Sweet Christmas Kisses (82 page)

Just as Harper took her first sip of hot chocolate, most of the people from the sleigh began to leave. She glanced at Cole’s mug and saw that he’d finished his. She’d better drink up or she might be responsible for them missing the ride back to the lodge. After taking a couple more quick drinks, she set her mug down and said, “I’ve had enough. I’m ready when you are.”

“Let’s go, then.” He draped his arm casually across her shoulders as they left the bar.

While they walked back to the sleigh, Harper scanned the group of people waiting to climb in, and breathed a sigh of relief that Jeffrey and Sabrina weren’t among them. Although thankful those two must have decided to take the other sleigh back, now she wouldn’t have a reason to cuddle with Cole. Her heart dropped a little because of that, and she had to remind herself to keep her emotions in check.

Apparently Cole wasn’t worried about that, because after they were settled in the sleigh, he made sure she was tucked in snugly beside him. Or maybe he just wasn’t aware that Jeffrey wasn’t around, so there was no need to pretend to be her boyfriend. Either way, she was warm and comfortable. Besides, it seemed natural to lay her head on his shoulder. The day had been so stressful, it was nice to be able to relax and enjoy the ride back without worrying that Jeffrey was watching her every move. A few minutes later, though, her lids grew heavy, and she closed her eyes.

“Wake up. We’re at the lodge,” Cole said, shaking her arm.

She blinked quickly, trying to bring her surroundings into focus. What an idiot to have fallen asleep on him. “Sorry. That was rude. It wasn’t your company that made me nod off. I was just so tired.” She glanced around at the other passengers to see if anyone had noticed, but no one was paying the least bit of attention to her. “I wasn’t snoring, was I?”

“Nah, not too bad. Just one loud burst, and I had to wipe some drool off your chin.”

“What!” She slapped his arm. “You’re lying.”

His wide grin crinkled the corners of his eyes. “You’re right. None of that happened. You didn’t make a peep. But you did miss the ice sculptures. The driver took us through a park full of Christmas characters.”

“And you didn’t wake me?” She moaned.

“I nudged you a couple of times, but you didn’t move, so I thought it best to let Sleeping Beauty sleep.” With a laugh, he jumped off the sleigh, then held his hand out to her. “Here, let me help you down.”

She slid her fingers into his strong grasp. When her feet were firmly planted next to his, she expected him to let go of her, but he didn’t. Cole held her hand as they walked, and instead of going inside the lodge, they passed the huge oak front door and strolled around to the side of the building, far from any guests.

“It’s midnight,” he said softly.

She looked up at the star-filled sky and the millions of tiny twinkling lights. “Time to make a wish,” Harper replied, knowing exactly what hers would be. With feelings for Cole rapidly shifting from friend to something deeper, she was willing to throw caution to the wind and see where things led. But she needed Cole to feel the same way about her. As if he knew what she was thinking, he took her in his arms. When he brought his mouth down to meet hers, she willingly accepted his kiss.

“I guess you know what my wish was,” he whispered against her cheek.

“And you know mine,” she said softly.

He kissed her again, this time deeper, sending shivers of delight down her back. When their lips parted, he held her away from him enough to study her. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

Joy bubbled through her. “Really?”

“Oh yeah, but I never thought I’d get the chance. If I hadn’t been such a jerk years ago…”

Harper pulled him back against her and held him tight. They’d reached the point where their relationship had to be resolved. “Cole, I didn’t blame you for the accident. You couldn’t have known or meant for that to happen. You were just a boy fooling around with your friends. But when you didn’t come by to see me and you ignored me at school, that’s when my opinion of you changed.”

His brow furrowed, and his mouth was tight and grim. “It wasn’t that I didn’t care. I was weak and too embarrassed of what I’d done that I couldn’t face you. I’d thought for sure you hated me.” His brown eyes darkened with pain. “I despise the way I behaved. You have no idea how sorry I am. I never wanted to do anything to hurt you, yet that’s exactly what I wound up doing.”

His words left her with a sense of peace and satisfaction, removing the shadows from her heart. “We certainly misjudged each other. Looks like we have lots to make up for.”

“Starting right now.” Reclaiming her lips, his mouth covered hers hungrily.

The kiss sent the pit of her stomach into a wild swirl. She’d never felt like this before. Ever. And when he moved from her mouth to the hollow of her neck, her knees went weak. She yielded to the searing need that had been building since his first kiss, letting a golden wave of passion flow through her.

Her skin prickled with more than desire, and an amazing sense of completeness filled her. Could this be love? Instead of fearing such a thing, an outcry of delight slipped through her lips.

Cole’s kisses grew more intense. His tongue probed her mouth. Her whole being was flooded with delight, and she surrendered completely to his masterful seduction.

Time was of no importance. And neither was the cold. Because she was totally unaware of both. It was the crunch of footsteps in the snow and the joyful shouts of teenagers approaching that brought her back to reality. “We should probably go inside,” she whispered against his chest.

“Yeah, we probably should.” With his arm around her waist, they walked into the lodge.

The great room was nearly empty. A couple sat in a love seat in front of the huge stone fireplace, but no fire blazed there. A worker mopped the floor, and another was setting the tables in preparation for breakfast.

Harper tried to stifle a yawn but was unsuccessful at hiding it from Cole.

He looked at his watch. “No wonder you’re tired. It’s after one o’clock.”

She put her hand over her mouth to cover another yawn. “I had no idea it was so late. We’d better get some sleep. There’s a lot on our schedule for tomorrow.”

When they were inside the suite, Cole took her back into his arms. “I had a really, really nice time tonight.”

“Me too.”

He bent his head and kissed her. Not long and hard like outside under the stars, but it still brought butterflies to her stomach. When she looked up into his deep, dark eyes, she saw a bright flare of desire.

“If I don’t say good night right now,” he whispered against her hair, “I won’t be sleeping on the sofa bed.”

“What if there isn’t one?” she whispered back. “I forgot to check earlier.”

“Hmmm, that could present a problem.” He kissed the tip of her nose, then walked over to the couch to check. A moment later, he turned and looked at her with a sly grin. “Lucky for you, I have a place to sleep.”

She smiled back. “Lucky for you, it’s a bed. Otherwise, it would’ve been the couch. Good night,” she said with a giggle before retreating into the bedroom.

After changing into a nightgown, Harper studied her reflection in the mirror above the dresser. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes sparkled. She couldn’t remember ever having such a glow. She’d certainly never looked this radiant with Jeffrey, which wasn’t surprising since the chemistry just hadn’t been there. But with Cole… Well, fireworks were what she felt with him. To be honest, that spark had always been there. It just needed to be ignited. And tonight had done it. Listening to Cole pour his heart out made her realize she was also responsible for their breakup in high school. She’d never taken into account the guilt he must have felt over the accident and how hard it must have been for him to see her injured. No, all she’d thought about was her own pain.

It was a shame so many years had gone by before they cleared the air and were able to take their relationship to a new level. However, the timing had never been right before. She’d either been dating someone else or Cole had. Apparently, she had something to thank Jeffrey for. If he hadn’t broken up with her when he did, she wouldn’t be spending Christmas with Cole.

Everything had worked out as it should, and for that she was extremely grateful.

****

When Harper came out of the bedroom wearing a pink nightgown that clung to her body like a second skin, it took all of Cole’s willpower to stay away from her.

She looked over at him stretched out on the sofa bed in his Calvin Klein boxers and said, “Don’t you look comfy.”

Not near as comfortable as he’d be if she were curled up next to him. “It’s not bad,” he replied, plumping up the pillows under his head.

“Well, good night.”

He watched her pad into the bathroom, then close the door. Did she want him as much as he wanted her? He recalled the way she’d melted in his arms and the passion in her kisses. Oh yeah. She wanted him, all right. No doubt about it. But he wasn’t going to do something stupid again and run the risk of losing her a second time. They needed to take things slow and work on their relationship. Rushing things sexually would be a mistake. Harper wasn’t like all the other girls he’d dated. She was a keeper. With that thought in mind, he closed his eyes.

When he opened them, it was morning, and the sun was streaming in through the French doors.

He rolled over onto his side and noticed Harper at the kitchenette making coffee. She’d already showered—her hair hung in wet spirals over her shoulders—and dressed. She looked gorgeous in a lavender turtleneck and ski pants that hugged her curves perfectly.

“Merry Christmas, sleepyhead,” she said cheerfully.

“What time is it?” He reached for his watch that he’d set on the table beside the sofa bed.

“Ten o’clock, and time to get up. We have lots planned for today. Starting with skiing.”

“Are you up for that? Green Mountain can be tricky. I don’t want you to wind up going home on crutches,” he joked.

“Very funny. Remember how you underestimated me on skates? We’ll see who’s laughing when I show you up on the slopes too.”

He chuckled and climbed out of bed. “You’re on, lady.”

She handed him a cup of coffee when he walked by her on his way to the bathroom. He couldn’t help but notice how she checked out his washboard abs. The approval reflected in her eyes made all the hours at the gym worth it.

He showered and dressed quickly, not wanting to keep her waiting. After that, they had a delicious brunch in the great room, then took the ski lift up the mountain.

Harper was in an exceptionally good mood. He hoped it was because of the wonderful time they had last night, but it could be she was just really excited about skiing. She loved sports almost as much as he did.

When they reached the top of the mountain, Cole was pleased to see that the conditions were perfect—dry, powdery snow, no wind, and perfect visibility. They started down the north slope side by side, but Harper pulled ahead and continued to increase the distance between them by skiing a little too recklessly. He hoped she wasn’t going to regret it when he saw her wobble, but, thankfully, she caught herself before wiping out and was able to bring her skis back under control.

At the bottom, he said, “Showing off almost got the better of you.”

She bit her lip and frowned. “I know. It was a little hairy there for a second, but it felt so good to just let go.”

“Promise me you’ve gotten that all out of your system. If anything were to happen to you—” His voice broke as he visualized her on a roller coaster with her mouth covered in blood. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to erase that horrible picture from his mind.

She must have known what he was thinking, because she slid her hand into his and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry, and I certainly didn’t want to drag up bad memories. I hope I haven’t ruined the day.”

He curled his fingers around hers. “Not at all. Just don’t do that again.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon trying various slopes, until the sun began to set, signaling that it was time to return to the lodge and get ready for the Green Mountain Christmas dinner dance.

Back in the suite, they took turns in the bathroom, then Cole took his charcoal suit out of the closet and held it up in front of him. “This okay?”

“Perfect.” She took out a long dark green dress with sequins along the neckline and put it in front of herself. “What do you think of this?”

“Beautiful, just like you.”

“You’re sweet.” She laughed and headed into the bedroom.

Cole changed into his suit and was putting on his shoes when Harper appeared before him like a vision. The green gown accentuated the creaminess of her skin, and the plunging neckline revealed plenty of cleavage. She had on silver heels that made her petite frame seem much taller than she really was. Her hair was up in a twist. She’d kept a few strands out around her face, but they didn’t hide the dazzling emerald earrings dangling from her lobes.

“I’ve never seen you look more gorgeous,” he said, putting his arm around her waist.

She ran her hand over his lapel. “You clean up pretty nice yourself.”

“Glad you approve.”

“Oh, I do indeed.” The twinkle in her eyes led him to believe they were in for another fabulous night.

The dinner dance was being held in the banquet hall, and as they approached the doorway, Harper let out a little cry of delight.

“Look.” She pointed inside to a massive Christmas tree that nearly reached the cathedral ceiling. It was decorated with pale mauve and silver ornaments. Gold mesh ribbon had been wound through its branches as garland, and sprays of dried flowers painted silver added an interesting texture to the decorations. But it was the gold star at the top of the tree that held her attention. “Come on.” She took hold of his arm and hurried over to it. With her head tilted back, she said, “Let’s make a wish.”

She closed her eyes, and without her knowing what he was about to do, he kissed her.