Read Online Any Given Christmas by Candis Terry - Free Book Online Page A

by Wholly Bowlers and grab a beer. Unfortunately, watching bowling rather than actually engaging in the sport was as exciting as watching fungus grow. Or maybe… he’d just drop in at Emma Hart’s house and find out why she didn’t seem to like him very much.
    Yeah. No question about it. He was bored.

FIVE
     
    T he bright red door to the small craftsman-style bungalow opened wide. Emma Hart stood there in a pair of Scooby Doo pajama bottoms and a pink tank top. No bra. Hair piled up on top of her head in a messy bun.
    Perfect. He’d caught her off guard. And hopefully alone.
    “Hi there.”
    Her flawlessly arched brows pulled together. “What… are you doing here?”
    Good question.
    He planted his palm on the door frame above her head. “I know it’s been a couple of days since I basically forced you off the road, but I thought I’d make sure you got that tree into your house okay.”
    An icy breeze pushed at his back and snuck past him. Emma folded her arms across her chest. Too bad. She might be crazy but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the view.
    “Oh.” Her pillowy lips compressed. “Yes. Thank you.” She turned and looked behind her. “I was just putting on the ornaments.”
    “Same thing is going on at my house. Kate came by. She didn’t think Dad would put a tree up this year.”
    Sympathy darkened her blue eyes. “I imagine this Christmas will be very difficult for all of you.”
    “Yeah.” Understatement of the millennium. The breeze hit his back again and though he wasn’t all that cold he gave an exaggerated shudder. “It’s pretty cold out here. Do you mind if I come in?”
    “Why would you want to?”
    “Why wouldn’t I?”
    She gave a humorless laugh. “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t think we like each other very much.”
    “Oh that.”
    “Yes. That.”
    He shrugged. “I can call a truce if you will.”
    She shifted her weight to one smooth hip. “Is this how you disarm your opponents?”
    “Is what how?”
    “This…” Her hand flitted in the air. “This a w-shucks country boy charm shtick you do.”
    “Ah, so you’re not buying into it.”
    “Not for a minute.”
    “Too bad.” He flashed her the same smile he’d perfected for the Stetson cologne ad last year. “Because I’m usually pretty damned good at it.”
    She lowered her head and chuckled. Unfortunately he missed the firepower of her killer smile.
    What was it about her that made him want to grab her with both hands and capture that mouth with his own? To slick his tongue along the seam of those ultra-soft lips until she opened for him? He’d never been turned on by a woman’s mouth before. Unless it happened to be doing erotic things to his body. He’d always been a breast or leg man. Sometimes change was good. “So, can I come in or are you going to ruin my reputation and make me beg on your doorstep.”
    “As long as you don’t ruin mine.”
    He gave her his Boy Scout best. “Promise.”
    “Then I guess you can come in.” She unfolded her arms and stepped back.
    “ ’Scuse me, ma’am,” he said as he edged by her. Too bad he didn’t have a hat to take off, because the interesting parts of Emma Hart hidden beneath that thin little tank top were definitely giving him a salute.
    While Bing Crosby crooned on the stereo, Dean stepped inside and froze in place. Holy shit. Every inch of space was bursting at the joints with lights and Santas and snowmen and… was that a cat wearing an elf suit?
    “That’s Oscar,” Emma said from behind him as if she’d read his mind.
    The snow-white seriously overweight feline garbed in a green-and-red-striped sweater and pointy hat rose from his perch on the back of the sofa and arched his back.
    Great. A cat. He hated cats.
    The cat yowled and hissed.
    Apparently the feeling was mutual.
    “He’s not very sociable with men.” Emma walked past and picked up the furry elf to cuddle. “I think he gets jealous.”
    The cat pressed his front