Page 11 of Holiday Flame

“What’s that?”

“It’s love. It’s something you can’t see. It’s something you feel.”

His face lights with understanding. “You mean, like the way my mom loves my brother and me.”

“It’s the best gift anyone can get.”

“So I already have the best gift.”

“That’s right.” I pat his shoulder as he hops off my lap. “Now, keep being nice to your brother and good to your mom. Everything will work out.”

As he scrambles away, I make a note to find Tucker’s mom later and offer to buy him and his brother whatever is on top of their Christmas lists this year. If she protests, I’ll tell her I know all too well how hard it is for a single mom. I’ll even tell her I’m just paying it forward.

I glance over Tucker’s shoulder, expecting to see his mom. But instead, my gaze lands on Jade. She’s watching us both with wide eyes. Her lips are slightly parted and her cheeks are flushed.

Clearing my throat, I tear my gaze away from her and finish my talk with Tucker.

After he leaves, Jade and I seem to tiptoe around each other as the last handful of children take their turns. When it’s all over, I push myself up from the chair and head back to the kitchen. This time, it’s not to kill my libido. Instead, it’s to escape the old wounds my conversation with Tucker opened.

Pressing my palms to the counter, I lean over it and take deep breaths. I close my eyes and try to erase the memories of my mom looking dead tired night after night. Working herself to the bone to make sure I had a good Christmas.

A hand rests on my shoulder and I spin. Jade takes a step back, two cups, and nearly stumbles over her elf shoes.

“Sorry.” I grab her arms to keep her standing. “You startled me. Did you need something?”

“I thought you might be thirsty.” She holds up one of the cups. “I brought eggnog.”

“I appreciate that.” But I make no move to take the cup from her. I’m too busy staring into her eyes.

“What you said to the kid…” Her gorgeous eyes start swimming. “You’re a good man, Remington.”

“No. I’m not.”

Especially, because I’m about five seconds away from wrapping my arms around Jade and kissing her until neither of us can think straight.

This is a bad idea. Terrible. It’s the complete opposite of a good idea.

Yet even as my brain is screaming to pull the ejection lever and get the hell out of here, I can’t seem to ignore the pull between us.

Our lips are about to touch when the station’s garage door opens. The children assembled let out a chorus of screams as jingle bells sound through the air.

That must be the reindeer arriving. That’s the only explanation for why the kids are losing their shit at the moment.

It’s enough for my brain’s demands to kick back in. I stop, my lips a breath away from Jade’s. I don’t know whether to be thankful or pissed that we stopped before things got out of hand.

I’m in such a mix of emotions and pent-up sexual frustration, it takes a few moments to realize there’s a cold, wetness on the front of my Santa suit.

Jade and I look down at the same time.

She gasps. “Oh. Shit. I spilled eggnog on both of us.”

“That’s no problem.” I give the front of my suit a little shake. “See, it’s already gone. Nothing sticks to this.”

Her dress is another story. The wet spot on the front of her dress seems to be growing larger. “I—I—“ She takes a step back from me. “I better go take care of this.”

“Wait.” I start after her. “Let me?—”

But she’s already gone around the corner before I can finish the sentence.

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