After the Christmas Party(72)
Too bad he didn’t have a remote control that he could click and turn her on.
To turn her on in more ways than one.
Because he was turned on.
Had been from the moment he’d first noticed her at the Christmas party. Something about her got under his skin and made his body go haywire. Big time. Was it just that instead of chasing him, like most women did, she seemed intent on keeping him at arm’s length?
“Just wait until you see it after we’ve finished decorating,” he promised. “My tree, which I refuse to label as compensatory and would still be more than happy to set the record straight once and for all, will steal your breath, guaranteed.”
“I…” She glanced away then her lips tightened. “I seriously doubt that, but I do like the lights.” She wasn’t going to touch his offer apparently. Not that he’d really expected her to. “Let’s hurry and finish.”
“So you can leave?”
She met his gaze, her lips twitching lightly, letting him know she was fighting back a smile. “So I can have some of that dessert you promised but have totally failed to deliver.”
“Touché.” He laughed.
Yes, he really liked this woman, even if she professed not to like his favorite holiday. There had to be more to her claim than just a dislike of Christmas.
A more that he wanted to know every detail of so he could prove her wrong and show her the magic of the holidays.
CHAPTER FIVE
TRINITY DIDN’T LIKE Christmas at all and doubted she ever would. But when they’d finished decorating, she did think that Riley’s Christmas tree was beautiful. Magical even.
Plus, she had concluded that she did like the woodsy pine smell filling his living room. Why had she practically gagged on the scent for the past couple of years, comparing the outdoorsy aroma to spruce-scented household cleaner?
Because she didn’t like this holiday, she reminded herself.
From childhood this holiday had only ever held bad memories. Nothing good had ever come out of Christmas. Not for her.
She’d do well to remember that.
Riley’s constant smiles and holiday good cheer made her forget that she didn’t like a single thing about the season. Still, she was doing something to help someone who had helped her. Someone she genuinely liked and who hadn’t taken advantage of her.
“Thank you.”
“For?” he asked, studying her way too intently for her comfort.
She wanted to squirm, like a kid sitting on Santa’s lap. “Last night.”
“Nothing happened last night for you to owe me any thanks for.”
Was that how he saw the night?
“Had something happened,” she admitted, “I wouldn’t have been thanking you.”
“You might have,” he teased, but when she didn’t smile, he relented. “For the record, I prefer my bed partners to be sober and just as into me as I am into them. Whether or not we were going to have sex last night was never an issue.”
“I wasn’t into you?” That she had a hard time imagining because the man made her burn from head to toe. Even now she wanted to rip his clothes off him and lick him all over. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to clear the image of her doing just that.
He shrugged. “We’ve already established that you drank a little too much.”
“Did I want you?” she said, more insistently. What was she saying? Of course she’d wanted him. She still wanted him.
“You said you did.”
“Oh.” A vague memory of her telling him he could do whatever he wanted so long as he didn’t leave her ran through her mind. Fire spread across her cheeks. she had made a complete and utter fool of herself. “I’m sorry.” She turned to go, wishing her car was in his drive so she really could escape.
“I’m not.” he turned her to face him. “I wanted you, Trinity. I’m not ashamed to say so.”
She blushed and he grinned.
“I wasn’t inebriated, except by your smile.”
“I’ve said it before but it bears repeating, you’re smooth with the lines, Riley.”
“No lines,” he said. “Just the truth.”
“Right.”
“Seriously.”
“Seriously, I want that dessert now.” Anything to get away from this conversation.
“Chicken,” he accused, apparently reading her well enough to know exactly what she was doing.
“Bok bok, Mr. Big Tree,” she replied, wondering at her sparring back and forth with him verbally when really she should be embarrassed at her out-of-character behavior.
His laugh made her feel warm inside.
“Like I said, fun girl.”
“Like I said, give me dessert.”