Page 5 of Sinning for Santa

Terrifying.

Not an ounce of playfulness there.

Something shifts in the air between us, and I’m no longer sure if I’m safer in here, or out in the church where the gunmen have fallen quiet.

“Figure it out. I’m under fire. Two shooters.” The man barks into his phone, and I don’t delay any further, quickly reaching around his back again, this time up higher until my fingers brush cold metal.

A quiet gasp escapes me. I don’t know why. Maybe I didn’t believe him when he said he had a gun. Or maybe because it is a gun, and I’ve never actually touched one before. People don’t just have guns here in Australia.

A little scared that by touching it, it’ll somehow shoot me, I grip the hilt of the metal, my palm sweaty as I tug it free. It’s heavier than I thought it would be. Bigger too as I try to quickly slide it between the back of his body and the door.

“Get it fucking done.” The man snaps into the phone before ending the call, and with a trembling hand, I produce his weapon, hoping that’ll make him less angry.

“Thanks, love.” He winks again.

What the hell… he’s playful again. Is he flirting with me?

“Open the booth!” a voice yells from out in the church and a whimper escapes me as I duck my head into his chest.

“Shhh.” The man whispers against my ear, “You’re safe with me.”

“Maybe we got him,” another voice says.

“Man, look at the door. The bullets didn’t go through. He’s in there.”

Was he telling the truth before? Are the confessional doors really bulletproof?

“Looks like it’s time for me to go out there,” the man says quietly shifting in the small space, before pressing his phone to my chest. “Look after this for me, love.”

“What?” I whisper-yell. “You can’t go out there. You’ll die.”

“Probably,” he agrees, still bloody smirking. “Give us a kiss then.”

“What!” I squeak and he chuckles.

“If I’m going to die, I’d like a last kiss.” He leans in closer, his lips hovering near mine.

“You can’t be serious,” I say breathlessly as his nose brushes mine, his warm breath fanning over my lips.

“I’m deadly serious, Miss Summers. You’re not going to deny a dying man his last wish, are you?”

Even though the men out in the church are still yelling for him to come out, all I can focus on is the way he presses into me, the way his spicy scent envelops me, the way his lips hover so closely near mine that I can feel their heat.

Is it cheating if I do this? It’s his dying wish and he's absolutely about to die. Surely Eddie would find this acceptable.

“No.” I breathe, giving in so easily, and the next second, his lips claim mine.

Everything I have been fighting against, my urges, my sinful desires, my past, fall away as I finally give in to temptation and indulge.

This man might be having his last kiss, but I’m having my first.

Well, it feels like that anyway, because I’ve never in my life been kissed like this before.

He parts my lips with his tongue, diving in and brushing against mine, and oh, a familiar ache shoots between my legs as I moan into his mouth.

His fingersdelve into my blonde hair, tugging the strands at my nape, causing my head to tip back in a way that has him deepening the kiss.

I’m hot. From head to toe a fire licks underneath my flesh, my tense muscles melting away like butter as I take everything he’s giving.

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