Page 69 of Holding Out For A Holiday Hero

She loved Jake Hale.

Jake stepped in front of her. Or, rather, glided. Very, very awkwardly.

She grabbed him before he could fall onto the ice. “You do not have to do this,” True told him.

“I promised you an ice-skating date.” He regained his balance. Mostly. “We are having an ice-skating date.”

He’d rented out the entire rink for them. Brought wine. Strawberries. He’d confessed that he might have a slight strawberry addiction.

Christmas music played from the rink’s speakers. Beautiful lights hung around the place. The whole thing kinda looked like something from a Hallmark movie.

Then Jake fell on his ass.

And he took her down with him.

She was laughing as she landed on top of him, and he laughed, too. His laughter was rich and deep, and it warmed her whole body from the inside, out. His hands were on her, she straddled him as he pressed against the ice, and True just had to say, “I love you.”

Her words stopped his laughter. Jake shook his head. “Just because I said it…you don’t have to give me the words. I know it’s soon, I know it’s?—”

“I know that I love you. And you’ve only said the words once to me. Though, technically, I think you said them when you were talking to Braden.”

“Bastard.”

“Agreed.” She waited. She also made no move to climb off him.

He stared up at her. “I love you.”

That’s what I wanted to hear. She kissed him. Quick. A dip of her tongue into his mouth. Then she rose to her feet, being very careful to keep the blades of her skates away from him. “If you can catch me, I’ll give you a night you will never forget.”

His gaze blazed. “True.”

She helped him up. It was the least she could do. Then she let him go. “Catch me.”

“Don’t tease.”

“I’m not teasing, it’s a promise.” She turned away from him, but she didn’t rush off. What would be the point in that? True wanted to be caught.

A moment later, his arms closed around her. His warmth sank into her. “Got you.”

Always.

She shifted position so that she could take his hand. They skated around the rink and the lights gleamed and the music played and…

“Merry Christmas, sweets,” Jake told her.

She stopped skating. She turned in his arms. “Merry Christmas, Jake.”

“How about we make a vow? No more murders at Christmas? No more life-or-death moments? Just…you. Me. All the happiness we can stand.” His lips curled into a half-smile.

The sexiest half-smile in the entire world. “I can stand a whole lot of happiness,” True assured him. She curled her hands around his shoulders. “Especially when I’m with you.”

“Are you ready for your present?” True called.

Jake was in bed, naked, and waiting for her. Hell, yes, he was ready. The woman basically had to breathe, and he was ready.

The cops had given him the all-clear to go back inside his condo. True had come with him. They’d gotten a new tree. One somewhere in between Charlie Brown size and the monster they’d had before. One they’d decorated together.

That decorating had been fun. In his mind, he could see them doing that routine every year. And maybe one day, they’d have kids to help them with the tree trimming bit. A little girl he held up so she could put the star on the top. A boy who raced around the tree to help them put the garland in place.

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