“Wow – you’re the best!” Jenny laughed. She turned to me, grinning and nodding. “I think your friend is a keeper.”
I came over to stand next to him, and before I even had a chance to open my mouth to say hello, he had scooped me into his arms, picking me up as he kissed me. He was so warm. Those thick arms around me made everything inside me quiver. But for once it wasn’t from nerves, it was from the feeling of his body against mine. Should I have been able to feel his kiss in the backs of my knees?
“I missed you, sweetheart,” he whispered into my ear.
“I’m glad you came,” I smiled up at him.
He gave my hand a squeeze, then got to work uncorking the wine and putting a glass in everyone’s hand. Patricia was thrilled to have wine for the first time in months, even though it was non-alcoholic.
When we ran out of wine glasses, Nolan didn’t seem to mind at all that we simply used coffee mugs, juice glasses, or whatever we found in Jenny’s cupboards. We scored a spot at the dining room table for a couple of tacos, but then made room for newcomers by sitting on the floor in the corner.
“Can I get you another drink?” Nolan asked.
“Not for a while, thanks,” I said, checking my phone.
“Are you expecting a call?” he asked.
“No, I was checking the time,” I said. “I space my drinks out so I never get tipsy.”
He laughed, stretching his legs out and pulling me onto his lap. “I told you I like smart women. I also like sensible women.”
“Thank you for bringing all of the wine,” I said. “That was really sweet of you. Lucky that you made it to the liquor store before they closed early.”
“Actually, this is just from my cellar,” he said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “I never know when I might end up going to a party where people need to drink champagne from a sugar bowl.”
His hand was caressing my hip and the outside of my thigh, running back and forth along my dress. Leaning in to nuzzle my ear, he whispered, “I was thinking about you all day. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t let me crash your party.”
Staring into those warm, sweet brown eyes, I felt myself melting as if I were being pulled under his spell. “You would have survived,” I said. “You seem like a self-sufficient guy.”
“That’s not true,” he said, brushing his short beard across my cheek until I giggled. “I’ve been alone too long, and now that I have my heart set on a beautiful blonde, she’s all I want for Christmas.”
I would never have guessed in a million years that I would be the girl making out in the corner of a party, but I just couldn’t help it. My arms slid around his shoulders as his lips caressed mine.
I don’t know whether it was his masculine scent, or the way he held me so close, but the thought of pulling him into the bedroom actually crossed my mind. He was so huge that I felt delicate next to him. I’d never felt small before, only average. Medium height, medium-plus weight, medium everything. But now I felt little and precious and warm and safe and realized my heart was racing uncontrollably.
Placing a hand on his chest, I pushed him away gently. “We should keep this PG-rated,” I whispered.
“Absolutely. Sorry, sweetheart,” he said, kissing my forehead. “Do you need water? Tea?”
I glanced at my phone. “Actually, a tiny glass of champagne would be great.”
He kissed my nose then picked me up, setting me aside as if I were a doll. As he walked to the kitchen, I saw at least three girls staring at him. I wasn’t even sure how I felt about that.
Jenny’s old friend Tim came out of the kitchen with a weird expression, as he walked over to Patricia and Mark. “Why is Nolan Briggs in the kitchen?” he asked in a hushed, serious tone.
Mark grinned. “Sharolyn’s new boyfriend, apparently,” he chuckled, tipping his head in my direction.
Tim nodded approvingly. “Nice one, Sharolyn.” As Nolan returned, Tim gave him a nod. “Hey, Briggs. I saw the game where you destroyed the Rangers practically single-handed. You’re crazy fast, man.”
“Thanks,” Nolan said warmly, handing me a mug so he could shake Tim’s hand. “For the record, they were having a really off game. But they sure made me look good.”
Now people were really staring at us as Nolan pulled me into his lap again. The men seemed impressed, and the women all seemed either jealous or curious. It was hard to tell.
CHAPTER FOUR
* Nolan *
There was something about Sharolyn that was so infinitely sweet. I wasn’t surprised that her circle of friends were lovely as well. It was refreshing discussing books instead of the stock market, and crazy conspiracy theories about movies instead of boardroom negotiations.