Merry Christmas, Cowboy!. Cindy Kirk

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СКАЧАТЬ couldn’t,” Seth said. “Anna would have been heartbroken. Not to mention mad as hell.”

      Something told Lauren it wasn’t Anna’s anger that had made him protect Spencer David as much as it was the knowledge of what that doll meant to his little sister. She wondered what it’d be like to have someone care about her that much. A lump formed in her throat but she swallowed past it. “You’re a good person, Seth Anderssen.”

      “Naw, just watchin’ out for my own hide.” Seth stretched and covered a yawn. “Sorry. Dani’s leg was bothering her and I hardly slept last night.”

      “We can call it an evening anytime you want.” Lauren kept her tone light, not wanting him to see her disappointment. This had been the best Christmas Eve she could remember and she was reluctant to see it end. “I brought a book to read—”

      “I’m not talking about going to bed right now,” Seth said, looking startled. “I was just thinking it’s time to start putting the presents under the tree.”

      Lauren shifted her gaze to the eight-foot Douglas fir that sat in front of the window. New and old ornaments intermingled on the thick bushy branches. Bubble lights had replaced traditional lighting. A unique tin-punched silver star that Seth had admitted making in middle school topped the tree.

      Lauren had been so awed by the massive tree and its decorations that she hadn’t noticed the lack of presents beneath its branches.

      “I’ll be happy to help.” She glanced around. “Where are the gifts?”

      “Hidden in one of the upstairs closets.” Seth gestured with his head toward the stairs. “But you don’t need to do a thing. I’ll change and bring them down.”

      “Change?”

      “Into the Santa suit.” Though they were the only two in the room, Seth’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I always wear it when putting the presents under the tree.”

      Lauren paused. “But this year is diff—”

      “No different.” A tiny muscle in Seth’s jaw jumped.

      Lauren wasn’t about to argue. Only a few days ago Seth had faced the possibility of losing his daughter. Keeping to tradition was probably his way of reassuring himself that all was still well in his world.

      “You might want to turn down the thermostat before you put on the suit.” Her lips quirked upward. “Wouldn’t want Santa to get a heatstroke.”

      “It is a little warm in here,” Seth admitted.

      An understatement if she’d ever heard one. Lauren chuckled. “Ya think?”

      “I wanted to make sure you were comfortable.” A swath of color cut across Seth’s cheeks. “Guess I went a little overboard.”

      “Only by about a gazillion degrees.” Lauren kept her tone light, ignoring the trickle of sweat slithering down her spine.

      Seth rose and crossed the room to the thermostat. Almost immediately, the hot air that had been billowing out of the duct near the sofa stopped. “Better?”

      “Much.”

      He smiled and started for the stairs, then stopped and turned back. “Can I get you anything before I go upstairs? More eggnog? Ice water? Glass of tea?”

      “I’m fine,” Lauren said, realizing she was more than fine. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so content. “I think I’ll put in another Christmas CD. Set the stage for a visit from St. Nick.”

      “You’re being awfully accommodating to the bogus, fantasy figure who contributes to the commercialization of Christmas,” Seth teased.

      Something about the way he said the words made Lauren grin. “Chalk it up to capturing some of that Anderssen Christmas spirit you’ve been dishing out in great abundance tonight.”

      “Good to hear.” Seth smiled and her heart skipped a beat. “Back in five.”

      Lauren found herself humming as she searched through the stack of Christmas CDs. She finally settled on one that featured original artists performing their classic Christmas hits. After popping the disc into the sound system, Lauren turned down the volume before returning to her seat on the sofa.

      Though the furnace had stopped pumping hot air, the temperature in the room was still in the sweltering range. Lauren considered her options. She could continue to suffer in silence or she could make a small wardrobe adjustment.

      In a matter of seconds, her bulky sweater was up and over her head, leaving her cool and comfortable in the skimpy black tank she’d worn underneath.

      With her body temperature now under control, Lauren leaned her head back against the top of the sofa, closed her eyes and let the strains of “White Christmas” wash over her.

      She’d intended to relax and enjoy the music. But when she opened her eyes to the faint jingle of bells and saw all the brightly wrapped gifts at the base of the tree, she realized she must have fallen asleep.

      Lauren shifted in her seat and found Seth—er, Santa—drinking the glass of milk Dani had set out for him. “Appears circling the world in a sleigh is thirsty business.”

      “It is indeed,” Seth said, the fake white beard moving up and down as he spoke in his deep fake-Santa voice. “Delivering presents is very hard work.”

      Lauren studied him for a moment, then rose to her feet and strolled close. There was something about the suit that intrigued her. Perhaps it was the white fur trim on the coat. Or maybe the shiny black belt. Or the red hat with the pom-pom at the tip.

      All she knew was she couldn’t take her eyes off him—er, the suit. She resisted the urge to stroke the red velour and see if it really was as soft as it appeared. Because touching the fabric would mean touching Seth…

      “Are there any lumps of coal for me under that tree?” Lauren asked abruptly.

      “Not a single lump,” he assured her, adding a very convincing “Ho-ho-ho.” “I have it on good authority that Lauren Van Meveren has been a very good girl this year.”

      “I’m not sure your information is entirely accurate.” Lauren inhaled the intoxicating scent of his cologne and took a step closer. She’d never been attracted to overweight, white-haired, bearded men before, but for some reason she found this one incredibly sexy.

      And it appeared Santa wasn’t immune to her charms. His gaze dropped to her shirt and she felt the tips of her breasts tighten.

      As his gaze lingered, raw want coursed through her, igniting a need that shook her with its intensity. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d craved a man’s hands on her this badly.

      The desire flickering in his suddenly dark eyes told her Santa was having some naughty thoughts of his own. The realization gave her the courage she needed to wrap her arms around his neck. “I’ve always wanted to kiss a man with a beard.”

      Seth stiffened and for a second she worried she’d misread the signals. Then, without warning, his mouth closed over hers. His hands splayed against СКАЧАТЬ