Page 12 of Her Cowboy Santa
Fair is fair, so I do. Unlike me, he isn’t teasing. Or maybe he is, but it’s a different kind of teasing because he does swipe it across my tongue. I close my lips around his thick digit, sucking on it as the sweet frosting melts in my mouth.
I whimper at the same moment that he swears under his breath. He pulls his thumb free then his lips are crashing against mine. He kisses me like I’m his oxygen, the very thing he needs to breathe.
His hands are squeezing my body, mapping my curves through my clothes. His tongue is tracing my mouth, learning all of the little secret strokes that make me moan.
Every touch is gentle and desperate. We’re both afraid to wake from this beautiful dream, to find that we’re once again lost in a sea of loneliness without the other.
He’s so big, caging me between his body and the wall. With every panting breath, my breasts push up against his chest. My fingers go to his hair, tugging on the short strands. I need more of him. I need us to meld together until we’re one being, one soul sharing a single body.
It’s over too soon, and I blink at the sudden loss of his lips and his touch. I sag weakly against the wall. If the man can kiss like that, I can only imagine what his stamina would be like in bed.
Still rattled, he reaches into the oven. Like me, critical blood flow must have been diverted from his brain to southern regions.
I manage to gasp out, “Mitts!”
He shoves his big hand into one and yanks out the tray. He sets it down with a clatter and turns to me. I expect him to grab me and kiss me again. But he doesn’t. He just stares at me for a long moment, his chest still heaving from our impromptu make-out session. “I want to take you out on a date.”
I run my tongue along my swollen lip. I’m still tingling everywhere. This is not the best frame of mind to be making decisions in. “I’ve kind of sworn off men.”
A pleased expression crosses his face, and he leans in close. “Good. You don’t need a man. You need a cowboy with the stamina to ride all night long.”
Chapter 7
Callie
For our date, Nate and I walk through the Tacky Light Show on Christmas Circle. It’s a neighborhood that does a crazy amount of Christmas lights. At last count, it had over twelve thousand lights and hundreds of decorations.
Danny is with us. He’s strapped in a carrier on Nate’s chest. I love that Nate went out and purchased his own carrier, so he could hold him close.
I also love that he picked a date where Danny and Rudy could come along. We have steaming gingerbread lattes from the Mistletoe Mug, a small coffee shop in town. I love that little place. I met Angel who works there, and she’s the sweetest. I think we could become good friends.
He even got Rudy a puppuccino, and it was so cute to watch him lap up the whipped cream. The cream formed a white mustache on his muzzle that I snapped a picture of on my phone because it made me smile. I do that a lot whenever I’m around Nate and Rudy.
Tonight, we’re not the only ones who had the idea of seeing the Tacky Light Show. There are families milling about along with couples walking hand in hand, a slow murmur of amazement comes from the crowds.
Most of the homes are blaring Christmas carols at top volume, but no one on the street seems to mind. Snow crunches under my boots with every step. More than once, Nate takes my elbow to help me avoid an icy patch.
I’m wrapped up in a scarf and wool coat straight from Mary’s hall closet. I’m learning that Mary often keeps her kitchens and closets stocked with plenty of extra items. Anyone is welcome to the aprons, scarves, coats, and boots she always keeps around in various sizes.
The wool material of this coat and scarf is scratchy yet warm. Our breaths come out in little puffs of air as we talk, exclaiming over the various light shows from each house.
Even though Nate is being casual about it, I see the way he keeps checking on Danny to make sure he’s warm enough and that the winter chill isn’t getting to him.
“This place is magical,” I tell Nate when we see a house with a Santa’s Workshop theme, complete with little elves that run back and forth on a track. They load a sleigh with gifts while an animated Santa is nearby checking items off his list.
“Silver Bell Hollow is an incredible place,” he agrees. “It changed my life in all the best ways. I didn’t know this when I came to Naughty List Ranch, but I have two brothers. I was one of triplets. Mary was the one who figured it out and helped me connect with my brothers in Courage County.”
I nod. “And that’s why you live there now?”
“I went to stay for a summer and fell in love with the tiny town. Plus, it’s nice having my brothers nearby, even if I don’t see them very often.”
“Why don’t you see them very often?” We slow down so a couple of kids can skirt around us. They’re middle school boys teasing each other as they run down the street, enjoying their much-needed holiday break.
“They’re both big, rugged mountain men. They keep to themselves and live quiet lives in their own cabins. Hunter has always hated socializing with people, and my other brother, Ford, used to be a lot more outgoing. But after serving overseas in the military, he came home, and he hasn’t been quite himself since. I think he runs some type of company now from his cabin, but I’m not sure.”
We’re quiet for a moment, as I process all of the things he just told me. I can’t imagine having siblings. I’ve always been an only child.
Finally, Nate asks, “What about you? Do you have family in Asheville?”
