Page 1 (1/2)

Chapter 1

Holding on to her hat, Mia ran along the streets on her killer four-inch red heels, herin the breeze Late She was late

It was the story of her life

"Hey, Mrs Claus!" a construction worker yelled "I need so it over here!"

This was accouy’s coworkers

Mia flipped thehter She ht not be New York born or bred, but she’d learned to fit in just fine

"Wow, are you real?" a little kid asked inin her costu

Except if there’d really been a Santa Claus, she’d have happily crawled onto his lap and whispered her greatest wish--to be picked For her softball team, for her internship, for a relationship, it didn’tto her, but so

Finally, she skidded into the restaurant and stopped to catch her breath, se of clothes in her bag; she just needed to get to the ladies’ rooht into a warm, hard body

Nick

Her first reaction was embarrassment at her costu drinks at a corporate Christet into her cute little black dress before Nick caught sight of her

And then there was her second reaction, which , because he looked heart-stoppingly great tonight

"You’re thinking so hard your hair’s s

Mia reached out to touch her hair, but Nick caught her hand in his and smiled "Like the look," he said "Is it for me?"

"No!" But she smiled back at him because it was iht LBD inThat’s for you"

He took her hands and spread the the skimpy Mrs Claus costume "Mmm, I’m happy to settle for this" His sun-kissed hair was the saed whiskey in the bottle on the bar behind hiht from work His tie was loosened, his shirt sleeves shoved up past his deliciously corded forear su as a manual laborer for tuition money

But it wasn’t his looks that stopped Mia’s heart

"Love that s her feel like the prettiest woman in the world She had it bad for him, and knew it

The hostess seated the candle and a sprig of mistletoe Nick picked the mistletoe up, held it over Mia’s head, and then leaned in for a kiss He squeezed her hand, his callused thu over her palm She’d never considered her palm a particularly sensual spot before, but his touch altered her breathing and made her shiver

Or maybe that was just him

His eyes darkened as he pulled back "Hmm," he said, his voice like sex on a stick "I definitely want to knohat you’re thinking now"

"It’s you," she blurted out "You have the ht her hand up to his mouth and nipped the pad of her thumb "And just think, hed "And as I’ve seen all your parts, I’m in a position of authority to verify this as fact"

"Maybe you should re-verify later Just to rin

Mia knew she could get lost in hiet distracted by his sexiness, not tonight She’d co hiht to her aunt Chloe’s Christ across the country on a whi the people who ood hi the holiday with hi, because this was a beautiful, expensive restaurant that they’d talked about but had never been to It was intimate, and exquisitely decorated for the holidays, and she hoped that maybe Nick had a surprise of his own up his sleeve

They’d been dating for six y and Nick working his very fine butt off studying and passing the bar exaraduate school and was currently halfway through her first year, and Nick orking around the clock to e debt--which was currently rivaling the size of the national deficit So his restaurant choice had to ht he’d finally use the L-word?

Her heart picked up at the thought because that would be a most excellent Christmas present But whatever his plans, Nick seemed in no hurry He ordered appetizers, teased her about what she ht have on beneath the Mrs Claus outfit, and coaxed the details of her day out of her

They ordered wine, and he touched his glass to hers, his eyes warht had involved the secluded, deserted--and thankfully enclosed--rooftop patio of his five-story walk-up, where he’d loosened her inhibitions with slow, steady hands and an incredibly talented ed him to take her

He’d acquiesced, twice Just the ht," she said, her voice all Marilyn Monroe whispery, giving her away

His smile was as slow and steady as his hands, and bad-boy wicked He didn’t care about the rain

"You’re wearing your new clothes," she pointed out "You’ll ruin the money, he never seemed to put much importance into possessions In fact, he’d applied to work at a nonprofit law office providing restorative justice across the country He wanted to try to save the kids who’d ot the job, he’d be traveling far and wide, and she’d lose him She’d known this

She’d fallen for him anyway

Helplessly

The question was still the saiven up at birth, but Mia had been adopted by a wonderful couple who’d become mom and dad to her Nick hadn’t been as lucky, and didn’t feel the same need for ties that she did He was a lone wolf

She, on the other hand, had been born to be part of a pack

Nick leaned in close and kissed her just beneath her ear "Have you ever had sex in the rain, Mia?"