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Ashgrove
    Jesse's face burned with hot color. "Um."
    "Really, I mean it." The woman stopped, leaned closer,
    and whispered, "Your fiance is gorgeous."
    If it were possible, her cheeks heated even more. "He's not
    the groom. And I'm not the bride. I'm not even in the
    wedding. I grew up with him, we're just having lunch."
    The blonde's features fell as her mouth dropped into a
    dainty O. Quickly recovering, she snapped her mouth shut
    and gave Jesse a short nod. "Well. You'll still like the tux."
    She pushed behind a heavy curtain, her voice carrying down
    the hall, "Mister King, how's that working for you?"
    Out of her element and uncomfortable, Jesse turned to
    inspect a rack of evening gowns. Weddings had never been
    her thing. Once or twice in college, she'd been a bridesmaid,
    but the fervor her friends shared eluded her. If she ever
    managed to take a trip down an aisle, she'd much rather wear
    something she could use again in life and skip the expense of
    elaborate ceremonies. A few words under the big oak at the
    park would work just fine.
    "Whatcha think, Jesse?" Clint's voice rumbled behind her.
    She turned around, and her breath caught. Good Lord, he
    filled out that tuxedo perfectly. Accented by the crisp cut, his
    broad shoulders screamed strength and power. The starched
    white shirt beneath didn't bunch or sag and fit trimly into the
    dark crimson cummerbund around his narrow waist. No tails,
    but then those would have been reserved for Alex.
    "Does it fit okay?" He turned around on a heel. "I think the
    cuffs are a little long still."
    69

    A Christmas to Believe In
    by Claire Ashgrove
    Unable to find her tongue, she dropped her gaze. It
    skimmed over taut buttocks, thighs that looked firm despite
    the loose fabric, and down to his ankles where the material
    brushed against the heel of his dress shoes. "No," she
    managed.
    Wow.
    Jesse's heart drummed a faster cadence. The saleswoman
    hadn't exaggerated at all. That tux looked like it had been
    made with Clint in mind. Funny, he hadn't seemed so
    handsome when they'd doubled for Prom.
    He turned around and his one-dimple grin tugged at the
    corner of his mouth. "Pretty slick, eh? I think Sydney will
    approve."
    Sydney and every other woman in the tri-state area. "You
    look nice." Hot, really. But admitting that threatened her
    resolution to ignore the way he made her belly flip-flop like a
    fish out of water.
    The blonde returned, measuring tape in hand. She gave
    Clint a coy smile that made Jesse want to claw out her eyes,
    and set her hand on his forearm. "Just need to take a few
    measurements, Mister King. Spread your feet, please."
    Clint did as instructed, and the blonde knelt before him.
    She measured his inseam, the cuffs on his trousers, and his
    waist. Biting on her lower lip to dampen a rush of
    uncustomary jealousy, Jesse watched through narrowed eyes.
    That woman was entirely too close to him. And her hands had
    no business fiddling with the inside of his thighs.
    She glanced at Clint's reflection in the mirror and blinked
    when she found his gaze locked on her. His smile absent, the
    70

    A Christmas to Believe In
    by Claire Ashgrove
    glint in his amber eyes sent a shiver skittering through her
    veins. Her breath suddenly unsteady, she ordered herself to
    look away. To break that mesmerizing contact before her
    lungs forgot how to expand. But she could do no more than
    swallow.
    "Your date won't be able to keep her hands to herself," the
    blonde quipped.
    Jesse snapped her stare back to the woman in time to
    catch her throw Clint a wink. At his chuckle, the saleswoman
    added, "And if you need one, you let me know."
    His date. At once, a vision of Clint escorting one of
    Sydney's picture-perfect friends down the aisle assaulted
    Jesse. Damn. He'd spend all evening entertaining whomever
    he'd been paired with. He'd sit at that woman's side, make
    her laugh, and toast with her.
    Clint's chuckle tightened the growing knot in Jesse's belly.
    His words