Read Online Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa by Karin Tabke - Free Book Online
Authors: Karin Tabke
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Kim remembered the pregnant woman downstairs and the crying baby. She pulled the comforter tighter around her, suddenly feeling weak and very foolish. She’d almost gone down that road again.
“Please leave my room.”
Ricco moved away and tightened the towel around his waist. “I’m right across the hall if you need anything.”
As he exited the room, she couldn’t help but watch the way his muscular behind moved under the damp terry cloth. When the door closed behind him, Kim sank back into the pillows and exhaled. What the hell was wrong with her? Wanting comfort from a tomcat? Having nightmares about being abandoned? She hadn’t had one of those dreams since college. She grabbed the small packet of drugs Elle had given her and read the label. Oxycodone? Jesus. No wonder she was having nightmares. She’d taken this stuff once before, when she’d had a pinched nerve in her neck and had been in so much pain she’d just wanted to cry. Even then she’d only taken half a pill at a time. But, she smiled, it sure helped with the pain. She reached up, touched her forehead, and winced. Okay, so it still hurt, but not like it would have. Carefully Kim made her way from the bed to the bathroom, where she started the tub. A nice hot soak would feel good.
As she luxuriated in the thick silky bubbles, there was a knock on the door. “Miss Michaels?” Ezzy’s voice called.
“Come in,” Kim called back.
Ezzy stepped into the room and said, “Since you’re my only guest tonight, I wanted to ask if you’d like to join me and my family for dinner at my mother’s house just two doors down.”
Kim sat still in the hot, soapy water. A hard rush of emotion smacked her in the chest followed by a sudden well of tears. No one had ever asked her to have dinner with their family. Not even her two ex-husbands. She wanted to scream. What was wrong with her that she was a sudden puddle of mush?
Hormones. It had to be. “I appreciate the offer, but if it’s okay, I think I’ll just stay in my room tonight,” she replied.
“Are you sure? It’s really no problem. We always have a full table and plenty of food.”
“I’m sure, but thank you.”
“I’ll leave a tray for you in the kitchen. If you need anything, I’ll be two doors down at eight seventy-three.”
“Thank you.”
When she heard the door close behind Ezzy, Kim sank farther into the soapy water. She almost called out that she’d changed her mind, but she didn’t. She wasn’t a people person. She got along better with spreadsheets. Nick was so right when he said they were bookends. She rinsed off, then wrapped herself in a thick, velvety towel to consider her options. She could go downstairs and have dinner alone. Nothing new or exciting there. She ate alone most nights and liked the solitude. But she could bundle up and take a walk around the small town. The meds were wearing off, the dosage having been minimal, thank God.
She dressed in a fresh pair of jeans, a thick fleece sweater, and a different pair of Uggs. These were flat and black suede, with gray suede crisscross ties and white fleece lining. The house was quiet, but her brain coming out of the drug fog was on high alert. She thought of Ricco. She couldn’t help it. He bothered her on several levels, not one of them good for business. And the business at hand was to ferret out the town’s problems, exploit them, then capitalize on them. She moved to the big picture window in her room overlooking Evergreen Promenade—the main street that ran through town.
She smiled as she watched two kids playing under the warm glow of streetlights in cumbersome red snow-suits. They were throwing big, fluffy snowballs at each other. A golden retriever ran crazily around the kids, barking and trying to intercept the balls. The kids shrieked in joy, the dog barked happily, and Mom and Dad stood smiling to the side. What a pretty picture. Kim frowned. Not . Screaming kids and shedding dogs were an annoyance
“Please leave my room.”
Ricco moved away and tightened the towel around his waist. “I’m right across the hall if you need anything.”
As he exited the room, she couldn’t help but watch the way his muscular behind moved under the damp terry cloth. When the door closed behind him, Kim sank back into the pillows and exhaled. What the hell was wrong with her? Wanting comfort from a tomcat? Having nightmares about being abandoned? She hadn’t had one of those dreams since college. She grabbed the small packet of drugs Elle had given her and read the label. Oxycodone? Jesus. No wonder she was having nightmares. She’d taken this stuff once before, when she’d had a pinched nerve in her neck and had been in so much pain she’d just wanted to cry. Even then she’d only taken half a pill at a time. But, she smiled, it sure helped with the pain. She reached up, touched her forehead, and winced. Okay, so it still hurt, but not like it would have. Carefully Kim made her way from the bed to the bathroom, where she started the tub. A nice hot soak would feel good.
As she luxuriated in the thick silky bubbles, there was a knock on the door. “Miss Michaels?” Ezzy’s voice called.
“Come in,” Kim called back.
Ezzy stepped into the room and said, “Since you’re my only guest tonight, I wanted to ask if you’d like to join me and my family for dinner at my mother’s house just two doors down.”
Kim sat still in the hot, soapy water. A hard rush of emotion smacked her in the chest followed by a sudden well of tears. No one had ever asked her to have dinner with their family. Not even her two ex-husbands. She wanted to scream. What was wrong with her that she was a sudden puddle of mush?
Hormones. It had to be. “I appreciate the offer, but if it’s okay, I think I’ll just stay in my room tonight,” she replied.
“Are you sure? It’s really no problem. We always have a full table and plenty of food.”
“I’m sure, but thank you.”
“I’ll leave a tray for you in the kitchen. If you need anything, I’ll be two doors down at eight seventy-three.”
“Thank you.”
When she heard the door close behind Ezzy, Kim sank farther into the soapy water. She almost called out that she’d changed her mind, but she didn’t. She wasn’t a people person. She got along better with spreadsheets. Nick was so right when he said they were bookends. She rinsed off, then wrapped herself in a thick, velvety towel to consider her options. She could go downstairs and have dinner alone. Nothing new or exciting there. She ate alone most nights and liked the solitude. But she could bundle up and take a walk around the small town. The meds were wearing off, the dosage having been minimal, thank God.
She dressed in a fresh pair of jeans, a thick fleece sweater, and a different pair of Uggs. These were flat and black suede, with gray suede crisscross ties and white fleece lining. The house was quiet, but her brain coming out of the drug fog was on high alert. She thought of Ricco. She couldn’t help it. He bothered her on several levels, not one of them good for business. And the business at hand was to ferret out the town’s problems, exploit them, then capitalize on them. She moved to the big picture window in her room overlooking Evergreen Promenade—the main street that ran through town.
She smiled as she watched two kids playing under the warm glow of streetlights in cumbersome red snow-suits. They were throwing big, fluffy snowballs at each other. A golden retriever ran crazily around the kids, barking and trying to intercept the balls. The kids shrieked in joy, the dog barked happily, and Mom and Dad stood smiling to the side. What a pretty picture. Kim frowned. Not . Screaming kids and shedding dogs were an annoyance
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