Cole's Christmas Wish

by Tracy Madison

  “Exactly! He’s always been so, I don’t know, laidback about women.” Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Rachel expelled a dramatic sigh. “But...he’s really counting on me. I’m afraid I’m going to let him down.”

  “In what way?”

  “Well, we’re supposed to finish buying gifts today, for Mary—that’s what we’ve decided to call her, since Cole won’t tell me her real name—and so far, some of his choices have been...questionable, I guess you’d say.”

  “Oh, I’m sure Cole knows precisely what he’s doing.” Haley squeezed Rachel’s hand again. “Don’t worry too much. I doubt you’ll let him down.”

  “He bought her a flashlight, and seems set on getting her a vacuum cleaner.” With a groan, Rachel fell against the back of her chair. “His heart is in the right place, but his choices aren’t... Well, I don’t see how they’re going to win her over. I need your help, Haley.”

  “I’m not sure...that is, what type of help?”

  “You know Mary, right?”

  “Yes. Of course I...know her.”

  “Then you tell me, will a vacuum cleaner and a flashlight win her over?”

  “I’m not really supposed to talk about this with you,” Haley said carefully. “Cole specifically asked each of us in the family to...stay clear of this topic.”

  “Oh, come on. Really? Isn’t that a little ridiculous?” Haley didn’t respond, just kept her expression neutral. “Look, I’m not trying to weasel any identifying information out of you. A promise is a promise, and I respect that.” She gave Haley what she hoped was a beseeching look, softened her voice and said, “All I need is a little help in ascertaining I do right by Cole.”

  Ten seconds, then twenty ticked by before Haley sighed. “I can’t say a lot,” she warned, “but I’ll help if I can. What do you want to know?”

  Jackpot. Pleased, Rachel nodded her thanks, knowing she had to start off slow and warm into the questions she really wanted answered. “Well, for starters, it would be hugely helpful if I understood more about their relationship. Maybe, without going into any specific details about who Mary is, you could tell me what they’re like together as a couple?”

  “Oh, they’re one of those couples that truly fit each other. We...that is, everyone in the family...have known so forever,” Haley all but gushed. “For years, Cole would deny that he had feelings for...Mary, but we all knew he did.”

  “So they complement each other? Is that what you mean?”

  Rather than replying verbally, Haley nodded.

  Okay. Moving on. “I would guess, then, that their backgrounds are the same? Mary grew up here in Steamboat Springs, went to the same schools as you guys, all that stuff?”

  “Um, well.” Haley’s gaze shifted to the right. “She... How is this helpful?”

  “If I have a better feeling for the type of person Mary is, then I’ll be more capable of aiming Cole in the right direction. A lot of who we are is often dictated by our backgrounds.”

  Huh. Sounded plausible to Rachel, anyway.

  “Okay, yeah. I see what you’re getting at.” Haley flipped her hair forward, started twirling a chunk of it with her finger. Aha! “Um, yes. We’ve known her for...well, forever.”

  “Hmm,” Rachel murmured, as if absorbing the information. “That’s good to know. What about her career? Does she work in the tourist industry here in Steamboat?” And then, before Haley could put up a fuss, said, “What careers we choose also speak to who we are.”

  “She’s...ah...sort of in between jobs at the moment.”

  “A lot of folks are out of work these days,” Rachel said in a compassionate tone. “What did she do before she was ‘in between jobs’?”

  More twirling. Haley swallowed and shrugged. “She’s done a lot of different things. I really can’t remember every job she’s ever had.”

  “Nothing at all?”

  “No. Nothing at all.” If she wrapped that lock of hair any tighter around her finger, she’d soon have a bald spot. “Sorry.”

  Rachel groaned again, louder than before, all for Haley’s benefit. “Well, gee. I don’t know what to do, then. Poor Mary. I really hope she likes clean carpets.”

  “Don’t let him buy the vacuum cleaner,” Haley said, sounding more like herself. Returning her gaze to Rachel, finally, she laughed. “Seriously, I wouldn’t worry about this. You’re a woman. You know what women consider romantic. Go with your gut, Rachel.”

  “I think that’s the best advice I’ve had all day,” Rachel said with a huge smile. She’d had a few other questions but was afraid to push her luck. Besides which, supposing Dylan’s assessment about Haley and her tells were correct, Rachel had enough. More than enough. “You’re absolutely right. I’ll just...trust my instincts.”

  “So, no more questions?” Haley asked with a relieved ring in her voice. “We’re done?”

  “Nope, no more. And yes, we’re done.” Crossing her fingers over her heart, she said, “Don’t stress about any of this, I won’t say a word to Cole. Promise.”

  “Cool. I won’t, either.”

  They talked for another fifteen minutes, steering clear of the subject of Cole and Mary, focusing instead on normal girl chat. Rachel truly did adore Haley, and she enjoyed the time she spent with her but was equally as anxious to put the next part of her plan in motion.

  When Rachel left, she was caught somewhere in the middle of shock, happiness and irritation. The happy would rule out, eventually, but not until she gave Cole a little of what he’d given her. He wanted to play games, did he? Well, she had a few moves of her own. Moves, she was sure, he wouldn’t see coming. Moves that would knock the breath from his lungs.

  She’d have him begging for mercy soon enough, just like yesterday with the snowball fight. This time, though, the game wouldn’t end with snow being tossed in her face. This time, she’d get that kiss...and if she—they—were very lucky, a whole hell of a lot more.

  But all of that started with teaching Mr. Cole Foster a lesson he’d never forget.

  Chapter Nine

  Cole had had about enough of the crowds, the overly warm stores, the way-too-eager salespeople and the nonstop noise of holiday music. Not to mention how damn long it had taken them to find a parking space. Without a doubt, he disliked everything about large, enclosed spaces, which made being at the mall almost unbearable.

  Rachel had insisted, though, stating they’d already visited every other store in Steamboat Springs, so it was beyond time to expand their options. He’d reluctantly agreed. Now, he wished he hadn’t. Mostly due to the establishment they now stood in.

  “I’m not sure this is the way to go,” Cole said, fingering the silky red negligee she’d thrust into his hands. “Don’t women hate gifts like this? I mean, won’t she view this as more for my benefit than hers?”

  “Only if you’re the typical lughead, which you’re not.” Reclaiming the negligee, Rachel swung the garment in front of her as if it were a pendulum. “Imagine Mary wearing this, Cole. You said she was gorgeous, right? How would she look in this?”

  He swallowed, hard, and tried to do exactly the opposite. Visualizing Rachel in that bit of fabric would not be a good idea. Especially in public. “She’d be...irresistible.”

  “Good.” Rachel nodded, as if pleased with his description. “Now, consider how you would feel seeing her in this, and then consider all the different methods you could use to make her feel incredible. If you make this negligee al
l about her, and the pleasure you can give her, then trust me, she’ll be a very happy and satisfied woman.”

  Cole tugged at the collar of his shirt, which had inexplicably seemed to tighten the longer Rachel talked. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead and the back of his neck, adding to his distress. “It’s a little hot in here, isn’t it?”

  “Is it? I hadn’t noticed.” Smiling indulgently, she plastered the negligee tight against her body. “Maybe I should slip into the dressing room and try this on. Give you an actual picture to work with, rather than guessing how the negligee looks on a woman’s shape. Would that help?”

  “No!” he all but yelled. Several shoppers turned to stare. He ignored them and worked to regain control of his libido. “That isn’t necessary. I...I get what you’re saying. Even so,” he said in a voice as strained as his jeans were becoming, “I’d rather go in a different direction.”

  Disappointment flickered over her features. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” He loosened his knees and bent them slightly, not enough to call notice to the action, but enough to alleviate his discomfort. An unsuccessful attempt, as it turned out. Where the hell was a cold shower when a man needed one? “I’m absolutely positive.”

  “I suppose you know what’s best.” She went to put the blasted negligee back where she’d gotten it from, stopped and faced him again. “Actually,” she said slowly, with a downright wicked gleam darkening her eyes, “I am going to try this on.”

  “No, Rach,” he repeated. “There isn’t any reason to, since I’m not buying it. Mary wouldn’t...I...” He gulped for air, unable to conceive of anything coherent to say. “Don’t.”

  “Oh, not on your account, silly. For me.” Her smile brightened and her lashes fluttered into a sleepy sort of blink. “For the man in my life. If I like how this looks on me, that is.” She held the silky negligee against her body again. “If you were that man, and I walked down the stairs wearing this, with a few Christmas bows placed in strategic positions, would you consider—”

  “I’ll buy the negligee!” Cole interrupted her, fast, before she could continue on with that tormenting train of thought. God help him, but the idea of Andrew seeing the woman he loved in that slinky, sexy, revealing get-up had sent a stabbing pain directly between his eyes.

  Nope. No way, no how was she buying that with Andrew in mind when Cole was with her. Not if he could stop her.

  “I thought you said you wanted to go in a different direction?”

  “I did, but now that I’ve had a moment to reconsider, I think you’re right on the money.” He snatched the red lingerie from Rachel’s grip. A tremor of relief rolled down his backbone. “Let me just buy this and we’ll get out of here.”

  Tipping her head, she stared at him for a second. Probably wondering what had gotten into him. “Not so fast, buddy,” she said. “I still want to browse, see if I can find something else. I’ll do that while you’re waiting in line.”

  Great. Knowing his recent luck, she’d lock on to an even more revealing slip of silk and insist on trying the darn thing on.

  Desperation crept through him. He had to get them out of here. As fast as possible. Before...well, before he listened to his sister and resorted to kidnapping.

  “Actually, I’d rather we move on as soon as I buy this,” he said, thinking on his feet. “We have a few more items to get, and remember, we’re supposed to be finishing my shopping.”

  “Right.” She huffed out an irritated breath. “Okay, then, since you’re in such a hurry, I’ll wait out front.” She gave a last, lingering glance at the selection of lingerie nearest her. “Maybe if we hurry this along, we can come back later.”

  With a threat like that, he’d go out of his way to ascertain they did not hurry anything along. What he said, though, was, “Sure. No problem. Whatever you want.”

  His answer seemed to mollify her, thank goodness. She came to him, stood on her tiptoes and gave him a sweet, small kiss on his cheek. It was disgustingly chaste.

  “Thank you, Cole. I want this Christmas to be something truly special for my man.” Then, with a toss of her long, blond, silkier-than-the-negligee hair over her shoulders, she raised her lips to his ear and whispered, “And hot. As hot and delicious as I can make it.”

  She retreated an inch or so, winked and strutted—yes, strutted was the appropriate term—toward the front of the store, her hips sashaying back and forth. Hot, she’d said. And delicious. What did that even mean?

  Dammit. After yesterday, he’d almost believed his plan was succeeding. Now, he had to wonder if he’d been fooling himself. Or had something changed?

  He stepped forward as the line moved, lost in thought. Perhaps all of this, every last bit of it, was indeed a massive mistake, just as Reid had said. While Cole pretended to be in love with someone else, Rachel might very well be falling in love with Andrew.

  Due to the charade? In spite of?

  Cole shook his head, frustrated. Should he consider bowing out? The deception, which had started off harmlessly enough, was already becoming an unmanageable beast. Every single time Rachel asked a question about “Mary,” he had to lie outright, evade the question or find a creatively honest answer. Which, he admitted, was pretty much the same as a lie.

  He didn’t like lying in general. He despised lying to Rachel.

  On the other side of the dilemma, he wasn’t ready to give up, even if he should. Though, if Rachel actually said the words “I love Andrew,” that would be a different matter entirely.

  The stabbing sensation relocated to his heart. Yup, kidnapping Rachel and whisking her somewhere—anywhere—far, far away was becoming more appealing by the second.

  When Cole reached the front of the line, he handed the negligee to the cashier and waited while she rung it up. He pushed his credit card through the digital reader, declined the offered gift wrapping and finally, followed in Rachel’s footsteps.

  Soon, he promised himself, he’d delve into the conversation they needed to have. He should have yesterday, had planned to, but they’d had such a great day—natural and fun, the way they used to be together—that he hadn’t wanted to end something so positive on a sour note.

  Or maybe he was just afraid.

  About three feet from exiting the store, a saleswoman tapped him on his arm. Thinking he’d forgotten his wallet at the counter, he reached for his back pocket as he stopped. “Yes?”

  “Excuse me, but is your name Cole?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” His wallet was safe and sound, right where it should be. “That’s me.”

  “Your friend asked me to get you.” She nodded toward the rear of the store. “She found something she would like your opinion on.”

  “Lovely,” he muttered, heading in that direction. Cole felt pretty dang sure that whatever Rachel wanted to show him in this store, he’d rather not see. Not with the words hot and delicious attached to Andrew scorched in his brain.

  But he couldn’t very well leave her here, now could he?

  Sighing, Cole weaved his way around other shoppers—mostly men appearing as confused and out of place as he felt—and kept an eye out for Rachel’s blond hair and the holly-green sweater she was wearing.

  He saw neither.

  When he could go no farther, he located an empty section of wall and leaned against it to wait. She’d find him, he knew, when she was good and ready. Until then, he’d try to ignore the thongs, panties, bras and various other unmentionables c
luttering the space around him.

  Every one of them put a picture of a half-naked Rachel in his head. Pleasurable, yes. Desirable, exceptionally so. Images he’d likely think of later, when he was alone at home.

  But not here. Not when he had to keep his wits about him.

  “Cole,” Rachel called in a low voice from somewhere to his left. “Where are you?”

  He jerked his head to the left, didn’t see her. “I’m standing amidst a sea of women’s under...things, exactly where the saleswoman directed me,” he said somewhat sheepishly, feeling about as foolish as he ever had. “Where are you?”

  “Over here,” she said. “At the dressing rooms.”

  Oh, crap. Along the left-side wall, on the other side of the shelves and shelves of panties he stood by, were five individual dressing...stalls, Cole guessed they’d be called, and yep, there was Rachel’s blond-haired head peeking out from one of them.

  “You want me to come there? I don’t know, Rach—”

  “Just get over here already, will you? Geez.”

  People were staring again, looking from her to him, most of whom had amused expressions decorating their faces. Yeah. This was fun.

  Cole hesitated, caught between two impenetrable barriers. Hell, yes, he wanted to see Rachel in whatever slinky bit of something she likely had on. How could he not? But dammit, she’d all but said her plan was to seduce Andrew for Christmas. With Christmas bows placed in strategic positions, no less. Put the two together, and it was enough to drive a man insane.

  Glowering, Cole pushed off the wall and started forward. He could handle this. He’d dealt with far worse, hadn’t he? His accident, for one. The surgeries and the seemingly endless rehab that followed. Painful and miserable experiences that had altered Cole forever.

  Right. Getting through the next few minutes couldn’t possibly be more excruciating.

  He stopped at the dressing room door, which was closed again, inhaled a deep, fortifying breath and tapped lightly. Rachel opened the door and yanked him inside before he knew what was happening. Hell, again. Was he even allowed to be in here with her? Surely, store policy—