A Christmas Wish: Dane by Liliana Hart Page A

looks like I’ve got a hold of something right here. What are you going to do about it?”
    The primal part of his brain that wanted nothing more than to mate with his woman was in charge now, and he looked toward the bed sitting in the middle of the room, tempting him to throw her down and claim what was his. He could picture it perfectly, and he took a step forward before he could stop himself.
    Dane looked to the bedroom door and saw it was unlocked. Jayden’s room was just a wall away, and rules were rules. They’d agreed Jayden had enough to get used to without having a man he considered a stranger sleeping over with his mother. At least, not until Charlotte decided on a wedding date, but that was a whole other battle. 
    Lust warred with reason, and finally common sense prevailed. Dane took hold of Charlotte’s wrist and removed her hand so he had access to a few working brain cells. And then he did something he knew he’d probably pay for later. He kissed her once—hard—then picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
    Her squeal of out rage brought a grin to his lips. “Ssh, you don’t want to wake Jayden.”
    She immediately stilled in his arms and growled. “I swear you’re going to pay for this, Dane MacKenzie. Put me down.”
    “You know I always look forward to your punishments, baby.”
    Charlotte snorted out a laugh and then gasped as his hand smacked her ass hard enough to sting. She turned into a wildcat, bucking against his shoulder and kicking with her legs.
    “I’m going to murder you in your sleep. Put me down or it’ll be a cold day in hell before I let you in my bed again.”
    “At least you’ve got the cold part right,” he muttered.
    Dane grabbed the comforter from the top of her bed and tossed it over her , wrapping his arms tight across the back of her legs to keep her still. Then he stepped back out into the frigid air and sucked in a deep breath. Nothing cured lust like freezing temperatures.
    “Holy shit, it’s cold out here, ” she wheezed.
    “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll warm you up soon enough.”
    She snorted again. “Idiot.”
    It didn’t take him long to get to the barn. He’d left the heavy wooden doors open a crack so he could get back inside easily.
    “You’d better be quiet,” he whispered. “You don’t want the horses putting up a fuss . Burt would come running to see what’s the matter, and that could be pretty embarrassing.”
    Burt was the manager Charlotte had inherited after her father had died and left her his ranch. He was pretty spry for a man pushing eighty.
    “ I’d prefer to keep that sexy body all to myself. Though Burt looks like the kind of guy who’d be into voyeurism now that I think about it.”
    Charlotte pounded against the small of his back with her fists. “Murder, Dane. Murder. And I’m going to make sure it hurts.”
    “If you’re still saying that in ten minutes , then I deserve whatever punishment you can come up with.” He flipped on the flashlight he pulled from his pocket and headed toward the ladder that led to the hayloft.
    The scent of fresh hay and horses was strong, but the barn was as nice and comfortable as any home, with dark polished woods and a stone floor. The occasional whicker and snort from the horses was the only sound to accompany his footsteps. Heat blew from the vents above, but he felt Charlotte shiver beneath his hand.
    “I’m going to be pissed if you drop me.” Her words were muffled against his back, and he tossed the flashlight up into the loft ahead of them.
    “That wouldn’t be very romantic of me.”
    “Oh, I didn’t realize me hanging upside down with my face banging against your ass was supposed to be romantic. How silly of me. Please continue your seduction.”
    Dane’s lips twitched and he gra bbed one of the ladder rungs. “It’s a good thing I find that viper’s tongue of yours a turn-on. Most men would be shaking in their boots by now.”
    “Lord knows you’re not most