Red Hot Holiday Bundle(30)

That short verse written with silver ink in a beautiful calligraphy had hit him square in his libido, firing his blood and giving him a raging hard-on.



I like to watch you

I like to watch you and think about

doing wild, tempestuous things to you

eager and willing to explore dark desires

and forbidden fantasies.



It had been signed simply, Santa’s Sexy Elf. His cock twitched and tightened just thinking about dark desires and forbidden fantasies.

Chloe appeared at his table almost as if by magic. But he knew it was the carnal thoughts that had distracted him. She set the steaming, fragrant bowl of gumbo before him. She leaned across him to set down a basket of homemade biscuits, pressing against him to snag his silverware that had been pushed to the edge of the table.

She smiled at him as she handed him the silverware. “Enjoy, Jack. You’ll let me know what you think of my gumbo, and if it’s not as good as your father’s, lie.”

He looked up at her face, her kind and gentle heart mirrored there. All he could do was think about how much he wanted to encircle her waist with his hands and drag her down on his lap. Push his throbbing erection against the tantalizing heat of her soft woman’s flesh. Absorb some of that gentleness that he hungered for deep into him, a balm, a boon to his soul.

He pulled his gaze away and reached for the silverware, forcing his charming smile to hide the darkness swirling inside him. “Ah, sugar, for you, I’ll lie.”

“Maybe you won’t have to.”

“Maybe I won’t.”

“Enjoy your meal and when you’re finished, the dessert of the day is crème brûlée. I also offer other treats and they’re in the glass case near the counter.”

Her husky voice slid over him making him think about what tantalizing treats she could offer him. The slick heat of her body, the taste of her skin.

Her tongue slicked over her lips and he thought about it against the hot taut skin of his body, the wet slide along the rapidly forming hard-on that hadn’t quite subsided.

The rumbling of a motorcycle made Jack look away from Chloe’s face. A leather-clad biker used his booted foot to set the kickstand.

The biker dismounted and looked up at Jack’s town house. Jack called out and the helmeted head turned, nodded and came his way.

Chloe looked up as Jack called out. She watched the biker’s progress and as soon as he got to the fountain, he pulled the helmet off. Chloe gasped and stared. It was uncanny how much he resembled Jack. This man had the same dark hair only longer and pulled off his face in a short queue at the back of his neck. He had the same tough guy look about him, but with a slightly more dangerous edge. He also looked like he needed healing. Chloe saw it in his brown eyes.

“I’ll take him,” Tally said as she rushed past Chloe. Chloe studied her waitress avidly as she greeted the man who could only be Jack’s brother and he in turn indicated the table where Jack was sitting.

Tally handed a menu to the new customer and Chloe felt the rush of emotion so thick and heavy, she took a deep breath.

Wondering where the feeling had come from, she eyed the three people in front of her. Jack and his brother were deep in conversation and Tally was busy cleaning up a nearby table.

Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe went back up into the kitchen and prepared the crème brûlée. As soon as the top of the dessert caramelized, she picked up the bowl and returned to the lower café. Approaching Jack’s table, she noticed that his shoulders were tense as he spoke to his brother.

“I don’t like it any better than you do, Chris. I think you might want to bring this to the police. You know better than that—you were once a cop, too.”

“Right. But now I’m a P.I. and I do things my way.”

“I know, but when you’re over your head, you should admit it.”

“I hate to agree with you, but I think you’re right.”

She set the bowl in front of Jack.

She turned to Jack’s brother and he smiled at her. Ah, interesting, same almost-black eyes, same mouth with the luscious lips. But if Jack was as straight an arrow as she believed him to be and played by the rules, she had a feeling this man liked to break them.

“Christien Castille.”

“Chloe Matthews.”

Tally came over and set a bowl of gumbo in front of him. “Chloe, my brother told me you make the best gumbo in Louisiana.”

She smiled into Jack’s hot black eyes and then set her gaze back onto his brother. “You tell me what you think, Christien.”

He dipped in a spoon and brought the steaming, fragrant bite to his mouth. Chloe saw Tally watching him in fascination.

He took the bite and then sighed. “Mon père’s not going to like this.”