Leo held his breath, awaiting her answer. The fact that she felt comfortable enough with him to be sitting as she was reassured him. Last night a noticeable dynamic between them had shifted. She felt a part of him now. In ways he couldn’t quite explain.
It had killed him to know she was so hurt this morning. Yet in the midst of her pain, she had handled herself beautifully, never once letting her sister realize how much Phoebe had been counting on Christmas with her nephew. By Phoebe’s own admission, this was the first time in three years she had felt like celebrating. Yet when everything seemed to be going her way, she was blindsided by disappointment and loss.
Not a tragedy or a permanent loss, but deeply hurtful nevertheless.
Phoebe ran her fingers across his scalp, both hands…messing up his hair deliberately. “Do I have to decide now?”
“You mean about Christmas Eve?”
“Yes.”
“I think that can wait. But does that mean you’ll go with me?”
“I suppose I’ll need a fancy dress.” She traced the outer edges of his ears, making him squirm restlessly.
“Definitely. Is that a problem?” Holding her like this was a torment he could do without at the moment. He heard too much activity going on outside to be confident of no interruptions. When she slid a hand inside his shirt collar, he shivered. His erection was trapped uncomfortably beneath her denim-clad butt.
“No problem at all,” she said breezily, unfastening the top two buttons of his shirt. “I have a whole closet full of nice things from my gainfully employed days.”
“Define nice….”
She kissed him softly, sliding her tongue into his mouth and making him crazy. “Backless,” she whispered. “Not much of a front. Slit up the leg. How does that sound?”
He groaned. “Lord, have mercy.” He wasn’t sure if he was talking about the dress or about the way her nimble fingers were moving down his chest. “Phoebe,” he said, trying to sound more reasonable and less desperate. “Was that a yes?”
She cupped his face in her hands, her expression suddenly sweet and intense. “Thank you, Leo. You’ve saved Christmas for me. As hard as it was to say goodbye to little Teddy, you’re the only other male of my acquaintance who could make me want to enjoy the season. So yes. I’d love to go with you to Atlanta.”
* * *
He had to talk fast, but he managed to convince her they should leave that afternoon. Already he was fantasizing about making love to her in his comfy king-size bed. Last night’s spontaneous lunacy had been mind-blowing, but there was something to be said for soft sheets and a firm mattress. Not to mention the fact that he wanted to wine and dine her and show her that the big city had its own appeal.
When she finally emerged from her bedroom, he stared. Phoebe had one large suitcase, two smaller ones and a garment bag.
He put his hands on his hips, cocking his head. “You did understand that this was a brief visit…right?”
She was hot and flushed and wisps of hair stood out from her head like tiny signals saying, Don’t mess with me! Dumping the bags at his feet, she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “I want to be prepared for any eventuality.”
He nudged the enormous bag with his toe. “The NASA astronauts weren’t this prepared,” he joked. But inside he was pleased that the sparkle was back in her eyes. “Anything else I should know about? You do know I drive a Jag.”