No Mistletoe Required Read online

  “Makes sense,” came a voice from behind.

  She gave Dan a fleeting look over her shoulder. That’s the best he could come up with to add to the conversation now?

  The girls called her name collectively to get her attention.

  “Are you coming for pizza?”

  She shook her head. “No, go on without me. Beth...”

  “Got it!” Beth gave her a thumbs-up, and waved as the Kappas headed out to the parking lot. They’d be back in the rec room bright and early Saturday morning—she’d make sure of it—but for now they could relax and recharge.

  “Not going?”

  Finally she stepped back to fully face Dan. Oh, now he wanted to get chatty? “I’m going to make some plans for tomorrow, outline the workload so it’s ready. And then go home to bed. Early start in the morning.” When he kept staring at her, she just shrugged and walked over to where she left her clipboard, sat down on the cold concrete and started making plans for the day.

  It shouldn’t have stung. It shouldn’t. But that didn’t mean much to her bruised ego. Though it was hard to deny that he clearly felt like an idiot or a fool—or, ideally, both—about making assumptions about her. So she might be able to salvage her plans after all. A little humility would go a long way in soothing her ego.

  She would give herself exactly one hour of pouting and then she was going to be over it, no matter what.

  * * *

  “You stepped right into it, didn’t you?” Geoff hefted the last of the tools into the back of Dan’s pickup.

  “Never even came close to anything to step in.” Dan dusted his hands off and shut the tailgate. He might have been tempted by the pint-sized woman. But he’d held firm.

  And look where that got him.

  “And look where that got you. Dan, the Sarge was hot. I don’t have to tell you this. Not my type—” he added, holding a hand over his heart, “—but I can be an objective judge of hotness, and she had it.”

  “Doesn’t really matter that she’s hot. I botched that one up by thinking she was a college kid.”

  “Smooth operator. You mind if I steal that technique?”

  Dan took a fake swing at him.

  Geoff danced back out of range and laughed. “Hey, all right. It’s all yours. But all I’m saying is you could use some holiday jollies. It wouldn’t kill you to have some fun this time of year.”

  Dan shot his best friend a look. He—out of everyone in Dan’s life—knew the most what it cost him to be a functioning adult around the holidays.

  “It could be salvageable. You never know.” Walking around the side of the truck, Geoff dug his keys out of his own pocket.

  “She’s into the Christmas thing. Like, hard-core.” Dan shuddered.

  “Does it really matter, if all it’s supposed to be is a fling?”

  “It—”

  “Look, she’s hot. You now know she’s well within your desired age range. And unless I’m mistaken, before you started chewing on shoe leather, she was giving you the once-over. Which means she’s interested back. Which means there’s hope. Long as she doesn’t make you wear reindeer antlers and ride you around the room with a crop...” Geoff trailed off, as if picturing the idea for himself.

  “Geoff,” Dan warned.

  “Just mentally trying it on for size.”

  “And?”

  “Doesn’t fit. Anyway, go in there and fix it. Then let her jingle your balls.”

  One of his brows lifted. “Seriously?”

  Geoff shrugged. “Tackle her tinsel? Mistletoe mamba?”

  “Stop while you’re behind.” Dan opened the driver’s side door and stepped on the running board, watching Geoff over the top of the cab. “You’re not in a position to talk about my dating life anyway. You’ve got a date with an entire group of hot co-eds. How’s that for healthy?”

  “Right, right. The Kappa sisters.” He sighed. “It’s a cruel sort of reminder that I couldn’t actually have those girls when I was in college myself. But then again, back in the day I wasn’t packing the heat like I am now.” He flexed his biceps for emphasis.

  “Off you go,” Dan said with a wave, then climbed back in his own truck. Watching Geoff back out, he started the engine and waited for a moment for the heater to kick on. When Geoff’s taillights faded into the darkness, he turned the ignition off, cursed himself as five kinds of stupid and climbed back out.

  After a few steps toward the side door, he stopped, pivoted on his heel and started for his truck again. Then repeated the process, walking back toward the hospital. When the doors leading out of the rec hall opened, he jumped, pissed at having been caught in his own private game of Red Rover.

  Red Rover, Red Rover, send Dumbass Dan right over...

  But it was another one of the sorority girls, not Anna, who walked out.

  She gave him a friendly wave and headed toward her own beater car.

  Inspiration struck. He jogged after her. “Hey. Uh...” Dammit. He’d forgotten her name.

  She turned. “It’s Tam.”

  “Sorry.”

  Tam smiled. “No prob. What’s up?”

  He glanced to the doors again, then back to the young woman. “Is Anna still in there?”

  Her smile broadened a little. “She is. Why?”

  “I’m hoping you can do me a big favor. What kind of coffee does she like?”

  Chapter Three

  Anna spread the papers out on the floor, sitting in front of them on the cold cement, ready to trade her nonexistent kingdom for a throw pillow. Not the best position, or most comfortable, to let her cramped legs sit in for hours. But she was bone-tired. And if she took this home, she would probably fall asleep rather than get it done.

  After creating a few sketches of what she wanted tomorrow’s results to be, she set those aside and concentrated on the schedule for Sunday.

  The doors opened behind her and she glanced up, blowing out a frustrated breath when hair fell into her eyes, obstructing her view. But the person approaching wasn’t at all who she expected.

  “Forget something?”

  Dan shook his head, then nodded. “An apology, for one.”

  She set the pen and pad down on the floor and leaned back, watching him silently.

  “I’m sorry for assuming. You’re just so...”

  “Short?” she supplied helpfully, a corner of her mouth twitching. She could see the amusement in it now, since she’d cut her pout short by half an hour.

  He smiled. “Youthful, was what I think I was going for.”

  “In twenty years, that’ll seem much more like a compliment.”

  “Probably.”

  “But in the spirit of the holiday, I’ll accept it.”

  He took a hesitant step forward, holding out one hand wrapped around a to-go coffee cup. “A little birdie told me you’d appreciate a double caramel latte with an extra shot of espresso.”

  “Smart little birdie. Is this special avian friend a part of the Kappa species, by any chance?”

  “Busted.”

  She took the peace offering, saw he had a cup of his own and patted the floor next to her. He sat, his jacket brushing her leg as he did.

  And the fact that it excited her just said it all. She really needed to fix that involuntary celibacy issue. Immediately.

  “Now what’s on the agenda?”

  She nearly blurted out Sex! Please let it be sex! But then she realized he was trying to see her notebook to figure out what she was working on.

  That’s the way. Scare him with your desperate neediness. I hear guys are really into that these days.

  With a mental slap, she gathered her thoughts. “List of volunteer groups for Sunday, when we’re open for business, so to speak. I have to stagger it out, and I have everyone’s time sheet here saying when they can come in and what they’re comfortable doing.” She flipped through a few pages. “Says here you’re available only from the first of the morning until noon.” She glanced up. “We open at noon f
or the kids.”

  “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

  She raised a brow. “I’m doubting that. But whatever. Help is help. Beggars, choosers and all that.”

  “I’m just not really into the false cheer thing. No sense in me bringing the kids down.”

  “It’s fine. Really. We have plenty of people who are the opposite. Hate building and setting up but love to be here for the kids and dressing up in the costumes to make it special. It evens out in the end.”

  “You’re really dedicated to this.”

  She nodded, holding one finger on her notebook to keep her place. “It means so much.”

  He took a sip of his coffee and set it to the side, clapping his hands together, rubbing them briskly. “Okay. What can I do to help?”

  Ah. The Christmas hater was going to give her a hand. Nice. “Separate these into piles, if you wouldn’t mind, based on the times that they checked off they were free to volunteer.”

  “Got it.”

  They worked in silence for an hour, shuffling and manipulating the schedule until she was sure she had the entire Sunday staffed in all parts. Letting the notebook flop to the ground, she fell back and stared at the ceiling with a sigh. “Thanks. That went a lot faster than if I’d had to do it alone.”

  He leaned back to lie down next to her, his elbow brushing hers as their hands cushioned their heads. “Not a problem. Least I could do.” He paused, then asked, “Do you want to grab some dinner?”

  Desperately. Starved, exhausted and beyond wanting to jump his bones out of sheer gratitude as much as horniness were only a few ways to describe her. But she knew there was a little something to be said for anticipation. And if she couldn’t have a relationship, she could at least draw out the pre-sex dance for as long as possible. She started gathering up the papers to put in her bag. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m going to head home. Lots to do tomorrow still and we have an early start.”

  A look of disappointment crossed his face before he locked it down. Nice poker face. “That’s fine. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” He held out a hand to help her stand up, then waited patiently while she stuffed the whole lot in her messenger bag and then walked toward the door.

  “I appreciate you bringing the coffee,” she said, pausing to take one last sip before pitching the empty into the trash can just outside the door. He followed suit with his own cup.

  “Not a problem.”

  “You’ll be here first thing tomorrow?”

  He smiled. “Yeah. I won’t have bells on, but I’ll be here.”

  She nodded. “I’ll bring you a...” She glanced at the trash can. “Whatever that was.”

  “Black coffee.”

  She shuddered, then laughed. “Fine. On me this time.” And, going with impulse—mostly to give them both something to think about—she stood on her toes and grazed a kiss over the bottom of his jaw before walking toward her car in the well-lit parking lot.

  As she got to her car, she risked a glance back over her shoulder. Dan stood, as if rooted to the spot, just staring after her with a look of confusion on his face.

  She laughed. “‘Night, Dan.”

  He raised a hand hesitantly to wave, then shook his head and walked to his truck in the opposite direction.

  Yes. This would be fun, luring in the Grinch for a holiday match.

  * * *

  Dan sipped his coffee Saturday morning, taking advantage of the short break while Geoff actually pulled his weight. For once. And while he sipped, he enjoyed the view. Anna was standing on a step ladder to apply some snowflakes to a window. A window anyone else could have reached standing flat on the floor, but poor shorty Sarge was struggling, even on the stool. He chuckled and went over to help.

  Just as he got there, she grunted, bent her knees, then jumped as high as she could to slap a flake to the top and nearly toppled over. Dropping his coffee, he raced to catch her before she fell to the floor completely. They landed in a tangled heap on the floor. Anna laughing, him smothering a groan as she accidentally rolled over a piece of anatomy he was very partial to.

  “Sorry, sorry, sorry.” She managed to sit up and pull him with her. “I would have been fine, I was anticipating the landing, you know.”

  “No, I didn’t know. Which is why I raced to perform my heroic act of the day and my coffee is all over the floor.” But he couldn’t be angry when he saw the pink in her cheeks from laughing. “Clean up, aisle two of Santa’s Workshop.”

  She giggled again. “You’re much more chipper today than normal.”

  “Total accident.” But she was right. Despite knowing he’d be surrounded by candy canes and snowmen and all the Santa accoutrements he could stomach, he’d woken up in a much better mood than was normal for December. He stood, holding out a hand to assist her up. “Won’t let it happen again, coach.”

  She glared at him, hands on hips. “You better. I think some of the older kids are coming in later this afternoon to help.”

  He picked up a roll of paper towels from the nearby craft table and started unwinding them. “I thought this was supposed to be a surprise for the kids.”

  She grabbed his empty cup and tossed it in the trash can. “It is, but the older ones, the teenagers mostly, want to come and help. They like feeling productive, and even though it’s fake, just being in the atmosphere lifts their spirits. Helping do something for the younger kids they see around every day makes them feel good.”

  “I didn’t know there were teens here.”

  The smile slid, just a little. If he hadn’t been watching he wouldn’t have even picked up on it as her voice remained bright. “Yup. Anyone under eighteen. They hate the word ‘children’ in the hospital’s name, but this is where they go.”

  “Got it.” As he glanced around the area she and her Kappa sorority were working on, he realized it was coming together much better than he’d ever anticipated. When he realized he’d been signed up to help set up a Santa’s Workshop in the children’s hospital, he assumed it would be a few fake cardboard candy canes and a sad tree missing half its branches. But Anna’s guidance and planning was truly turning the place into something that would rival a set on a Hollywood Christmas movie.

  And for the first time in he couldn’t remember how long, being surrounded by reminders of the holiday didn’t make him feel ill. Or hollow. Like a piece of him was missing and he was suffering through phantom pains. Not that he was ready to bust out a round of O Christmas Tree or anything. But this feeling was more...normal.

  “Hmm.” She touched the toe of one running shoe over the area where his coffee had spilled. “This is still really sticky. I’m going to go grab a mop and get it taken care of before the teens get here. I’d hate for it to still be drying when they walk in. Slick surfaces and kids who need help walking don’t mix well.”

  “Need a hand?”

  She gave him a sly grin. “I wouldn’t mind an extra set of arms to help carry those orange caution cones to set up around it, now that you mention it.”

  He walked behind her, appreciating the way her frayed jeans molded over her butt. Thank God for denim. When they reached a supply closet a few yards from the rec room, she opened the door.

  He glanced around. “We don’t have to ask permission?”

  “Nope. Cleared it already. Anything in here is ours to borrow.” She leaned in conspiratorially and winked. “I have friends in high places. Now scoot. The caution cones are in that far corner. Should be a whole stack.”

  He walked in, then turned around when she closed the door behind her. “Hey, is there a light switch in here? I can’t see any—oomph!”

  For a tiny thing, she knew how to use surprise to her advantage. One moment he was standing in the dark, blindly reaching out for a shelf or something to guide him. The next, his back was pressed against a wall and a warm woman was draped against him.

  “Sorry about that. I would have made this a little more festive but I was all outta mistletoe,” she whispered in the
dark. “You can walk away if you want. No hard feelings.”

  Something was hard, that was for damn sure, and there was plenty to feel. Almost as if she could read his mind, she rubbed her body against his like a cat searching for a friendly little scratch.

  “Answer?”

  Even though she was a total Christmas Crusader and he was the biggest batch of sour grapes the month of December had ever seen, he wanted her with a ferocity that took him by surprise. Using his fingertips to guide him in the pitch black, he stroked down her arm, over her shoulder, up her neck and threaded his hands through her hair. “Let’s see what happens here.”

  And bending over to meet her halfway, he sealed his lips over hers. He tasted the caramel from her morning latte combined with something uniquely Anna, and his body flamed in response. She tried to wind her arms around his neck but couldn’t quite reach. Then, as if realizing that wasn’t going to work, simply slid back down until her hands gripped his biceps, squeezing hard when he slipped his tongue between her parting lips.

  One of her legs rubbed against the outside of his own thigh, her knee pressing against him as if she wanted to climb him like a tree. The little combination moan-pant she let loose fired him further. Damn, she was good for a man’s ego. If the angle wouldn’t have screwed things up royally, he would have done an about-face and pressed her against the wall to give him more room to roam, let his hands go wild, indulge in seeing what she was hiding under her oversized hoodie.

  Well, why wait? One hand clenched in the loose material at the small of her back and pulled up. She gasped when his hands hit the soft skin of her back.

  “Problem?” he asked, somehow managing to not raise his lips from hers.

  “Cold hands,” she murmured, not breaking contact.

  “Ah. Right.” He rubbed them briskly over her jeans-clad bottom, and she laughed deep in her throat. But she wasn’t laughing once he skimmed his hands underneath the sweatshirt and found her ribs, tracing each one with his fingertips, almost memorizing them with his touch. Taking his time before reaching the big prize.