Mistletoe Madness

by Kelliea Ashley

  "I thought I'd make an effort this year to be merry." She shrugged and bit down on her lower lip, a habit she'd never conquered and one she almost always did when she was uncertain or nervous. "It was a bad decision."

  "Want to talk about it?” She shook her head, and his expression turned serious. "What did the stuffed shirt do this time?" he asked, and his eyes darkened as he set the DVD on her drop-leaf table.

  Uh oh, the dark and stormy temper eyes. "Let's save that discussion for later." She slid past him to her small wine cooler to pull out the half-empty bottle of wine she'd made the jerk pay for. "Let's start Hump Day with a glass of the good stuff." She smiled in relief as he waited a heartbeat before taking two wine glasses from her mother's antique curio cabinet. He'd looked like he wanted to press her about it but decided to let it slide. That was why she loved him. Dane was able to read her moods, assess the best way to react to them, and he always knew how to make her feel better by the end of the night.

  "Pour these while I set up tonight's entertainment, my lady." His grin made Izzy smile as she watched his broad back, covered in the stretched black cotton of his T-shirt, disappear into her living room. The man was a chick magnet, yet he spent every Wednesday night in her apartment. He wasn't gay, of that she was certain. He'd dated several women around town. Though he seemed to be the one to end his relationships, the women always wanted to stay friends. She noticed that they only had nice things to say about him. Most of them still owned memberships to his gym just to ogle his sweat-covered body with the hopes of winning him back.

  She couldn't blame them. Dane was one of the hotter males in town. If he hadn't immediately started seeing someone after he helped with her tire, she would have probably gone after him herself. Luckily, Andrew asked her out. At first, she dated him because of pressure from her father to give him a chance. Then, as she got to know him, she'd really started to like him as a person. Her grandmother always said things happen for a reason. Dating Andrew kept her from having any romantic feelings for Dane, which was a blessing. A brief relationship with Dane would have been disastrous for their friendship. Eventually he would have dumped her like everyone else. Like her, Dane wasn't looking for a long-term commitment, so a short romance wasn't worth losing him as a movie buddy.

  Izzy mentally shook herself when she realized her gaze was trained on his jean-covered rear. Wayward thoughts of Dane's sexy hotness made her cheeks burn uncomfortably. She'd never jeopardize their friendship for a quick roll in the sack, no matter how tempting or pleasure promising said roll would probably be. And I just need to keep saying that to myself to believe it. Izzy turned back to pour wine into the two glasses.

  "What kind of movie did you bring me, big guy?" She found him sitting on the couch with Teeny, her calico tabby cat curled up on his lap as he flipped through the channels on her flat screen. She wasn't a bit surprised that even animals of the female persuasion were drawn to the man.

  "I thought we'd go with a season appropriate flick involving a social misfit who struggles with a penchant for swiping things, talking in rhyme, and a phobia of Christmas lights." The boyish look of mischief on his handsome face made her warm inside.

  "The Grinch? Seriously?" Izzy shook her head as she set the glasses of wine on her coffee table before curling up on the couch beside him. She tucked her feet beneath her bottom, and then reclaimed her abandoned wineglass.

  "Yeah, but I'm thinking it was a bad call. You have the cutest little tree." He referred to the small fiber optic tree that changed colors. Beneath the stand holding the little tree, Izzy had placed the few meager gifts that she'd forced herself to buy. For as long as he knew her, she'd refused to decorate, play carols, or shop for gifts. Her mainstays were gift cards and cookies. No muss, no fuss. "What is going on with you, Isabella Cortez?"

  Dane turned his head toward her as he absently stroked her purring cat. Teeny looked like she'd found heaven in his lap. Damn lucky cat!

  "I thought..." Her throat hurt as it clogged with mortification. Izzy was humiliated for even thinking Andrew was taking her to an expensive restaurant to propose to her. In her defense, she'd been getting hints from him all month long. He was making partner in the law firm and feeling pressure from both his father and hers to settle down. She caught him on the phone in the middle of a heated conversation with his father. He'd told him not to worry because he was already planning for his future. Oh, and the kicker was when his receptionist called her to ask her about her ring size. She'd read those signals all wrong.

  Firm fingers tucked beneath her chin and lifted her eyes to his. Dane shifted his hand, cupping her cheek gently as his thumb lightly stroked over her bottom lip. She wanted to drown in the moss-green pools that held only concern for her. His other hand took her glass from her shaking fingers to place it safely on the table.

  "Talk to me." The gentle command broke something within her as she heaved a sigh. That was the only problem she had with Dane. She found skating around the truth impossible because the soldier in him smelled a fib from a couple blocks away. Something in the way he seemed to really care about her always made it too hard to avoid answering him. The man was a damn walking lie detector.

  "I thought Andrew was going to propose to me last night." She saw his firm jaw clench and continued quickly. "He was taking me to an expensive restaurant after Debra, his receptionist, called me to ask what size ring I wore. I jumped to all the wrong conclusions, Dane. He took me to the restaurant to ask me to stay at his apartment and receive some mail for him while he went on a pleasure cruise with a client."

  "I see." He stilled. She darted a glance up as he slid his hand to the back of her neck. His fingers massaged the tension from her neck as he watched her closely. "What about the ring size?"

  "I went with him to his parent's house for a weekend last summer. His mom really liked my opal ring and asked to try it on. It fit her perfectly. Andrew wanted to buy her a present for Christmas and remembered we had the same sized fingers." She slapped his chest as a giggle escaped his firm lips. "Dane! This is so not funny! Stop laughing!"

  He caught her hands against his chest to keep her from beating on him. "I know. I'm sorry," he choked out.

  "No, you're not. You, big lug!" Izzy couldn't believe she was laughing herself. "I just wish he'd done it before I went and bought all these decorations. Good grief, I even hung up the mistletoe Grams insisted I bring home for good luck."

  "Yeah, I saw it up close and personal. I had to duck under it when I came into the living room." He grinned at her. "I told you he was a brainless stuffed shirt. The boy doesn't deserve you, Izzy."

  "Oh, you're adding brainless to the stuffed shirt tag?"

  "Damn straight! He had the sweetest lady in town at his beck and call but let her go for a cruise with a client. No brains." His suddenly serious expression made her breath hitch in her chest.

  "Yeah, well. We broke up. There wasn't a lot we had in common. And he thinks my family is crazy, so all of this..."—she gestured to the tree—"is a waste of time, again this year."

  "Hey, don't let the idiot ruin your holiday, Izzy. He doesn't deserve to be wallowed over. Any man who doesn't mind his woman spending one night a week alone with another man is little more than a moron."

  "Umm...he did mind. A lot it seems. I think going on the cruise with Maggie was his way of dishing me a dose of jealousy. Which, I must admit, I deserved. Problem is, I wasn't that jealous. I was more upset by his low opinion of my family." She shrugged a shoulder. "Clearly, our relationship was not what either of us hoped it would be."

  Dane took a deep breath as he looked away from her to eye the mistletoe. "Things happen for a reason, Izzy. Anyways, I like the decorations. Keep them up." He quickly sat up, moved the protesting cat to the back of the couch, and grabbed the remote to her Blu-ray. Instead of settling back down to nap, Teeny jumped from the couch to saunter from the room with her tail twitching. "No more talk of Mr. Stuffed Shirt. Movie night has officially begun. Sit back and rela
x, my Izzy. I'll go grab the chocolate ice cream." As he spoke, he ducked the hanging greenery to disappear into the kitchen.

  "You know how to make a girl feel better, Dane Jordan." She took a quick sip of her wine and settled back to watch the opening credits of the movie.

  "That's due to a wonderful mother and two sisters. Here you go. Dig in and chill out, girl," he ordered as he handed her a heaping bowl of ice cream and settled beside her with his own. He took up his favorite position with his long jean-covered legs stretched out and his crossed ankles resting on her coffee table.

  "Aw...you even put marshmallows and chocolate syrup on it." She dug in and moaned in appreciation. "Will you marry me?" She blinked her lashes up at him with what she hoped was a silly grin.

  "I don't know... You have big fingers. I don't think my Mama's ring would fit on you." He laughed and flinched when she punched him on the shoulder.

  "You should be so lucky!" She spoke around her spoon. His eyes sparkled as he watched her lick off the ice cream.

  "I know." The softly spoken words held a deeper tone that had her eyes snapping to his. Izzy didn't recognize the shade burning in his eyes, which were dark green with yellow flecks in the middle. They were dreamy, yummy, bedroom eyes that did not belong on her best buddy. He leaned forward to wipe his thumb at the corner of her mouth. "You missed a little." His voice was husky, velvety soft, and so tempting that she swallowed as he held up his finger with the smudge of chocolate on it. Her heart stopped beating as he lightly brushed his finger along her lower lip.

  Chapter Four

  Izzy held his gaze as her lips slowly opened to allow the tip of her tongue to taste his finger. Her eyes blinked at the delicious taste of chocolate and salty flesh. She sat still, watching him as his chest rose with a deep breath. Dane's eyes dilated, turning an even darker green. She vaguely realized that she must be seeing his turned-on shade. Her brain numbed with shock as he pressed his finger further inside her mouth until her lips closed over it. Her teeth gently clamped down on his first knuckle as her tongue stroked the sensitive pad. His mouth opened as he gulped in a breath. An explosion of sound on the movie had them springing apart to stare at each other warily.

  Izzy didn't know what to do. This was Dane. Her Dane. He was a friend, nothing more. She shouldn't be sucking his finger as if she wanted to eat the man alive. Holy shit! She blinked up at him, trying to read his expression. He stared back at her, taking in her every move with eyes that were alert and searching. This was his SEAL mode that indicated he was waiting for her reaction. He apparently wasn't sure how she would respond to what had just transpired between them. She silently watched him inch backward on the couch, putting some much needed space between them. His cautious movement mimicked a soldier easing away from a dropped grenade.

  "Good ice cream." She blinked at the inane words that came out of her mouth.

  He seemed surprised, and then a slow smile formed on his mouth. She stared at his smile, finding it impossibly hard to breathe while he was staring at her with that masculine bad boy grin. Damn, had his lips always looked so tempting, so sensual? She felt hot sitting there beside him. Oh my! Her face had to be burning. He was staring at her so closely that he had to see her blushing like a virgin at an X-rated movie.

  "Eat up, Iz." He turned his attention back to the movie and dipped his spoon into his own bowl.

  Izzy stared at her best guy friend with butterflies dancing in her tummy as she tried to ignore the fact that she was suddenly conscious that he was a man—a hot, hard, available male with the sexiest eyes and hands. And he smelled amazing even after a workout session at his gym. Sweaty man smell should not be enticing, but on Dane it was definitely yummy. Freshly showered and shaved, as he was now, he was so tempting to taste. The man smelled better than freshly baked brownies!

  Okay, down girl! Back to the movie. This is Dane. He is just my friend, nothing more. Their relationship was strictly platonic with a little big brother teasing thrown in for fun. She was determined not lose him because her body was urging her to taste more than his finger. Oh, but I bet he tastes like chocolate and red wine right now. Shit! I'm in trouble here, deep trouble.

  Izzy decided it might be better to eat the ice cream and watch the movie. Safer anyway than watching him and wishing she was eating him. A shiver skated over her body, and she jumped as he moved to pull the afghan off the back of the couch.

  "Cold?"

  "A little, thanks," she said and immediately pulled the blanket over her lap with the impulse to sigh. Okay, so I'm the farthest thing from cold right now, but he doesn't need to know it. Forty long minutes later the movie was finally over.

  "That was just what I needed." Izzy stretched her arms over her head as she yawned loudly. "Thank you for making my crappy week a little brighter, big guy." She smiled at Dane.

  "You're welcome, but I didn't come here for you." He pointed to Teeny, who was sound asleep on his lap. He was a serious magnet for the opposite sex, and it didn't seem to matter if they were a different species. "I couldn't miss my weekly date with my pussycat girlfriend."

  "Oh, using me for my pussy, huh?"

  His smile slowly faded as their gazes caught and held. The tension between them was palpable as her heart skipped a happy beat.

  "I better get going. I have an early morning workout tomorrow. Sorry, Teeny. You have to move baby girl." He gently picked the protesting cat up to set her down on the back of the couch. Teeny turned in circles and finally settled down in a mound of soft fur. Izzy watched Dane's every move as he got up to take the DVD out. "You know, Mom will be expecting you over for Christmas dinner." He turned his head to watch her with an intensity that made her nervously pull on her small top. She was suddenly wishing she would have worn a bra beneath it.

  "Yeah, and my family will kill me if I don't drag you to their annual Christmas Eve party. Especially my brothers, who want a chance to win back last year's poker earnings."

  "They wish. I'm the best at bluffing, unless you plan to play this year." His lopsided grin had her smiling in answer. How could any woman not smile at the man when he unleashed that charm?

  "Nope, my brothers are babies when it comes to losing. I'll take putting bikes and doll houses together with the girls and Dad any day."

  "Don't sound so thrilled, Izzy. I thought you were stoked about Christmas this year." He reached out and fingered the small star at the top of her tiny tree.

  "Yeah, I think my experiment with Christmas cheer is over. I would burn the tree in Dad's fireplace tomorrow night, but the stupid thing is plastic. I'll stick to acting like the family Grinch, thanks." She unfolded herself from the couch to walk him out. She always locked her door behind him when he left, mostly because he'd pitched a fit the first time that he realized she didn't lock up right away. The man had seen the worst of humanity, so she made sure to appease him on that one point.

  "Maybe I can persuade you to hang up your green suit for good this year." There was a sparkle of mischief in his look. "I'll pick you up at five to go to your parents. And you should be ready by eleven on Christmas Day to go to my mom's place for dinner. Try to find the Christmas spirit, or else Mom will think you need counseling."

  He reached out a hand to tug the strap of her top back up on her shoulder. A shiver of awareness traveled from her bare shoulder to her spine. She wanted to groan as her nipples hardened in reaction to his simplistic touch. What was wrong with her body? It wasn't the first time Dane had touched her, yet this was the first time her body was reacting like a cat in heat. She immediately crossed her arms over her chest to hide her body's traitorous reaction.

  "Okay, Dane. You don't have to beg me to come to your psychologist mother's dinner." She spoke to his back as he moved toward the kitchen. He laughed as he turned in the entry way to smile at her.

  "I never beg, baby." His eyebrows waggled up and down. "When I want you to come, you'll come." His joke fell short as they stood staring at each other. The silence stretched to uncomfortab
le proportions.

  "Um...Izzy, about what happened—" He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck in a gesture that spoke volumes. It was his tell that he was uncomfortable with the present conversation. Izzy fought the wave of disappointment as her ego took the hit. Just because her girly parts were suddenly jumping for joy at his touch, didn't mean he was feeling the same temptation. She wasn't exactly his type of woman, either. Dane was an exercise junky. All his women went to his gym and had tall, slim figures. She, on the other hand, was on the shorter side of average with more padding on her hips and thighs than she was comfortable with. No, she wasn't his type. The sooner she got back to feeling like his sidekick, the better.

  "Nothing happened." She shrugged her shoulders, her arms dropping to her sides as she bit her lower lip hard. I am such a liar! Two more minutes of staring into those beautiful eyes of his and I would have been begging to lick my ice cream off his naked chest!

  "What if I wanted something to happen?" His eyes were guarded as he watched her closely.

  "What?" She could have sworn the rug shifted beneath her feet but knew it was her head spinning with the question she never thought to hear from her best friend.

  "You do realize I'm not gay, right?" His grin could charm the panties off a mother superior.

  "Yeah. I just—You never—" Oh heavens! Her body was burning up like a hay bale doused in gasoline, and all he was doing was running those hungry eyes over her body. At this rate my panties are going to burst into flames!

  "We're friends!" Izzy blurted out as she fought to deny the attraction sparking between them. His head snapped back as if she'd sucker punched him. For a split second she recognized the hurt expression he was quick to hide behind a slow breath and a shrug that came off as far too casual.