Read Online Kissing Santa, A Clover Park Novella (Clover Park, Book 4) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) by Kylie Gilmore - Free Book Online
Authors: Kylie Gilmore
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the steering wheel in time to “Merry Christmas, Baby” by Bruce Springsteen.
Samantha relaxed into the seat, occasionally glancing at Rico and then at the fern. It was odd, but in a way beautiful. She felt herself softening toward him. It wasn’t his fault they met through their crazy mothers. Maybe she’d been all wrong about him. Maybe he wasn’t a player after all. Maybe he was just nervous the first couple of times she saw him, and now he was being himself. It was nice to be with a man that was honest after that two-faced liar Tim.
They arrived at the restaurant, and Rico helped her off with her coat. His warm hands brushed her shoulders, and she got a hot shiver. “You look beautiful tonight,” he murmured near her ear.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He pulled out her chair for her. She was starting to get used to the gentlemanly manners. She could count on one hand the number of guys who’d ever bothered to do anything chivalrous like open her door or pull out her chair.
Rico opened the menu. “Let’s share the Phoenix special. It says it’s big enough for two.”
She glanced at the menu. Noodles, veggies, and shrimp. “Sounds good to me.”
Rico smiled at her, and she smiled back, basking in the sunshine of that smile.
“Rico, I appreciate everything you’ve done with the Tic Tacs and the roses and overcoming your fear of heights and the, um, love fern, but you don’t have to do so much for me. I would’ve been happy with just a nice dinner.”
“That’s not what you told Santa,” he teased.
She bit her lip. “That’s just a fantasy. I know better.”
He entwined his fingers with hers and gave her a hot look. “I want to make your fantasies come true.”
A thrill ran through her. She had a feeling he could make her fantasies come true in many interesting ways. It had been a long time, too long. “You’re sweet.”
He laughed. “No one has ever called me sweet.”
“But you are!”
His thumb brushed back and forth over her palm. “So I’m not a player?”
“You tell me.”
“I used to be. But you make me want more.”
“I do?”
He smiled. “Yeah.”
Their food arrived. A big pile of noodles.
Samantha lifted her fork. He stilled her hand. “Wait. Let’s really share.”
He lifted a noodle to her mouth and took the other end. A jolt of alarm ran through her. This was exactly like Lady and the Tramp . She’d watched it many times with her niece, Gabriella.
She pulled the noodle from her mouth. “That’s Lady and the Tramp .”
He sucked the noodle into his mouth. “Romantic, right?”
She rubbed her temple. All the things he’d done tonight had been so strange. Were they all from movies? Her previous elation over his gestures deflated. Was he still playing her?
“Where did you get the idea for a love fern?” she asked.
“It’s just a gesture. You know, romance. How to Lose a Guy .”
Her brows scrunched together. “Lose a guy?”
“I know it sounds weird. But it was a romantic movie by the end.”
“I don’t know that one.” She was getting a really bad feeling. “The roses on a ladder? Was that Romeo and Juliet ?”
“Classic, yeah. Also in Pretty Woman .”
“Are you really afraid of heights?” Her voice rose in volume, but she couldn’t help it. She was starting to feel like a fool, falling for what amounted to a bag of tricks he stole from movies.
“Not anymore,” he said.
She shook her head. “Orange Tic Tacs?” She slapped her forehead. “I remember now. That was from Juno . Was anything that happened here tonight really you?”
“Sure.”
“Which part?”
“I really do like noodles.”
Her head ached and her heart too. This was so disappointing. She’d actually thought she was seeing the real Rico when it was all just a big phony act.
“Rico, this is just too weird. I want to go home.”
“But we just started eating.”
“I’ll wait in the truck.” She got up and left, walking quickly to the exit. She
Samantha relaxed into the seat, occasionally glancing at Rico and then at the fern. It was odd, but in a way beautiful. She felt herself softening toward him. It wasn’t his fault they met through their crazy mothers. Maybe she’d been all wrong about him. Maybe he wasn’t a player after all. Maybe he was just nervous the first couple of times she saw him, and now he was being himself. It was nice to be with a man that was honest after that two-faced liar Tim.
They arrived at the restaurant, and Rico helped her off with her coat. His warm hands brushed her shoulders, and she got a hot shiver. “You look beautiful tonight,” he murmured near her ear.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He pulled out her chair for her. She was starting to get used to the gentlemanly manners. She could count on one hand the number of guys who’d ever bothered to do anything chivalrous like open her door or pull out her chair.
Rico opened the menu. “Let’s share the Phoenix special. It says it’s big enough for two.”
She glanced at the menu. Noodles, veggies, and shrimp. “Sounds good to me.”
Rico smiled at her, and she smiled back, basking in the sunshine of that smile.
“Rico, I appreciate everything you’ve done with the Tic Tacs and the roses and overcoming your fear of heights and the, um, love fern, but you don’t have to do so much for me. I would’ve been happy with just a nice dinner.”
“That’s not what you told Santa,” he teased.
She bit her lip. “That’s just a fantasy. I know better.”
He entwined his fingers with hers and gave her a hot look. “I want to make your fantasies come true.”
A thrill ran through her. She had a feeling he could make her fantasies come true in many interesting ways. It had been a long time, too long. “You’re sweet.”
He laughed. “No one has ever called me sweet.”
“But you are!”
His thumb brushed back and forth over her palm. “So I’m not a player?”
“You tell me.”
“I used to be. But you make me want more.”
“I do?”
He smiled. “Yeah.”
Their food arrived. A big pile of noodles.
Samantha lifted her fork. He stilled her hand. “Wait. Let’s really share.”
He lifted a noodle to her mouth and took the other end. A jolt of alarm ran through her. This was exactly like Lady and the Tramp . She’d watched it many times with her niece, Gabriella.
She pulled the noodle from her mouth. “That’s Lady and the Tramp .”
He sucked the noodle into his mouth. “Romantic, right?”
She rubbed her temple. All the things he’d done tonight had been so strange. Were they all from movies? Her previous elation over his gestures deflated. Was he still playing her?
“Where did you get the idea for a love fern?” she asked.
“It’s just a gesture. You know, romance. How to Lose a Guy .”
Her brows scrunched together. “Lose a guy?”
“I know it sounds weird. But it was a romantic movie by the end.”
“I don’t know that one.” She was getting a really bad feeling. “The roses on a ladder? Was that Romeo and Juliet ?”
“Classic, yeah. Also in Pretty Woman .”
“Are you really afraid of heights?” Her voice rose in volume, but she couldn’t help it. She was starting to feel like a fool, falling for what amounted to a bag of tricks he stole from movies.
“Not anymore,” he said.
She shook her head. “Orange Tic Tacs?” She slapped her forehead. “I remember now. That was from Juno . Was anything that happened here tonight really you?”
“Sure.”
“Which part?”
“I really do like noodles.”
Her head ached and her heart too. This was so disappointing. She’d actually thought she was seeing the real Rico when it was all just a big phony act.
“Rico, this is just too weird. I want to go home.”
“But we just started eating.”
“I’ll wait in the truck.” She got up and left, walking quickly to the exit. She
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