Christmas With The Marine

This really was their busiest time of year and she’d spent too much of her packed schedule helping the hot guy.

“That’s why I’m calling. They actually pushed you to tomorrow. I’ve been trying to call for the last hour. Did you leave your phone in the car again?”

No. She’d been distracted by the glorious man in uniform.

“I didn’t hear it ring.”

“I swear I’m going to put ‘The Imperial March’ on your phone so you hear when I call. Anyway, Craig Price at CIM wants to meet with you about gifts for his staff. He had a four o’clock open. Can I tell them you’ll be there?”

She sighed. Craig was an ex. One of the several narcissists she’d dated, though he hadn’t been as bad as some of the others. He was married to his job, though, and when he thought it was okay to go six months between calling for dates, they parted ways. But his technology company, CIM, had over four hundred employees—that was a pretty tidy commission for her company.

But Craig. Ugh.

“I know he’s a prat, but that commission pays the mortgage for a year. I’d go, but I’m meeting with the Funky Monkey folks at three. They have a bunch of new merchandise they’re bringing by.”

“I wish we could switch,” she said. She loved the boutique called Funky Monkey more than just about any other. The owner, Amy, was one of the most creative people she’d ever met.

“I promise to nab something shiny for you. Craig specifically asked for you. Maybe he wants to apologize for being such a fool. And hello, we promised ourselves a Christmas bonus this year if we made our goals, and we’re so very close.”

She had a point. And this was business. In the two years she’d been operating, she’d had to handle much worse. Some of her wealthiest clients, a few of whom were her parents’ friends, felt entitled and had to be treated that way. Even after she’d grown up around that sort of wealth, their attitudes chewed at her gut. But she wasn’t dumb. The client was always right. Even if they were jerks sometimes. Well, as long as they paid their bills.

“Yep. You’re right. Yes, I can do four. Do you have suggestions? Did they give you a budget?”

“Yes, on both counts. His assistant gave me the rundown on what type of gifts and how much they wanted to spend for each level from the board on down.”

Ainsley did love it when they were organized. “Okay, good. That makes our job easier. Can you print out the ideas and put a book together for me?”

They did most of their presentations on a laptop or tablet, but clients liked to have something they could hold in their hands and peruse. It was a trick she’d learned early on. Folks tended to buy more when they could feel the pages. Weird, but true.

“Already working on it.”

“And that, my friend, is why I love you best.”

“Yes, luv, remember that when it’s time for my raise.” Ainsley smiled. Bebe could give herself a raise whenever she wanted, although they would discuss it first, as they did everything.

“Yes, ma’am. Okay, so I’ll see you in a bit.”

That’s what she needed—a reminder of what was most important. Her work. This was their most important time of the year. The last thing she wanted to deal with was a distraction.

Especially a hot Marine.

She took another deep breath.

A very hot, sexy Marine.

2 (#u416de16e-e1aa-5fbd-ab64-b728ed8a32d1)

THE HIGH SCHOOL cafeteria buzzed with activity. And it was loud. Really loud. Ben wasn’t a huge fan of big crowds or noise, but this was for a good cause. There were booths with everything from wooden toys to homemade candles to miniature Christmas trees. He’d never seen anything like it.

“Explain to me again why we’re here and not watching the game? It’s almost the end of football season,” Matt complained.

“I bought the toys, you guys have to help me haul them in to get them wrapped.” It would have taken him thirty trips from the car and back without his friends.

He searched the throng of people for the pretty blonde, but he didn’t see her. Dang if he hadn’t thought about her all night.

Jake grinned and tightened his grip on the bags he was carrying. It was as if his buddy could read his thoughts.

Mari, Brody’s wife and mother of his child, bustled up next to him.

“I think it’s sweet that you’re doing this,” Mari said to Ben. “You’re helping the Toys for Tots program and the fund-raiser for the drill team. You’re my hero.”

Brody cleared his throat. “I thought I was your hero.”

“Oh, honey, always. Always.” She kissed him, and Ben had to look away. Sometimes their intimacy bothered him. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe because he’d never been that close to another person. He’d dated a lot of women, but none that made him feel the way that Brody talked about his wife. And his friend Matt was a goner, as well, with his fiancée, Chelly. His buddies were so wrapped up in their women, and Ben just didn’t get it.

He was attracted to the women he dated, but his interest waned after a short while. The guys on the base where he taught helicopter maintenance classes, tested the machines and helped out with training missions called him Casanova because he had a different girl every week.

There was one woman he definitely wanted to spend time with, but he had a feeling she was far beyond his reach.

It took a few minutes but they finally found the booth set up for gift wrapping. It was staffed by a bunch of young girls, with ponytails, in stretch pants and T-shirts that read Dance with Me.

“You want us to wrap how many?” one of the young girls asked. She had her hair piled so high on her head it almost added another foot.

She gave him a once-over, and it was all he could do not to laugh. Where was Ainsley?

“Yes, and I’ll donate two dollars a package, which is a dollar more than you guys usually ask for,” Ben said. Even at this young age, money talked.

The girl’s smile grew, and then a woman came up behind her. She held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Coach Kaylie. That’s very generous of you. May I ask who these toys are for? There are a lot of them.” She didn’t look much older than the girl giving him a tough time.

“Toys for Tots,” Jake said, as he patted Ben on the back. “Our boy here picked them all out, but we need help wrapping them.”

“Terrific,” Kaylie said. “That’s so kind that you’re doing this for kids. Of course we’ll help you. And we really appreciate the donation. We’re trying to get to three different dance competitions this year, so every penny counts.” She batted her eyelashes at Jake.

This time Ben did chuckle. Jake had that effect on women. Never failed.

“Wonderful,” a woman’s voice said. He glanced down to see Ainsley. She was here, and she looked every bit as beautiful as she had the day before. He’d been sure his imagination had been playing tricks on him.

Today, she wore jeans and boots that came up to her knees. But it was the tight white sweater that nearly did him in. Her body was the stuff of fantasies. His fantasies.

Once again he found himself clearing his throat, and he positioned the bag he was carrying so no one would see the sudden tent in his pants.

Crap. Sad puppies. Old, crinkly people. He had to think of something that was not the beautiful woman beside him.

“Hi,” he said. Well, that was brilliant.

She beamed up at him. “I’ve brought the rest of your gifts. Got them first thing this morning. Since they’re for the nursing home, I asked the girls to put them in bags with tissue so it would be easier for those arthritic hands to open,” she said sweetly. “They should be just about finished with those.”

“You really do think of everything.”