Page 33 of Holiday Haven

The fact that he was even tempted to tell Krista had shaken him. The more time he spent with her, the more he liked her. The more he wanted her. Why did it seem that Krista was everything Danielle wasn't?

She was so brave, the way she told him about her past. He really did understand her need for family. He'd almost taken her into his arms to comfort her but hadn't wanted to take advantage of the blizzard.

But he’d really, really wanted to.

With low groan, he stood and padded to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Outside the snow had finally stopped and he suspected Krista would be soon heading outside to shovel snow off the sidewalk outside the apartment building.

No way was he going to let her do that chore all alone.

“Good morning.” She came into the kitchen, dressed in snug jeans and a cream colored cable knit sweater. “Are you hungry? I have pancake mix.”

“Sure.” He was more interested in making sure she ate something, so he helped prepare breakfast, enjoying the coziness of her apartment as they ate pancakes sprinkled with chocolate chips.

“I'm sure the roads are plowed by now.” She rose and carried her dirty dishes to the sink. “You'll have a smooth ride home.”

“I'm not leaving yet.” He carried his dishes to the sink too, planning to help her wash them later. “Let’s get that shoveling done.”

“There's no need,” she protested. “It's not a big deal. I do it by myself all the time.”

“No argument.” He tucked his white shirt into the tuxedo pants, hoping they were strong enough to stand a little snow. The dress shoes would be useless, but he didn't care. With the two of them working together, the job shouldn't nearly take as long. “Let's go. I'm not leaving until the sidewalk is clear.”

She rolled her eyes and stomped toward the closet. She rummaged around in there and came up with a spare pair of gloves and a hat. “I don't have boots that will fit you.” She eyed his feet. “Although maybe Mr. Baumgartner’s boots would work.”

“I’ll be fine.” He wasn't desperate enough to take the old man's boots. He pulled on his coat and the borrowed hat and gloves. Krista looked cute, her long dark hair shiny beneath the red cap. It took every ounce of his self-control not to haul her into his arms for a kiss.

He followed her down the stairs to the back of the apartment building where a tiny shed with yard tools was located. She opened the shed and pulled out two snow shovels, handing one to him.

“I'm surprised Mr. Baumgartner doesn't have a snow blower,” he said as they buckled down to work. “Seems like even a guy his age with a bum knee should be able to handle a small snowblower.”

“I think he did once, but it's broken. And I volunteered to take over, for a deduction on my rent.” Her cheeks were red and she was smiling as she threw a load of heavy wet snow off to the side. “I really don't mind. It's a great excuse to get outside.”

He had to agree—there wasn't all that much shoveling to do and the cold, crisp air was refreshing. They worked side by side and companionable silence, finishing most of the sidewalks out back, and then going around to the front.

When the task was finished, he took her shovel along with his and returned them to the shed. As he was closing the door, a snowball connected with the back of his head, sliding with icy coldness down his neck.

“What in the world?” He spun around, expecting to see a couple of kids. Krista giggled uncontrollably, her face radiating guilt. Bending down he grabbed a handful of snow and packed it into a ball. “You're in trouble now,” he threatened, taking a step closer. “If you ask my brothers, they'll tell you I always win when it comes to snowball fights.”

“Oh yeah?” She swung her arm and another snowball hit him square in the chest. “Not this time,” she shouted, before turning to run.

He took aim and let loose, his snowball striking the center of her back. She let out a squeal and then scooped up more snow, spinning around to retaliate. Her next throw went wide. With a competitive grin he threw another one, hitting her in the side of her head. He felt a pang of guilt when she yelled, “Ouch.”

Thankfully she was laughing and gathering more snow, so he relaxed. A snowball came barreling at his head and he ducked just in time to avoid the full blast hitting him in the face.

That had been too close. With a narrowed gaze he gathered up a huge snowball and took off after her. His dress shoes slipped and slid in the snow, but he managed to catch up. Ignoring the cold, he tackled her, taking her down with him into a snowbank.

“Adam!” Her laughter was infectious. He'd planned to wash her face with a fistful of snow but, paused. With snowflakes covering her eyelashes, her cheeks red and her lips parted invitingly, he forgot his original intent. In a heartbeat the playful atmosphere changed into something intense. He lowered his head to kiss her.

So good. She tasted amazing. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him close as she returned his kiss with enthusiasm. He was surprised the snow wasn't evaporating into steam around them. “Krista,” he murmured against her lips. “We're getting soaked.”

“I don't care.” She gazed at him with such desire his legs went numb. Or maybe it was just that his tuxedo pants were soaking wet from lying with her in the snow. Pulling himself together, he levered off her and held out a hand to help her up. He quickly returned to the shed, closing the door securely then took her hand and headed back into the apartment building.

Upstairs, he hovered in her doorway, water dripping off his clothes. “I should probably say goodbye. I—uh, don’t want your apartment to get all wet.”

She held his gaze as she slipped her coat off, then toed off her boots. “I would offer to put them in the dryer but I don't have anything else for you to wear.”

He almost choked at her offer, then realized she was teasing. A ringing phone reached his ears. He patted his pockets, belatedly realizing he'd left it on the kitchen counter.

“It’s yours.” Krista grabbed it, handing the device to him. “I hope it’s not a problem with Joy.”

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