Page 3 of A Very Naughty Christmas

The flush that had slowly begun to creep over her cheeks the moment recognition hit grew hotter. “I mean, Mr. Maxwell. Sorry.” She might have called him Mr. Maxwell to his face, but in her dreams, he’d always been Alex. And in her fantasies…

“No, no, Alex is fine. By all means, you’re certainly old enough now to call me by my first name.”

Oh, God. He didnotjust say that. “What, are you calling me old?” she quipped, accompanied by a laugh that she’d hoped sounded flirtatious, but sounded more embarrassed to her own ears.

Alex’s grin was wide and tummy-flip worthy as he replied, “Oh, absolutely. You’re—what? A sophomore in college now?”

“A junior.”

“Well, see. Look at that. And top of your class, I bet?”

Sara’s own smile was chagrined. “Not exactly.”

“Really, and why is that?”

“I… I don’t know. I’m a bit lazy when it comes to studying, I suppose.”

“Hmm.” There he went, using the stern tone again. She wondered if he was even aware of it. “Tell you what, as much as I’m enjoying talking to you, maybe we should do it somewhere with better lighting.”

Her heart had begun to sink but now it paused, waiting, hoping. Was he suggesting what she thought he was? “I… I know a little coffee shop just around the corner. Café Biscotti,” she ventured.

“Yeah, I know the one. That would be perfect. I’m off duty in half an hour. What do you say that you meet me there?”

“Y-yes, Sir!” she burst out eagerly—tooeagerly. “I mean, yes. That would be great, Alex.” It still felt weird to call him that aloud, to his face. She better get this whole blushing thing under control, and fast. If they were going to talk in the café, she wouldn’t be able to hide itfrom him.

“Sounds great. See you soon. And Sara?”

“Yes?”

“Watch out for stop signs,” he said with a wink.

“Yes, Sir! Absolutely, Sir! I sure will.” Okay, she really had to get this diarrhea of the mouth thing under control. Far from appearing cool and sophisticated, she was probably reminding him more of the little kid next door. Damn it. She needed to work on the blushing, and stop calling himSirso much and then, if there was still time, maybe she could get her racing pulse under control, too. But if not, as they say, two out of three ain’t bad.

* * *

Sara had only been ten minutes from her house when Alex had pulled her over. It was a drive that could be done in six minutes, taken pedal-to-the-metal all the way, but knowing he’d be watching until he couldn’t see her anymore, and not wanting to risk it, she was super careful to pause longer at every stop sign and red light and drive exactly the speed limit. While she did, she coached herself aloud.

“You can do this, Sara. Calm down. This isnota date. Alex is just being nice, trying to catch up. So there’s no need to freak out.”

But it certainlyfeltlike a date, which meant there were plenty of reasons to freak out. And freak out she did, about everything from her hair to the shoes she wore. Which was ridiculous. She was a smart girl; intellectually she knew that worrying about her shoes when she was just going out to meet a friend—well, really and truly an acquaintance—was a little much. But she just couldn’t seem to help herself. This wasAlex. Whether he knew it or not, he had been the fodder for nearly every single one of her dorm room fantasies.

She didn’t know when she’d started to think of him as Alex. For as long as she could remember, he’d been the nice, easy-going neighbor next door. But sometime after entering high school she’d started to take more notice of his lean, toned body—particularly on Saturday afternoon, which was the day he always washed his car. She somehow always managed to find an excuse to be outside about the time he got started. If her parents wondered why she started volunteering to do yardwork on the weekends, they never asked. And it was perfect, because between pruning the hedges she could slip glances at her sexy older neighbor.

She’d known that he was too old for her, and he’d never been anything more than solicitously polite toward her. Heck, she’d hardly ever said anything more than hello to him in all the time she’d known him! But when the lights were off in her college dorm room and she had an itch she just had to scratch, it was always Alex’s face that came to mind.

That tan, ruggedly handsome face. When she imagined him smiling, his dimple in hisleft cheek flashing, those baby blues twinkling at her… it was enough to make her orgasm just thinking about it.

Which was why, date or not, she wanted to look her best. Even if he would never think of her as anything more than a little kid, even if he’d always be close enough to watch but never close enough to touch. It didn’t matter to her. All that mattered was that she put her best foot forward now, when she had the chance, even if it was hopeless. Giving herself one last glance in her full-length mirror, Sara decided the skirt and spaghetti-strap top she’d chosen would have to do. She felt sexy, even if Alex would never see her that way.

They were just going to talk. Or, rather, he was going to talk and she was going to stare at him, drinking him in for as long as she could. She needed new material for her lonely nights, after all.

* * *

Alex stood to his feet as she walked in, and Sara blushed in pleasure. That is, until he spoke in the same stern, no-nonsense voice he’d used when he’d pulled her over.

“You’re late,” he scolded.

“Am I?” she queried, feeling a bit flustered at both the admonishment and being this close to him.

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