Read Online Sleeping With Santa by Debra Druzy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Debra Druzy
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a piece of flavorless gum. He pulled up against the curb to ask the organized mob what time the mall would open.
“Five,” said a random voice.
“Minutes? Or hours?”
“Five in the morning,” another voice chimed in. Meanwhile, his cell phone moaned again, and he dumped the call.
“Why don’t you just answer it already?” she asked sweetly, her curiosity laced with a tone of genuine concern.
“’Cause I don’t wanna!”
“Oo-kay.” Lily shifted closer to her side of the bench seat.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I know who it is—my ex-wife.”
“Maybe she has something important to say.”
“Then she can leave a message. I don’t wanna talk about her,” he grumbled, driving toward the exit.
“We can wait in line if you really want to do this.”
“Ah, fuggetaboutit . There’s plenty of time ’til Christmas. I just thought, you know, we could spend some time together. When I was a kid, that’s what we did on a date—go to the mall.”
“I thought you said this isn’t a date.” Her seriousness made him wish he chose a different word. Then she smirked like she was just messing with him. “We’re not kids, Nick. We can go anywhere we want.” The husk in her voice vibrated all the way to his core, and he swallowed hard, not sure what she was thinking behind those motel eyes.
His itchy fingers twisted the radio dial, searching for something Christmassy and corny enough to restrain his fantasy from running wild.
“Wait!” She grabbed his hand, sending another shock through his system. “Go back—I love that song!”
“Dontcha wanna hear holiday music?”
“No, thanks. ‘ Hell-ooo. I’ve waited here for you. Everlong… ’”
The green light turned yellow, then red. Nick tapped the brake. When he came to a full stop, he took his attention off the road for the moment to gaze at her as she bopped to the beat, feeling the passion of the song as she sang along with the Foo Fighters.
“‘ And I wonder… ’” The song continued, but Lily stopped and stared like she was reading his thoughts.
“What?” The sensitive serpent trapped in Nick’s jeans twitched as if she was some kind of snake charmer.
“Nothing. Just thinking,” she uttered at the guitar bridge.
“About?” And I wonder…
“About this song. This day. You. Life. Everything.” She released tangible energy, making Nick want to pull over and grab her on the spot.
The light turned green, and he pressed the gas.
“ And I won-der… ” David Grohl sang.
Thank God for red lights and redheads.
At the next intersection, he timed his arrival with the stoplight so he could lock eyes with her for another ever-long moment, then he manipulated the rest of the ride home to last as ever-long as possible.
“I didn’t mean to waste your time going to the mall. That was a stupid idea.”
“You’re not wasting my time, Nick.” She reached over and put a reassuring hand on his sleeve. “Don’t even think it for a minute. I’m sorry about before. I really would like to get to know you better. You seem like a really nice guy. Any girl would be lucky…” She bit her bottom lip.
“I don’t want any girl, Lily.” He made a sharp one-handed turn toward Main Street that sent everything in his backseat sliding to one side. “And I really don’t wanna take you home yet.”
“We can park somewhere if you want.”
He sucked in a hopeful breath. “You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“How about the marina?”
She nodded with a delicious grin. “Sure.”
“Okay then…”
He drove until he found his usual out-of-the way spot where he liked to meditate about her.
Being here with her now seemed strange. Just the sound of their mingled breath and the hum of the engine. They stared out the windshield at the moon brightening the sky, reflecting off the water like a sea of twinkling diamonds. Hypnotic waves lapped against the dock, making everything seem to sway.
He’d done this sort of thing plenty of
“Five,” said a random voice.
“Minutes? Or hours?”
“Five in the morning,” another voice chimed in. Meanwhile, his cell phone moaned again, and he dumped the call.
“Why don’t you just answer it already?” she asked sweetly, her curiosity laced with a tone of genuine concern.
“’Cause I don’t wanna!”
“Oo-kay.” Lily shifted closer to her side of the bench seat.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I know who it is—my ex-wife.”
“Maybe she has something important to say.”
“Then she can leave a message. I don’t wanna talk about her,” he grumbled, driving toward the exit.
“We can wait in line if you really want to do this.”
“Ah, fuggetaboutit . There’s plenty of time ’til Christmas. I just thought, you know, we could spend some time together. When I was a kid, that’s what we did on a date—go to the mall.”
“I thought you said this isn’t a date.” Her seriousness made him wish he chose a different word. Then she smirked like she was just messing with him. “We’re not kids, Nick. We can go anywhere we want.” The husk in her voice vibrated all the way to his core, and he swallowed hard, not sure what she was thinking behind those motel eyes.
His itchy fingers twisted the radio dial, searching for something Christmassy and corny enough to restrain his fantasy from running wild.
“Wait!” She grabbed his hand, sending another shock through his system. “Go back—I love that song!”
“Dontcha wanna hear holiday music?”
“No, thanks. ‘ Hell-ooo. I’ve waited here for you. Everlong… ’”
The green light turned yellow, then red. Nick tapped the brake. When he came to a full stop, he took his attention off the road for the moment to gaze at her as she bopped to the beat, feeling the passion of the song as she sang along with the Foo Fighters.
“‘ And I wonder… ’” The song continued, but Lily stopped and stared like she was reading his thoughts.
“What?” The sensitive serpent trapped in Nick’s jeans twitched as if she was some kind of snake charmer.
“Nothing. Just thinking,” she uttered at the guitar bridge.
“About?” And I wonder…
“About this song. This day. You. Life. Everything.” She released tangible energy, making Nick want to pull over and grab her on the spot.
The light turned green, and he pressed the gas.
“ And I won-der… ” David Grohl sang.
Thank God for red lights and redheads.
At the next intersection, he timed his arrival with the stoplight so he could lock eyes with her for another ever-long moment, then he manipulated the rest of the ride home to last as ever-long as possible.
“I didn’t mean to waste your time going to the mall. That was a stupid idea.”
“You’re not wasting my time, Nick.” She reached over and put a reassuring hand on his sleeve. “Don’t even think it for a minute. I’m sorry about before. I really would like to get to know you better. You seem like a really nice guy. Any girl would be lucky…” She bit her bottom lip.
“I don’t want any girl, Lily.” He made a sharp one-handed turn toward Main Street that sent everything in his backseat sliding to one side. “And I really don’t wanna take you home yet.”
“We can park somewhere if you want.”
He sucked in a hopeful breath. “You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“How about the marina?”
She nodded with a delicious grin. “Sure.”
“Okay then…”
He drove until he found his usual out-of-the way spot where he liked to meditate about her.
Being here with her now seemed strange. Just the sound of their mingled breath and the hum of the engine. They stared out the windshield at the moon brightening the sky, reflecting off the water like a sea of twinkling diamonds. Hypnotic waves lapped against the dock, making everything seem to sway.
He’d done this sort of thing plenty of
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