Page 99 of The Christmas Fix
“Thanks. Bring some wine for you and my dad.”
“Oh, uh. Sure. Okay,” Cat said, baffled. They were supposed to be keeping this… romance a secret. Sara wasn’t supposed to know that her father was doing the horizontal mambo with Cat. “What time should I be there?”
“Eight,” Sara said, decisively. “We’re having salmon.”
“Okay. I’ll see you at eight,” Cat said.
Sara grinned. “Awesome! See ya tonight, Cat!” She turned and scampered off grabbing April’s arm and dragging her friend off to giggle somewhere about twelve-year-old things.
Cat shook her head and picked up her truly excellent chicken wrap.Kids.
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She meant to text Noah to confirm but got sucked into watching playback, and by the time she slipped away, she barely had enough time to shower and change. For the first time in her life, Cat wasn’t sure what to wear. What did the woman secretly sleeping with a twelve-year-old’s father wear to a family dinner?
She finally settled on jeans and an emerald green sweater with a V-neck. She pulled on a pair of suede booties and braided her still damp hair over her shoulder. Stylish, but not too sexy, she decided, studying herself in the mirror. Now she just had to remember not to grab Noah’s crotch or straddle him at the dinner table, and everything would be fine.
Since the night was cold as hell, and she was already running close to late, Cat drove the six blocks to Noah’s. She grabbed the wine Henry had selected and hurried up the porch steps. After a brief moment of debate of knocking or ringing the bell, she stabbed the bell with her gloved finger.
She heard yelling and footsteps, and then Noah was opening the door.
“Hi,” she said, breathlessly. He looked tousled and tasty. His hair was ruffled. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and was barefoot. She was definitely overdressed.
“Hey.” Noah’s face went through a range of emotion. Excitement, pleasure, lust, and then confusion. “What are you doing here?” he asked quietly, stepping out onto the porch with her.
“I’m here for dinner,” Cat reminded him. “Did I get the time wrong?”
“Dinner?” he repeated, blinking.
“Oh, good! You’re here,” Sara called from the foyer. “Geez, Dad, let her in before she freezes.”
Wordlessly, Noah stepped aside, and Sara pulled Cat inside.
“I hope you’re a good cook because we’re just getting started,” Sara said, practically dragging Cat’s coat off her shoulders.
“Uh, your dad didn’t seem to know that I was coming to dinner,” Cat pointed out.
Sara wrenched the bottle of wine away from Cat and handed it over to Noah. “Here, Dad. Go open this.”
“You want to explain why you’re inviting dinner guests over without telling me first?” Noah asked.
Sara rolled her eyes and ignored their questions. “Cat, take your shoes off. Dad, open the wine. Then we’ll chat.”
They both watched as Sara bopped back to the kitchen where a cheery pop song was playing.
“What’s happening?” Cat whispered.
“I think we’re being played,” Noah whispered back. “You look incredible by the way. I’ve missed you.”
Cat reached out to hold onto his arm while she pulled off her boots. “I might have missed you, too.”
“What are you wearing under that sweater?” Noah asked, peering down the neckline of her shirt.
“I don’t think you’re going to find out tonight,” Cat said, nodding toward the kitchen.
“Dad! Wine!” Sara yelled from the depths of the house.
“We’d better get back there,” he said, giving her subtle cleavage another look of longing.
