life. And without us, you won’t get funding.”
“I’ll wait for the right funding, I’ll find it eventually.”
“It could take years.”
“Maybe.” She looked at Jacob. “But I’ll wait. My life is no longer just my work.”
His eyes were full of affection and heat, lots of heat. “I like the way you think,” he said, as pounding footsteps came down the hallway just outside the door.
Knowing it had to be the police, Maggie linked her fingers with Jacob’s. “This is going to get messy, and might take some time to sort out. After which, I’m going to be unemployed.” She winced. “Merry Christmas to me.”
“I love messy. And I love you. As for the unemployed at Christmas, don’t worry, I have an in with Santa. Have you been naughty or nice?”
“Nice.”
“Well, we’ll have to work on that,” he murmured, just as the police burst through the door.
It took several hours to sort everything out, but eventually, Alice ended up in jail, Tim and Scott lawyered up, and Maggie and Jacob were free to go. Maggie walked out of the room where she’d been questioned and found Jacob waiting for her.
He looked into her face and slowly held up a little bough of mistletoe over his head.
She couldn’t help but smile when she looked at him. “What’s that?”
“A hint of what I want from you.”
“And after the kiss?”
“More.”
“More?”
“I want it all, Maggie. And I’m hoping you do, too.”
“Yes.” And she walked right into his waiting arms.
B AH , H ANDSOME !
1
O utside the weather was as the song went—frightful. Inside, Hope O’Brien looked down at the huge box of Christmas decorations she’d dug out of the cellar of her bed-and-breakfast inn and thought maybe this would be the year that Santa brought her something she needed. Money to meet her bills for the month would be nice, or lacking that, maybe an orgasm.
Yeah, now that would be real nice.
Smiling at the thought, she pulled out some brightly colored balls and ribbons and—
“Mistletoe!” Lori snatched up the dried sprig, and held it to her chest like it was a bar of gold.
Hope slid her best friend a look as wind continued to batter the small B&B around them. “You’ve been married six months and still drag Ben into the closet whenever you see him. What could you possibly need with mistletoe?”
Lori, also the support staff for the inn, waggled a brow. “It’s for you.”
“You want to kiss me? Well, why didn’t you just say so?” Hope leaned in and puckered up. “Give me your best shot.”
Laughing, Lori shoved her away. “I don’t want to kiss you. I want someone else to kiss you. A penis-carrying someone.”
“Yeah.” Hope sighed. “I think that ship’s sailed.”
“Honey, you’re twenty-nine. That ship has not sailed. You’re just being a pansy-ass because your last boyfriend stole all your money and ruined your credit before going to jail, forcing you to go begging from your asshole rich stepbrother.”
“Gee, thanks for the recap.”
“And you’re probably also still feeling the effects from your boyfriend before that, the one who stole your self-confidence. What was his name? Dickwad?”
“Derek,” she murmured. Derek the Dickwad . “And you wonder why I say my ship has sailed. Clearly I can’t trust my own judgment.”
Lori’s eyes softened, and she leaned over to squeeze Hope’s hand. “That’s because you don’t trust your heart. Look, you’re pragmatic and tough—you’ve had to be. But let’s face facts. You have a type, and that’s the badasses. Joey, Dickwad . . .”
True. Hope had always been a sucker for the bad boy. Someone had once told her it was from growing up without a father figure, but she didn’t believe in letting circumstance mold her. She was a “be responsible for your own destiny” sort of woman.
Lori twirled the mistletoe in her fingers. “Did you know if you wish on this stuff, it’ll come true.”
“Yes, and maybe
“I’ll wait for the right funding, I’ll find it eventually.”
“It could take years.”
“Maybe.” She looked at Jacob. “But I’ll wait. My life is no longer just my work.”
His eyes were full of affection and heat, lots of heat. “I like the way you think,” he said, as pounding footsteps came down the hallway just outside the door.
Knowing it had to be the police, Maggie linked her fingers with Jacob’s. “This is going to get messy, and might take some time to sort out. After which, I’m going to be unemployed.” She winced. “Merry Christmas to me.”
“I love messy. And I love you. As for the unemployed at Christmas, don’t worry, I have an in with Santa. Have you been naughty or nice?”
“Nice.”
“Well, we’ll have to work on that,” he murmured, just as the police burst through the door.
It took several hours to sort everything out, but eventually, Alice ended up in jail, Tim and Scott lawyered up, and Maggie and Jacob were free to go. Maggie walked out of the room where she’d been questioned and found Jacob waiting for her.
He looked into her face and slowly held up a little bough of mistletoe over his head.
She couldn’t help but smile when she looked at him. “What’s that?”
“A hint of what I want from you.”
“And after the kiss?”
“More.”
“More?”
“I want it all, Maggie. And I’m hoping you do, too.”
“Yes.” And she walked right into his waiting arms.
B AH , H ANDSOME !
1
O utside the weather was as the song went—frightful. Inside, Hope O’Brien looked down at the huge box of Christmas decorations she’d dug out of the cellar of her bed-and-breakfast inn and thought maybe this would be the year that Santa brought her something she needed. Money to meet her bills for the month would be nice, or lacking that, maybe an orgasm.
Yeah, now that would be real nice.
Smiling at the thought, she pulled out some brightly colored balls and ribbons and—
“Mistletoe!” Lori snatched up the dried sprig, and held it to her chest like it was a bar of gold.
Hope slid her best friend a look as wind continued to batter the small B&B around them. “You’ve been married six months and still drag Ben into the closet whenever you see him. What could you possibly need with mistletoe?”
Lori, also the support staff for the inn, waggled a brow. “It’s for you.”
“You want to kiss me? Well, why didn’t you just say so?” Hope leaned in and puckered up. “Give me your best shot.”
Laughing, Lori shoved her away. “I don’t want to kiss you. I want someone else to kiss you. A penis-carrying someone.”
“Yeah.” Hope sighed. “I think that ship’s sailed.”
“Honey, you’re twenty-nine. That ship has not sailed. You’re just being a pansy-ass because your last boyfriend stole all your money and ruined your credit before going to jail, forcing you to go begging from your asshole rich stepbrother.”
“Gee, thanks for the recap.”
“And you’re probably also still feeling the effects from your boyfriend before that, the one who stole your self-confidence. What was his name? Dickwad?”
“Derek,” she murmured. Derek the Dickwad . “And you wonder why I say my ship has sailed. Clearly I can’t trust my own judgment.”
Lori’s eyes softened, and she leaned over to squeeze Hope’s hand. “That’s because you don’t trust your heart. Look, you’re pragmatic and tough—you’ve had to be. But let’s face facts. You have a type, and that’s the badasses. Joey, Dickwad . . .”
True. Hope had always been a sucker for the bad boy. Someone had once told her it was from growing up without a father figure, but she didn’t believe in letting circumstance mold her. She was a “be responsible for your own destiny” sort of woman.
Lori twirled the mistletoe in her fingers. “Did you know if you wish on this stuff, it’ll come true.”
“Yes, and maybe
Similar Books
