A Mistletoe Proposal: Marry Me under the Mistletoe / A Little Bit of Holiday Magic / Christmas Magic in Heatherdale

“But as an extra precaution you need dowels for all the windows upstairs and down. It’ll make more trouble for him or any intruder and buy you a little time if someone wants in. What do you have for personal protection?”

“I carry pepper mace on my key chain and keep bear spray in the drawer.” She indicated the bedside table.

He nodded. “Do you have a gun?”

“No. I’d rather use spray.”

Without any more questions, he walked back out to her sitting room. She had no Christmas decorations upstairs. Until now she hadn’t even thought about doing her own decorating, because her emotions had been in deep freeze.

But no longer. Her pulse raced just looking at him.

“You have a lovely modern apartment here. In an older building like this, it’s a surprise.”

“I know. Before my marriage I lived with Mom. Gunter and I were going to buy a house here, but he died too soon for us to decide on one. The loft seemed the perfect choice to remodel so I’d be close to my work.”

His hands went to his hips in a purely masculine gesture. “I would have sold my house to help let go of memories if I didn’t have Tessa, but any more changes to her life would have been disastrous at the time.”

“They already are.”

He shot her a probing glance. “What do you mean?”

“She didn’t like me the other day, and likes me less after seeing me with you tonight.”

Lines bracketed his mouth. “Don’t read so much into everything, Andrea.”

Andrea didn’t want to go down this road, but tonight’s experience had left her with no other choice. “Your daughter doesn’t want to share you with anyone else.”

He took a deep breath. “She has to share me every day when I go to work. Between all the love from her grandmothers, aunts, Sharon— from my colleagues’ wives and her kindergarten teacher, she’s learning to adapt.”

“That’s not the same thing, and you know it. When she looked up and realized I was with you, she shut down. She feels a child’s jealousy that you would give personal attention to another woman besides her. I don’t want to be that woman.”

She noticed his chest rise and fall from a tumult of emotions. “This phase will pass.”

“Sometimes that phase lasts years.”

His eyes narrowed. “What else is going on inside you?”

Andrea tossed her head back. “Isn’t Tessa’s negative reaction enough to let you know this wasn’t a good idea? She’s so precious and you’re her whole world. Your daughter needs more time.”

His features hardened. “You didn’t answer my question,” he said, ignoring her comments. “I know for a fact you feel something for me, but you’re doing your damnedest to pretend otherwise. Why?”

At his question she backed away from him. “I appreciate your checking out my apartment, but if you’re through here, you ought to go back to the Ameses’ house to be with your daughter. It will reassure her she hasn’t lost you.”

He moved closer. “I’ll take your advice under consideration, but not before I get the truth from you. They say it makes you free. Do me that favor and I swear I’ll never darken your doorstep again.”

She wouldn’t look at him. “Tonight we got this out of our system and your daughter had to pay the price. More than ever I’m not interested in a relationship.”

Rick reached out and grasped her upper arms. “You’re lying or you wouldn’t have come to the party with me, and I can prove it.” Before she could cry out, he lowered his dark head and covered her mouth unerringly with his own. There was a hunger in his kiss that ignited her desire in spite of everything she’d tried to do to stop it. Without being able to help it, her mouth opened to the seductive pressure of his.

He was right. This was what she’d been waiting for. A moan of pure pleasure escaped her throat, one she knew he heard. In the next instant he crushed her against his hard body until there was no space between them. She felt feverish as one exploratory kiss grew into another, then five, ten, twenty until she lost count. He was insatiable. So was she. It was shocking how much she wanted this ecstasy to go on and on.

“I didn’t know a woman like you existed. In a matter of days you’ve managed to turn me inside out. Give me a chance to let me love you, Andrea.”

If the buzzer outside the downstairs rear door hadn’t sounded, she had no idea how long she would have clung to him, kissing him back again and again as if he were life to her. What really terrified her was that for these moments in his arms, he was life to her.

CHAPTER FOUR (#u9c8600ad-2cdd-5907-993a-0890cfd66ca8)

RICK HADN’T IMAGINED that buzzing sound. With the greatest of reluctance he allowed her to tear her mouth from his without pulling her back. “Your father?” Both of them were out of breath.

“I’m sure it is.”

“This late?” It was after ten.

“Yes. He drifts in and out at will.”

The buzzer went off again. Her parent sounded impatient. “You’d better answer.”

“I know, but I need to freshen up for a minute.”

Rick studied her features and glazed eyes. Her lips looked swollen and his five-o’clock shadow had put a rash on her face. All in all she looked slightly ravished for a first kiss, but he felt no shame. On the contrary...

“Would you like me to go down and let him in while you repair the damage?”

She blushed. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

“It would be my pleasure.” With his body throbbing from unassuaged longings, he went back downstairs and undid the lock. He’d met her mother. Now was his chance to meet Andrea’s father.

To say her graying parent in his North Face parka was shocked to see Rick standing there was an understatement. He gave him the once-over with dark blue eyes reminiscent of Andrea’s. “I thought one of Andrea’s friends was parked outside. Who are you?” he asked, sounding a bit territorial for the father of a grown woman.

“I’m Captain Jenner of Ladder 1 at the downtown fire station. You must be Mr. Bernard. Your daughter will be right down. Come in.”

Once he was inside, Rick shut the door. Her father looked around the office. “I can smell smoke.”

“That’s right. There was a fire in the art gallery two shops up the street the other night, set by an arsonist. I just got off duty and came by to let your daughter know the police will be patrolling this area more heavily until January. But she needs to pay special heed when she’s here alone.”

“I never liked the idea of her living upstairs, but would she listen to her own father? Andrea’s mother always let her be too independent, so what can you expect?”

As Rick grimaced, he heard footsteps on the stairs. “Hi, Dad. Mom said you’d be coming by.”

Andrea came down in jeans and a T-shirt. Everything she wore she filled out to perfection, but that was a quick change, he thought. Rick had the strongest suspicion she didn’t want her father to know anything about their evening, especially the passion they’d just shared.

She gave her dad a kiss. “You’ve met Captain Jenner. His crew put out that fire he was talking about. He’s been making an inspection of the buildings around here and checked my fire escape to see what kind of access it has to the upstairs. He was just leaving.”

Rick glanced at him. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Bernard.”

“I appreciate you keeping my little girl safe. She shouldn’t be living here on her own. Did she tell you about the bear spray?”

“Yes.”