by Rhian Cahill
“Sure I can.” He smiled.
“I…you…but…” Leah closed her mouth and a huff of air rushed through her nose. “This is bizarre.”
“It’s Christmas.”
“So?”
“Magic happens at Christmas.”
God. He really was insane. And yet he looked at her with eyes that said he wasn’t. And, absurdly, she wanted to believe him. “Crazy,” she muttered.
“Maybe. But it’s not an offer of marriage.” He shrugged and Leah was sure he whispered the word yet as he took a mouthful of food.
“What? Why would you even bring that up?” Marriage? They’d barely clapped eyes on each other and he was throwing out words like marriage?
“You don’t want to get married?”
“No. Well yes. Eventually. Not to you. I don’t think.” She frowned. He was confusing her. “Why are we even discussing this?”
He smiled. “It’s what you do on a first date. Get to know each other.”
“And you start with my views on marriage? Talk about diving in the deep end head first.”
“I don’t like wasting time on things that aren’t important.”
“Like what? My favourite book? Movie? Colour?” Leah shook her head.
“Okay, apparently those things are important to you. I like action movies, but I have been known to sit through a chick flick or two. I like most genre fiction, can’t stand bios, but don’t mind the occasional real-life crime novel.” He grinned.
She stared at him and wondered if he made everyone dizzy or if it was just her. “You forgot colour.”
“Oh, right. Hmm… I’m not sure I have a favourite one. Although now that I think about it, my wardrobe has a lot of blue in it.”
They both glanced at Chris’s shirt. It was a button-down in royal blue. He’d either changed or had it on beneath the thick jacket he’d worn inside Santa’s Village, because Leah hadn’t seen it earlier. But now that her attention had been drawn to it, she saw how it complemented his eyes. They weren’t quite the same shade, but together they popped. Why hadn’t she noticed that before?
“So what’s your favourite colour?”
“Blue.” The word left her mouth without conscious thought. “I mean…”
He winked at her and smiled, his mouth tilting at a cocky angle. “Blue’s a very good colour.”
She blew out a breath. “Are you always this annoying?”
“I’m annoying?” He looked at the table. “But I’m buying you dinner. And I’m not going to do anything about today. Plus I’ve fallen for you.”
Leah closed her eyes and groaned. “You’re really strange, you know that?”
“Strange good or strange bad? Under the right circumstances I’m really good at being bad.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“See? Right there. That. Who says things like that?” She couldn’t decide if he was being serious or winding her up. “Shouldn’t you try to be normal on a first date?”
“I figure it’s best to show the real me from the start. That way there’s no surprises after the wedding.” He kept a straight face and Leah thought hers probably looked like a fright-night special.
Her jaw worked. Her mouth flapped. And her brain went into meltdown. “What?” she finally managed to gasp.
Chris laughed. A deep, chest rumbling sound that skipped over Leah’s skin and shuddered down her spine.
He was getting to her. His slightly off-centre personality — the serious businessman juxtaposed with the whimsical believer of magic — had her head spinning and her heart racing.
He’d said this was a date and for the first time since they’d left the arena, Leah felt like it was the start of something much more. The tingle of anticipation — desire — of wondering if there would be a kiss at the end of the evening…
Leah covered a snicker with her hand.
She was hoping to get a kiss from Kringle.
***
Chris couldn’t stop smiling. Or drag his attention away from his dinner companion. She enthralled him. The way she spoke, the way she moved, hell, he was even intrigued by the way she blinked her eyelids.
He’d never been so wrapped up in a woman. Especially not one he’d just met.
Everything about Leah called to him. Her love for her sister and niece — the passion with which she talked about them — made him want to be on the receiving end of her affection. It also made him wonder if she’d bring the same level of intensity to bed.
How long would it be until he found out?
There was no doubt he would know. It was just a matter of when. He didn’t delude himself into thinking she’d be easy to tumble into bed. Not after what her sister had gone through. But he wasn’t afraid of hard work and the best things always took more effort. He’d try to go slowly. Woo her. Patience and persistence. He had limited supply of the first, but plenty of the second.
Their meals were finished and he needed to move them onto the next stage. “So, tomorrow.” Leah’s body jolted — stiffen.
“What about it?” She chewed the corner of her bottom lip.
“Haylee is scheduled to work.”
She picked at the label on her water bottle. “Yes.”
He understood her nervousness — her caution — and he wanted to be sure she knew he was serious about her. And she was a package deal. “Why don’t you both come in? With Meggie. I’m sure she’d love the Village.”
“She would.”
“Right. So, all of you come in. If Meggie lets you take her away from Haylee, then your sister can work her shift and you and I can take Meggie around the Village. We can have a picnic lunch in the park and get her home in time for her afternoon nap.” He paused, tried to remember how old Jack’s sisters’ kids were when they stopped. “Does she still have naps?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. We’ll take care of her while Haylee works.”
“We?”
“You and me.” The more he thought about it, the more the idea appealed to him, which was pretty amazing when he was already invested in the idea of spending the day with Leah and her niece. “We can treat her to a day of fun after being sick. Oh, wait. Is she well enough, do you think? Perhaps we should keep her at your house. What type of movies does she like? I could pick up a couple.”
“You want to help babysit my niece?”
Did she have to make it sound as though it were an inconceivable thought? “Sure. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know why you would want to spend Sunday looking after someone else’s child. Someone you don’t know. I’m assuming it’s your day off.”
“It is. And I want to spend it with you. You’ll either be working for your sister or looking after your niece. Whichever, I want to be with you.”
“Why?”
She couldn’t be that oblivious. He reached for her hand, wove his fingers through hers, and was pleased when she didn’t flinch at his touch or pull away. “You know why.”
“This is the craziest thing…”
“Maybe.” He smiled at her. “Then again, Christmas is a crazy, magical time of year.”
“You are the most bizarre man I’ve ever met.”
“Probably. But you like me.” Chris was sure of that much. He just had to tip her over like into…
Leah’s laughter flowed over him. “You should see someone about your lack of confidence.”
He smiled. “I know. I’m so insecure. I don’t know how I manage to leave the house.”
“It’s a miracle.”
“More Christmas magic.”
Leah shook her head. “You don’t believe that.”
“I run a company that specialises in the magic of Christmas. Of course I believe.”
She frowned, her head tilting to one side. “You really mean it.”
“Yep.” Her lack of faith made Chris sad. He wanted to show her the magic again. He was sure she’d had it once. She couldn’t be the way she was with her sister and niece or the children she taught if she d
idn’t, on some level, recognise the pleasure of this time of year — or the joy of believing. “And, because I’m selfless, I’m going to prove the magic exists.”
“How are you planning to do that?”
“You’ll see.” He pushed to his feet. “C’mon. Let’s get you to your car so you can get home before dark.”
“Oh.” She glanced at her phone. “I didn’t realise it had gotten so late.”
Chris pulled out his wallet and removed enough money to cover their bill.
“Let me—”
“Don’t you dare offer to pay your share.”
“But—”
He put the cash on the table and offered her his hand.
Without another word of protest, Leah shut her bag and took his hand. She remained silent until they were out on the sidewalk and heading back. “Thank you for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.” Chris kept her hand tucked in his. “I take it you’re parked in the lot beside the arena.”
“Yes.”
“Me too.” He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. Being with Leah felt great — right.
As bizarre as it was, he knew he was meant to be with this woman. There had been women in his life, but at thirty-eight Chris hadn’t been in one serious relationship.
None of the women he’d dated over the years had made him think of making things permanent. He was only a few hours into knowing Leah and already he was picturing them living together, having kids and growing old. Sharing the joy of Santa’s Village with their sons and daughters.
“You’re awfully quiet. What are you thinking about?” Leah asked.
Chris chuckled. “You don’t want to know.”
“Sure I do.”
“Our kids.”
Her lips parted on a rush of air and her eyes opened wide. “You’re right. I don’t want to know.”
His chuckled turned to laughter.
“This isn’t funny.”
Chris got his amusement under control. “It’s downright hilarious.”
“You should have your head examined.”
“You wouldn’t be the first to point that out.”
She shook her head at him. But she didn’t let go of his hand. They walked the rest of the way in silence and when they reached the pay station it took considerable effort to restrain his need to offer to pay for her parking. He had a pass that allowed him to come and go an unlimited number of times during the weeks Santa’s Village was set up in the arena.
“You aren’t leaving now?” Leah asked as they moved away from the ticket machine.
“Yes, but I’ve got a pre-paid pass.” He placed his hand on her lower back as they moved towards the escalator. “Which level are you parked on?”
“Three. You?”
“One.”
“Oh.” She turned. “You don’t have to—”
“Humour me.” Chris gripped her elbow as they stepped onto the escalator. “My mother would tan my hide if she knew I let you walk through a deserted parking lot on your own.”
Leah glanced around them at the people coming and going. “It’s not exactly empty…”
He smiled. “No? Then think of it as the equivalent of walking you to your door.” He wanted to stretch out their time together as long as he could. Except escorting Leah to her car wouldn’t be nearly long enough.
***
“This is me.” Leah stopped beside the thirty-year-old junker that used to belong to her sister.
As soon as she’d found out Haylee was pregnant, Leah had insisted they swap vehicles so her sister and the baby would have safe, reliable transport. Looking at the vehicle now, she wondered why she hadn’t traded it in for something better. She was a little embarrassed by the old car’s state of neglect.
“Hey. It’s a Gemini.”
“Ah, yeah.” Leah knew nothing about cars and could only answer because of the badge on the back of the car that told her Chris was right.
“My grandfather had one of these. He used to let me sit on his lap while he drove up the driveway.” Chris ran his hand over the roof of the car. “I haven’t seen one up close in years. Can I drive it?”
He wanted to drive her car? “I…sure. Now?”
“Yeah, I’ll drive to where I’m parked on level one.”
“Okay.” Leah searched her bag for the keys. “It’s a bit unreliable. It might not start first go.”
“As long as it does start.” He took the keys from her and unlocked the driver’s door. “No central locking, huh?”
“No.” She walked around to the passenger side while Chris slid in behind the wheel and leaned across to unlock and push open her door. “They didn’t have those modern conveniences thirty years ago.”
“Doesn’t matter. This thing is a classic.” He ran his hand lovingly over the dash. “I always wanted one. Never did get it though…”
“There are plenty of days I’d gladly give you this one.”
“If you ever want to get rid of it, let me know. I’ll buy it in a heartbeat.” He put the key in the ignition and turned.
Nothing. “Told you.”
“You did. But give her a second.” He stroked his hand over the dashboard again and Leah shivered as though it was her skin he was touching. Oblivious to her reaction, Chris turned the key again. This time the engine roared to life. “There. Perfect.”
Leah shook her head. Normally if the stupid thing didn’t start first time, it took five or six more tries to get it going. “You’ve got the magic touch.”
He turned towards her, winked. “More of that Christmas magic.”
She frowned. “We’ll have to agree to disagree on that.”
Chris put the car in reverse and, after checking behind them, backed out of the spot. “I’m serious about buying this if you ever want to sell.”
“What could you possible want with this old thing?” Leah had no doubt he had a fancy — probably brand new — car waiting for him on level one.
“She might be old, but a little paint and some fine tuning and she’ll look great and run like a dream.” He patted the dash. “Won’t you, sweetheart?”
The man was being very affectionate with her car. “Surely it’s not worth the expense?”
He glanced at her as he drove through the car park. “Not worth it? Of course she is.”
“It would make more sense to purchase something newer.”
“Just because something is a bit old and shabby doesn’t mean we should throw it away.”
“Well no, but there are safer cars on the market.”
“If that’s how you feel, why are you still driving this one?”
“It was Haylee’s. We swapped when she moved in with me. I actually use public transport to get to work. She drives my new — safe — car when she needs and I take this if I go anywhere without her and Meggie.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I guess I need to think about getting a better second car now that Haylee’s going back to uni. We’ll both be transporting Meggie to and from preschool each day…”
“I’ll give you five grand for this,” Chris offered.
“What?” He really did need his head examined. “It’s not worth five thousand dollars.”
“It is to me.” He pulled into a vacant spot beside a shiny new Audi. “This is me.” He put the car in park, turned her way, and grinned.
She didn’t understand why he wanted her junker when he had a gorgeous car to drive.
“Let me know when you’re ready for me to take this beauty off your hands.” He left the engine running and got out.
Shaking her head, Leah climbed out and walked around to the other side. “You really want to buy this from me?”
“Definitely. I always wanted to do one up and, after the Christmas season is over, I’ll have some extra time to kill. It’s the perfect time to pick up a project like this. You’d be doing me a favour.”
Leah chuckled. “I doubt that, but I will consider your offer.”
“Good.�
� He reached for her hand. “Now come here.”
Chris pulled her in slowly, so she could object if she wanted to. She didn’t. Tilting her head back, she moved into him as he lowered his head to hers.
Leah held her breath. Waited for that moment when his lips would touch hers for the first time. Her eyelids fluttered as he drew closer. His warm breath caressed her skin a split second before he took her mouth with his.
After that first brush of lips on lips, things got out of control quickly. One moment they were standing beside the car, the next Leah was pressed against it, Chris’s body pinning her in place while his tongue thrust into her mouth. Lips and tongues and teeth, sucking and stroking and biting. It was wild and fierce and overwhelming — amazing.
Her breath hitched when his hand stroked up her side and moved inwards to cup her breast. His thumb grazed over her taut nipple through her bra and top, and Leah arched into the teasing touch. She curled her fingers in the back of his shirt — when she’d grabbed hold she couldn’t say — as pleasure washed over her.
His mouth left hers, his lips trailing wet kisses along her jaw to her ear. “Tell me no.”
“What?” she breathed.
“Tell me no or I’m stripping you out of those pants and having you here.” He rocked his hips into hers, his erection grinding against her. “Right here. In the parking lot. Now.”
“Oh.” She glanced around quickly. They were in a dark corner and nobody was around, but…
“Oh God.” Leah pushed Chris away when what they were doing — what he was saying — what she was contemplating — sank in.
Chris stepped back. “I’m glad one of us is still thinking sensibly.”
“It wasn’t me!” Leah laughed. “If you hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have stopped you.”
“Jeez.” He dragged a hand down his face and took a step away. “You shouldn’t say that.”
“It’s true.” She dragged in a hash breath. “I wasn’t thinking about where we were.”
“So if we weren’t here you wouldn’t have stopped me?”
“No.” She kept her eyes locked on his. “I wouldn’t have stopped you. I would have begged you for more.”