't think Jo was the sort to leap into bed on the first date but, at the least, he had hoped to get a goodnight kiss.

  He wouldn't be sleeping anyway, the memory of their first kiss had been going around and around in his mind since yesterday. A memory he wanted to relive, the need to taste her again fast becoming an all consuming obsession. “... I think I have a blanket in the boot though. We could use that.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” She cast a speculative glance at the back seat as she removed her shoes, kicking off the strappy heels. Before Drew could say anything her slender hand used his shoulder for support as she clambered between the seats. He turned his head, biting back a groan as the delectable curve of her hip and ass filled his line of sight. Blood pooled in his lower body, need for her hitting him hard again. Christ, if she carried on like this, he wasn't going to survive ten minutes, much less a couple of hours as they waited for the storm to abate.

  The sound of the seat folding down behind him had Drew turning. Jo was half buried in the boot, leaning over the folded seat to root around for the picnic blanket.

  “Aha! We're in luck, it's a fleece one. They hold more heat in!” Jo crowed in triumph as she backed up, dragging the tartan blanket with her.

  “Huh, what?” Drew asked, realising she'd spoken, quickly dragging his eyes from where they were latched onto her luscious rear. She caught him though, just before he looked away, a flush settling over her cheeks.

  “Fleece blanket, keeps more heat in,” Jo replied, not looking at him. Had she seen what she thought she'd seen? Had he been checking her out? No, he couldn’t have been. Men like him didn't check out prettily plump nurses like her. He was the sort of man who went after the skinny blonde types, which she wasn't. She wasn't even the skinny brunette type, she knew that. James had left her with no illusions about her figure.

  So quite why Drew had asked her out she had no idea. Perhaps a case of temporary insanity but she'd enjoy it whilst it lasted. A fairytale for Christmas. She nibbled her lip as she shook the blanket out. Big enough to cover the whole of the seat, they'd be nice and toasty even with the engine off.

  “Hmmm, you should come back here as well. Best if we... uhm… if we share our body heat, don't you think? Less chance of hypothermia?”

  Sharing body heat. Hell, she was going to be the death of him. Turned away from her, Drew closed his eyes and prayed for God to give him strength as he turned the engine off. He wanted to share a lot more than just body heat, a hell of a lot more. But seducing her on the back seat of his car like some hormone driven teenager wasn't on the agenda, no matter what the temptation.

  “Uhm yeah, we should. Move over, I'm coming through,” He told her as he twisted in his seat. He wasn't a small man so it required some interesting contortions for him to get through the gap between the front seats. But no way was he venturing outside. No matter how quick he moved, he'd get soaked and they'd lose the heat out of the car. He grumbled as he got stuck halfway. Why the hell did they make these things so damn small?

  Finally he made it, slithering through the gap more due to gravity than any sense of grace and landing in the back seat with a thud. She slid a sideways glance at him, a smile in her dark eyes. “Not an escape artist then?”

  “Not exactly, I always got caught trying to sneak out as a kid. Never quite developed the knack.“ He chuckled, tucking the blanket around them and lifting his arm, offering the spot underneath. Giving her the choice rather than assuming he had permission to touch her. She swallowed, an unreadable expression in her siren's eyes for a moment. After a long moment she nodded and settled against him with a sigh.

  He closed his eyes, once again feeling a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest at her trust in him. He tightened his arm around her, liking the feel of her nestled close to his body. She felt right there, as though they'd been made for each other.

  Her perfume, an unexpected exotic fragrance he wouldn't have figured her for, rose from her warm skin to tease his senses. Drew leaned his head against the back of the seat and wondered how the hell he was going to survive the next few hours.

  In the end he didn't have to wait that long. They'd settled into comfortable silence, Jo dozing on his chest, when a tap at the window surprised him.

  “Wha... who is that? Did you manage to call help?” Jo asked, startled out of sleep by the sharp noise against the window pane. She sat up, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she peered at the figure the other side of the glass.

  Drew rolled the window down, wincing a little at the blast of icy air. “Hello?”

  “You daft buggars'll freeze if you're planning on stayin' in there all night.” The muffled form accused, leaning forwards until the craggy face hidden in the layers appeared. A local farmer if his clothing and general appearance was anything to go by. “The big 'ouse is over the back there. You'll 'ave to trek over the field but there's the barn loft you're welcome to until morning. It's nay much but it's got a heater at least.”

  Chapter Three

  Presented with the offer of a warm room it took them less than a minute to get ready to follow the farmer. Jo shivered as she stepped out of the car, her coat wrapped close around her. The chill fingers of the wind sliced through the thin trousers and icy water soaked through her strappy heels as soon as she put her feet on the ground.

  The farmer grumbled something about 'suitable clothing' but Jo ignored him, feeling comforted as soon as Drew climbed out the car. His large, broad shouldered figure behind her the chill wind down. She smiled her thanks over her shoulder, and paused, her breath stolen away.

  With the heavy black coat swathing his body, the wind ruffling his hair and his face half in shadow he looked dangerous. Every inch the pirate or highwayman she’d always imagined the heroes in her favourite historical novels to look. She shivered as he looked at her, his eyes dark for a moment, as though he could see straight into her soul. See the longing and need there.

  He frowned in concern, noting the fine shivers she couldn’t control. “We’d best get moving before my wife freezes out here,” he told the farmer as he locked up, pocketing the keys and taking Jo’s arm.

  She opened her mouth to say she could walk on her own, thank you very much, when her feet started to slide from under her. With a gasp she clung to Drew’s arm to keep her balance, her ire over the wife comment forgotten.

  “Ye wants to be careful,” the farmer called over the whistling wind. “Gonna be slippy under foot. Got a good frost going before this lot started to fall. Roads’ll be death traps in the morning.”

  “Hold onto me,” Drew cautioned in an undertone as they followed the heavily wrapped figure of the farmer. S
urvival wasn’t an option if they got lost in this, dressed as they were. It would be suicide. Jo hurried along as fast as she could, ignoring the biting cold in her feet. Oh, what had persuaded her to wear the heels? They were beautiful but also as impractical as a chocolate fire guard and not up to trudging through snow covered fields. She should have worn walking boots instead.

  “The next time I go out with you, remind me to pack hiking gear,” she grumbled, the two of them slipping and sliding as they hurried after the farmer. Until, finally, the looming figure of buildings became visible ahead.

  Jo breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the gate, smiling at their unusual rescuer. She’d always thought of angels as beautiful celestial creatures. Right now though, her vision had changed to include a hunched over, near geriatric and wizened old man.

  “Thank you so much for this,” Jo said as he opened the door to an impromptu barn conversion. A total DIY job, the bottom level still had straw and… other suspect stains on the concrete floor.

  “Ye’re welcome. Room’s up the stairs. Heater’s an old calor one but it works.” He said, stamping his feet to tramp the snow off and pointed to a flight of steps clinging to the side of the wall. “Used to be the farm managers place so there’s a bog an’ a wash room, the sofa’s a bed settee thing. Basic but clean and better than you two young ‘uns freezing to death out in yer car.”

  “Indeed and thank you for coming out to find us, much appreciated. And for the use of the room.” Drew said, his deep voice sincere as he held his hand out to shake the older man’s.

  “Nay problem, you’d best get your missus settled in and warmed up though. Before she catches her death in them shoes,” The old farmer pointed out as he released Drew’s hand. “I’ll see what the old bat has on the stove and bring sommat over for you two to eat in a wee while,”