Mistletoe Madness

by Kelliea Ashley

  "Okay, stop thinking about him. You must get dressed, Isabella. Stop hot-flashing about Dane like a sex-starved roadie. Geesh!" She reached in for a gray skirt as her smart phone began to play Flight of the Valkyries. With a towel wrapped around her bare body and her hair dripping down her shoulders, Izzy hurried into the living room to search for her cell phone. "I so miss the days when the phone was attached to the wall and didn't hide on me!"

  She found it stuffed between the cushions of her couch where she'd tossed the blasted thing. Her towel slipped a little as she slid her fingers along the screen to unlock it. The picture of Andrew, sitting at his desk, sleeves rolled up, and his arms folded made her cringe inside and out. What the devil did he want?

  "Hi." She kept her tone neutral. She could take a page right out of Dane's playbook and try to keep him as a friend, acquaintance...maybe...

  "Isabella, I had to call. I've been sitting here thinking about you."

  "If you're sorry about breaking up with me, don't be. Things happen for a reason." And that reason is six-feet tall with an amazing set of hands.

  "I think we acted a bit too rashly. You were upset about the ring for my mother. I was tired and worried about this new case I was handed. I'm facing a lot of paperwork and the challenge of dealing with a CEO who spends company money on toys and women who are not his wife."

  "You don't have to worry about it," she cut him off. If she didn't, she'd be hearing a ten-minute bout of poor Andrew. She didn't have ten minutes to spare, not when she didn't have a blasted clue what she was going to wear to her date with Dane.

  "Oh, Isabella. I knew you would understand. That's why we make such a great pair. How about I meet you at the Steakhouse and we forget that disastrous dinner ever even happened? We can plan a trip to the mountains, like you've been begging me to do. It will have to be after I've got this case nailed, of course."

  Izzy took a deep breath. The man was a moron to expect her to walk right back into that trap. He'd been holding that trip in front of her like a damn dangling carrot for half of the two years they'd been dating. Something always came up, and he always found a way to delay a trip with her. A trip Grams had told her to take before settling on any guy. She was a mysterious woman, but Izzy knew she was right; being stuck in a cabin with a man for a week would be an eye-opener. One that would tell her if Andrew was the right man to settled down with. Hell, if she couldn't stand spending one week with him, she had no business expecting to spend the rest of her life beside him.

  She realized Andrew had gone right into a spiel about his work obligations and the extensive preparations needed for taking time off. He was seriously giving her a headache. How she ever thought she could stand one full day alone with him, was a mystery to her.

  "Andrew," she sharply interrupted him. "You are not listening to me. I do not want to go on the trip with you anymore. I've had a little time to think about us, and I have found that the decision to end it was the right one for the both of us. While I'm not keen on the holidays, I do want to get married someday, and kids are in my life plan. I'm all right with being friends from now on." There was a long-suffering sigh on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry."

  "You're going to make me grovel. I get it. I screwed up, but I expected the daughter of such a rational-minded man would be adult enough to accept my unspoken apology and get things back to normal. We don't have to decide anything about the distant future right now. Who knows, I might change my mind about the kid thing."

  "Seriously?" Izzy's temper rose as her fingers death-gripped the smart phone.

  "I promise to fall at your feet when I see you at the Steakhouse tonight. Then maybe we can come back to my place and make up right."

  "No, I don't want to make up and..."

  "See ya tonight, Isabella."

  "He hung up on me!" Shocked outrage descended upon her as she stared at the phone with her mouth hanging open. The guy was so arrogant! "Oh, no you don't." Her fingers jabbing at the phone's screen, she quickly typed him a text, telling him not to expect her to meet him at the restaurant because she wasn't going. They were over. Done. Finished. She sent the text with one final stab, tossed the phone back on the couch, and then stomped back into her bedroom. The jerk was a case of life lesson learned. Never date a guy your father sets you up with!

  Izzy stood on one foot as she rubbed her toes against her calf and stared helplessly at her closet. After rejecting everything else, she grabbed the first thing she chose—the jeans and sweater set. A pair of white cotton briefs caught her eye, but she just grinned and shoved them back in the drawer. Naughty was so much more fun than nice, after all. Black lace panties were added to her pile of clothes. She pulled the pink undershirt on before the sweater and yanked on her jeans. A pair of thick woolen socks striped red and pink warmed her feet. His concerned expression when he asked her to wear warm clothes and layers flashed in her mind. A warm feeling pooled in the pit of her stomach when she remembered the possessive edge to his deep voice when he told her she was different. She grinned and hurried into the bathroom to put her hair up.

  She was trying to secure her hair up in a bun when someone knocked on her door. A quick glance at her watch showed her that she had ten more minutes before Dane was due to arrive. He was either a bit early or Andrew had decided to swing by to hash things out with her. She hoped it was Dane as she hurried to slip into her black leather half boots, zipping them up as she half-hopped and half-tripped to the front door. Teeny yowled loudly in complaint as she just barely missed the cat's tail.

  "Sorry." She hissed and flung the door open. Her heart pounded painfully as she stared at a bunch of red roses in his hand. Every ounce of moisture in her mouth dried up as she took him in. His curly hair was tamed with gel, but one stubborn lock still fell on his forehead. His jaw was clean, and she guessed if she ran her palm over it, the texture would be firm and smooth. Her fingers itched to reach up, but she waited.

  He was wearing a white shirt under a gray sweater that lovingly clung to his solid chest beneath his thick winter coat. The neck of the shirt was unbuttoned enough to let her see his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed. "Wow, Isabella. You look really..." He shook his head, his green eyes sparkled as he scanned her outfit.

  "Really what?" Izzy asked as he continued to stare at her with those hungry eyes devouring her from head to toe.

  "I want to say, hot. But you're my date, so I should probably say something like, you look lovely." His wolfish grin made her take an involuntary step back.

  "Both are nice compliments, so I'll say, thank you, Dane." She raised a hand to her throat to clutch her necklace in a shaky hand. "I feel like a lamb to the slaughter with the way you're looking at me."

  "Eating you definitely crossed my mind." He laughed as he reached out to gently push a wayward curl off her face, slipping it behind her ear and then deftly cupping her cheek. "Will I ruin your makeup if I just take a little taste before we leave?"

  "Taste away, but don't be surprised if you make us late," she said as she went on tiptoes to wrap her arms around him.

  "I'll risk it." He set the flowers on the counter and reached for her. Izzy reveled in the strong arms that pulled her close. The kiss they shared was the perfect blend of hungry and appreciative. She didn't want it to end.

  Chapter Eight

  Dane insisted on driving them in his big truck. The beast was higher up than her little Camaro. He held open the door for her and even helped her up into the seat. She smelled the food the instant he closed the door behind her. Izzy followed her nose to the backseat, and her mouth watered as she inhaled fried chicken. The basket in the backseat made her smile as Dane got behind the wheel.

  "Did you cook chicken?" She watched his lips pull back in a naughty smile.

  "I could lie and say I did, but you know I don't cook unless held at gunpoint. I ordered it from Michaela's. Smells good, huh?"

  "Delicious. Tell me what you have planned for tonight, Mr. Jordan?" She took a quick br
eath as he leaned closer. His gaze pinned her in place as he reached over to pull the seatbelt around her waist. He grinned as he clicked the belt and then dropped a light kiss on her nose.

  "I can't tell you, Izzy. I know you love a surprise."

  Izzy blinked in confusion as he moved back to hook his own belt and pull out of the parking space in front of her apartment building. She sat quietly until he pulled into the parking area for the community's outdoor skating rink. His insistence that she dress in layers and wear her hat and gloves suddenly seemed to make sense. The man was full of surprises. She turned her head to study him while he was concentrating on finding a parking space up close to the rink. He was humming to the heavy metal music playing low on the truck's radio.

  "Dane, you do realize that I'm not an active outdoor kind of woman. I don't go flying down hills on skis, jump from perfectly good planes, or join the healthy craze by running the 5K."

  His deep laugh filled the warm cab of the truck as he parked and turned the key to shut off the engine. She knew in that second that if he asked those things of her, she would fly, jump, and hobble across the finish line with a great big silly grin on her pained face. He turned off the truck and faced her. "Izzy, I know who you are and what you're willing to do. I would never ask you to do something you weren't comfortable with. Do you trust me?" His serious expression made her shiver.

  "You know I do." She reached up and touched his jaw. It was silky smooth under her fingers, making her wish they had just stayed in for the night.

  "Good, let's go have some fun." Dane unhooked her belt and his before getting out. She had her door open and was about to jump down when he came around and gripped her waist to easily lift her down. She felt the ground beneath her boot heels as her knees threatened to buckle. He pulled her into his solid body for a quick hug before releasing her to open the back door and bring out the basket.

  "Food first, and then fun." He led her past the skating rink where a few kids were playing on the ice while two recreation attendants supervised them. She slid him a quick look as he wound his fingers with hers and held her hand. He led her down the cross-country ski trail, helping to keep her upright as she occasionally sank and stumbled in the snow.

  "I thought you didn't like holding hands, Dane. It's an adolescent gesture that should be reserved for teenagers and old, married couples with one foot in the grave." She parroted his words back at him, getting a shrug as an answer as he squeezed her gloved fingers. "You do realize that we are breaking rules right and left here?"

  "Some rules are made to be broken. And now that I've uttered that redundant piece of dribble, we can eat in the snow." He dropped her hand as they stopped in a small clearing surrounded by snow-covered evergreens. Izzy watched him open the basket to pull out a thick blanket that he spread out over the snow.

  "This is so pretty." She dropped to her knees beside him as he began to pull containers of fried chicken, potatoes, dressing, and cheese out to set them before them. He then took out some plates and napkins before finally pulling out the very last object.

  "I hope you don't mind sharing." Dane held up the thermos.

  "Wine in a thermos?" She asked doubtfully.

  "Hot chocolate, my girl. It will help warm you up as we eat." Watching him divide the food onto plates made her appreciate the man even more. He handed her a plate full of food before taking a healthy bite of his own chicken. "Of course, after dinner I'll keep you warm until I get you home. Where, you're going to need some serious cooling down." His eyebrows wiggled at her lasciviously.

  She slapped his arm and then reached out to pick up a chicken leg. "This is really romantic, Dane. I did not expect this of you. Do you always take your women out for a winter picnic in the pines?" Clearly, she was fishing for information, but couldn't seem to help herself. The idea that this was just another one of his random dates made her want to cry. Being with him in such a winter wonderland was corny, but she didn't care. She needed to know this was special to him too.

  "I have never brought anyone else out here." He gripped her chin gently and leaned down to brush his lips over hers. A shiver raced down her spine as he pulled back. "Are you cold, Iz? We can pack up and leave if you are." He shrugged out of his coat to drape it over her shoulders in a move she found so sweet.

  "I'm fine. You're going to get cold, though."

  He stopped her from taking his coat off by rubbing her arms through the material. "I'm pretty warm-blooded. Besides, if I get cold all I have to do is steal a kiss." He did so and pulled back with a boyish grin. "See, all nice and toasty."

  She watched him as they finished eating, each of them taking turns sipping from the warm thermos. "You know, we should have done this last year." Looking over at him, she caught his serious expression. For a second he'd had a deer caught in headlights expression on his face.

  "What? Picnicking in the snow or dating?"

  She hurried to break his stare by repacking the empty containers in the basket. "I was referring to coming out here together. We never go anywhere outside of my apartment. This just feels a little bit...odd." She flicked him a shy glance and found him frowning at her. He reached over and took the basket out if her hands to turn her to face him.

  "I should have done more things with you outside our weekly rendezvous, but there was a reason why I didn't. I knew seeing you and being with you more than that would be too tempting. It was that, and you didn't seem to find me the least bit attractive, Izzy. You treated me like one of your brothers, so I let you. I'm still not sure why I gave in to the urge to shake things up with you last night."

  Oh, she had an idea, but it was outside Dane's world of logic. "Are you sorry you did?" Izzy held her breath as he seriously studied her. His gaze moved over her face, hesitating over her lips before meeting her eyes once more.

  "I'm sorry I didn't try it sooner." His lips pulled up in a charming grin before he gently kissed her lips. When he pulled back, she found herself blinking as something white fell into her eyes. She moved her head to see past him and found it was snowing. Big white, fluffy flakes were floating down to land on and attach themselves to his dark hair and long lashes.

  Suddenly they were sitting in the middle of a magical forest, and they were the only two people on the planet to enjoy its beauty. Her breath puffed out as his lips landed on the bare skin of her neck where it was exposed to the cold air. Her entire body shivered as his warm breath heated her skin. She whispered his name and then wrapped her arms around his head, her fingers burrowing into his silky damp hair.

  "Izzy, I wish I could turn back the clock to the night I found you on the side of the road." He buried his face against her neck with a sigh.

  "No."

  He raised his head, his expression questioning. She smiled up at him, letting her emotions shine in her eyes.

  "Everything happens for a reason, Dane. We just need to take this slowly. We can enjoy this new side of our friendship, but the past brought us here."

  "I hope you realize this is far more than just a friendship, Isabella." He cupped her head and indulged himself in a deep kiss that had them both straining to get closer. A distant squeal from behind her had them springing apart guiltily. He immediately pushed her hair back behind her ear, and she wondered when he'd yanked her elastic band out to bury his fingers in her hair. Suddenly he pulled back to stare at her with a serious expression that frightened her. "I brought you out here with a purpose, Iz." He swallowed hard and took a steadying breath.

  "What is it?" Apprehension hung in the frosty air all around them, making her want to squirm as he released her to sit back.

  "I don't go into any situation without knowing the outcome. I don't drag others in without them knowing the odds, either."

  "Okay... Dane, is this the little tactical chat you have with all the women you date?" When his lips firmed, she knew it was and felt a deep sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach.

  "You're coming straight from a long term relationship that went nowhe
re. Wouldn't you have preferred to know it wasn't going to be a fairytale ending from the start?"

  "I guess I wouldn't have given it a shot, if I'd known." She took a breath of chilly air to try and calm her impulse to hide. "Lay it out, Jordan. What's the op and tell me your plan of attack." She sat back, peeled his jacket off her shoulders to place it on his thighs before picking up the thermos to have something to hold on to.

  "This isn't an operation, Izzy. I want to lay out some ground rules and explore our expectations for this mission..." He sighed heavily and rubbed at his eyes. "... damn... relationship... But this isn't going quite the way I thought it would." Dropping his hand, he gave her a serious look. "You aren't just any woman, Isabella. We are friends first and foremost. I don't want to lose that aspect of our relationship. You said you don't want to lose me, either. So, for us to maintain a close friendship, neither of us can go into the physical relationship expecting more than the other person is willing or capable of giving."

  "Meaning, you don't think we could survive a long-term mission."

  "You really need to stop using military lingo." He shook his head at her with a small smile. She wanted to laugh at how flustered he was getting. This wasn't the suave Dane who controlled his relationships like a battle plan. He was the sweetest, cutest, sexiest man she ever met. And though he was terrified of hurting others, his fear of commitment would always doom the women in his life to disappointment and loss. It was a fact she had to steel herself to face. She knew any amount of time spent with him would be worth the pain to come. Every second in his strong arms was one she would cherish and remember on cold winter nights when she was tucked up in her bed all alone. Oh, damn. She was going to be one of those women. The ones that knew the score and went for him anyway; only she was much worse. The odds of spending the rest of her life in his arms were nonexistent, yet it wouldn't stop her from milking every possible second with him.

  "I don't fall into a relationship without a net." His words brought her out of her inner turmoil. If he wanted to hash out their relationship and plot the demise of it before they ever began, then she was more than willing to give him her list as well.