12 Christmas Romances To Melt Your Heart (23 page)

A
lex knew
it was going to happen. Those police perches were manned this time of year, and a car driving around the parking lot for an hour, bypassing coveted parking spaces was suspicious.

“Good evening, officer,” he said, taking out his driver’s license and reaching across her lap to the glovebox for his insurance and registration.

A flashlight was shinned in his face. “You’ve been observed driving around. Did you lose something, sir?”

“No, my girlfriend and I were just working out a few problems.”

Laura leaned down, looked at the officer and smiled. “We’re not doing anything wrong, are we?”

They weren’t but the policeman didn’t know that.

“No, ma’am, I’m just wondering why you’re driving around at such a busy time.”

The cop left to run Alex’s license.

“Please don’t tell me you’re wanted in five states for murder.”

“No, but there was that time in El Paso.” Alex grinned, hoping to break the tension. She was nervous and cops didn’t like it when potential troublemakers got antsy.

“I don’t think they can detain us like this. We’ve done nothing wrong.” The lawyer in her came out, and she reached for the door.

He touched her arm. “Don’t do anything. He’s going to give me my license and tell us to be on our way. This isn’t the time to make a point. After all, we can’t say we’re out here looking for criminals.”

He managed to change her mind, but the stubborn set of her jaw told him this wasn’t over. If the cop made one wrong move, she’d throw her attorney card on the table.

It wasn’t long before he came back. “Sir, it says you work for Avery Security Service and you have a permit to carry a gun. Do you have a weapon on you on in the vehicle?”

“No sir, I don’t.”

The man in uniform visibly relaxed. “Okay. That’s too much paperwork to fill out. Are you out here on a case?”

“No, not really. We just came from Main Street and thought we’d take in the sights.”

“My advice is to head on home now. You and your girlfriend have had plenty of time to see everything.”

“That’s exactly where we’re heading.”

They drove away and Alex let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t know who he feared would make the wrong move, Laura or the police officer.

“Where to now?” he asked. “You want to head somewhere else?”

“No, I think I’ll just check into a hotel and start my search in the morning after I rent a car.”

He stopped at the red light. “Why don’t you stay at my house and we can get an early start?”

She looked like he’d just grown two heads. “Your house? I can’t stay there.”

“Why not?” he asked, without giving it much thought. “I have a perfectly good spare bedroom. You’re welcome to it.” He looked around. “I don’t think you’re going to find much available tonight with all the out-of-town guests.”

She must’ve realized he was right because she stared down at her hands. “I should just give up and go home. Maybe I am being stubborn, but Dad has pulled this kind of stuff before. He needs to stop and appreciate us for who we are.”

Alex didn’t want her to do that. He was enjoying her company too much to drop her off at her parents’ house. For an unknown reason, he wanted to help her defeat her father. If only in a small way.

He knew the odds of them finding a crook were small, but maybe they could witness something, find a lost item, or perhaps help someone out. Because she looked so damned pretty, he wanted to do something that would help to elevate Laura’s status in her father’s eyes.

“I think that would be a little uncomfortable, don’t you?”

“Not at all. My house is plenty big enough for both of us. And you’d be sleeping on the other side of the house.”

“I don’t want to impose.”

“The bed is empty.”

“You sure you don’t mind?” she said softly. “I just don’t want to go home tonight. Dad can’t help but gloat.”

“Let’s stop by the convenience store and grab a six-pack and some chips, and we’ll call it a night.”

“I’d rather have eggnog, homemade cookies and fudge.”

He turned to see if she was kidding. Thankfully, she tossed him a gentle smile. “But I’ll settle for beer, and chips and salsa.”

“Deal.” She looked down at her sweater and doubt clouded her eyes. “I have no extra clothing or even a toothbrush.”

“You’ll survive one night.”

Alex wondered what the hell he’d gotten into. While he had feelings for Laura, he didn’t know if her spending the night was a good thing for his heart. Of course, he knew nothing sexual would happen. Still, he wasn’t completely comfortable with her beneath his roof.

What would Thomas say? They’d never discussed him being with Laura. They could claim this was just a friendship thing. She didn’t feel comfortable going home, and he offered his spare bed.

There, plain and simple with no explanation needed. Unless Thomas pried, then he’d know that Alex had helped Laura in her pursuit of the non-existent robber and that they’d had dinner and she’d ended up in his home.

That wouldn’t sound good if Thomas became too inquisitive. He knew his job wasn’t in jeopardy and that Thomas trusted him with everything in the business. He hoped that also extended to his daughter.

She waited in the car while he ran inside the store and grabbed the drinks and snacks. Back in the vehicle, he drove to his house and inwardly thanked his lucky stars that his cleaning lady had been there today.

“We’re all set for a comfortable night on the couch watching
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
,” he said. “Doesn’t that sound exciting?”

“I guess.” Doubt gathered in her blue eyes that were remarkably similar to his own. “You won’t get into trouble with Father, will you?”

“We’re both adults. What can he say?”

She hefted a heavy sigh and said, “Okay, I’m game if you are.”

O
nce inside Alex’s home
, Laura’s discomfort grew to new heights. Being in her father’s employee’s house wasn’t exactly where she wanted to be. Suddenly this seemed like a bad idea, but she had no way to gracefully bow out and not hurt his feelings.

Damn her father.

While she stood in the middle of a very nicely decorated living room with an open, but chic décor, Alex disappeared into the kitchen. Standing at the counter, he opened the beer, poured the salsa in a bowl and grabbed the bag of chips

In the living room he cleared off the coffee table and put everything down. “Have a seat and get comfortable.”

Laura looked at the choices. There was a big comfortable couch, a leather recliner and a small accent chair. She opted for the farthest from the couch which meant the chair. It was also a long way from the coffee table.

He took off his suit coat, removed his tie and undid the top button on his white shirt. Then he slowly rolled up his sleeves, exposing muscular forearms dusted lightly with fine hair. He kicked off his shoes and pulled the end of his shirt out of his pants. For all the years she’d known him, never once had she seen him in such a relaxed state of dress. Instead, he’d been buttoned up tightly without a hair out of place. Meticulous was the word she’d use to describe him. Alex wasn’t your regular rugged, untamed stud. All his power was carefully hidden behind a façade of controlled temperament.

Looking away, she didn’t like when Alex pulled a reaction out of her, even when she stubbornly refused to acknowledge he was in the room. Standing in the middle of the floor, she crossed her arms. “This is a nice place.”

He eased down on the couch. “I like it.”

“You,” she said, licking her lips, “live here alone?”

He stilled and their gazes clashed. “You think I’d invite you to my home if there was another woman?”

“Well.” She swallowed. “We are just friends.”

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t do that.” He wrinkled his nose. “Too tacky.”

He was right and she’d been rude to bring it up.

She ignored the chair and plopped down on the floor next to the chips and beer. Dinner had been delicious, but she’d eaten very little. Being with Alex in a fabulous restaurant wearing her yoga pants and a sweater had made her more uncomfortable than she could imagine.

After watching TV for a while, they finished the last beers, and she stood up and stretched. “Where do I sleep?”

“Right through there.” He pointed to the other side of the kitchen.

“Goodnight,” she called out on her way to bed. “Thanks for letting me crash here.”

“Not a problem.” Maybe not for her, but Alex was having a difficult time being in the same room with her and not at least trying to steal a kiss. The only thing stopping him was the thought that she’d smack him.

He cleaned up the mess on the coffee table and went into his bedroom. He showered and crawled into bed naked, as usual. But he couldn’t stop thinking about her being so close to him. Having Laura in his house made him toss and turn.

He’d no sooner drifted off into a troubled sleep when he heard a bloodcurdling scream. He jumped from bed, slipped on his shorts, grabbed his gun and ran into the living room, right into the arms of Laura.

“There’s someone trying to break in.”

She hugged his bare chest and practically climbed up his body. Looking around, Alex noticed the French doors to the backyard were open. He peeled her off of him and placed her safely in a corner. “Stay right there while I look around. The alarm didn’t go off so I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“But there was a loud pop. Like a gunshot.”

When he tried the light, Alex realized why. The power was out. And the wind and trees swaying against the house made an eerie sound.

He walked over and looked around the bedroom. A tree limb had blown against the window, leaving a big hole. Rain had come in because he stood on a wet carpet. Outside, the storm stirred madly. A few limbs lay in his yard and his neighbor had lost a large tree.

He went back to her. “It’s a really bad storm. We’ve lost power, and I can barely see outside, but several branches are down, as well as a few trees.”

“That must’ve been what I heard.”

“No, the pop was probably from a transformer.”

“So what do we do?”

That’s when he noticed she wore nothing but her sweater. His mouth went dry as he squinted into the darkness to get a better look. Her long legs were beautiful in the dim light.

She grabbed his bicep. “What do we do?”

“We can’t go outside. Driving is out of the question. There might be live wires down.”

“So, we’re trapped here?”

“Not exactly trapped. We can easily ride out the storm.”

“You don’t think a tree will fall on the roof.”

He instinctively looked up. “I sure hope not.”

She glanced at the darkened living room. “I think I might sleep on the couch.”

He took a flashlight out of a kitchen drawer and led her back to the spare room. “Get dressed and we’ll sleep in my bed.”

She stopped in mid-step. “Are you kidding?”

“No, I’m not,” he said, turning to stare at her. “It’s the dead of winter, and we have no heat. The storm won’t blow over for a while. How do you suggest we stay warm?”

She quickly bundled up the blankets off the bed and grabbed her clothing. Dragging them to the couch, she stubbed her toes several times on the way, as well as walking into a solid wall before she tossed the covers down.

“I’m sleeping right here.”

“That’s fine with me, but you’re going to get cold.”

“I’m tougher than I look,” she said, shoving her long hair out of her face.

Funny, her standing there in his living room, she’d never looked so small and vulnerable. “Suit yourself. I’m putting my pants on should you get cold.”

He returned to his bed and scooted beneath the covers. It would get a lot colder before the night was over.

L
aura was as frozen
as a Popsicle and her toes were numb. The couch was uncomfortable, and a mountain of blankets wasn’t enough to get her warm. She stood, slung the biggest blanket over her shoulder and braved the forbidden area.

Alex’s bedroom.

She didn’t dare walk in there. What would he think? Her thoughts were a mess as her body shook and trembled from the freezing temperatures.

Unable to feel her toes, she strode toward his open, inviting door. She tapped lightly. He rose immediately and grabbed the gun on his nightstand. “What?”

“I’m freezing,” she said with her teeth chattering. “I can’t sleep.”

He put the gun down and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Then he tossed back the covers as an open invitation for her to join him. She took one pensive step over the threshold of the room and stopped.

“Come here, before you freeze.” He looked toward the window. “It will be daylight soon. Let’s get what little sleep we can.”

“I don’t know. You and I in the same bed together isn’t a good idea.”

He laid his head back on the pillow. “Suit yourself. I’m exhausted.”

Shivering, she darted to his bed, crawled beneath the covers and scrunched into the fetal position to keep warm.

“Come here,” he said, pulling her against his bare chest. “Let’s be sensible. It’s cold and we’re simply going to use each other’s heat to stay warm.”

She didn’t feel that was the situation at all. She was in Alex’s home, now in his bed. What were the odds nothing was going to happen? With her still shaking, he pulled her tightly against him and her heart did flip-flops inside her chest. As her discomfort increased, so did the warmth.

Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea, after all.

Alex woke to the furnace working and the light on his bedside clock blinking. The power was back on, but cute little Laura Avery was stuck to him like wallpaper. Both her arms were around his neck, her legs were entwined with his and her face was tucked seductively into the crook of his neck.

Not a bad way to wake up.

Knowing it wasn’t a good idea to linger, he untangled her from his body and stepped into the shower. He dressed quickly and went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, only to find he didn’t have any in the cupboard.

Debating on making a coffee run, he decided against it because he didn’t want her to panic if she woke up alone. So he waited for her to come out of the bedroom.

It didn’t take long. Wearing her rumpled clothes, her hair all tangled around her face, she said, “Please say you have coffee.”

“No, fresh out. But if you hurry, we can go to a small shop right down the street. They make delicious pastries as well.”

She looked down at her clothes. “I’m a mess.”

“Just comb your hair. No one will notice and if they do, so what?”

“I don’t have a brush.”

“Feel free to use anything in my bathroom.”

She disappeared, only to return in a matter of a few minutes. Shrugging on her coat, she headed for the door.

“You must be a morning coffee person,” he said with a chuckle.

“I’m an all-day coffee person.”

After driving around several blocks of debris all over the roads, they finally made it to the little neighborhood coffee shop. He could only imagine what the main thoroughfares looked like.

Getting out of the car, Alex and Laura made their way inside. The place was busy, but most people were lined up at the carryout station. They quickly found a table and soon had a piping hot cup of coffee clutched in their hands. He breathed in the rich aroma and moaned. “They make the best coffee.”

“I hope so. I’m in desperate need today.”

“I’m sorry about last night. By the surrounding area, it looks like that storm was pretty bad.”

“I apologize for moving into your bed, but I was so cold.”

“It’s okay,” he said then took a sip of coffee. “If you don’t mind, let’s keep that between us. I rather your father didn’t find out we slept together.”

Lowering her gaze, she winced. “I agree that wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“Well, tonight you get to sleep in your room at your parents’ house.”

As she sipped the morning brew, Laura didn’t look happy.

“I was a little surprised to learn that the elegant, sophisticated and intelligent Laura Avery snores like a buzz saw,” he said.

Instantly her gaze met his flashing blue eyes. “That’s not true.”

He held up his hand. “Scout’s honor.”

“I don’t snore.”

“Yes, you do. I must say the man you marry is going to have a lot to overcome. I’m a pretty sound sleeper, and you woke me up several times. I even tried rolling you over on your side, but it didn’t work.”

Laura’s face felt like she’d been in the sun for hours. It was nice that they could have coffee together in a light mood. Their pastries came, and she leaned toward him. Seeing the glint in his eyes, she realized he was kidding. “That’s a lie, Alex Sanders. I do not snore.”

Shrugging nonchalantly, he rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say. But, I’d warn any man I planned to stay with. A guy has a right to know he’s sleeping next to a diesel engine.”

Her lips tightened and she squinted her eyes. “I’ve never had any complaints before,” she said smugly. “None at all.”

“You sure they were human?”

Angry, she drank her coffee, ate her pastry and glared at him. “You’re mean.”

“Truthful.”

“That’s according to you.”

He laughed. “I’m only teasing.” He propped his chin on his palm. “So, how many
complaints
have you had?”

Her mouth formed a perfect O and her eyes widened. “That’s a very personal question to ask.”

He shrugged. “Just curious.”

“Well, don’t be. That’s rude.”

Laura had never been asked such a question so bluntly, and it shocked her that Alex would even care. “I’d never expect you to answer a question like that.”

“Good,” he said, putting down his cup. “Because I wouldn’t.”

Tilting her head, Laura glared. “Then why ask me?”

“I’m just in an ornery mood today. You have to forgive me. I didn’t get much sleep.”

“I’d rather punch you.”

He lifted his dark brows and changed the subject. “You like the coffee and pastry?”

“It’s delicious, but not good enough to make me forget how ill-mannered you are.”

Alex leaned back and gave her a crooked, but sexy smile. “Oh, I’m not that bad.”

“Yes, you are.” She shook her head and tsked. “Asking a lady such a question.”

“I only did it because your father has never mentioned you having anyone special.” He leaned closer. “It’s almost like you never date.”

Her chest constricted and her mouth went dry. It wasn’t that she never dated. So far, none of them ever really interested her. And when she forced herself, it ended badly. Really badly.

“Who are you? Dr. Phil? I’ve gone out with all the guys I wanted to. I’m just not into speed dating. And in no hurry for a serious relationship.”

He slowly shook his head. “You don’t feel your biological clock ticking?”

As their cups were being refilled, she waved her hand. “The female species doesn’t do that anymore. Having a family isn’t every career woman’s dream.”

“So, no kids or husband for you?”

“I’m not sure.” She nibbled on her bottom lip and tried not to sound like she was desperate for an excuse not to be married. “I haven’t met the right one yet.”

“Hmm, would you recognize him if you saw him?”

She thought about that for a few minutes. Maybe she wouldn’t because she’d had so many bad experiences. Sneaking a glance at Alex, Laura couldn’t help but wonder if he was the right one.

Sleeping next to him last night had been the most exciting thing she’d done with a man in years and they hadn’t even had sex. Yet, she’d been content to cuddle up next to him.

Inwardly groaning, she looked away. This wasn’t in the cards for her. Her father would have a fit. Alex was so handsome she wondered if he’d eventually wander off to an affair, and just why he wasn’t married.

“Let’s talk about you,” she said, her brows lifted. “No wife and kids in the future?”

A smile stretched his mouth. “There’s nothing I’d like more. I dream of a house full of kids and a wonderful wife who likes to cook.”

Well, that counted her out. No house full of kids for her, and cooking was an art she had no desire to learn. “Have you found someone like that?”

“Not yet, but I will.”

“So, she just has to be willing to reproduce and be Martha Stewart, huh?”

“Not just that. I admire intelligence, a witty personality, a sexy maniac in bed and someone I can grow old with.” He grinned. “Hopefully she won’t snore.”

She sent him a sarcastic smile. “You’re so charming.”

“I know.” He gave her a toothy grin she was sure he knew would only annoy her.

“Shall I get you home?”

She huffed out a breath then rose to her feet. “I guess. I might as well face Father’s wrath and get it over with.”

They stood to leave when suddenly two guys pushed through the door. One held a gun. “Don’t nobody move or they’re dead.”

Alex reached over and pulled her against his side. “Be calm,” he whispered.

She nodded, not wanting to have anything to do with the robbery in progress. She held up her shaking hands. Alex seemed cool and observant.

The men were in their early twenties, one tall, the other shorter. Then it dawned on Laura. Those were the guys. The same ones they’d made out on the mall surveillance camera.

So, they not only stole from people coming out of the malls, they worked the small businesses too. “That’s them.”

“Shh,” Alex hissed.

The shorter man walked up to her, placing his face inches from hers. “What’d you say?”

“Nothing, nothing at all,” she said, shaking her head. Suddenly her knees grew weak with fear.

The robber put his fist in her face and gritted his teeth. “Another word and you’re dead.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and inched closer to Alex.

“And don’t go thinking your man there can save you, ’cause he can’t.”

“Leave her alone,” Alex said. “She’s just scared.” He looked around. “We all are. Take what you want and leave.”

The taller man who’d ordered the cashier to put the contents of the register in a plastic Walmart bag moved closer. “Don’t go telling us what to do.” He raised the gun. “All you, empty your purses and pockets on the table.”

Several people did as instructed, but when she reached for her purse, Alex stopped her. “Take the money and get out. Leave these people alone.”

The man with the gun stuck it in Alex’s face. “How about I blow your head off?”

“There’s a big difference between waving a gun around and killing someone in cold blood,” Alex said. “Go on, do yourself a favor and leave before someone gets hurt and you end up spending the rest of your life in prison.”

The gunman cocked the weapon. Before he could bring it down to shoot, Laura grabbed the glass sugar dispenser and threw it. She struck the man in the head. He screamed, grabbing his temple. While the robber was distracted, Alex pulled out his weapon and fired twice in the man’s chest. Sliding down, the thief looked surprised that his life was coming to an end.

Alex pointed his gun at the smaller guy who headed toward the door. “Hold it right there and get on the floor.” When the man followed his directions, Alex said. “Someone call 911.”