Rhys distracted her with even more questions, and she reminisced about the good times of being a kid with so much room to run and play and explore. By the end, they were both laughing, with Rhys teasing her about being the love child of Santa and a raccoon.
“I think it’s done,” she said, having left the honor of placing the tree-topper to him and watching as he used his height and a stool to center it just right. “What do you think?”
He stepped down, but his foot caught on the edge of the stool, making him wobble.
She quickly steadied him even though he barely had to shift to adjust his weight to counter the stumble, but she saw his gaze warm as he used her instinct to “catch him” to pull her to him.
And like those photos taken earlier in the day, she found herself breathing him in and staring up at his handsome face. “You said you’d…keep your hands to yourself.”
He lowered his head, his intent clear, but stopped just shy of her lips.
“You touched me first.”
“I suppose that did…break the rules.”
“Mmm, it did,” he agreed, his gaze lowering to her mouth. “May I kiss you, sweet Sara?”
She waited, unable to move or pull away, to do anything because she was so caught up in…this. Him. What better way than to end a wonderful evening than with a kiss?
She held his gaze and nodded. Because now? She didn’t want the evening to end without one.
Rhys closed the distance between them but lifted his chin, his lips pressing gently against her forehead and lingering. The moment lengthened as her pulse pounded in her ears and she struggled to breathe. When he lifted his lips, she searched his gaze, seeing all sorts of heady, wonderful, thought-provoking things in the depths.
“Let’s get you home,” he said before adding, “before I’m tempted to do more than kiss you.”
Rhys stepped back and released her. Sara watched, body tight and more than a little needy, as he took her hand and tugged her toward the couch where she’d left her shoes.
“As much as I don’t want to end the evening, you need to get some rest before tomorrow.”
She sat on the edge of the cushion to put her heels back on, but he followed her down, kneeling in front of her and taking her ankle in hand. She’d never considered watching a man buckle the straps around her ankle to be an erotic experience, but it was. “What’s…happening tomorrow?”
First shoe finished, he lowered her foot to the floor before grasping the other ankle, lifting her foot to rest atop his knee while getting the other heel.
“You said you have a few days off while you wait on more trees to arrive. I’d very much like to spend them getting to know you.”
She blinked at him, the light stroke of his fingers against her ankle and skin sending her pulse soaring. “You would?”
“I would. I’d like?—”
Rhys suddenly stilled, and she followed his dark gaze to see the move had shifted her skirt an inch or two higher, riding up to reveal a peek of the lace trim at the top of her stockings. They landed midthigh, revealing nothing a pair of shorts wouldn’t show, but the way he gazed at her… “Better than elf stripes?”
Rhys released a low growl. “Better than elf stripes.”
He shifted his hand and lightly brushed his fingertips along the lace before withdrawing them. “Let’s get you home, sweet Sara.”
ChapterEleven
Around ten the following morning, Rhys knocked on the camper door and waited for Sara to respond. He took in the empty lot, nodding toward the guard positioned down the road a bit but within sight.
According to his morning report, the empty lot still drew attention. The guard had run off two teenagers lurking around yesterday when Sara had driven the trees to the hotel, as well as a drunk who’d ridden in on a bicycle in the early hours of the morning who “just wanted to talk to the pretty woman staying there.”
The camper door clicked and swung open, and he turned his attention to Sara.
He’d escorted her back to the camper last night and left her after a kiss goodnight. He’d then dreamed of her deep red dress and lace-trimmed stockings.
Sara stood a step above him, which put her at his eye level. Unable to stop himself, he learned forward and brushed her lips with his, lingering over the caress but keeping things light. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she whispered back.
