Page 328 of Under Her Skin
Taking her wrists, I pull her hands away and hold them to my heart. “Do you feelthat?”
She nods. “It’s your heartbeat. I’m a nurse. I know these things.” She smiles at me, making it beat a littleharder.
“Well, then, Miss Smarty-pants. Tell me who this heart beats for, since you’re a nurse and all.” I kiss her nose, then lick hercheek.
“Yuck, and it better beat for me,” she says, then leans over and licks my cheek. “Because mine beats only foryou.”
As I push her up so I can watch her as she moves and takes me back to the world only she’s ever taken me to, I think about how I can’t see life going badly with her as my partner. Not when my mother thinks it’s a good ideatoo!
A Christmas toRemember
BookSix
Chapter1
BLAINE
December,24th:
Hauling a box full of Santa and elf costumes up the stairs to the costume-rental shop, I lead my brother, who has another box of them to turn in, with me. With Christmas Eve upon us, I have big plans for tonight with Delaney. She’s making some quick rounds today at the hospital before I pick her up as soon as I get done with myerrands.
“Don’t forget about tomorrow, Kent,” I call back to him. “I’d like to have lunch around noon. I know you have that company Christmas party that I’m forgoing so I can have an extra special Christmas Eve withDelaney.”
“Did you get her a ring?” he asks as he moves up besideme.
I put my box down to open the door for us to go inside, then grin at my younger brother. “You’ll just have to wait andsee.”
He laughs as he goes inside, then holds the door for me so I can get my box and go inside too. “I see. No telling anyone about what it is you’re doing to make her Christmas so special. I get it. You’re afraid you’ll jinxit.”
“That’s right. You never know how things will turn out in this crazy world.” I see the lady behind the counter give my brother the onceover.
“Good morning, gentlemen. I hope this Christmas Eve is finding you both well,” she says ingreeting.
“It is,” Kent says and leans on the counter. The lady is wearing a slightly-sexy elf costume. Delaney’s was much sexier. “And I see this day is treating you pretty welltoo.”
She giggles, and I see it’s time for me to make my exit so my brother can make a date. “I’ll leave this return up to you, Kent. I have some things I need to getto.”
“Yeah, I got this,” he says with a suave tone to his voice. Lord help the girl. He’s got her in hissights.
As I get to the door, I see a man dressed as Santa coming toward it, so I pull it open for him. “Here you go,Santa.”
“Thank you,” he says and gives me a nod. Then he stops and looks at me with an odd expression on his white-bearded face. “So, tell me what you’d like this Christmas, youngman.”
With a laugh, I say the first thing that comes to my mind, “Santa, there’s a very sick little girl in The Children’s Hospital. Meagan Sanders is her name. I’d like to see her make a recovery if that’s not too much toask.”
With a wink, he says, “It may not be. One never knows about these things.” Then he comes inside and I smell sugar cookies as he walks by me. “You have yourself a Merry Christmas,Blaine.”
“You too, Santa,” I say then walk out the door. I stop suddenly when I realize he’s said my name. “Hey! How did you …” When I turn back, I don’t see anyone there atall.
I go back inside, take a look around, and go back to the counter where my brother is all but kissing the attendant. He gives me a look that tells me to get lost as he says, “Can I helpyou?”
“Did either of you see a man in a Santa suit?” I ask as I look around for the man who seems to havedisappeared.
“Very funny, Blaine,” Kent says. “No. Did you?” He rolls his eyes as he looks back at thewoman.
“Forget it,” I say, as I see neither one of them would’ve seen anything with the way they’re only looking at each other. So I head back out and go to thecar.
Mr. Green greets me at the back door of the Suburban. “It’s getting chilly out here. You better put that coat on the next time you get out of the car, Mr.Vanderbilt.”
