Page 33 of Everything Christmas

That’s how she’d spent the last eight nights. And when the shadows crossed her face during the day, he held her until the horrible, intrusive memories passed. He had even taken the time off work and arranged for her to see one of the trauma counselors he knew through the department. After her parents died, she’d seen a grief counselor and knew how beneficial it could be, so she scheduled additional sessions with Judy. She advised Merry that the flashbacks and nightmares might persist for a while, so sleeping the entire night through gave her hope.

She awoke rested and spent the day preparing for the Annual Police and Firemen’s Christmas Ball. Reese worried she might not be up to it, but she convinced him it would be a good distraction and that she couldn’t be any safer than being surrounded by a hundred policemen. Never having been to a prom or formal ball before, she was dying to go, if for no other reason than to dance with her hot new boyfriend. She could only imagine what it would do when she saw him in his tuxedo.

He’d surprised her with a spa package: hair, makeup, Mani-Pedi—the works.

“You deserve a little pampering,” he’d declared, and Merry couldn’t agree more.

The spa was located just a few doors down from her shop, so Merry brought her gown to work to change afterward. They were closing early, something that had shocked her staff. It was the week before Christmas and the last-minute frenzy was in full swing, but she hadn’t been out on a real date in forever—she refused to count the impromptu dinner and grope session on her porch with whacko Johnny—and couldn’t care less about three hours of lost revenue. With everyone gone for the day, she’d have the place to herself to get ready. All that day, she bounced excitedly around the store, eagerly anticipating a night of dining, dancing, and meeting his friends and colleagues, all for a good cause.

Her four o’clock appointment ran longer than expected. This left her rushing into her store fifteen minutes before Reese was supposed to pick her up. As she hurried toward the staff locker room with its full-length mirror, she reminded herself to calm down and breathe. But it wasn’t easy, faced with the challenge of getting into her form-fitting dress without messing up her meticulously styled hair and flawless makeup, a look she’ didn’t have a snowball’s chance of recreating. Not in this lifetime.

***

REESE PULLED INTO THEparking lot at seven on the dot. He’d brought his car, thinking it would be easier for Merry to get into while wearing a floor-length gown and heels. He whistled quietly as he walked toward her shop. She’d slept the night through last night, the first time in a week, which meant he did, too. He’d never tell her, but it had wiped him out and he was glad for a solid eight hours.

In time, he was hopeful both of them could put this horrifying incident behind them. But that didn’t mean he’d let his guard down. He knew better than anyone of the multitude of criminals and would-be felons lurking in the shadows, poised to prey on someone as naïve and trusting as his lovely elf.

With the closed sign clearly in place, he headed to the employee entrance in back. There was a doorbell, but out of curiosity and a sixth sense that his scatterbrained girlfriend was still not as safety conscious as he’d like, he tried the knob. It turned easily in his hand and opened.

Dammit!

“Merry!” he bellowed, his good mood evaporated.

Her faint response came from the other side of the shop. “I’ll be right out. I’m almost ready.”

Closing the door, he flipped the lock and walked down a long hallway through the employees’ only area for the first time. Coming to a stop at the first door, he glanced inside what looked like a break room with tables and chairs and a vending machine. With no sign of her, he continued his search, peering into room after room filled with floor-to-ceiling shelves jam-packed with boxes. It was like a warehouse, and there was no curvy little redhead in sight.

Where the hell was she?

“Merry,” he called again.

“I’m in the locker room.”

“Keep talking so I can find you?”

“About what?” she asked, her voice getting louder the farther down the hall he went.

“You can start by explaining why your back door was unlocked?”

Her silence was answer enough. She’d forgotten to lock up and set the alarm, and charity ball or not, was her butt in trouble.

He’d reached the last door when it opened and a vision in an emerald-green velvet gown appeared. He almost forgot why he was incensed with her—but not quite.

“Did you forget to lock it? Be honest.”

“Yes, I was in a hurry, but I was expecting you any minute.”

“Unacceptable. You have a doorbell for a reason.” His hand rose to her cheek. He came close to rubbing his thumb along her plump lower lip, but her scarlet lipstick looked perfect and he didn’t want to smear it. “You look stunning.”

“Thank you,” she replied, as more color than the blush she wore tinted her cheeks. Her hands came up to smooth his lapels. “You look very handsome in your tux.”

Looking down from his superior height, his gaze keyed in on her neckline, which revealed the upper curves of her rounded breasts and tantalizing amount of cleavage.

“Your dress is lower cut than I’d like. If you bend even a little or breathe, you’ll come out of it.”

“Silly man.” She grinned at him before turning. “It’s not zipped yet. Could you?”

He slid his hands under the soft material and around to the front. Then he bent and kissed a creamy shoulder exposed by the strapless gown. “For what I have in mind, it needs to come off.”

---