Page 36 of It's Mother-Pucking Christmas!

I shook my head. “It’s you!” I loped up to her.

I didn’t let her say hello before I was kissing her, having the opposite effect of chasing out the image of her in my bed.

“I had to threaten to mace your security guard,” Dakota admitted when I leaned back. “Guess he believes me now that we’re dating.”

I grinned against her mouth. I couldn’t help it. I scooped her up and kissed her while she huffed a laugh against my mouth.

“Dating. We’re dating! Going steady.” I kissed her again.

“Oh my god.” She swatted me playfully. “You’re like some 50s movie hero or something. Going steady. I don’t think even my grandmother says that.”

“Fun fact about the term ‘going steady’: today people think it’s prudish, but back then it was scandalous,” I told her. “Young women were encouraged to date around andnotpick one boy to go steady with because people thought if they were going steadythat meant they were more comfortable to… because they were having... well…”

“Going steady meant they were fucking.” Dakota grinned, leaning forward. “Fucking in the back seat of a Pontiac Catalina.” She rested her chin against my chest so she could give me that smile that made my heart melt. “Is this you subtly saying you want to break your third date rule?” she whispered to me.

I kissed her just so my mouth wouldn’t betray me and say yes. “There’s a great article on it, is all.”

Her eyebrows lifted.

“Oh, heck, no. No articles.” I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand.

“What? Send it to me. That sounds really interesting,” Dakota said, grabbing my wrist.

“Really?” I peered at her.

“Yeah. I like long-form articles. My cousin and I trade links all the time. She sent me a real crazy one about the British royal family’s Christmas traditions. They weigh themselves before and after the holiday week.” She took my hands. “My mom’s going to kill me if I ask you this, but do you want to go on date number three?”

“She doesn’t like me?” I forced out, taken aback.

“No, she loves you,” Dakota said quickly. “She just thought I shouldn’t be asking you out since I technically asked the last two times.”

“Or maybe you have an ulterior motive and want to get to the grand finale of date number three.” I wrapped my arms around her, marveling at how perfectly she fit against me.

“It’s not ulterior if I’m basically wearing a sign to that effect.”

I kissed her, couldn’t stop kissing her. “I’m going to take you out somewhere soon, but I haven’t planned it yet,” I admitted. “I want to do something special for you, something wonderful.”

“Don’t. You don’t have to for me.” There was an odd look in her eyes.

I cupped her face. “I do. Because you’re worth it. You deserve to have a man in your life who worships you.”

There was that odd look again.

Maybe that was too much, actually. Yeah, worship was on Rick’s no-no word list.

I should back off.

“I don’t think I can get the date together today though,” I said, readjusting the red knit hat on her head.

“Got five pounds of chicken to eat?”

I grinned because I’d already eaten it that morning. “No, I’m volunteering.”

“More shirtless puppy holding?”

“It’s actually at the senior living center.”

“Don’t get enough love from the girls hanging out outside the locker room?” Dakota teased. “Now you need old women on your list of adoring fans?”

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