Kissing Under The Mistletoe: The Sullivans (Contemporary Romance) by Bella Andre

still pining for that horrible
excuse for a man. “I’m just trying to be careful.”
    “If that was a careful kiss, I would love to
see what a dangerous one looks like,” he teased.
    So would I, she
thought, despite knowing better. So would
I.
     
    * * *
     
    Between the kiss Jack had given her this
afternoon and the one from Friday night, Mary knew he had made his
intentions abundantly clear. If she couldn’t resist temptation,
then she’d just have to make sure not to put herself in its path.
She was not a young, naive girl anymore who would melt into a
puddle at a few sexy words from a good-looking man. If anything,
her experiences with love had hardened her to the point that sexy
words were far more likely to put her on her guard.
    And yet, all weekend—and then all day today
during the shoot—she’d been replaying his sinfully sexy words: Next time you invite me in, I’m going to make love
to you.
    She didn’t think he had said it to shock her
or even to turn her on.
    He’d simply said what he was feeling…and what
he clearly believed would happen the next time they were alone
together in her house.
    When she and Gerry finally wrapped the shoot,
Howie and Larry got up out of their chairs and showered her with
compliments. She tried to be gracious as she thanked them, but at
the same time, she wondered where Jack was. Would they think it was
strange if she asked about him?
    Fortunately, before she could make a lovesick
fool out of herself, Howie said, “Jack had to take care of some
urgent business back at the garage.” He turned red as he realized
what he’d just admitted to her about where they worked. “I mean,
our office. But he said for you to call him if you need anything at
all.”
    Despite the fact that Mary had been reminding
herself again and again all afternoon that she and Jack needed to
keep their distance, disappointment came swift and strong.
    “We’re going to help Gerry get his equipment
loaded into his van,” Larry said. “Can we give you a lift anywhere
after that?”
    She shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ve got
some errands to run. I’ll see you both at the commercial shoot in a
few days.”
    After kissing Gerry goodbye on the cheek, she
wound her scarf tightly around her neck and shoved on her hat.
Yesterday she’d needed a brisk walk through the city to try to walk
off her attraction to Jack. Today, she needed to try to burn
through her irritation with herself…and to keep herself away from
the phone so that she wouldn’t give in to the temptation to take
him up on his offer to call if she needed anything.
    Because, Lord help her, she needed him.
     
    * * *
     
    By the time Mary arrived home her feet were
killing her, and all she wanted to do was collapse into a bubble
bath with a glass of wine and a good book.
    So what if kissing Jack again sounded a
thousand times better than the bath-wine-book combo? She’d just
have to get over it.
    It was incredibly comforting to come home to
a house full of voices. She was going to miss the girls a great
deal when they headed to their respective homes for the
holidays.
    The scent in the air was one that always
reminded her of Italy at Christmas. “You bought a tree,” she
exclaimed as she walked into the living room.
    Yvette grinned down at her from her perch on
top of the ladder. “Surprise!”
    Janeen put on a Christmas record and pulled
Mary into an impromptu jig that made her momentarily forget that
she wished she were somewhere else, with someone else.
    “We’ve got cookies and eggnog, too,” Susan
said from the kitchen.
    After Mary went into her room to put down her
things and take off her heels, Susan handed her a glass so that
they could toast each other. “To you, Mary, for taking all of us in
and giving us a home away from home.”
    Mary hadn’t spent Christmas with her family
for the past thirteen years, but tonight she felt as if she was
finally part of a family again. As they clinked their glasses
together, she