Page 34 of Planes, Trains, and Candy Canes

“What? A whole ten? Girl, your standards might be low.” Julie shook her head with a pitying frown.

“No. I’m giving him a ten out of ten because he put me first if you know what I mean, and he did it after two flights, a rental car debacle, and two of my crazy-ass schemes, all while running on a rubbery bagel and questionable burger. Imagine what he can do when he’s rested!” Reese patted the red lingerie in her pocket. “Tonight we’re going to share sugar cookies and comedies at his place. If I have my way, he’ll be getting a lot more than cookies for dessert. Speaking of that... Can one of you give me a lift to his house? Tomorrow, we’re going to go car shopping at Manny’s Automotive.”

“I’ll do it!” Julie shouted. “No, Evie, put your hand down! I’ll do it, I said it first.”

“Then give me time to do a little lady-scaping, okay? I’ll be downstairs in an hour, and I demand my rights as the fun aunt to bake cookies with my nieces and create a huge mess in the kitchen.”

DERRICK: I MADE YOUa code for the front door. It’s 12 23, the day we met. Push the Lock button, then the code, and the front door will open. I’m upstairs, and I have a Christmas surprise for you.

Reese: I’m here. I’ll be right in.

Reese waved goodbye as Julie pulled away. She re-read Derrick’s text with a fast-beating heart before slipping the phone into her pocket.

A Christmas surprise, hmmm?

She keyed in the code on the pad by the door and heard a metallic grinding as the lock opened. High-tech. A smart house for a smart guy. She was touched that he had given her a code, even if she realized that it would be comically easy to undo that and remove access with a few clicks on his keyboard or phone app.

For now... she felt special.

And especially naughty.

“I’m hee-eere,” she called.

“I’m upstairs. I have something to surprise you, but it’s up here, and I can’t come down. Want to come up?”

“Be right there!”What could he be surprising me with? As if I didn’t know.

Reese hesitated for a moment before stepping into the small living room. She closed the curtains as she looked at the sparsely furnished space—and almost tripped over something in the entryway.

A toy plane.

A toy car.

Several cars of a Christmas choo-choo train that was painted red, black, and green with gold numbers on the sides. Each toy led her closer to the staircase leading up to the second floor.

There was a candy cane on each and every step leading higher.

He’s too much.

I’m going to spoil the hell out of him.

Reese pulled off her figure-hugging jeans and dressy black and red top that she’d chosen as the perfect blend of sexy and casual. Underneath, she was anything but dressed down. Ared lace thong showed off her cheeks and her smooth, shaved mound. A balconette bra with cups that barely covered her nipples shimmered in the lights of a tiny Christmas tree on the dining room table.

“Coming, baby!” Reese kicked off her shoes and retrieved the Santa hat that her nieces had insisted she wear on her “date.”

DERRICK SAT PERCHEDin his office chair in the second bedroom of his townhouse. It was his home gym-slash-home office. Right now, he was trapped in the chair by a sleeping, purring surprise that he didn’t want to disturb.

His silence didn’t last for long. Reese walked right past his office door and turned towards his bedroom—giving him the hottest view in the universe as she called “Surprise!” into the empty bedroom.

“Reese!” he whispered.

She whirled, long hair flying, and almost lost her balance as she gasped and put an arm across her chest. “Derrick! I thought you were—I thought the surprise was—oh my God? Is that a cat?”

Derrick shook his head and held up two fingers. “Two cats. Ten-week-old kittens.” He pointed to the black and white ball in his lap, where the two cats were sleeping in an intertwined circle. “They’re in a perfect cuddle puddle. I thought they’d take forever to warm up to me, but about ten minutes ago, they both jumped up in my lap and decided to sleep. That’s why I didn’t meet you downstairs. I hope you don’t think I’m a bad host.”

Reese tiptoed over to him.

He swallowed hard. Every naughty holiday fantasy he’d ever had was coming to life—down to the red velveteen hat with white fur and Reese’s sweet but seductive smile.

---