white dress coat with a white shirt underneath. The gray silk tie had sparkles on it, something only Rhett could pull off. He wasn’t truly in a Christmas costume, but it didn’t matter. It was the most dressed up she’d ever seen him. And her heart beat rapidly in her chest.
“Don’t make the man suffer much longer,” Jill suggested, giving her a squeeze. “It’s Christmas. Time to make up. Let’s go, girls,” she said to the others.
“Wait,” Abbie called after them, but they just smiled and continued on their way.
Rhett bowed grandly in front of her. When he straightened, he plucked a red rose from his lapel and extended it to her. “Merry Christmas, Abbie.”
As she took the rose, part of her wished she wasn’t wearing white gloves. She wanted to run her fingers over the velvety petals. Instead, she brought it to her nose. “My goodness, this one is fragrant.”
That cocky smile flashed across his face. “What can I say? This hotel carries great flowers.”
And since ordering the flowers fell under her purview, she appreciated the compliment.
“So,” he continued, his golden eyes as inviting as shiny tree ornaments, “do you like it? I missed you so badly last Christmas that I wanted to celebrate being together this year. And I know you like elegant parties.”
She bit her tongue as she struggled with what to say. “Rhett, this is…lovely…more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. But you know we’re not a couple.”
His smile lost a few watts of its power. “Sure we are. You just haven’t realized it yet.”
Well, he was just as stubborn as ever.
The music danced around them, rather like her nerves. “Rhett—”
“And since I don’t like to beat a dead horse, I’m changing the subject,” he said with another bow, this one less grand. “I love your outfit. I wondered what you’d wear, and I have to admit, you look downright fetching as Mrs. Claus. It suits your kindness, your nurturing personality. What do you think of my new threads?” he asked, pulling on his lapels with both hands.
“They’re nice.” Understatement.
Even she couldn’t miss the ridges of muscle beneath his clothes, and just the thought of how she used to run her finger across every one of them when they were naked in bed made her mouth go completely dry. She plucked a glass of champagne from a nearby server, and Rhett did the same.
“Merry Christmas, Abbie,” he said, lifting his glass toward hers. “You’re my Christmas dream, and I love you. Keep remembering that.”
The words reminded her of something, but it was hard to concentrate when he was saying romantic things to her in this Winter Wonderland he’d created. He clinked their glasses together and took a sip.
Her hand didn’t seem connected to her body anymore, so she didn’t raise it to her lips. She held it loosely in her hand, paralyzed by the sheer force of Rhett’s will.
“Drink up, darlin’,” he urged. “I hate to leave you, but I need to go and see about something.” His hand darted out suddenly, and his thumb rubbed her rosy cheek. “I know I said I wouldn’t touch you until you asked me, but God, I want to kiss you senseless right now and make love to you with nothing but those spectacles between us. They’re beyond sexy.”
His eyes twinkled as much as the Christmas lights above their heads. Then he bowed again and strode off, leaving her with a lump of coal in her chest and desire pooling between her thighs.
***
Rhett downed the rest of his champagne on his way to the back. Exiting through a side door, he opened his arms when he saw his friend.
“Rye, it’s great to see you, man. Thanks again for coming.”
The country singer propped his leg up on a nearby chair, his hand on his waist. “You knew I wouldn’t miss this for the world. You’re finally letting me tell the world that the lyrics to my Christmas song were written by the wild poker champ, RBB. The sappiness has been ruining my rep. People
“Don’t make the man suffer much longer,” Jill suggested, giving her a squeeze. “It’s Christmas. Time to make up. Let’s go, girls,” she said to the others.
“Wait,” Abbie called after them, but they just smiled and continued on their way.
Rhett bowed grandly in front of her. When he straightened, he plucked a red rose from his lapel and extended it to her. “Merry Christmas, Abbie.”
As she took the rose, part of her wished she wasn’t wearing white gloves. She wanted to run her fingers over the velvety petals. Instead, she brought it to her nose. “My goodness, this one is fragrant.”
That cocky smile flashed across his face. “What can I say? This hotel carries great flowers.”
And since ordering the flowers fell under her purview, she appreciated the compliment.
“So,” he continued, his golden eyes as inviting as shiny tree ornaments, “do you like it? I missed you so badly last Christmas that I wanted to celebrate being together this year. And I know you like elegant parties.”
She bit her tongue as she struggled with what to say. “Rhett, this is…lovely…more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. But you know we’re not a couple.”
His smile lost a few watts of its power. “Sure we are. You just haven’t realized it yet.”
Well, he was just as stubborn as ever.
The music danced around them, rather like her nerves. “Rhett—”
“And since I don’t like to beat a dead horse, I’m changing the subject,” he said with another bow, this one less grand. “I love your outfit. I wondered what you’d wear, and I have to admit, you look downright fetching as Mrs. Claus. It suits your kindness, your nurturing personality. What do you think of my new threads?” he asked, pulling on his lapels with both hands.
“They’re nice.” Understatement.
Even she couldn’t miss the ridges of muscle beneath his clothes, and just the thought of how she used to run her finger across every one of them when they were naked in bed made her mouth go completely dry. She plucked a glass of champagne from a nearby server, and Rhett did the same.
“Merry Christmas, Abbie,” he said, lifting his glass toward hers. “You’re my Christmas dream, and I love you. Keep remembering that.”
The words reminded her of something, but it was hard to concentrate when he was saying romantic things to her in this Winter Wonderland he’d created. He clinked their glasses together and took a sip.
Her hand didn’t seem connected to her body anymore, so she didn’t raise it to her lips. She held it loosely in her hand, paralyzed by the sheer force of Rhett’s will.
“Drink up, darlin’,” he urged. “I hate to leave you, but I need to go and see about something.” His hand darted out suddenly, and his thumb rubbed her rosy cheek. “I know I said I wouldn’t touch you until you asked me, but God, I want to kiss you senseless right now and make love to you with nothing but those spectacles between us. They’re beyond sexy.”
His eyes twinkled as much as the Christmas lights above their heads. Then he bowed again and strode off, leaving her with a lump of coal in her chest and desire pooling between her thighs.
***
Rhett downed the rest of his champagne on his way to the back. Exiting through a side door, he opened his arms when he saw his friend.
“Rye, it’s great to see you, man. Thanks again for coming.”
The country singer propped his leg up on a nearby chair, his hand on his waist. “You knew I wouldn’t miss this for the world. You’re finally letting me tell the world that the lyrics to my Christmas song were written by the wild poker champ, RBB. The sappiness has been ruining my rep. People
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