by Jennie Marts
Levi’s eyebrows rose, but he kept silent.
“Yeah, that’s right. I was on the ground barefoot and wearing half a dress. By that time, I was already in so far, I couldn’t turn back. I ran over to the dog, and that sweet mutt just sat there watching me as I pulled the spike out of the ground in my underwear. I grabbed the dog, wrapped him in the ripped-off skirt of my dress, and passed him over the fence to your brother. Dallas was just standing there, his mouth hanging open, watching me climb back over the fence and probably wondering how the heck he got himself into this mess.”
Levi laughed out loud. “What happened then?”
“I told him that my house was nearby and I was taking that dog home to give it a bath and some food. I asked him if he wanted to help. I’m sure all he saw was this nutty girl standing in her underwear with dirt on her face and legs, holding a mangy dog that she’d just stolen out of someone’s yard, because he got this funny kind of strangled look on his face and told me that he thought he was just gonna head back to the party. I gave him a peck on the cheek, grabbed my shoes, and took off with that dog before the owners got back. And that was my first and last date with your brother.”
“Yeah, I heard a slightly different variation of that story from him. I knew you kidnapped a dog, but didn’t realize you did it in your undies.”
She liked the way he said “undies” and that he laughed at the story instead of judging her craziness. His eyes were filled with humor, and she suddenly felt a little more self-conscious knowing she was currently wearing only a t-shirt and undies under the blanket.
“It sounds to me like you were a hero.” Levi gave her a smile that warmed her from the inside out. “I hate seeing animals being mistreated too. If I would have been there, I probably would have helped with the dog then egged the bastards’ house.”
She laughed. A real laugh. One that came from her belly.
It felt good. Really good.
“What happened to the dog?”
“My parents weren’t too thrilled with me that I’d taken it. But we kept an eye out, and those jerks never even reported it missing. We named her Lucky, and my dad fell in love with her. She still sleeps at the foot of my dad’s bed every night.”
“Nice.” He gave her a wry grin. “I’m afraid my family may have misjudged you. We’d only ever heard Dal’s version, and I’m sorry to say that we dubbed you the ‘Ditzy Dog-napper’ and still razz Dallas about the only girl who ever ditched him on a date.”
Her eyes widened at the silly nickname, then she burst out laughing. Holding her sides kind of laughing. “I love it,” she gasped in between gales of laughter. It probably wasn’t really that funny, but once she started laughing, she didn’t want to stop. “I was kind of ditzy in high school.”
“I knew you then,” Levi said quietly, a look of reflection on his face. “Well, I met you once, at a party, but it was a memorable meeting.”
She stopped laughing and raised an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t think you remembered at all.”
“Are you kidding? A gorgeous girl lays a mind-blowing kiss on you during a game of Truth or Dare. That’s not something you easily forget.”
Did he really say a mind-blowing kiss? “Ugh. Speak for yourself. That was the first night I met beer, and we did not become BFFs. A lot of that night is a blur to me, so I never really knew if I actually kissed you or just imagined that I did.”
“Oh, you did.”
“If it was so memorable, then why didn’t you ever call me or try to get in touch with me?”
“I knew you’d had a lot to drink that night, so I didn’t know if you’d even remember. And if you did, I didn’t want you to be embarrassed. Besides, I left for college the next week and was gone for four years. The next I heard of you, you were dating my little brother.”
“One date. And not a very good one. There was never really anything between us.” She looked down at her hands, afraid to meet his eye. “I can remember the first time I saw you. I had the worst crush on you.”
“Had?”
She shrugged, the tingly feeling back in her stomach. Was this part of facing her fears? Scott, or her frozen hallucination of Scott, had told her it was time to let him go and move on. Maybe this was her first step.
She looked at Levi, feeling shy and insecure, but his open smile gave her a tiny dose of courage. “Maybe still do,” she said softly.
“I’m glad.”
She let out the breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding, and her self-esteem went up a couple of notches.
He’d called her a gorgeous girl, and remembered the kiss.
“Sometimes I feel like something broke inside of me when I lost Scott. I lost that brave, fun, impulsive girl I used to be. The one who would kidnap an abused dog. Or kiss a boy on a dare.”
Levi narrowed his eyes at her and cocked his head to one side. “It may seem like it’s been a while since you’ve seen that girl, but I think she’s still in there. It may just take a nudge to find her again.”
He stood and crossed the room, then knelt in front of her. Her heart pounded in her chest at the nearness of him.
Her breath caught as he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He leaned in close, his eyes conveying a message of strength as he asked, “Truth or dare?”
Oh my. A spike of warmth flowed through her entire body as she peered up at him through her eyelashes. Her voice barely registered a whisper. “Dare.”
One corner of his lip tilted up in a devilish grin. “I was hoping you’d say that. I dare you to kiss the boy next to you.”
She smiled back. She couldn’t help it. A glow of happiness burned inside of her, the earlier cold now forgotten.
Reaching up, she touched his cheek. His eyes closed as he caught his breath. She reveled in the power of knowing that her touch could cause such a reaction. That he desired her.
He was so close, his face just inches from hers. She leaned in, gathering all of her courage. He’d kissed her with such passion, such intensity that morning, he had to have real feelings for her.
So close, a whisper’s breath away, her lips grazed his, and he gave a tiny gasp of pleasure. Another graze, this one closer, the warmth of his lips heating hers.
Crazy tumbles of feelings filled her. Stirrings of desire and need flowed through her, and in that instant, all she knew was that she wanted to kiss this man. Had to kiss him. Would die if she didn’t kiss him. Right. This. Second.
Her lips pressed his, and her body sprang to life. She inched closer, and the blanket on her lap slipped away. She gripped his muscled forearms as he pulled her tight against him. Matching her desire, he kissed her back with a ferocity that she hadn’t felt in years.
His hand slid down her back, cupping her bottom then drawing her legs around his waist. The thin fabric of her panties was no shield against the coarse denim of his jeans as she pressed against his manhood, and there was no denying that he wanted her.
She pulled him closer, wrapping her bare legs around him and clutching his back.
His hands left trails of fire as they slid up her legs, caressing and stroking her skin. A flush of heat swept through her. She couldn’t catch her breath. As much as she wanted this, it was happening so fast.
She drew back, gasping for air, trying to tamp down the panic rising in her chest. “Hold on.”
Levi froze. His hands stayed steady against her legs, but he pulled away, giving her the space he needed. “It’s okay. We can stop.”
She focused on his face, searching his eyes for signs of sincerity. Did he really mean that? “I just need a minute. Need to catch my breath.”
His hands dropped to his sides, and he sat back on his heels. “Take all the time you need.”
Duke, who had been pushed to the side of the soda, now crept forward to nudge her face and give her a sloppy lick. Laughing softly, she cuddled the dog’s head to her.
It was just what she needed to distract her for the moment, and she grinned a
t Levi. “Duke must’ve thought he was the boy next to me and that I should have kissed him.”
Levi chuckled and patted the dog’s head. His hand brushed hers, sending a thrill down her spine, but he didn’t press. His gaze moved to the big picture window. “It looks like it’s stopped snowing.”
She turned to the window, surprised that it was still daylight. This had seemed like such a long day already.
“We’ve still got an hour of daylight left and I have a few chores I need to do. Do you want to rest for a bit and I’ll try to rustle us up some supper when I come back in?”
No way. She’d been resting for the past two years. Her nerves tingled with excitement, and she felt more awake, more alive than she had in months. “I’d rather come with you. If that’s okay? Is there anything I can do to help?”
A look of surprise crossed his face, then turned to pleasure. “Sure, I could use the company. I was supposed to take a tree into town for the Christmas lighting ceremony. Would you want to help me pick one out? I don’t know if I’ll make it in to town, but I’d rather try than not.”
“Sure. That sounds like fun. But I might have a little problem.” She stood, looking down at her bare legs and feeling a tiny thrill that he was checking them out too. “Do I need pants to pick a tree?”
He chuckled. “Pants-less tree-picking certainly sounds like more fun, but you might get sap on your undies, and that would be a sticky situation.”
“Oh, funny guy, huh?” She grinned at his silly joke. “But you’re right, that could be tacky.”
He groaned. “Oh, that was bad.” He gestured to the laundry room. “I put your all your stuff in the dryer. I’ll get it for you so you can get dressed. I don’t want you to be sad and get all sappy.”
It felt so good to be teasing and making trivial jokes. So normal. She wanted to hold on to this feeling, and wished the day would last forever.
She snuck a glance at Levi as he pulled on his duster and cowboy hat. He was so tall, so handsome.
Her heart gave a little ache of longing, and she remembered the barista asking her what she wanted for Christmas. Would a cowboy be too much to ask for?
Chapter Five
What had he gotten himself into? He’d only wanted to make her feel better, get her to smile. He got a smile and a whole lot more.
Levi hadn’t expected the kiss to rattle him so much. To hit him in the gut and cause it to churn and twist as he fought to hold back. To not tell her that he really liked her. That she was making him crazy. That he would be patient, but what he really wanted was to strip her naked and take her against the sofa.
His arms wrapped around Holly as he held the reins and guided the horse through the south pasture. The air was crisp, and the pony’s soft footfalls in the snow were the only sound. But he was plenty warm as she cuddled her back against his chest.
She seemed more at ease on the horse, using the stirrups as she sat in front of him. Her bottom rubbed against him as her hips swayed in the saddle. Her perfect, round, little bottom that he’d cupped in his hand less than an hour ago.
Get a grip, man. He had to stop those thoughts or it wouldn’t be hard for her to tell what he was thinking. And he did mean hard.
“That’s it.” Holly pointed at a tall evergreen tree, her voice carrying the excitement of a child. “That’s the tree.”
He pulled the horse up to the tree and swung down. Reaching up, he helped her from the saddle. She slid easily into his arms. He wanted to lean down and kiss her again. To take her beautiful mouth and ravage it. But he didn’t want to spook her again. Not when her eyes carried the most joy he’d seen in them since he’d met her.
Untying the axe from the saddle, he trekked through the deep snow toward the tree. “You sure this is the one?” He turned to her and—thud!—got hit smack in the face with a snowball!
The sound of her giggles made him smile. So, she wanted to play?
##
Holly shrieked with laughter as Levi chased her around the tree. She filled her mitten-covered hands with snow and tossed it at his face.
Undaunted, he darted around the other side, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her down into a drift of powdery snow.
She lay sprawled on top of him, trying to catch her breath. His hat had fallen off, and he grinned up at her. Her laughter died as his teasing look turned to one of desire. He waited, as if letting her take the lead.
She wiggled her hips against him, drawing a groan of pleasure and loving the power she felt at being able to tease and excite him. She felt more in control, more able to handle the swirl of emotions running through her, because she was driving the contact. Straddling him gave her the power to stop or to keep going. And right now, all she wanted to do was keep going.
She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his neck, laying a path of soft kisses that led to his ear. Gently biting his ear, her insides went all melty as she felt his hands grip her hips in restraint.
A naughty grin crossed her face, and she teased him more, squirming and rubbing against him.
He reached up and grazed her bottom lip with his thumb. “You are so beautiful, Holly. Seeing you laugh and smile does funny things to my gut. It makes me happy.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “And it makes me want you. I mean, really want you.”
Her face broke into a smile. She couldn’t help it. Happiness filled her. It had been so long since anyone had called her beautiful. Or said that they wanted her. His words tumbled inside of her, knitting together pieces of her broken heart. And she wanted him too.
She leaned down and covered his mouth with hers, ravaging his lips in a passionate kiss. He met her pace, clutching her tightly against him. They rolled in the snow, and his hand slid down her jacket, over her hip, and cupped her bottom. She drew her leg around his waist, pulling him closer still.
The kiss, the snow, the fervent embrace, his tender words, all combined to work as a salve to her wounded heart. That must be what caused the ache in her chest. The fullness that drew her closer to this man.
She could feel her heart opening, letting him in just a little. She melted into his kiss and swore she heard the sound of bells ringing.
Levi lifted his head, leaving her cold and breathless. “Do you hear bells?”
Oh gosh. She thought that sound had only been in her head.
The bells drew closer. Levi stood and hauled her up as a red sleigh pulled by two horses, one pure white and the other jet black, pulled up near them. Gold jingle bells hung from the horses’ harnesses.
The driver had a bushy white beard and was wearing a bright red parka and a green stocking cap with snowflakes embroidered on it. His eyes twinkled above his jolly grin as he waved. “Hey there.”
Holly smiled. She recognized him as the barista from the coffee shop. “Hi, Nick. What the heck are you doing out here?”
He gestured in the direction he’d come. “Oh, I’ve got a little place up north of here. We got snowed in, so I was using the sleigh to make a trip into town. Don’t want to miss Christmas Eve in Pleasant Valley.”
Holly laughed. It sounded reasonable, yet the whole encounter had a surreal feeling to it. Almost as if Christmas magic were actually at work.
Levi held out his hand. “Well, friend, I’m certainly glad to see you. I need to get a tree into town for tonight. Think you could fit one in your sleigh and get it dropped off at the town hall?”
“Of course,” Nick answered, his easy laughter following his response. “I’d be glad to help. Don’t want the town to miss out on their tree-lighting ceremony.”
Levi pointed to the tree Holly had picked. “She’s picked this tree. Give me two minutes to get it cut and loaded.”
Holly approached the horse as Levi sawed at the tree’s base. She gingerly held out her hand and softly stroked the sleek black coat of the horse closest to her.
Nick smiled. “That one’s Oreo and the other is Sugar. They’re named after my favorite cookies.” He patted his round belly. “
And you can see that I do love cookies.”
She laughed and chose to comment on the horses rather than his rotund belly. “They’re beautiful.”
“It looks like the lessons must be working. You don’t seem very afraid of these horses.”
She glanced at Levi, his muscled shoulders working the saw. “I’m getting over several of my fears.” She grinned at Nick. “Maybe it’s the Christmas spirit.”
Nick’s eyes softened and his voice lowered. “Or maybe it’s love.”
At least, that was what she thought she heard. Levi yelled “Timber!” at the same time, so he could have said “all of the above” or “fits like a glove” or “think nothing of.”
Maybe it was love. What else could produce such profound feelings and jumble of emotions?
She watched Levi lift the big tree and position it in the back of the sleigh. How could such strong arms have such a gentle touch?
Thinking about his touch and the way his hands felt against the bare skin of her legs earlier that day had her mouth going dry and funny flutters in her stomach.
Especially because she couldn’t help thinking about when they got back to the ranch and if he’d have a chance to touch her skin again.
Did she want that? Was she ready for that next step? She shook her head to clear her mind. One step at a time. She would deal with that when they got to it.
For now, she would concentrate on Nick and the Christmas tree poking haphazardly out of the back of his sleigh.
The top half hung off the back, but Nick declared it sturdy enough and that he’d manage to get it into town. He gave her a wave and a wink and, with a loud “Hee-yaw,” set the horses in motion. The sound of the bells jingling diminished as the sleigh disappeared among the trees.
She looked at Levi, who shrugged as if he also wondered if that had really just happened. “You ready to head back?” he asked.
Was she ready? To go back and to be alone with him. She looked around the trees, stalling for time. “It didn’t look like you had a tree up at the house. Why don’t we pick one for the ranch?”