Page 25 of Pining for Christmas

Gray eyes flick to me, amused, then Saxon watches the road as we pull out onto the street. “And you can pick. Choose wisely, Ali Cat.”

Oh, I will.

Saxon is gonna let me decorate his Christmas tree? Maybe other parts of his apartment too?

This will be my goddamn masterpiece.

Saxon

Should’ve known I was setting myself up for trouble when I took Alison out for the day. Oh, I cleared it with Charles and with the rest of the security team, obviously, but I should’ve run it past my own common sense a few more times first.

Her and me.

Alone.

Was so sure I could handle it like a professional, andnowlook at me. I’m worn ragged already, trailing after Alison between rows and rows of Christmas trees in pots, taking an Olympic level of effort to keep my eyes off her tight, swaying ass.

Her red t-shirt is on back to front. Should I point that out? What if she whips it clean off right out here in the open air and gives me a heart attack?

“What about this one?” Ali stops at a squat, chubby-looking tree, stroking her fingertips over the branches. “Are your ceilings high? How much space are we working with?”

Every time I get close to her, I smell the shampoo scent clinging to her damp hair. It’s driving me crazy.

“Plenty of space,” I say, pointing my nose into the warm breeze instead. It smells like baked dirt, juniper, and car exhaust—and like those Christmas tree-scented air fresheners that people dangle from their wing mirrors, though I guess this is the real deal. “Just don’t pick a massive tree meant for a town square and we’re good.”

Ali giggles, flashing a smile back over her shoulder, and I about crash to my knees in worship.

Not good. It’s early in the morning for my control to be so threadbare.

Guess it’s no surprise. I spent all night by her side, after all, holding her hand through that party, and that would wear down any man’s defenses.

Charles lectured me about it—about keeping Ali from her hostess duties.

Works for me. I’ll take the blame each time, and she can spend the parties unbothered. I’d do a lot more to assure this girl’s happiness.

The sun rises slowly into a pale blue sky, with scattered puffs of cloud pushed by the breeze. And Ali takes an age to pick her tree, strolling through a bristly green maze, but I don’t mind the wait, trailing along behind her with my hands in my pockets. Gives me a chance to keep an eye out, scanning our environment for threats. I’m armed, like always, but I don’t have backup out here, so I need to stay sharp.

Sure, this little caper means I’m working on my day off, but what else would I be doing otherwise? What else would be better? I’d probably just hit the gym, same as always, and try to sweat out the last few years’ worth of sexual frustration.

“Can we pick up decorations on the way to your place?” Ali calls back to me. She’s got her hands on her hips, eyeing up a tall spruce.

I scratch my chin. “Yeah.”

Just as well that she asked, because it’s not like I’ve got anything at home Ali can use. Truth be told, I’ve never bothered much with decorating for the holidays—not even string lights. What’s the point when I live alone, and spend most of my time at the Wainwright place anyway?

But I can get in the spirit.

I can have Ali in my space for a few hours without losing my mind.

This is fine.

* * *

Fuck, it’s hard being alone together. All our usual rules keep fading away, receding in my mind’s eye until I almost forget that Alison is a Wainwright, that she’s my boss’s daughter, and that this is a professional relationship. Supposed to be, anyway.

It just all feels soright.Being with her; the two of us alone. Undisturbed and uninterrupted for hours together, first picking out a tree at the farm, then stopping off for decorations, then finally swinging by a roadside diner to chow down an early lunch before we head to my place.

Everything is easy with Alison. I’m never much of a talker with anyone else, never have much to add, but with her, I’ve got things to say. And she laughs easily, smiles easily, is so quick to please that it gets me thinking ridiculous thoughts.

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