Wicked Wonderland
Page 25
The narrow flat box was wrapped in holly paper. The tag said “To my dearest Daniel . . . from Hallie.”
He ripped into it with his heart beating and his mouth dry. Was Santa coming through for him after all?
He stared at the contents. “It’s a ticket.”
She put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. “An open-ended, round-trip airfare to Seattle from Fairbanks. I knew I had to get my life in order, but I didn’t want to lose you.”
“You didn’t?” he asked, hardly daring to believe that his Christmas wish was about to come true.
She pulled his head down for a kiss. “I didn’t.”
He grabbed her up in a bear hug, her feet dangling above the floor. “I think I have another gift for you.”
She kissed his nose. “Where is it?”
“It’s too big to wrap.”
“Ooh . . . intriguing. Don’t keep me in suspense.”
He paused, suddenly unsure.Was Hallie really ready to stay in Alaska indefinitely? He cleared his throat. “I’ve never been married. Don’t have kids. I lead a pretty simple lifestyle.”
A frown line appeared between her brows. “Okkkaaayyy.”
He set her away from him and took a deep breath. He couldn’t think straight with her breasts crushed against his chest. “I’ve got a pretty significant nest egg built up.”
She was staring at him in total confusion. “You lost me.”
He shrugged and went for broke.“What if I buy the Dancing Elves B and B and give it to you for a wedding present?”
Hallie went perfectly still, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open in an oval of pure astonishment.
Her silence scraped at his nerves. “Hallie?” He waved his hand in front of her face.
She swallowed hard.“Was that a marriage proposal or a real estate offer?”
The light in her eyes made him grin. “Either . . . both . . . I’ll let you decide.”
She launched herself into his arms and scattered kisses all over his face. “This is a totally underhanded way to get me to stay in Alaska.”
He kissed her hard, holding her tightly. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Is there an answer anywhere in that fascinating brain of yours, or do I have to get down on my knees and beg?”
Her eyes were dreamy, her cheeks flushed.“Yes and yes. No begging required. I love you, Daniel. You’re going to get sick of hearing it.”
He swung her in a circle. “Do you know what this means?”
She giggled, her breasts smashed against his chest.“Tell me.”
He sighed, a great, big, starting-down-in-the-gut exhale that summed up his cartwheeling emotions. “It means that you’re no longer a Christmas Scrooge.”
“Hey,” she pulled away, pretending to be insulted. “I was never that bad.”
He kissed her again, still shaky from nearly losing her.“You turned up your nose at every decoration and Christmas song when I first met you. Admit it.”
She smiled, her blue eyes filled with joy.“I may have been a little conflicted about the holiday, but I always knew how I felt about you. You’ve made this the best Christmas ever, Daniel. And considering the circumstances, you deserve a medal.”
He started unbuttoning her blouse.
She cocked her head, her expression curious. “I take it we’re not going to the airport?”
He frowned, still rattled at how close he had come to putting her on a plane. “No damn way.”
“Then what exactly did you have in mind?”
He sighed in approval at the sight of her red satin bra, wondering if her panties matched. “It’s Christmas Day. We’re all alone. And we’ve just agreed to purchase the Dancing Elves B and B. I think we should christen our new venture.”
“With daytime sex?”
“Don’t laugh. Daytime sex in December is hard to come by in Alaska.We have to make hay while the sun shines.”
“So that’s where the saying comes from?”
He put his hands on her breasts and caressed the gooseflesh he found there.The necklace he’d given her was nestled tantalizingly in her cleavage.“Do you think we could stop talking now?”
She caressed him boldly, making him see spots in front of his eyes. “Men really do have only one thing on their minds, don’t they?”
His knees buckled. He pulled her down to the sofa, tucking her beneath him. “Marry me, Hallie.”
The ceramic Santa on the coffee table smirked. And was Hallie winking at the guy?
She wrapped her arms around his neck.“Whatever you say, Daniel. I like the sound of a honeymoon where the nights are twenty hours long.”
He finished undressing them both and settled into her warm, welcoming body with a groan. “Lord, I hope I can keep up.”
She squeezed him with her inner muscles.“But on the other hand, I hear that Alaska is spectacular in the summer. . . .”
He would have laughed, but he was too far gone. He shut her up by the simple expedient of kissing her until they both gasped for air.
“Merry Christmas, Hallie,” he muttered, trying to last a few seconds longer.
She moaned and shivered as she came. “Merry Christmas, Daniel,” she whispered breathlessly.“It’s going to be a wonderful life.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
LuAnn McLane lives in Florence, Kentucky, just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. When she takes breaks from writing, she enjoys watching chick flicks with her daughter and trying to keep up with her three active sons.Visit her Web site at www.luannmclane.com.
Susanna Carr lives in the Pacific Northwest.Visit her Web site at www.susannacarr.com.
Janice Maynard left a fifteen-year career as an elementary school teacher to write full-time. Since then, she has published more than a dozen books and novellas. She lives with her husband in Tennessee. Visit her Web site at www.janicemaynard.com.