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A walk. That was safe. They would still be in a fairly public arena and she’d be close enough to the party to remind herself that this was business. That should keep her from trying to rip that fur off Gage’s body to see what was underneath.
“Sure,” she agreed, accepting his invitation to tuck her arm into his. She tried to ignore the dance floor, where the hired help was doing a dance version of the upright doggy style. But she couldn’t help blushing. Not because the moves were tacky. But because she wished she could do them, too. She couldn’t, of course. Mostly because she was a lousy dancer.
She could—and should—get out of here before the dancers, and the champagne, gave her any more naughty ideas, though.
“A walk would be lovely.”
* * *
GAGE WELCOMED THE cool night air like an alcoholic welcomed that first hit of gin. With greedy need and a silent groan of gratitude.
He’d been sweating like crazy in there.
Was it because of this god-awful hideous costume?
Or because of his body’s reaction to the sweet, little elf next to him?
It had to be the costume.
Because he never sweated over women.
The lust wasn’t a new thing. He’d spent most of his life surrounded by gorgeous women, so lust was as very familiar to him as breathing.
And it wasn’t as if he had problems mixing business and pleasure. Gage worked with too many beautiful women to hamper himself with silly rules or false moral restrictions.
And while he wasn’t a cocky ass, he’d had enough success with the ladies to feel both comfortable and confident that he could handle anything a woman had to offer.
Nope. He’d never had women problems.
So clearly, it must be the costume.
“Mr. Rudolph puts on quite a party,” Hailey said as she wandered between marble columns wrapped in twinkling white lights. “Do you attend often?”
“This is my first,” he admitted. “How about you?”
Gage didn’t wander. Instead, he scoped the room, found a semisheltered wall and leaned against it. That way, she could come to him. She didn’t, though. Instead, after an inscrutable look through those thick lashes, she shrugged and continued her slow meander through the conservatory.
“This is my first, too. I’ve talked to plenty of people who are involved behind the scenes, though. If the rumors are true, things are going to get pretty wild and naked in there soon.”
Behind the scenes?
She must have a few models in there showing off the wares. Theirs, and the designers. He debated how long to wait and steer the conversation toward some of her other clients. A minute or two, maybe. First he needed to figure her out. Usually by this point, fifteen minutes into their first meet, he’d completely pegged a person.
But Hailey the elf was a mystery.
“You don’t sound disgusted by the idea of wild and naked,” he observed.
Was she wilder than her sweet face and cute demeanor portrayed? His body stirred, very interested in finding out.
“Everyone has the right to enjoy the holidays in their own special way,” she said, her laugh as light as the bells jingling on her hat. “And I like the idea that the lingerie samples might be so sexy, they inspire that kind of thinking.”
“On the right woman, an elf hat and ballerina skirt inspires that kind of thinking,” he murmured quietly.
Not so quietly that she didn’t hear, if the pale pink washing over her cheeks was any indication. She didn’t say anything, though. Just kept on wandering.
“So what did you find most interesting this evening?” she asked, trailing her fingers along the edge of a larger-than-life, white wicker sleigh filled with a tree, gifts and more lights. “Were you here for the shoes? There were some gorgeous new lines being shown. Or are you more a women’s-wear kind of guy?”
Her arch smile was teasing and filled with as much light as the twinkling display around them. Gage had to wonder if she was always this cheerful or if she’d been hit with a little too much holiday cheer.
“I was only interested in the lingerie,” he said, figuring it was time to start winding the conversation toward her coveted client. “At least I was until I saw you. Everything else sort of faded at that point.”
“Uh-huh,” she laughed. “Me versus a dozen perfect women in lingerie. I can see how you were torn between the two views.”
“Do you doubt me?”
At his mock offense, she stopped wandering and gave him a wide-eyed once-over. Then, finally, she joined him next to the nice, semiprivate wall.
“Doubt the Grinch? A figure known for his good cheer, holiday honesty and love of everything sweet and cuddly?”
Gage grinned. Damn, she was cute.
“Is that what he’s for?” He looked down at the green fur monstrosity he was wearing and rolled his eyes. How appropriate. He had to hand it to his brother; the guy was clever with the inside jokes.
“You don’t know? You’re supposed to be portraying your favorite holiday character.”
“I lost a bet.”
“So you’re not really all Grinchy about the holidays?” She tilted her head to one side as she asked the question, her bells tinkling as if to dare him to deny the joy of the season.
Gage hesitated. He never tried to hide his disdain for the holidays, nor was he worried about offending a potential business associate over differing views. But he couldn’t quite bring himself to dim the sparkle in Hailey’s eyes. Sharing his opinion of Christmas would be akin to telling a four-year-old that Santa was a sleighload of crap. Which was exactly what his stepmother-du-jour had done to him.
Instead, he did what he was best at. Sidestepped the question with a charming smile. “I promise you, I’ve never been called Grinchy in my life.”
The speculation in her big eyes told him he might need to toss out a little more charming distraction. Otherwise, she seemed like the stubborn type. The kind who sweetly nagged at a person until they’d spilled their every secret, then thanked her for dragging them through the ugly memories.
“How about you?” he asked. “Why is an elf your favorite holiday character?”
“Elves are clever. They bring joy and create beauty, but they stay behind the scenes. They’re the cute and cuddly part of the background.” To emphasize her point, she offered a bright smile, tilted her chin toward her shoulder and twirled around so her skirt offered a tempting view of her stockings. Which, Gage’s mouth watered to realize, were thigh-high and held up with garters.
“But elves don’t have their own movie,” he pointed out. “As grumpy as he is, even the Grinch gets top billing.”
“Elf is a movie. And top billing usually comes with top headaches,” she pointed out. “Expectations and demands of excellence. Appearances, groupies, haters. Is all of that really worth the spotlight?”
Gage frowned.
Hell, yeah, it was worth it. The other option sounded kind of...forgettable. Who aspired to that?
Maybe that was why she was an agent instead of striving to be the star, he guessed.
Still...
“Being on top is better than being on the bottom,” he pointed out.
“Not always.” Her words were low, teasing and lilting with innuendo. The look in her eyes was hot, sexy. And way more appreciative of the view than he figured his costume warranted. But who was he to dissuade a gorgeous woman from appreciating him?
His momma didn’t raise no fools. Of course, she didn’t raise her sons, either, but that was beside the point.
Right now, the point was seeing how hot this spark could flame between him and the deliciously naughty elf.
He stepped closer.
Amusement and desire both clear on her face, Hailey stepped back. With a quick glance over his shoulder, as if gauging their privacy, she wet her lips.
Gage almost groaned.
He probably could have walked away before.
Probably.
But now? Seeing that full mouth damp and inviting?
He wasn’t leaving without a taste.
“Being on top has a few definite benefits,” he decided quietly, now having completely switched places so her back was against the wall and his toward the ballroom.
“Does it? Like what?” Her eyes were huge, so big they were lost in the curls tumbling out from the white fur brim of her hat.
Need, stronger than any he’d felt over a simple flirtation, surged through Gage’s body. He angled his body so Hailey was trapped between him and the wall.
For a second, one delicious second, he just stared.
Enjoyed the anticipation in her eyes.
The rapid pulse fluttering in her throat.
The tempting display of luscious flesh, mounded above the tight satin binding her breasts.
The need intensified. Took on a sharp, hungry edge.
“Like this,” he said, giving in to its demand.
He took her mouth.
He’d intended to be gentle. Sweet, even.
But the kiss was carnal and raw and dancing on the edges of desperate. Tongues tangled. Lips slid, hot and wet.
She tasted as sweet as she looked.
But the sounds she made were sexual nirvana. Low, husky moans of approval as his hands skimmed over her waist to that tempting place just below her breasts. He didn’t touch. He just tortured the both of them with the idea that he could.
Public, he forcibly reminded himself. They were practically in public, and if he did what he wanted, they’d be putting on a display for a ballroom full of people.
Knowing if he didn’t stop now, that display was a very real possibility, Gage slowly, reluctantly, pulled his mouth from hers.
It was harder than he’d thought it’d be. And not just between his legs.
Unwilling to let go completely, his hands flat against the wall on either side of her head, Gage leaned closer. His body trapped hers as he pressed tiny kisses along her throat. Hailey’s head fell back, her breath coming fast, filling the air with tiny bursts of white fog.
The move arched her back, so the long, delicious length of her throat was bare and those glorious breasts pressed higher against his chest. His hands burned with the need to cup her bounty. To weigh the soft flesh. To slide that candy-cane-striped fabric down and see if she was as tasty as he thought.
Public, Gage reminded himself again. Keep it in control.
Because while he wasn’t averse to a little public display of passion himself, he had the feeling that Hailey would be. Especially if some of those models in there were hers.
Then her hands shifted, moving off his shoulders to press their way down his chest. Gage could feel their heat even through the thick fur of his costume.
He shuddered with need, taking in the flush of rosy color washing over Hailey’s cheeks and pouring down her throat and chest to meet that tight satin.
One taste couldn’t hurt, he decided.
Even as his mind listed all the ways it actually could, he moved closer, so his body was tight against hers. As Hailey’s hum of pleasure filled the air, he pressed his mouth against the side of her throat, just under her ear, and gave in to the need to taste.
She was delicious.
Seriously worried for his sanity if she kept teasing him with those delicate fingers, Gage folded his hand over hers and pressed her palm flat against his chest. Then he grabbed the zipper tab and yanked.
It didn’t move.
The grabby need clawing at Gage’s libido slowed, even as the foggy desire tried to pull him back.
He yanked again.
Nothing.
“Hell,” he muttered, pulling his mouth from Hailey’s.
Unwilling to separate their bodies, he angled his head to peer at his chest. He got a better grip on the tab and pulled again.
The zipper was stuck.
“I can’t get it down.”
“Well, I guess I’d rather hear that than you can’t get it up,” she said, her eyes dancing with laughter. Clearly a smart woman, Hailey pressed those lush lips together to keep it contained, though.
Gage growled.
And yanked.
