“Maybe if you had bought him a different color? I could see him in a blue one.”
“Don’t be imagining one on Core. I might get jealous.”
Her expression grew serious. “Don’t be. I can’t get the red one out of mind.”
Unable to help himself, he reached out to place a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her face closer to his. “I’ve missed you the last few days. Have you been avoiding me?”
Arin reached out to place a hand on the back of his neck, holding him just as close. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to wake up Christmas morning with a broken heart.”
Out of all the things he had expected her to say, that was the most surprising and the most honest.
“You’re the one avoiding me, not the other way around. I’ve never broken a woman’s heart and wouldn’t start with you.”
“Hennessy, I don’t think you’ve let any woman or man get close enough to break your heart. I didn’t need to overhear what Moon said to know that. I avoided you, but you didn’t search me out either. I was right here, waiting for you to make an effort.
“I had a marriage that lasted six years with a husband who had the same attitude.” Pressing her body closer to his, she slid her lips along his jawline to his ear.
Feeling every inch of her body pressed to his, he shivered when she bit down on the lobe of his ear.
She slipped her hand from his neck to his heart. “You’ve frozen me out of your heart before I could even get in.”
Hennessy felt his heart thumping in his chest under her hand.
“There’s a remedy for what’s wrong with you,” she whispered.
He wanted to tell her there was nothing wrong with him, that both she and Moon were wrong about him. He couldn’t, though, when she held his heart in the palm of her hand.
“What is it?”
“Fire.”
Chapter 12
“You two aren’t thinking of breaking the rules, are you?”
Arin jumped apart from Hennessy at the voice that came from her back.
Giving Jack a shaky laugh, Arin smoothed down her green velvet top. “I was helping Hennessy try to find his gifts.”
“I haven’t found today’s yet either. You want to help me find mine?” He held his arms out encouragingly.
Arin felt a rush of air as Hennessy started for Jack at the joking comment.
“I’ll help you find it,” Hennessy offered threateningly.
Arin quickly stepped between the two men. “Which one of you wants to help me make some cookies?”
Both men glared at each other, neither willing to back down.
Snapping her fingers in front of their faces, Arin reined in the budding fight. “The kids are coming tonight to see Santa Claus. I want to have cookies ready for them. I could use some help, please.” She sweetly placed a hand on Hennessy’s arm. “Please.”
Nodding at her, he broke the glare he was giving Jack. “I’ll help.”
“I will, too.” Jack wasn’t about to be outdone.
“Thank you.” Taking a chance, she moved from between the two men and started taking ingredients out of the pantry. “Jack, could you pull up a recipe for sugar cookies? And Hennessy, could you grab me the measuring cups?” Going to the cabinet, she took out a mixing bowl while directing the men to keep them busy instead of letting them break each other’s neck.
As they made the cookies, she was aware of every movement Hennessy made, wishing she could feel the same tingling attraction toward Jack, but it just wasn’t there.
Arin didn’t know how Jewell did it. How could she be around so many men and not become attached to any of them?
She was sliding the first batch of cookies into the oven when, with a sinking heart, she realized why Jewell had never accepted her job offer. Her friend was in love with one of the men who kept her firmly in place.
“Is something wrong?”
Arin forced a smile to her lips. “No, just thinking. Where did Jack go?” she asked, seeing she and Hennessy were alone again.
“Taking a shower. He said he would be back when the cookies were done.”
“Oh.” Arin started making another pan of cookies.
“Are you upset he’s gone?”
“No. Are you?”
“Fuck no.”
When she turned to put the second sheet of cookies in the oven, she found herself blocked.
“Whose name did you draw?”
“That’s a secret.”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“Then, why do you want to know?”
“Because I’m going to kill the fucker before he can figure out you have his name.”
Arin sidestepped him. “Such a drastic action for such a silly game.”
“It’s not going to be so silly when he figures out you’re his Santa. You do know there’s going to be a lot of sex going down when the men start figuring out who has their names, right?”
“Yes, I do. I’m counting on it. Aren’t you?”
“Not unless you have my name.”