Save Me, Santa: A Chirstmas Anthology of Romance & Suspense Read Online Free

decided you were all wrong for me.”
    He smiled at that. “Yeah. Me, too.”
    Her cheeks dimpled. “And yet, here you are. Must be Fate.”
    He nodded. “Must be. Because there you are. In that amazing outfit.” Her plump breasts were barely covered, the hard beads of her nipples clearly visible below the filmy fabric. He was already salivating. “Or maybe you were expecting company?”
    She shook her head, letting her gaze drift appreciatively over his T-shirt, lingering on his jeans. “No. Hoping, maybe…”
    He was still clutching the takeout bags and the bottle of wine. He didn’t dare put them down. Not yet. Or he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.
    He took another step toward her, bringing him within touching distance. But he didn’t allow himself to reach out, or lean forward. He just parted his lips and breathed in, filling his senses with the womanly scent of her, feeling the sensual warmth radiating from her body. He could hear the short, staccato intake of her breaths, and saw the pulse stutter at the base of her throat. A few strands of her hair fluttered in his slow exhale.
    “I think we should eat,” he murmured, though there was nothing he’d ever wanted more than to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless, then bury himself deep inside her. “Before it gets cold.”
    She moved a little, lifting her face, brushing her lips lightly over his. He felt them open a fraction, and the very tip of her tongue slid between the seam of his. He touched it with the blunt end of his tongue, gathering a swift taste of her before she withdrew. Wine and woman .
    It was one of the most erotic gestures he’d ever experienced.
    “What did you bring?” she asked, looking up at him with eyes the color of the Caribbean Sea. Not green, not blue, but somewhere in-between.
    He nearly answered “A wallet full of condoms,” but caught himself just in time. Which reminded him. “I have your wallet. Someone found it on the street while we were chasing the dogs.” Which in turn reminded him of what they’d been doing. Like he needed another visual . “Don’t let me forget to give it to you.”
    “Maybe I will,” she said softly, “so you’ll have an excuse to come back again.”
    “I’m hoping I won’t need an excuse,” he said, wanting to kiss her so badly his throat ached.
    She smiled and ducked past him, relieving him of the two takeout bags as she went. “This smells wonderful. There’s already a bottle of wine open. I’ll get you a glass and some plates. Make yourself comfortable.”
    He doubted that was possible, considering the tightness of his chest… and his jeans.
    Just then Zenon and Pogo galloped up, and he managed to halt the pair long enough to take off Zenon’s leash and give them the steak bones before they bounded away again.
    “Will they be okay?” he asked.
    “Sure.” Emily slanted him a sexy look. “She’s probably just showing him the bedroom.”
    He returned a lazy smile and accepted the glass of wine she offered. “Keep this up, little girl, and you’ll end up on Santa’s Extra -Naughty list.”
    She touched her glass to his. “That a promise, Santa?”
    It was no use. He couldn’t wait another second. He threaded his fingers through her hair and tugged her toward him. “Oh, yeah,” he murmured. “You can take that to the North Pole.”
    And then he kissed her.

Chapter 5
    Emily woke the next morning with Nick’s warm, solid body curved against her back. She felt incredible—her mind was content, her flesh blissfully sated, and any doubts about her out-of-character choices last night gone forever. Nick was a wonderful lover and an even better man. She’d never felt so cherished in all her life.
    And he was anything but boring. Big and strong, and all male. Just the presence of his badge and pistol on the nightstand gave her an unbidden thrill. If this was a taste of what it would be like with Nick in her life, well, maybe she’d been wrong about not