I'm Your Santa (20 page)

“You're lovely in moonlight.”

“That's because you can't see my girth.”

“It's because you're lovely in moonlight.” He kissed her hair making her feel wonderful and…beautiful, just like he said. His arms wound around her, his kisses dropping from her hair to her ear then trailing down her neck. He lifted her right off the floor, her toes dangling, his strong body tight against hers. She slid her arms around him—so as not to fall. That was the reason. “No smoochy smoochy, remember?”

His eyes looked into hers. “I needed to kiss you, needed it all night.” His lips were so close to hers she could feel his mouth form the words on her mouth. “Just once more.” He kissed her again, a low testosterone-filled growl rumbling in his chest. “Okay, twice more,” he said, his mouth still on hers. “But now I'm done.”

“Promise?”

“No.”

Thank God! Her heart raced, her mouth dry as the cactus sitting in the corner; his erection pressing against her leg driving her insane. He let her body slide down his, feeling his strength under his jacket. Fire licked at her insides and she wanted Handsome to do some licking of his own, on her, naked on one of those bearskin rugs or any place else that happened along.

Then he suddenly stepped away from her. “Damn, woman.” He panted “I can't get enough of you. I've walked away from women before but you…Why is it so hard with you?”

“And I shouldn't do this or say this, but I got to because I'll never get another chance.” She cupped his erection, his eyes snapping wide open, his heat against her palm making her warm and wet deep inside from wanting him. “I really love you hard.”

Sebastian felt his brain fry. He'd wanted her all day, and her hand on his dick made the wanting even more intense. “You thought kissing was too intimate? What's this?”

“Temporary insanity brought on by severe frustration. Why didn't you and Bevvy get married in Vegas like everyone else? Really would have simplified things.”

“Sebastian?” came Isabella's voice echoing down the hall along with her footsteps on the hardwood floor. “Where are yo—Oh,” she said as she flipped on the lights, the two of them parting as if a stick of dynamite exploded between them. Sebastian sidestepped behind a potted fern the bulge below his belt much too obvious.

“My goodness,” she stammered. “I should have known you two might be together. I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm just not thinking straight because…Well, I'm just not is all.”

She looked to Sebastian then started to pace. “I'm going out for a spell, dear. I know it's late but I do so want to see this darling town all snowy and like a winter wonderland. I hear there's a little gazebo and we don't get much of this sort of thing in Florida and…” She stopped pacing and sighed. “Oh, what the heck, I'm off to meet a man. There, I said it. I'm an old hussy.”

“Dad's been gone five years. You're allowed to have a life.” His voice more controlled than he felt at the moment and it wasn't because mother was meeting Terrance, it was because he wanted to take LuLu on that love seat in the corner. “Have fun. I won't wait up.”

She giggled then sobered, nibbling her bottom lip. “This is all new for me but it feels right. He's a fine man, Sebastian. I've known it for a while now.” She blushed and turned for the hall.

Sebastian took a deep breath. “The plan's working. Mother didn't care what we were up to with a new man in her life. And she deserves this. Works on all fronts.”

LuLu headed for the door. “I'll follow your mother and make sure she connects up with Terrance. We don't want her out at night all alone and I feel responsible.”

“If this town was any safer it would be in a Disney movie.”

She stopped and studied him. “And that's one movie you and I will never star in. When we're alone together it's all sex and steam. We have to stay apart.”

“No more meetings in the conservatory?”

“You concentrate on getting Rebecca and Cordell into that wine cellar. I'll check on Isabella and then I'm going home, away from you and convince myself you're just another guy. I'll see you tomorrow for the wedding.”

“Non-wedding and I am just a guy.”

She let out a little whine then ran off. He headed to the kitchen for cheese and seduction stuff…whatever the hell that was. One more day and then he'd be gone, and LuLu and her sexy whine would be part of his past. The thought sat like a lump of coal in his gut. But that was too damn bad. When he put on his uniform years ago he knew there'd be times like this. Trouble was, then it was a noble idea and he hadn't met LuLu.

Yeah, keeping busy was the answer and—“Mother?” Sebastian said as he rounded the corner. “What happened to the walk? The gazebo and the cute town? You're still here.”

“Well, you see, the snow is really coming down so we decided to take a walk in the garden out back. It's beautiful under the full moon and—”

“Snow?”

“As in white stuff falling from the sky in buckets. This Bevvy thing has rotted your brain, son.”

Oh shit! LuLu was headed into town. She'd freak when she couldn't find Isabella and probably go looking all over the place for her. What if she fell? Got buried in a snowdrift. She was pregnant, dammit!

“Something wrong, dear? You look awful.”

“Indigestion. Too much pie. Everything's fine. Enjoy your walk.”

“But we had cake for dessert and cookies. I saw LuLu walking down the drive. Does she have far to go?”

He kissed Isabella on the cheek then made for his room. He needed to find LuLu. Why didn't he check the fucking weather? Because he was too obsessed with fucking LuLu.

He took the steps two at a time, changed into jeans and boots, grabbed his coat and was out the door. He headed down the curvy drive and across the two-lane to town. No sign of LuLu except her footprints. She had nice footprints, cute ones. He was getting a hard-on over her footprints…He was going insane.

When he got to the gazebo she wasn't there. He peered through the falling flakes to the blue and red Budweiser sign. He pushed open the door to Slim's and some bluesy tune, and LuLu sitting at a table with…Oh damn “Bevvy?”

“Sebastian,” Bevvy called across the bar, standing and waving her arms. She grinned and motioned him over. LuLu sat with her back to him, he recognized the brown robe. With luck it was another Joseph in for a visit. She didn't move, didn't look at him, didn't even turn toward him to acknowledge his existence. It was his Joseph all right. Double damn.

Bevvy threw her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. “Oh, Sebby, you are the best.”

LuLu peered up at him, her eyes shooting daggers. “Depends on what best you're referring to. Best soldier, best kisser, best liar.”

Bevvy sat and pulled him into the chair beside her. “I met this nice girl dressed up like a shepherd and we got to talking and she knows you.”

“Well, look who's here,” Isabella said as she strolled up, her arms through Terrance's.

“Mother?” Great. The night was getting better and better. “What happened to the garden walk?”

“We just kept on going because the stars are beautiful and here we are and…Well, mercy me, it's Bevvy?” Mother blinked a few times. “When did you get into town, dear? Oh, my stars, you've come back for the wedding!”

“I have?”

“You've reconsidered.” Isabella threw her arms around Bevvy. “Welcome to the family. The judge is still scheduled for tomorrow and—”

“
I've
reconsidered?”

Oh damn, for the second time
, Sebastian thought. This was like walking through a land-mine field never knowing what would blow up next.

“Sebastian
is
the best man,” his mother went on. “Well, actually he isn't the best man, he's really the groom. A little wedding joke.” She laughed. “But now you're here and the wedding will go off without a hitch.”

“
I've
reconsidered,” Bevvy repeated starting to look royally pissed off with her arms folded over her chest. “What the dickens is going on here, Sebby? Exactly what did you tell everyone about us breaking up?”

LuLu stood. “And let's not leave anything out, Sebby. To be more specific, you said that Bevvy's the one who called off the wedding.”

Bevvy's eyes rounded. “Me? But—”

“You didn't end it?” Isabella gasped, staring at Bevvy with her jaw dropping a fraction. “I don't understand. This is all very confusing. Then why in the world did Sebastian say you did?” All eyes zeroed in on Sebastian and enemy fire took on a whole new meaning.

Sebastian stood. “Yes, it was my idea to call off the wedding.”

Isabella draped her arm around Bevvy and drew her close. “And here I thought you a little trollop for running off with that drummer person.”

“Actually, I did run off with him, but only after Sebby said he and I were through.” Bevvy sniffed. “He went and broke my heart, Isabella. He truly did.” She brightened. “But I've found true love now and that's why I'm here. I came to thank Sebby for doing what he did. Bruno is the love of my life.”

“You lied to us?” Isabella said to Sebastian. Was that steam curling from her ears? “How could you? We're your family. This entire wedding catastrophe is all your doing?” She tapped her booted foot and shook her head. “I worried about you, fretted something terrible, said novenas, lit candles for your poor old broken spirit and right now I'm thinking about breaking your head.”

Sebastian said, “Bevvy got her drummer, the family got to visit. I broke the engagement because I didn't want to leave Bevvy behind to worry about me. I said she called things off because no woman likes to get dumped so I let her do the dumping.”

“Wait a minute!” LuLu's eyes grew huge. “You made this decision to not get married all by yourself? You didn't tell Bevvy what was going on in that brain of yours? Shouldn't she have a say?”

“But I did find my Bruno,” Bevvy sighed, till LuLu poked her in the chest saying, “You're a grown woman and capable of determining your own life.”

Bevvy's eyes got dreamy. “And I want my life to be forever with my drummer boy. He had my name tattooed on his forehead inside a heart. And he has a lock of my hair attached to his earring.”

Sebastian said to his mother, “Dad was in the army all those years and I knew you worried when he was gone, and the thought of doing the same thing to Bevvy or anyone else didn't feel right. And she and Bruno had been doing the eye contact thing all night, so I figured letting her go was the best for both of us.”

“It was my bachelorette party, eye contact with cute guys is expected,” Bevvy said as Isabella stood tall and added, “And I knew full well what I was getting into when I married your father. I do have a brain, you know.”

“Well, now,” said Terrance as he drew up beside Sebastian. “I believe I understand what you're doing here. A man's got to take charge in these situations, do the responsible thing for the women in his life. Sebastian here didn't want his new bride to fret so he saved her from that. Right smart thing to do as I see it.”

“Save her?” LuLu said. “Like she can't take care of herself? Marriage is a partnership. What century do all you men live in?

“I want to live with my Bruno in any century.” Bevvy batted her eyes. “We're going on tour in January, living in one of those big buses and going all over the place with the Blue Sticky Notes.”

“See,” Terrance said. “Women get so love struck they don't know what they want.”

Rebecca and Uncle Cordell strolled into Slim's, and Rebecca said, “Well, my goodness. Looks like the party's moved to here and…Bevvy? You're here? How exciting. Does this mean the wedding's back on? Bless my heart!”

“Only if I marry my Bruno,” she mewed, then Isabella added, “And there's a new wrinkle. Sebastian's the one who called off the wedding because he didn't want her to worry when he leaves next week, do you believe that?.”

“Oh, my,” said Rebecca, giving Sebastian the no-good-rotten-scoundrel look.

“But it is the honorable thing to do,” chimed in Uncle Cordell standing behind Sebastian, the three men doing the bonding thing. “If he and Bevvy were meant to get hitched, then they could tie the knot when he got back.”

Rebecca's eyes lit with fire. “That means marriage is only for the good times. If things get tough, woman should just cut and run, is that it?”

Rebecca, Isabella, LuLu, and Bevvy stood on one side of the table, Sebastian, Uncle Cordell, and Terrance on the other, with customers enjoying the soap opera. Sebastian said, “We're making a scene here. I think it's time for us all to be getting back to the inn.”

“I have my Bruno's Hummer,” Bevvy said, her lids fluttering. “I'd be happy to give you ladies a lift back to the inn. Bruno said he knew I'd be safe in the Hummer. Wait till you see it. It has a TV.” She clasped her hands to her chest. “He is my darling hero.”