“I didn’t mind at all. It was actually very helpful. Otherwise I wouldn’t have a clue what to buy her for Christmas.”
Kara slipped outside and closed the door. “Don’t feel obligated. Santa will take good care of her.”
“I’m sure he will,” he said, stepping closer. His gaze zeroed in on Kara’s lips, thinking they presented him with an irresistible temptation. “I would just like to do something special for both of you.”
His head lowered and he pressed his lips to her warm ones, feeling the slightest tremble in her. Not wanting to push his luck, he pulled away. He caught the softest sigh from Kara. She wasn’t as immune to him as she’d like to think.
He cleared his throat. “Thank you for tonight.”
She pressed a hand to her lips and glanced up at him. Their gazes held for a moment before her hand lowered. “We’re baking cookies on Wednesday after work and making up trays of them to take to the ca
re home. If you aren’t busy you could help.”
Things weren’t running as smoothly at the resort as he’d like, but he’d work day and night if it meant spending another evening in this gingerbread house with these two lovely ladies.
“Count me in.”
* * *
At last, Wednesday arrived. Jason glanced down at the bag of goodies on his office desk. He’d run out at lunchtime to buy them for tonight’s cookie-baking endeavor. The jaunt to the mall had taken him most of the afternoon, but it’d been worth it.
“Here’s the report on the latest quotes we have from alternative vendors.” Kara set the spreadsheet on his desk and gazed at him. “So what put the cat-who-ate-the-canary look on your face?”
He cleared his throat, trying not to smile, but found it to be a challenge. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Her brows arched. “Okay, well, these are the latest figures we received. There’s only one vendor, Biggest Wholesales, who’s beating out Pappy Salvatore’s prices.”
“Good. I’ll have a look.” Jason noticed the frown on her face. “You know it’s best for the Summit.”
“It’s not that. It’s Biggest Wholesales. I’ve heard some things about them.”
If he was thinking of switching their food services to another supplier, he was smart enough to know he had to be concerned about more than just the bottom line. Sometimes the cheapest wasn’t always the best.
“What have you heard about them?”
“That’s just it, I can’t remember. But it’s chewing at the back of my mind. I’m sure it’ll come to me eventually.”
“Let me know when you recall. And maybe you could do some checking around about them.”
She stepped toward the door and pushed it closed before turning back to face him. “Are you still coming over this evening?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I have a date with a cutie to keep—make that two of them.” When Kara smiled, he couldn’t hold back a grin of his own. “I’ll stop by your desk when I finish up here.”
“My desk—for what?”
“I thought we could leave together, as long as you don’t mind stopping for dinner.” He really liked the thought of ending the workday and going home with Kara. It seemed natural, something he could get used to.
“But we can’t,” she said, a look of horror on her face. “What would people think?”
He shrugged. “Does it matter what they think?”
The fact he’d been able to utter those words and truly mean them stunned him. For so many years he’d stayed away from here, worried about what people would think of him. But now things were changing—he was changing. With Kara and Samantha in his life, he realized he was more than just the genetics that created him—he was a man with wants and needs that surpassed any gossip.
“I care what my coworkers think.” Kara tilted up her chin. “They’ll start saying we’re a couple. I don’t want that.”
Jason’s chest tightened. “You don’t want what? Us to be a couple? Or for people to talk about us?”
“I...I don’t know. Both I guess.” But her gaze didn’t meet his. “We still have unresolved issues.”