Dawn Temple - Moonlight and Mistletoe

“Sounds like you’ve got good people in your court.”

“I do, and speaking of which, I’ve gotta get Travis’s truck unloaded and back to him so I can get home and check on Brinks.”

“I imagine that monster’s got a nasty way of showing his displeasure if you leave him alone too long.” Kyle slid off the tailgate, amused by the sound of the brads on his new jeans clicking against the truck’s steel.

“Darn dog misses you,” she complained.

“What can I say? I, too, am good with kids and animals.” He offered his hand to help her down. He tugged and she jumped, the combination nearly sending them both to their butts.

Kyle widened his stance and stabilized them, bracing his hands around her waist to keep her from upsetting his balance again. Her hands flew forward, palms out, and got wedged between their upper bodies.

A streetlight shone through the white canopy, casting a soft glow beneath the tent. Mere inches separated their lips. Shayna shifted closer, the fingers of one hand slipping between the buttons of his shirt. Her fingertips grazed his chest.

He sucked in a breath as his hands slid down from her waist, cupped her full hips and pulled her body into alignment with his. The fit was exquisite.

She stared up at him, wide-eyed, lips parted. When the tempting tip of her tongue darted out, Kyle knew it was useless to resist. He moved one hand to the back of her neck and tilted her face up fully to his.

“I’m powerfully attracted to you-” he echoed her words from earlier “-and even though the timing sucks, I am happy about it.” He flexed his hips, grazing his desire against her tummy. “But I don’t want to do anything that you’re going to regret.”

When she grabbed his belt loops and eliminated every whisper of space between them, Kyle’s happiness grew even further. Before he could stop himself, he lowered his head and touched his lips to hers.

Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow, wow. Wow!

Holy cow, did this man know how to kiss. Although, kiss was too mild a word to describe what Kyle’s mouth was doing to hers.

Assault? Absorption? Heaven?

Whatever you called it, Shayna wanted more.

Obviously, Thanksgiving had only been a sampling of Kyle’s talent. Straining onto her tiptoes, she dove deeper into the heady sensations. The firm, warm pressure of his lips, the sexy softness of his skin, the caress of his fingers along her nape.

Kyle’s tongue demanded entrance. She eagerly granted him access. This, her mind sang out, was what she’d been waiting for, why no one had ever truly threatened her self-control.

And this was what made him so dangerous. As his lips and tongue and hands continued to churn her desire to unknown heights, a tiny, barely functioning corner of her brain fretted over this man’s effect on her. Not just the physical, although heaven knew that was exquisite. What worried her the most was the way he kept sneaking past her emotional defenses.

When he finally wrenched their lips apart and separated his body from hers, Shayna felt shaky, like a banjo string plucked good and hard and left to sing itself out. She staggered back a step, her backside bumping into the truck. Her breath came in ragged gasps. His did, too.

He closed the gap between them and brushed his lips against her forehead, his arms wrapping securely around her body. “I want so badly to ask you to invite me back up that mountain, but I think we both know that wouldn’t be smart.”

“Not smart, but certainly fantastic.”

Kyle heaved a sigh, his breath whooshing through her hair. “I’m trying to be strong here, and you’re not helping.”

“That’s because you’ve got me feeling weak.” She let her head fall back, causing his lips to skim down her face and settle on her throat. A delicious shiver charged up her spine. “How about one for the road?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” His lips reclaimed hers with a gentleness that took Shayna’s breath away. This kiss was slower, longer and a hundred times more devastating than the first.

When he finally ended it, he trailed his lips across her cheek to her ear. “I need to stand here just like this for a few minutes before I’ll be able to walk without pain. Then, I’ll help you off-load this impressive haul.”

“Then what?” she asked breathlessly, half hoping, half dreading he’d suggest coming home with her again.

“Then I’m going back to the boarding house to take a cold shower and lie awake all night kicking myself for being such a gentleman.”

Kyle had never actually taken a vacation. Dysfunctional families didn’t go camping or take trips to Disney World. Scholarship-dependent college kids didn’t do spring break in Mexico. Obsessed junior associates didn’t indulge in long weekends in Tahoe. He’d never learned how to take it easy.

It was Monday. He should be at the office, working his way up that damned corporate ladder. But he didn’t want to return to California until he finished his business with Shayna, and he couldn’t finish his business with Shayna until after she consulted her attorney. That could be anywhere from a few hours to forever. So what the hell was he supposed to do with himself until then?

He knew what he wanted to do. What he’d nearly done last night.

Unable to stomach another huge, drawn-out breakfast with his festive housemates, Kyle dressed in his new suit, slipped out the back door and headed for the local diner. Images of Shayna had haunted and taunted him all night, and now, his exhausted body and brain craved large amounts of thick, strong coffee.

What the hell had prompted last night’s uncharacteristic show of chivalry? He’d had a warm, willing woman in his arms, a woman he’d been craving, and rather than pursue her blatant eagerness, he’d planted a chaste kiss on her forehead and hauled his stiff body to bed. Alone.

It was the right thing to do, he knew, but it damned sure hadn’t been easy. No matter how much he desired her, he had to stay away from her. Bible-belt girls like Shayna grew up dreaming about happily every after. White weddings and picket fences. Kids and puppies. That kind of heartfelt commitment wasn’t in the cards for him.

It didn’t take him long to reach the diner, yet at least a dozen people acknowledged him. The way these people made pleasant and friendly contact with a stranger on the street unnerved him. In Los Angeles, if you were forced to cover any distance on foot, you damned sure didn’t voluntarily draw the attention of other pedestrians. God only knew who would try to talk to you or accost you.

The diner was loud and crowded, but he lucked into an empty booth by the large plateglass window. He grabbed a seat and ordered a pot of coffee from a passing pink-uniformed waitress. A check of his watch showed 8:47 a.m. He cringed. Normally, he’d be three hours into his workday by now.

“Morning, Santa.”

Surprised by the friendly greeting, Kyle looked up. Way up. Danny Robertson, holding a tray of steaming mugs, smiled down. “Good morning,” Kyle answered carefully, waving a hand toward the empty seat across from him. Danny had been cautiously friendly after his initial warning Friday morning, but if he’d found out about Kyle and Shayna’s public make-out last night, things could get ugly.

Robertson leaned his hip against the vinyl booth seat, gesturing with the tray of hot coffee. “I can’t stay. Just wanted to say thanks for stepping in Saturday. You did every parent in town a huge favor. If Santa hadn’t shown up, we would have to dress our little angels-again-and take ’em to the mall.” He shivered dramatically. “I hate the mall.”

Assured his visitor didn’t intend to take a swing at him, Kyle grunted humorously. As he recalled, Robertson had escorted two small girls to visit Santa, “Well, with daughters, you don’t stand a chance in hell of avoiding it.”