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He coughed a laugh. “No, we did Christmas. It was a pretty big deal in my house, the hot cocoa, ice-skating on Christmas Eve. The whole thing.”
She frowned as she looked up at him. “So what happened? Did an elf scare you when you went to sit on Santa’s lap one year?”
A shadow crossed over his face and for a moment, he looked so vulnerable and lost. But then it was gone and he cleared his throat. “Nah, I’m just grown now. I know there’s no such thing as Santa Claus.”
She hadn’t imagined it. There was a shadow of pain behind his eyes, but he didn’t seem interested in talking about it. Of course, to someone like her, that just made her want to ferret it out and fix the bug. The defective code. Right the imperfection. Not your business.
So instead, she just said, “What? I refuse to believe there’s no Santa. I insist on believing in the jolly man with the beard and Rudolph. Except in my mind, Santa looks like a male model, and has a six-pack.”
The hint of a smile was back on his lips. “You want to interview for Mrs. Claus, then?”
She laughed. “I don’t do relationships.” At least not anymore. “Just like you don’t do Christmas.”
“Fair enough.” He inclined his head toward the front door. “I guess with your earphones on, you didn’t hear the front door. I had pizza delivered. I’m at a good stopping point if you are and want to eat.”
She lifted her brows. “Sure. I could eat, but then, I can always eat.”
His brows went up. “You’re so tiny though.”
“I am small but mighty.”
He smirked. “Anyway, if you want some help with some of the lights, we can do that before we eat.”
Jamison couldn’t believe her ears. “Mr. Bah Humbug wants to help?”
He shrugged. “You’re the size of an elf—you’ll never be able to get them up there. Besides, your sweater might catch fire with all those lights. And you seem super into it, so whatever.”
She glanced down. “This sweater is awesome. You’re just jealous they don’t have one this cool down in the gift shop for you. But you know what, I’ll find one for you, as a thank-you.”
His brow furrowed. “I’m good. You don’t need to thank me any more.”
Jamie glanced at her laptop and hit Save out of habit. The system autosaved her project, but she wasn’t taking any chances. “Oh, but I really, really want to.” Laughing as she stood, she had to crane her neck to look up at him.
Stretching out her muscles, she worked out the kinks as she followed him toward the aroma of pepperoni pizza. Her stomach rumbled.
“Okay, maybe we’ll get food first, then.”
Jamison laughed. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Nope. Given the roar of your belly, I don’t want to see what happens if I don’t feed you.” He pulled down the plates and glasses and grabbed a couple of sodas out of the fridge.
This was weird and at the same time totally normal. Like they did this all the time. Nevermind the pink elephant in the room. Jamison thought she’d be more nervous talking to him, but he was so much mellower than she remembered. There was still an intensity to him and her skin still prickled with heat every time she felt his gaze on her, but this she could do. Act like a normal person and not a hormonal teenager.
Normal... Right. Besides, she had a hell of a lot of work to do. She’d run into a glitch in the maze. She was missing something, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was technically fine, but she didn’t do fine. Fine was not in her vocabulary. It needed to be outstanding. She needed a miracle so she had to be better than fine.
“You’re frowning. Why?”
Cole’s voice had a way of melting through her inner dialogue with herself. “Shoot, sorry, when I’m working, I tend to get all in my head and forget I’m meant to be talking to real people. Bad habit. So why don’t you tell me all about Cole Nichols. And not the boring sanitized school, work, location stuff. Real stuff. Like where are all the bodies buried.”
He laughed. “What makes you think I’d tell you that? For all you know you’ll be joining them.”
“I’m pretty sure I could take you. I’m small but mighty.” She took another delicate bite.
Cole’s eyes narrowed and sharpened on her lips. When he spoke, his voice was harsher, deeper. “You’re the size of a Smurf.” He looked like he wanted to say something else but snapped his mouth shut. His gaze locked with hers. The intensity of it nearly scorching her skin.
She should look away from him...except she couldn’t. If she wasn’t careful, she’d soon be doing that uncomfortable staring thing and he would know she was crazy. “I’ll take that to mean I’m sprightly! And sprightly wins over dark and broody any day.”
“I am not dark and broody.” He scoffed.
“I know your shtick. You act all bah humbugy, but you’re a good guy. After all, you let a relative, Christmas-loving, stranger stay with you when you were clearly not in the Christmas mood. Someone like that wouldn’t have bodies buried out back.”
Cole just shrugged. “You’re supposed to help elves. It’s like a Christmas rule or something.”
“Don’t think I don’t recognize deflection when I see it.”
It was a good thing Cole Nichols didn’t walk around with a grin all the time; women everywhere would be left quivering in his wake. The flash of teeth and the crinkling of his eyes at the corners and she was about to melt in a pool of warm gooeyness. “I have to remember you’re sharper than most.”
“Come on, no little details about what you’ve been up to all this time?”
He shook his head. “Not much to say if I can’t talk about work or where I live or where I went to school.”
Jamie stared at him. “Oh come on, no adventures, hiking the Andes, BASE jumping off the Eiffel Tower, no supermodel girlfriend in Antibes or Saint-Tropez? You’re ruining my image of the mysterious Cole Nichols.”
His laugh was quick. “I’m not mysterious. I’m an open book.”
Jamie raised a brow. “Okay, so what’s your deal—girlfriend, married? Why are you spending the holiday alone?” Why did you ask that? Why? A muzzle would be a good idea.
The teasing glint went out of his eyes in an instant. His one-word answer said it all. “Nope.” And the subject change was so quick it gave her whiplash. “You ready to put up those lights now? Or do you want the last piece?”
She glanced down at the pizza. Between the two of them they’d managed to eat seven of eight slices. Three of them she’d eaten herself. “Yeah, the lights seem like a good idea.”
Lights. Yes, more decorating. Then she’d get back to work. Deal with the task in front of her. Do what she came to do. Not drool over Cole. Because, well, she really should have learned her lesson by now.
For the next ten minutes, they worked in relative companionship. He even smiled once or twice. He might not like Christmas but he was letting her enjoy hers, which was pretty decent of him.
She turned to ask him for the next set of lights, but her foot slipped on the stool.
In a flash, Cole wrapped both arms around her, bringing his body flush against hers, and Jamison lost everything she’d perhaps ever had in her brain. Gone. Poof.
Jamie sucked in a deep breath. Cole stood statue-like as his hands flexed across her back. Tension wrapped around them, then crackled and Jamison didn’t know when she’d so acutely felt every feminine instinct.
He quickly held her away an inch, but if she dared breathe again, her nipples were going to rub against his chest. She could feel his hands moving behind her as they stood, gazes locked, bodies not otherwise moving. Holy hell. Cole Nichols was just about the sexiest man she’d ever seen in her life. Easy does it. Remember last time you went down this path?
Sure, he had an angled, sculpted jaw and cheekbones that made supermodels jealous and his dark lashes framed clear dark eyes. And of course there was the hair. It just looked soft to the touch. And there was no forgetting his body. She wondered if his abs still had abs. More than once when she’d been a teenager, she’d lost time just by trying to count them. She always got a little distracted around four and had to start recounting.
But for her, the pinnacle of sexiness lay in Cole’s lips. His lips endlessly fascinated her. Back then. Not now. Because now she was an adult who knew better. They were full and curved in a hint of a mysterious, devilish smile. It was that smile that had her drooling all over him years ago. It was those lips that made her want to misbehave.
And right now they were inches from hers. If she tipped up her face and stood on tiptoe and climbed up his body, she could press her lips to his. But Cole Nichols was not on the menu. You’re here to work.
So distracted by his lips, she forgot about keeping her boobs to herself; she released the breath she’d been holding. When her breasts brushed against his chest she clamped her jaw tight to stop herself from moaning. But one escaped anyway.
Cole’s eyes had fluttered shut but other than that, he was doing an excellent statue impression.
When he opened them again, she saw annoyance, confusion and something else. It looked like hunger. But that couldn’t be right. She cleared her throat, and then stepped down off the stool, out of his arms. “I guess I’m done with these lights.” She nervously licked her lips.
His voice was rough when he spoke. “You okay?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah. Good. Great even.” Cue awkward silence.
“Sorry about the tree. A few branches broke when it fell.”
“No big deal, I can get the fake one out of the closet.”
“I can cut one from the property if you want. It’s one of the services we offer guests.”
“God, no, you don’t have to do all that. I just wanted to get into the spirit since I’m working and all. I don’t need you to cut me down a tree.”
He shoved his hands in his back pockets. “You never said why you were all alone for the holiday.”
There was no way she was getting into that right now. “Long story. Family is in France and I am hoping for a Christmas miracle.”
“Now who’s being mysterious?”
* * *
What the hell was wrong with him? Cutting down a tree? It had been years since he’d done this. His hands hurt. And his back was killing him. Hell, had it been this hard when he was a kid? Probably because his father had done the lion’s share of the work and he’d made snow angels.
But it was all worth it when he used the sled to drag the tree into the house. Jamie squealed and clapped. “Oh my God, it’s perfect.” If only it was this easy to make all women happy.
He’d never seen anyone so delighted over a damn tree. He was supposed to be working. A drink in his hand, basketball on in the background, laptop in his lap. That was the plan. Getting a Christmas tree wasn’t part of the equation.
But look how happy it made her.
The scent of cinnamon wafted in the air. “What’s that smell?”
She glanced toward the kitchen. “Oh, well, you took a little longer than I thought, so I started on a batch of my mom’s cinnamon cookies.”
“I really am rooming with a Christmas elf.”
“You bet.” She grinned at him, all white teeth and dimples.
She hummed Christmas songs as she pulled out a tray of cookies. And despite himself, Cole was starting to remember when Christmas had been fun. “So given your unholy love of the holiday, how did you end up all alone on Christmas? And don’t give me any bull about working.”
She rolled her eyes even as she laughed. “It is not an unholy love.” She tossed a piece of popcorn at him, which he dodged. “Fine. Bad breakup. That unsettled me a little. Then I’ve been so consumed with work that I haven’t really come up for air, so no time to plan something major. The family was headed for a big trip, but I just couldn’t do that and stay focused.”
He knew the feeling. “As of Thanksgiving I was single, so not really in the people kind of mood.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry. What happened? Hotter supermodel came along?”
Despite himself, his lips twitched. “No. That was the month before,” he teased. “She broke up with me.”
“Oh damn. I’m sorry.” She winced. “Sometimes my mouth runs away from me.”
“No, you’re good. I probably should have seen it coming. She showed more day-to-day interest in my stock portfolio than I did.” She was easy to talk to. Too easy.
“Ah, so she had her sights set on a billionaire.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Well, her loss. I think millionaires have a lot to offer. If only women would give them a chance.”
He laughed and he threw a piece of popcorn at her. “You’re funny.”
“I mean, I’m just saying, when did millionaires go out of style?”
“Right?” he laughed. “I mean, I should be able to have at least two supermodel girlfriends.”
He didn’t manage to dodge the popcorn she threw at him. One kernel hit him right on the nose. “You are gonna get it.”
She squared her shoulders, and then put down the sewing needle she’d been using to thread the popcorn. “I’m not afraid of you, Nichols. I wasn’t when you drenched me at Matt’s pool party when I was eighteen. I’m not now.”
He frowned. Oh hell, he hadn’t thought of that day in years. Who was he kidding? His subconscious pulled it out from time to time. Her brother had thrown an eighteenth birthday party. The whole team had gone. He’d started to come out of the haze of despair that had become his constant companion by then. He still didn’t know how he’d had any friends at that point. That second party had been the only time Cole had spoken to her after that kiss that had changed everything.
She had refused to get in the water. Because he hadn’t known how to talk to her or apologize, he’d looped one arm around her waist and carried her in. In the water, he’d wanted to talk, to explain. To hold her.
But she’d been angrier than a half-drenched kitten.
“You sure about that, Jamison? I seem to recall you didn’t like me carrying you in. You probably don’t want all that popcorn in your hair.”
She narrowed her dark eyes. “Who says I’m the one going to end up with popcorn in my hair?”
He smirked. He liked that about her. Even when she was outmatched, she didn’t give—
Another piece of popcorn hit him on the nose and she was off, running around the island.
She was going to pay. He caught her easily enough and she laughed and squirmed while tossing pieces at him.
He grabbed a handful and pulled back her sweater, dropping them inside.
“Oh no, Cole, really?” She squealed as she laughed.
He grinned. “You asked for it.” Three hours with her and he was playing. When was the last time he’d played?
She might have protested, but she was still reaching for the pieces that had fallen on the floor and then she tossed them as she ran.
Again she didn’t get far; he picked her up easily with one arm. She squirmed and he said, “Easy does it. Truce? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” He put her back down.
Her chin jutted up. “Me? I’m not—”
