That Holiday Feeling (Virgin River #8)(57)

“Why do you hate admitting that you did something nice?”

“Because I didn’t do that much. I just made a few calls, ordered a few little things. Nate was more than willing to play Santa, especially since he had that gift from Mae for you.”

“Which was wonderful of him to do, but you bought me a floor polisher and a professional-quality tool kit, for heaven’s sakes.”

“A lot of people would say that gift explains why I’m still single,” he said.

“And I say it explains why I find you so completely and utterly irresistible,” she said.

“Irresistible, huh?” A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Come over here.”

“Oh, no, you don’t. We agreed that any more fooling around with Hannah underfoot would be a bad idea.”

“Did we agree to that?”

“We did,” she said emphatically.

“Does one kiss qualify as fooling around?”

“Probably not with a lot of people, but in my experience with you, it has a tendency to make me want a whole lot more.”

His grin spread. “Good to know. I’ll have to remember that tomorrow night.”

Savannah met his gaze, her own expression deliberately solemn. “I certainly hope you do.”

Trace woke up in a dark mood on the morning after Christmas. Rather than inflict his foul temper on Savannah or Hannah, he made a cup of coffee, then shut himself away in Mae’s den and turned on his computer.

Even though he’d given his staff the week between Christmas and New Year’s off, he checked his e-mails, hoping for some lingering piece of business to distract him. Aside from some unsolicited junk mail, there was nothing. Apparently other people were still in holiday mode. He sighed and shut the thing off, then sat back, brooding.

He’d spent the whole night wondering if he hadn’t made the biggest blunder of his life the day before by giving Savannah that stock. It wasn’t that he thought it was the wrong thing to do or that Mae would have disapproved. In fact, he was certain she’d known all along what he would do with her shares. No, his concern was over whether he’d given Savannah the kind of financial independence that would make her flat-out reject the proposal he planned to make tonight.

He was still brooding over that when the door to the den cracked open and Savannah peeked in.

“Okay to interrupt?” she asked.

“Sure,” he said, forcing the surly tone out of his voice. “Come on in.”

To his shock, when she walked through the door, she was wearing some sort of feminine, slinky nightgown that promptly shot his heartbeat into overdrive.

“On second thought,” he muttered, his throat suddenly dry, “maybe you should change first.”

“Why would I do that?” She glanced down. “Don’t you like it?”

“Oh, yeah,” he said huskily. “I like it. Maybe just a little too much.”

Apparently she didn’t get the hint, because she kept right on toward him. The next thing he knew, she was in his lap and his body was so hard and aching, it was all he could do to squeeze out a few words.

“What are you up to?” he inquired, staying very still, hoping that his too-obvious response to that wicked gown of hers would magically vanish. “Where’s Hannah?”

“Gone,” she said, brushing her mouth across his.

“Gone?”

“For the day,” she added, peppering kisses down his neck.

“The entire day?” he asked, suddenly feeling more hopeful and a whole lot less restrained.

“She won’t be home till five at the very earliest,” Savannah confirmed. “I have Donna’s firm commitment on that. She couldn’t keep her tonight, so we compromised.”

“I see,” he murmured, sliding his hand over the slick fabric barely covering her breast. The nipple peaked at his touch.

“Sorry my present’s a day late,” she said as she proceeded to unbutton his shirt and slide it away.

Trace gasped as her mouth touched his chest. “Oh, darlin’, something tells me it will be worth the wait.”

Savannah had never felt so thoroughly cherished as she did lying on the sofa in Trace’s arms, a blanket covering them, as a fire blazed across the room. In a few short days, she had discovered what it meant to be truly loved, even if Trace himself hadn’t yet put a label on his feelings. She wondered if he ever would.

She turned slightly and found him studying her with a steady gaze.

“You’re amazing, you know that, don’t you?”

She shook her head. “I’m just a single mom doing the best I can.”

“Maybe that’s what I find so amazing,” he said. “You remind me of my mother.”

“Just what every woman wants to hear when she’s na**d in a man’s arms,” Savannah said lightly.

He gave her a chiding look. “Just hear me out. You’re strong and resilient. You’ve had some tough times, but you haven’t let them turn you bitter. You’ve just gotten on with the business of living and making a home for Hannah. When I was a kid, I don’t think I gave my mother half enough credit for that. I spent too much time being angry because she didn’t tell my dad to take a hike. I realize now that she didn’t see him the same way I did. She loved him, flaws and all. It was as simple as that, so she did what she could to make the best of his irresponsible ways.”