Wrapped In Red: Mistletoe Mantra / White Hot Holiday
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The last she’d seen him, his dark hair had dusted his shoulders and he’d been rail thin and barely taller than her at maybe five feet nine inches if she was being generous. She had no idea what to picture now. Maybe he’d gone extra emo like every other hipster she knew and had grown a beard or a mustache to be ironic.
As she looked around, the memories of the last time she’d been home washed over her. When she’d left here five years ago, the plan had been to never come back.
Thanks to her AP courses and the summer sessions she’d taken at the local community college, she’d finished all her high school credits just before the holiday and had planned to work from December through graduation and then head for UCLA in the fall. Brad was supposed to move out with her and had been planning on attending the University of Southern California. But that night had changed everything.
When he’d picked her up, he’d taken her to the big lake by the country club. Over the summers there were usually parties out there, bonfires on the tiny beach. It was also the standard make-out spot. But he hadn’t taken her there to make out. Or, hell, propose like her idiotic seventeen-year-old self had thought.
Just thinking about what he’d said made her blood boil. “Nomi, it’s been a fun two years, but we need to think about our futures. Or rather, I need to think about my future.”
She’d been too shocked to cry in the moment. And since she hadn’t said anything he’d continued.
“As great as you are, you’re not the right person to take into my future. I need to be with someone who complements me. Someone who has the same vision.”
What he’d meant was someone with a rich family and even richer connections. For the most part, his parents had been okay with her. His mother was more disapproving of her middle-class roots than the color of her skin. But she’d never missed an opportunity to parade rich, blonde debutants in front of Brad. The ass wipe had finally taken notice. His next words still sat with her today. “I’m seeing Lila Banks now.”
She’d finally found her voice then. “Lila Banks? That wannabe socialite barely has one brain cell.”
“Well, she’s perfect and her family is perfect. And I also got into Georgetown. I think even you can agree that it’s is a better school than USC. You don’t really fit into my circles. And, let’s face it, not everyone would understand our relationship. You’re the only one who didn’t see this coming.”
“H-how long?” She’d never regretted a question more.
“A few weeks. I’d have told you sooner. But your dad, he implied my history grade would be in jeopardy if I hurt you.” Nomi could still visualize his strong shoulders as they shrugged. “So I waited until after the report cards had been sent.”
Even now, Nomi could remember the instant nausea when he’d said that. Her parents had known. They could have insulated her or protected her and they hadn’t said a word. That verbal slap had left scars.
Brad had been with her as a note of rebellion, but now that real life was starting, he wanted his perfect blonde girlfriend and perfect life, and Nomi didn’t fit.
She’d walked away from him, leaving him at the top of the hill. Tears streaming down her face, she’d walked across the golf course and through the trails to Jilly’s house. Somewhere along the way it had started to rain, the frozen splashes stinging her face as she walked.
Jilly hadn’t been there. But Linc had. He’d opened the door and dragged her inside by the fire and wrapped a blanket around her. After a change of clothes, a go-around with Jilly’s blow-dryer and some hot cocoa, she had felt better.
He hadn’t asked her a thing, merely been there. Linc hadn’t batted an eyelash when she had asked for a ride home so she could pack. His only objection when she had asked for a ride to the train station was that she should wait for Jilly to come back before she left. But her friend was at Villanova visiting the college, and Nomi wanted out so bad she couldn’t wait.
She would never forget his last words to her. “You always deserved better than him.”
Then he’d given her a hug and his phone number and told her to call him if she ever needed anything. And that was that. Before that, they’d only been peripheral friends. She’d always seen him just as Jilly’s brother. But she’d always liked him. Unlike most of the other kids at her school, he’d talked to her when Brad wasn’t around. Nothing heavy, but he always went out of his way to make her feel comfortable. She’d always assumed it was because her mom worked for his father, but given that he was braving the cold to come pick her up now, maybe he was just a nice guy.
When she didn’t see him, she shuffled to the baggage claim wishing she’d worn her Uggs instead of her Cole Haan stiletto boots. She’d opted to check her bag instead of lugging it from car to car. Her train from Dulles had carried the usual commuter crowd, so the claims area was practically empty even though there were plenty of people waiting for their passengers.
For the most part, no one paid her any attention, but after several minutes the hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention. Nervously, she whipped around, expecting to see someone behind her. There was no one there. But at the far corner of the arrivals area, a man stared at her. He was tall, maybe around six feet or so. And he had one of those thin, rangy builds that screamed soccer player or some sort of athlete. His dark hair curled over his forehead and framed one hell of a face. Holy hell. There were men that hot in Faith? Maybe she’d been missing out.
Nervously she turned back and dragged her roll along off the luggage carousel.
Her neck still prickled with awareness. Oh jeez, was he staring? She hazarded another glance over her shoulder. This time when their eyes met, the corner of his lips tipped up in a hint of a smile and her insides flipped.
No. No. No. She was not getting distracted by some hottie. She had a job to do. Tall-dark-and-rip-your-clothes-off over there was a dime a dozen in Los Angeles. Granted, the ones in LA were also pompous ass hats for the most part.
She turned back around to keep from staring some more, pulled up Linc’s contact info on her phone and sent a quick text. Hey, are you still okay to pick me up?
His reply came quickly. Yeah. I’m already here.
Her brows snapped down. Had she missed him? The station was slowly thinning out. Despite her brain’s commands to not look at the guy in the corner, she couldn’t help a furtive glance. He smiled at her then and something pulled low in her belly, making her ache.
Oh hell. She’d never been the one-night-stand type, but for that smile, she’d give it some serious considerations. Focus, Nomi. She turned her attention back to her phone. Where are you? What are you wearing?
The suggestive nature of the text didn’t hit her until she’d already hit send. Aww hell. She’d been home all of five minutes and she was already a hot mess.
He was slower to respond now. Dark jeans. Dark jacket. And I’m waving.
This time she looked up and her jaw went slack. Tall-dark-and-turns-good-girls-bad was waving.
Pushing off the wall, he sauntered over with one of those panty-dropping smiles. As he got closer, Nomi’s heart hammered faster and faster; she was certain she’d have a heart attack.
He paused just in front of her. “I guess you didn’t recognize me.”
Still slack jawed, she stared up at him and catalogued his face. His jade green eyes were dark and reminded her of the forest after a heavy rainfall. The cleft in the chin that had only been hinted at when they were kids was more defined. His angled jaw and chiseled cheekbones, combined with full sensual lips, meant Lincoln Porter had turned into a full-blown hottie.
Speak. Close your mouth, swallow and then find some intelligent words. The brain’s commands were sound, but all she managed was, “Linc?”
He chuckled. “Yeah.” He ran a hand over his hair. “It’s me. I guess I look a little different.”
“Understatement of the year.”
The smile was back. “How about we get out of here and get you settled?”
Chapter 4
Nomi hadn’t recognized him. What the hell was he supposed to make of that? Okay, fair enough—the summer before college he’d added three inches to his frame and packed on some muscle finally when he’d started doing parkour. His mother always said he’d grow into his looks. But he never expected Nomi to walk right by him.
More dangerously, he wanted to know what she thought. He’d seen her appraising gaze as it slid over him, but from a distance it was hard to tell.
She swallowed hard. “Sorry. You just look so...” Her voice trailed, but even in the bad lighting of the station, he could see her pupils dilate. With her lips parted ever so slightly, he wanted to take her photograph.
Yeah, not gonna happen. The moment she found out he was Nolan Polk, she’d take what she needed and bolt. And he didn’t want to go through that again. “It’s good to see you, Nomi. You look good.”
She wore her hair in slim braids that hung down her back. Her smile, now, that was the same. Her lips naturally curved upward, making her look as if she was always on the verge of laughter or mischief. She hadn’t changed at all. Still slim, but her curves had filled in, making him itch to touch. Her cinnamon skin gleamed. And her wide, dark, almond-shaped eyes missed nothing.
She was still beautiful. And likely still hung up on Brad Lennox, so get your mind right, Linc.
He cleared his throat. “C’mon, let’s go get you settled.” She’d only packed a carry on so it was easy enough to take that from her and pull it along.
“Must we?” she mumbled under her breath.
Linc chuckled. Her acerbic wit was still intact. “I see you’re no more fond of this place than when you left it.”
Nomi shrugged. “I always knew you were astute.”
Oh yeah, she hadn’t changed. Problem was, he hadn’t changed either, so she still had the power to make him a little nervous. “So if you hate it so much, then what are you doing back here? At Christmastime no less. Surely someone else could have come. I seem to recall you saying you’d rather have your fingernails torn out.”
“Hey, the night is still young.” With a small laugh she added, “Hopefully, I’ll be in and out. If my career trajectory didn’t depend on it, I wouldn’t be here encroaching on your Christmas holiday.”
Once at his BMW, he unlocked and opened the passenger door for her, then deposited her bag in the trunk before sliding behind the wheel.
“You’re not encroaching, Nomi. I’m happy to help. And since you won’t be able to rent a car anywhere in a thirty-mile radius, I can take you anywhere you need to go.” This situation wasn’t ideal. The last thing he wanted her to do was find out he was Nolan Polk, at least until he was sure he could trust her. This way he could find out what she was really after.
She turned in her seat to study him. As her gaze slid over his face, he bit back the sudden compulsion to kiss her. She always had that unnerving way of looking at someone directly, clear to the soul.
“You seriously don’t need to do that. I can manage.”
“Independent to the bone. But be reasonable. You’ll need help. I’m offering.”
“I—” Nomi shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m looking for. You’d be signing up for what amounts to a wild-goose chase.”
There was no way he was letting her roam around asking questions. Not so much that he feared she’d actually find anything, but more that he wanted to keep her close. Maybe Jilly was right, and she was the same old Nomi, and he could trust her. But then maybe she cared more about her bottom line than anything else. The only way to know was to keep her close.
“Look, I get it. You like to do everything on your own. But help from a local can’t be a bad thing.”
“I don’t want to keep you from anything. I’d feel terrible. And it’s the holiday. I’m sure you have family obligations. A girlfriend. Somebody is going to need you. I got this.”
His breathing slowed. Did she just ask if he had a girlfriend? “Right now you need me. Family is fine and no girlfriend. Why can’t you just accept help?”
She ducked her head. “I guess I’ve never been very good at it. I’d rather count on myself.”
Only with a Herculean effort did he manage to keep his gaze from flickering to her chest. “Can’t have that, now, can we? Besides, my mother and Jilly would have my hide if I didn’t help you. You’re practically family.” Shit, way to put it out there.
She blinked, then again. “Uh, whatever the reason, I appreciate it. And any return favor, just name it.”
“Am I taking you to your parents’ house?”
She shook her head vehemently. “God, no. I haven’t seen either of them in a year, and birthday conversations were awkward enough without me being under their roof. Besides, I’m not staying for the holidays, so there’s really no point of letting them know I’m here.”
“So where to, if not your parents’?”
“Resplendence Inn,” she said absently.
She was staying there? That was the most expensive hotel in town. Vacationing celebrities looking for a Norman Rockwell Christmas had put Faith on the map. The town had become a booming tourist destination, and with that had come development. Resplendence was one of the newer boutique hotels. “Nice place.”
She shrugged. “The magazine booked it.”
“So what exactly do you want Nolan Polk for?”
Her morose mood lifted the second she started talking about her job. “Sassy magazine is having their twentieth-anniversary issue and we’re doing a women in beauty spread. But not like the usual bullshit stuff that the other magazines do featuring photoshopped celebrities who don’t even look like that. Or just the western aesthetic. We wanted to capture real women around the world. This Polk guy, you should see his work. He does the most moving and intimate candid portraits. I think you’d like his stuff. You used to be into photography, if I remember correctly?”
Used to. “Yeah. I dabbled.”
She narrowed her gaze. “You more than dabbled, from what I remember. Didn’t you win a competition or two? I always thought you’d leave here and travel the world with your pictures.”
And he had. Or at least that was before he’d had his heart ripped out and come home to lick his wounds. “Well, funny thing is, there is no place like home.” The last thing he wanted was for her to dig further about him, so he changed the subject. “So what’s going on? You lost your artist?”
“I didn’t lose him, exactly. He just doesn’t want to be found. Little does he know I don’t give up on anything. Ever. And I need to find him before Amber does. If she finds him first and convinces him to give her a photo, then she gets my promotion.”
“Who’s Amber?”
“My nemesis who works at the magazine. She’s in town looking for Nolan, too, and she’s had a head start.”
Damn, there was someone else looking for him? How was he supposed to keep two of them at bay? “So, what? You plan on finding him and convincing him to be part of this spread?”
“Short answer, yes. But more than that, I feel like I get him. I wish I could explain, but his photos, they do something to me. They make me feel something. I want him to know I understand him and that Sassy isn’t going to exploit his work. I’m hoping that appeals to him. My job depends on it.”
“You do have this way of manifesting what you want. I mean, look at you. You always talked about working for a fancy magazine. And now you are.”
Her gaze narrowed. “You remember that?”
“Just because you barely noticed me doesn’t mean I didn’t notice you.” He pulled into the hotel’s parking lot in front of the valet stand. Not giving her a chance to respond, he was out of the car quickly, pulling her luggage out of the trunk and beating the valet to her door to open it. He needed to stop blurting things out around her.
She accepted his proffered hand. “Thanks, Linc. I have it from here.”
Yeah, he should probably just head home, but he wasn’t ready to say good-night yet. “If it’s just the same, I’ll make sure you’re settled in. Jilly would have my head if I didn’t.”
She silently studied him for a minute, then her gaze shifted to his mouth. Linc’s heart tripped into full gallop. With their breath lingering between them in puffs of visible air, his blood hummed just under his skin. But then her gaze shifted away and the moment was gone.
He led her inside to the lobby and she shifted from foot to foot in her boots. “I don’t even have the words to thank you.”
“It was just a pickup from the train station. No big deal.”
She winced. “Well, and helping me find Nolan Polk. I owe you.”
Cocking his head, he said, “Let me just add that to your tab.”
At check-in, she gave her name and the desk agent searched for her name. He took that time to drink in his fill of Nomi. Sure, he’d be seeing her a lot over the next couple of days, but he wanted the unfiltered Nomi, who didn’t have her walls up.
“I’m sorry, Miss Adams, but your reservation was cancelled.”
Nomi’s head snapped up and she glared at the registration attendant. “Please check again. It was booked by Sassy magazine.”
“I have, ma’am, and we have one reservation under that booking. A Miss Amber Divine. Your reservation was cancelled. This evening around four.”
Nomi shook her head. “That’s insane. I was on a flight at that time. Fine. Whatever, just rebook me.” She clamped her hands together on the counter; she was the picture of calm, but he could sense the heat coming off her body.
“I’m sorry, we gave the reservation away.”
“Excuse me—”
Linc placed a hand at the small of her back and her jaw snapped shut. Glancing at the attendant’s name, he smiled, calling up whatever Porter charm he’d been blessed with. “Karen. I hope you realize the error you’ve made. Miss Adams is a guest of my family. Senator Porter would be disappointed if you couldn’t resolve this problem. There must be something you can do.”
Karen blinked rapidly. “Of—of course, Mr. Porter.” But after another check through the VIP rooms, nothing was available.
Nomi hung her head. “I’ll need to get a hold of Amber and room with her.”
“No. You won’t. I have another idea. Come with me,” Linc said.
“Where are we going?”
“Trust me. I know of somewhere better than the Resplendence Inn.”
“And you think they’ll have rooms days before Christmas?”
“I can guarantee it.”
Thirty minutes later, she was standing in the middle of one of the guesthouses on his family’s property. “Linc, I don’t even know what to say. You’re really going above and beyond with this whole white-knight thing.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. The smile she gave him was reminiscent of seventeen-year-old Nomi. There was no way he’d crack that shell if she left in a couple of days. He wanted to spend some time with her. “I know you said you’d owe me.”
“Anything. If I have the power to give it to you, it’s yours.”
Oh boy. His brain conjured up images of her twined around his body naked in front of a fire, and he had to shake his head to get rid of the imagery that would likely drive him insane for weeks. “Go with me to Brad Lennox’s wedding on New Year’s Eve.”
Her beautiful mouth fell open. “No way in hell.”
He’d anticipated that response from her. “How about you sleep on it?”
“My answer’s not going to change. Pick something else. Anything else.”
He considered it. Hell, the way she parted her lips, he considered asking for a kiss instead. But the wedding bought him some time with her. “Tell you what, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“Why are you being so stubborn?”
Because I want you. “Because you never come home, and I need a date.”
She pursed her lips. “I’ll still say no tomorrow.”
Linc merely shrugged. “I’ll take my chances.
Chapter 5
The next morning, Nomi tossed and turned in bed. Sexy Linc was not part of the bargain. Yes, he could help her, and yes, she needed him, but he was not supposed to look like he did. Nor was he supposed to ask her out to the one event she certainly couldn’t go to.
And she certainly was not supposed to respond to him like that. Just thinking about his intense, focused green eyes on her made her feel flushed.
Over the past five years she’d dated some, but nothing serious. After all, her last serious relationship had sent her fleeing her home under the cover of darkness, so she was more than a little gun shy. And the guys she had dated were nice enough, some with great potential, but she had yet to meet a guy who gave her that same kind of exhilarating rush that her job did. So she just didn’t bother.
The knock on her door came at eight sharp and she was a little surprised to find Linc on the other side. They weren’t supposed to meet until eight thirty. “Oh, good morning. I’m almost ready. I just need to finish my makeup.”
“Sorry I’m early, but I figured maybe we could get breakfast before we head over to Jilly’s gallery. Besides, she’ll kill me if I don’t bring her a pastry from Claire’s bakery.”
Nomi smiled. “I see Jilly still has her sweet tooth. How is she doing anyway?” Nomi shoved aside the twinge of guilt. She didn’t want to ask secondhand, but Jilly would pretend she was okay for Nomi’s sake. Her fiancé had called off their wedding in New York just six months ago and Jilly’d had a rough time.
“You know Jilly. She’s tough.”
“She also puts on a brave face even when she shouldn’t.”
He gave her that almost smile of his again. The man was dangerous to her equilibrium. “Like someone else I know.”
She raised her brow. “You’re her twin, so if anyone would know, I suppose it would be you.”
“She’s still hurt and reeling. But she’s good. She’s back at work and business is booming. Jilly will bounce back. She always does.”
She put down her powder brush. “I was sad to hear about your father. How’s he doing?”
Linc shrugged “Fine, I guess. It’s hard to see him slipping, you know. Most days he’s lucid and he wants to work. But there are days now where he’s not even sure where he is and who people are. It’s killing Mom.”
“Can’t be easy on you, either.”
Again he avoided talking about his father, this time by changing the subject. “After the gallery, do you know where you might want to try next?”
Guilt pricked at her. He had enough things to worry about without shuttling her around town. “What about work?”
“I work at the winery for Mom. I’m the operations director.”
“I’m sure she needs you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Everything is shut down until after the holiday. I’m all yours.”
The way he said that sent a tingle through her body, awakening nerve endings she hadn’t thought about in a very long time.
“I feel bad. I’m sure there are things you’d rather be doing than spending every waking minute with me.”
His gaze skimmed over her body. “Not really. How about this? I’ll feed you, take you to see Jilly and we’ll see where things are. It probably won’t be easy to find this guy, especially if he doesn’t want to be found and it’s tourist season.”
She nodded. “Yeah, okay. I just wanted to get this done as quickly as possible so I can get out before the holiday.”
He cocked his head. “Not a fan at all of Christmas?”
“Yeah, well, I’ve been soured on the whole holiday season.”
“That’s a shame. No eggnog, no caroling, no presents?”
Nomi laughed. “Hold up now. I still like presents. I’m not an idiot.”
He nodded, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly. “Lennox really did a number on you.”
No. She was not discussing Brad Lennox. “He’s not even on my radar. I’m here to work and get out of Faith as fast as my stilettos can carry me. And I’m sorry, Linc, but you’ll have to think of another way to have me pay you back. I slept on it, and I still can’t go to his wedding with you.”