Nathan shrugged. “He said he stayed all night with her on Christmas Eve. I presumed the obvious from the comment. Who knew he would wimp out?”
Megan chewed her lip. “If they did sleep together, why wouldn’t Mom want us to know?”
“Because she’d not sure how she feels about him,” Jill said quietly. “Maybe she just needs time to think about it. My mother takes a long time to make decisions. Some people are like that.”
***
“Stop laughing, Sam. They confronted me and I choked,” Eve said. “I didn’t know how to explain it to them.”
Sam saved his work and closed his computer. “Are you embarrassed about us being lovers?”
Eve shook her head. “No. Not exactly.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Sam asked.
Eve rose from the chair she’d been sitting in to pace around his office. “I’m being unreasonable and I can’t seem to help myself. I don’t want to share my feelings for you with my children. I don’t want the pressure of their expectations influencing my need to rip off your clothes every time I look at you now. I would like to keep those urges private for a bit longer.”
Sam chuckled as his eyebrows raised. “Glad you finally have no problem admitting those urges to me at least. So okay, we’ll hide how things really are for a little while. Who needs to know but us?”
Eve’s shocked gaze swung in Sam’s direction. “You would do that for me? Hide our intimacy from your son?”
“We’re friends, Eve. The last thing I want is to cause you stress or discomfort. The kids will go back to their own lives soon and we’ll be discreet until then. Only . . . oh shit.”
Eve watched Sam shake his head.
“What? What is oh shit?” Eve demanded.
“I told Nathan I spent the night with you on Christmas Eve. I haven’t kept anything from him since he was eighteen,” Sam said, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I’m probably the reason they were cross-examining you. He must have told Megan.”
Eve walked back and plopped down in the chair, groaning loudly as she sat. “I’m forty-seven. Why am I being an idiot about this?”
Sam smiled as she sat again. He stared at her across his desk. “You’re acting like someone falling in love and worried about how it will change their life. Be as silly as you want, just promise not to regret the changes between us too much.”
Eve hung her head and groaned. “Regret? Are you kidding me? I want to crawl across the desk and into your lap for a hug, but I’m afraid of getting caught. This is worse than being a teenager. It was exciting to fool my parents. This is just . . . my worries just make me feel silly and stupid.”
Sam snorted, but finally gave it to full laughter. “I love you. I know it’s too soon for you to hear it, but honestly, that’s what this is. You never fail to make me laugh. At the same time, all I want is to bury myself in you until you’re convinced about how right we are together.”
Eve shook her head and sniffled. “Do you never worry? I don’t want to hurt you, Sam. You deserve to be adored, and what if I can’t do that? What if the lust thing burns out and there’s nothing left between us? Life is going to seriously suck if I have to buy a shop vac and solve my own damn water problems just because I broke your heart.”
Sam scooted back in his chair. “You’re killing me. Stop joking and come here so I can hold you.”
Eve shook her head, but rose from her seat again. “I want to be as ready for all this as you are. I want not to have any doubts. I don’t know how to do that.”
Sam patted his leg. “Come here. Do it now, woman. If I come after you, it will be to carry you to bed.”
Fearing he’d make good on his threat, Eve walked to him reluctantly, surprised when Sam yanked her down hard into his lap.
“We’re about to have our first fight if you use our children as an excuse not to be with me,” he said.
“Worse than the fight we had over the lawn mowing service?” Eve asked.
Sam snorted into her hair. “Yes. Much worse. Though I still can’t believe you wasted forty dollars a month when I offered to mow for free.”
Eve laughed. “It was the principle, Sam. I didn’t want people talking about me taking advantage of you. I hate yard work. That’s why I hardscaped the entire back yard.”
“I mow three other yards in this neighborhood. Yours takes like fifteen minutes,” Sam argued. The chuckling woman in his lap had him swearing as his arms tightened on her. “We’re not having this argument ever again. Next year I’m mowing. That’s all there is to it.”
“Okay. Fine. You can mow my yard,” Eve said, shrugging away the fight.
Sam stilled. “Seriously?”
Eve nodded. “Yes. I don’t want your man card pulled for not taking care of the woman you’re boinking.”
Sam’s pinch on her backside had Eve squealing and then disintegrating in laughter. His office chair swiveled wildly under their combined weights as they play fought. When he grabbed a handful of hair and tilted her head back for a searing kiss, she stopped laughing to stare into his fierce gaze. Love for him hit her in a rush just moments before his mouth descended on hers. The kiss was thorough and nearly endless because it was obvious he wasn’t willing to let her go without settling things between them.
When he finally raised his head, he glanced outside and swore again. “Oh shit . . . we’re busted for sure this time. Turn your head, Eve.”
She did and looked out the large picture window in his office to see their children lined up on the sidewalk, their arms crossed even though they were grinning like crazy as they stare at them. She turned back, closed her eyes, and buried her face in his shoulder. “They saw you kissing me. You’re going to have to marry me now.”
Sam’s heart thudded. “Okay. I’d like that. Yes, I accept. I will marry you.”
Eve raised her head. “That wasn’t a proposal, dummy. I was joking.”
“Too bad,” he said. “I’m a literal man. You asked and I said yes. It’s a done deal.”
Eve rolled her eyes and pushed her way out of his lap to stand again. Her legs still felt weak. Damn, the man sure knew how to kiss. Maybe she should marry him.
“Rick was supposed to be ordering pizza. Are you coming to face them with me or leaving me to face the inevitable I-told-you-so all alone?”
“Of course, I’m coming. What are friends for? As soon as my erection recedes, I’ll be ready to go,” Sam said. “Can I tell Joyce and Greg we’re dating? If we’re going to tell the kids, I’d like to tell them too. Oh and my parents. They already know I like you so they won’t be surprised either.”
Eve shuddered. “Who haven’t you told? Want me to just announce I’m sleeping with you on my show?”
Sam pretended to consider that for a moment. “That’s very tempting,” he admitted.
Eve laughed and held out her hand. “No. Maybe I’ll announce it when we get married in a couple of years.”
“Six months,” Sam corrected. He scooped Eve up for a kiss as she sputtered in protest.
***
“Hello. If you have just turned in this evening, sadly you’ve missed most of the show. But never fear, I’ll be back tomorrow bringing you music to fall in love by. This is Evelyn Jade and tonight has been a new edition of Delight After Dark.”
Eve queued up the next music.
“Did you see all that white we got today? Looks like the New Year is bringing the snow Santa didn’t deliver at Christmas. Hope you’ve been sitting in front of a cozy fire with that special someone tonight. Before I play my last song for you this evening, I want to thank everyone once again for all the many, many calls we got urging Christmas Eve Cassie to take a chance on dating her best friend. I’m happy to report to you that things with them are going very well romantically. And that’s not the only good news I have to share.”
Eve smiled and pulled her mic closer as piano music rolled as a backdrop. “Tonight I have a personal confession to make. Just like Cassie, I am now dating a
wonderful man who’s been one of my best friends for years. Our relationship was definitely not something I ever imagined happening, but what can I say? Sam kissed me under the mistletoe and changed everything.”
She looked up and smiled at the man winking at her through the booth’s window.
“So if you’re in a similar quandary, with a handsome man or beautiful woman wanting to add a little spice to your friendship, I highly recommend giving it some serious thought before sending them away.”
Eve let the piano music fade. “Confession time is over now. Goodnight Lexington. Thank you for letting me be part of your life, but I really have to go. My good friend Sam is waiting to drive me home. Next up is the Cats game. Who knows? They might just win this one. There’s magic in the air tonight.”
Eve pushed play and gathered up her things. She headed out of the booth and found Sam talking to her producer. He held out his hand for her coat and held it to help her into it. They said their goodbyes and walked out into a world of swirling white.
“You didn’t have to tell the whole world about us,” Sam said.
Eve laughed. “I didn’t. You did. There were only a few people left in Lexington who didn’t know already.”
“Ha. Ha. Both our Christmas trees are put away, but I left up the mistletoe. I thought we might use it a few more times before we took it down,” Sam said.
“Do we need it? Nathan and Megan are now in their own apartment,” Eve said.
“Forget the kids. What about us?” Sam asked, stopping by the car.
Eve rose up on her toes and kissed him before sinking back down into the snow. “Does that answer your question?”
Sam bent and swept his mouth across Eve’s again, just to be sure. “Actually, it does.”
They both smiled as he tucked her inside the car to take her home.
# # #
Hope you enjoyed this tiny bit of Christmas cheer.
All my best to you and your loved ones during the holidays.
Wishing you magic under your mistletoe,
~ Donna McDonald
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: If you enjoyed this ebook, please consider leaving a positive review or rating on the site where you purchased it. Reader reviews help my books continue to be valued by distributors/resellers and help new readers make decisions about reading them. I value each and every reader who takes the time to do this and invite you all to join me on my Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads.com for more discussions and fun.
You are the reason I write these stories and I sincerely appreciate you!
Many thanks for your support,
~ Donna McDonald
KEEP READING in this ebook to read an excerpt
from “Next Game I Play”, Book Two
in the Next Time Around series
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Excerpt from NEXT GAME I PLAY
Book Two of the Next Time Around Series (Coming Soon)
When phone calls hadn’t worked to get Taylor to agree to go out with him, Max had finally conned Chloe into telling him where he could find her. The last thing he’d expected was to have to swim through a sea of sweaty jocks just to talk to her. He’d been following Taylor for fifteen minutes as she walked around the gym floor in a black knee-skimming skirt and a fitted silk blouse the same color as the halter dress she’d worn at the hotel. She was checking equipment, writing down serial numbers, and bending at interesting angles in her efforts. Worse, he wasn’t the only one noticing.
“Why are you shutting me out without a chance? You already admitted that you’ve dated as much as I have,” Max said.
Her tanned legs were bare, but the odd part of the outfit were her sock covered feet, slipped into stylish, expensive sneakers he knew she wore solely to protect the equally stylish and expensive gym floor under them. Based on the clothes he’d seen before, if he searched her office, he’d probably find a pair of killer black high heels tucked somewhere. Wondering how tall they would make her made him forget his original question, until Taylor finally answered.
“It’s not about the quantity of women you’ve dated, Max. I’ve just learned all the life lessons I need to about dating jocks.” She glanced briefly at the good looking male now sulking as he watched her. Taylor shook her head and hoped her tone had been convincing enough.
“Stop stereotyping all jocks as bad guys. I bet there are some good ones out on the floor of this gym right now that you haven’t dated.” Max looked at the men in question, wishing he could join them. Working out at the hotel was the not the same as being around other guys in a regular gym. It was one of the things he had missed most during his recuperation.
Taylor looked around calmly, taking her time to study the ten or so men still working out in the gym. She watched Reston Williams, a very sexy California cowboy, heading off to the showers.
“Actually, I only see one or two guys I missed going out with,” she said, turning back to her work. “But that’s because I refuse to date married men, or anyone already in a serious relationship.”
“Okay, I have those same rules. I don’t date married women or those involved with other men in serious relationships. So why is my dating past worse than yours?”
“I never said it was. I’m truly not passing judgment here, Max.”
“If you weren’t passing judgment, we’d be together already.” His glare was wasted on Taylor’s back, but he let it linger anyway.
“No. My refusal to date you is about me. It’s also about my goals for love next time around. I appreciate the physical appeal of athletic men as much as the next woman, but it was a jock who married me for money and left me when I had none. So I’m done with jocks.” Taylor shrugged her shoulders, remembering the hurt that she had worked to put behind her. “That’s just how it is with me, Max. It’s was my bias before I ever met you.”
This time, at least it was a grin that was wasted because Taylor still wasn’t looking at him. “I’m sorry, I thought I’d made it clear that I’m not interested in your money. I’m interested in your other assets,” he said.
Taylor stopped what she was doing, turned and studied Max’s face to see if anything she said was getting through his thick skull. “Even beyond my current aversion to jocks, I’m simply not interested in dating another high profile, known womanizer. I know what it’s like to have the press instantly reduce you to just another random casualty on some guy’s sexual conquest list. I’ve been there and done the womanizer thing more than once. I refuse to be some hot guy’s cast-off woman ever again.”
“Glad to hear you think I’m hot, Babe. How are we going to find out what happens if you never date me?” Max teased.
“Being ‘hot’ is a positive, Max. Don’t add ‘stupid’ to the negative list. You know that’s happened to every woman you’ve dated and case aside.”
As much as he enjoyed debating with her, the truth was Max liked Taylor’s honesty and found it refreshing. If he upset her, Max had no doubt that the woman glaring at him now would just tell him. He certainly wouldn’t have to read it in print first.
“You’re assuming the worst of me without even knowing if it’s true,” Max said.
“You’re not listening. I hate, absolutely hate cheaters, Max. Any wish a guy has for an ‘open relationship’ is a total deal breaker as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think I should have to share a man’s attention all the other women he dates. No w
oman should have to share. It’s about loyalty as much as it is fidelity for me.”
Max put his hands in his pockets, trying to look their discussion was casual, but it didn’t feel that way to him. It felt like they were laying the groundwork for a deeper understanding. It felt like she was laying bare her soul with sharing her fears. He hadn’t expected anything less.
“Where you’re concerned, I don’t want to share either, Taylor. And I can’t remember ever being jealous of a woman before I met you. I’ve stayed away from other women because of you.”
“You’re not jealous of me, Max. You’re just challenged because I keep turning you down. I know it probably doesn’t happen often to you, but that’s what going on here. Go ask out one of your hockey groupies if you want adoration. You probably sleep with a different woman after every game and have the envy of every guy you know.”
Rolling her eyes at the injured look she got in response, Taylor picked up her clipboard and walked back to her office. It didn’t surprise her when Max followed, but it did surprise her when a fully dressed, great smelling Reston Williams also stuck his head in the door.
“You seem highly irritated today, Legs. This guy bugging you?” he asked.
Taylor looked at Reston’s stance and snorted at the pose. He looked just like his cologne advertisement with his massive arms crossed and his chin lowered so much that the brim of his battered tan Stetson almost covered his eyes. The man was real cowboy, complete with a working horse ranch, but he was also a former jock. His endorsement contract kept him coming back to her gym so he could keep his aging body in prime condition.
“Talk to me, Legs. I’d be happy to help extract him for you,” he said.
Another time, Taylor knew she would have openly laughed at Reston’s show of concern, but the last thing she needed right then was two posturing males messing up her day. One was bad enough. “Max is a friend. And our debate is nothing I can’t handle. You can head on back to the ranch now, Tex. I’m fine.”
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