Desire uncoiled within her, exploding into passion as she wrapped her hand around his neck to draw him closer. Sullivan wound his arm around her and pulled her against him, his body pressed to hers as he deepened the kiss, their tongues exploring each other.

  Whoa. Wow. Oh, yes, this was definitely what she needed. His mouth against hers, his strong arm tugging her tight so she could feel all that hard muscle pressed against her.

  She wanted this to go on. How much time did they have? Could they make it upstairs, get naked, and get it on before—

  She felt the vibration against her. Sullivan pulled away.

  “Sorry,” he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket to take a glance. “It’s Madison.”

  “Oh. Sure.” She took a few seconds to catch her breath while he answered the call.

  “Yeah, I can do that. I was just about to drop Claire off now.” He paused, brushing her hair away from her face. “It’s not a problem. Okay, love you.”

  He tucked his phone back into his pocket. “They made brownies. They asked if we’d pick up ice cream.”

  “Oh. I’ll just walk home and you can go grab the ice cream.”

  “Sorry about this.” He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. “I would have liked more time with you.”

  “Same.”

  They went outside. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  She shook her head. “It’s right there, Sullivan. Go get ice cream. I’ll be fine.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.”

  He seemed reluctant to leave her. She knew the feeling. That intimacy they’d just shared had been like being in a bubble, where nothing had existed except the two of them. She wished they could have stayed in that bubble for a little longer.

  A lot longer.

  All night long.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said.

  She nodded and headed down the walk and toward the house while he got in the car. He waited while she walked up the stairs, then he drove away. She fished in her purse for the keys, pulled them out, and was just about to put them in the door when she saw it. Right there, on the door, as effective as splashing a bucket of cold water on her freshly warmed sex drive.

  A wreath. All fluffy, red and ribbony with polka dots and ribbons and everything. Dammit. It was cute. But still, it was a wreath. Christmasy. On her front door.

  Hell no.

  How had he managed to get it up there without her seeing it? Maybe when he’d come to pick her up. They’d left and she hadn’t noticed.

  She wanted to tear it off and toss it in the trash. Instead, she sucked in a calming breath and stepped inside.

  Music was playing in the kitchen, so she shrugged out of her coat and headed in that direction. The girls were huddled together, focused on something on Madison’s phone. They both looked up when they saw her.

  “Oh, hey, Mom,” Brooke said. “Did you have fun?”

  She had. Right up until she saw that wreath.

  “It was fine. How was your night?”

  “Great,” Madison said. “The mac ‘n’ cheese was bomb. Thank you, Mrs. Asher.”

  “You’re welcome.” She went to the fridge and pulled out the bottle of Chardonnay she’d opened yesterday, poured herself a glass, and took a sip, then another.

  “Is my dad getting the ice cream?” Madison asked.

  “Yes. He should be back soon. The brownies look good.”

  Brooke beamed a smile. “We decided to bail on the box mix and made them from scratch.”

  “You did? That was ambitious.” And the kitchen was clean, the counters were spotless, and the girls were as well. Claire was impressed. It was like they had been on their best behavior. What was up with that?

  “Are you going to have brownies with us?” Brooke asked.

  Claire shook her head. “I had a big dinner, and Mr. Sullivan and I shared a dessert.”

  Brooke and Maddy exchanged smiles.

  She knew what they were thinking. That sharing a dessert was romantic. Which it had been. The kiss had been even better, and she’d felt warm and sexed up. Right until she’d run into that wreath.

  The doorbell rang and Brooke ran to answer it.

  “I got vanilla bean and chocolate chip,” Sullivan said as he laid the bag on the counter.

  “Thanks, Dad,” Maddy said as she unpacked the bag then looked over at Brooke. “Now we get to eat our brownies.”

  “We made them from scratch, Mr. Sullivan,” Brooke said.

  “You did? I wasn’t going to have any, but now I’ll have to have a bite.” He shrugged out of his coat and went to hang it up.

  Claire followed, intending to give him a piece of her mind about that wreath. He turned to her and smiled.

  “I was surprised to see you put a wreath on the front door,” he said. “You being all anti-everything Christmas.”

  She stopped dead, the huge tirade she’d coiled up to launch his way fizzling into nothingness. “What? I didn’t put that up. I thought you had.”

  “Me? No. I didn’t do it.”

  “Really?”

  His lips curved. “Bet you were all pissed off about that and ready to tell me what for.”

  “Oh, you think you know me that well, do you?”

  He shrugged. “I know you don’t like holiday decorations.”

  “Which hasn’t stopped you.”

  “True. But in this case, it wasn’t me. It’s a very nice wreath, though. Looks handmade.”

  Huh. She turned and made her way back to the kitchen to see Brooke and Maddy scooping ice cream over the brownies.

  “Oh, hey, Mom,” Brooke said. “I know you said you didn’t want any, so maybe you and Mr. Sullivan could share again.”

  She finished that off with another sly smile.

  “I’d love to share. Again.” Sullivan gave her a crooked smile of his own, and she didn’t think his idea of sharing had anything to do with brownies.

  Shaking off that thought, she asked, “Brooke, what do you know about the wreath on the front door?”

  “Oh, do you like it? Maddy and I made it. She’s so good at it.”

  “We did them in art class last week, Mrs. Asher,” Maddy said. “They were super easy to make, so Brooke and I did one for our house and one for your house. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Well, hell. What was she supposed to do now? The girls had made the wreaths. It wasn’t like she could tear it off the door and set it on fire in the driveway.

  “It’s lovely. You both did a fantastic job.”

  “Brooke told me you don’t like Christmas decorations, so we chose some ribbons that were a little less…holidayish?” Maddy said. “I hope you like it.”

  That was the problem—she did like it. She hated how much she liked it. But that was on her and not on the girls who obviously had spent some time making it.

  She shoved her own discomfort about the holidays deep down inside and instead offered up a bright smile. “I love it.”

  Everyone dug into the brownies and ice cream, and the girls chatted about how great it tasted then raced up to Brooke’s room.

  “Good recovery,” Sullivan said as he helped her put away the ice cream and brownies.

  She looked up at him. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “I know how you really felt.”

  “Actually, the wreath is adorable. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it hardly resembles Christmas at all.”

  He laughed. “I’m sure.” He looked upstairs as if he were listening to the girls talking then pulled her into his arms and kissed her, a slow, deliberate kiss that made her forget all about holiday decorations.

  Wow, could this man kiss, awakening things inside of her that had lain dormant for far too long. She slid her hands along his broad shoulders and down his chest, feeling the fast pump of his heartbeat against her palm, wishing they were alone so she could tuck her hands inside his shirt and feel his skin against hers.

  The problem was, they weren’t alone and all these delicious sensations he evoked with his lips and his tongue and his body were going to go unrequited tonight. She pulled back.

  “Yeah, I should go,” he said, his eyes dark and filled with sensual promises that were going to go unfulfilled.

  She blew out a regretful breath. “Yes, you should.”

  He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. “Some other time, Claire? We’ll get to finish what we started.”

  She wrapped her hand around his wrist and took a tiny bite of his thumb, rewarded with his harsh intake of breath. “I’m counting on it.”

  They finished cleaning up, then Sullivan called for Maddy. They said their good nights and left.

  “I like them, Mom,” Brooke said as she leaned against her.

  Claire put her arm round her daughter. “Me, too, sweetie.”

  Which could be a problem, considering how much she liked Sullivan. She was going to have to take things very slowly.

  Chapter Six

  The lighted reindeer and Santa on the front lawn added just the touch that Sullivan was going for. He’d needed the break from work today anyway, and he’d gone out to the garage looking for something else when he’d come across these items. What with the moving and unpacking and getting Maddy settled in school, he’d forgotten about these awesome added holiday touches. He knew Maddy would love them. The holidays always put her in a good mood, and he knew how much she was missing her mom right now, so anything he could do to make her happy would help.

  He’d just finished running the electrical and had flipped the switch when Maddy and Brooke pulled into the driveway. It wasn’t sunset yet, but it was dark and cloudy with snow on the horizon, so the lights on the reindeer and Santa were visible.

  “Dad, these look great,” she said as she climbed out of the car.

  “I’m glad you like them.”

  “Remember when I was a little and I thought the lawn reindeer could fly?”

  He laughed. “I do.”

  “Mr. Snow, I love these,” Brooke said then glanced longingly at her own, unlit house, “I’m so bummed we don’t even have lights. Everyone on the block has them. We’re like the Scrooges of the street. It’s so embarrassing.”

  Brooke’s expression was so sad, it made his stomach twinge. He wanted to hug her, but he had no right to do that.

  “That’s okay, Brooke,” Maddy said, slinging her arm around her friend’s shoulder. “By the time my dad is done decorating, we’ll have enough to light up both houses.”

  “Hey,” Sullivan said, trying to lighten things up. “Are you insinuating I overdecorate?”

  “No such thing, in my opinion,” Brooke said. “You just keep putting those lights up, Mr. Snow.”

  “Consider it done.”

  Both girls went inside his house, while Sullivan looked over at Brooke’s house.

  He did have quite a few lights left.

  Claire would be pissed. Probably really pissed. But Brooke had seemed so upset. He could have sworn he saw tears shimmering in her eyes.

  He weighed the pros and cons. Claire would be so pissed. And things had been going so well between them.

  He could always fix it if she got really, really mad. And who knows? Maybe she would only be slightly angry.

  He smiled.

  It only took a few hours, and then he called for the girls.

  The look on Brooke’s face was worth any potential repercussions. Her eyes brightened, and her smile was so wide, it made his heart leap in his chest.

  “Mr. Sullivan, this is amazing.”

  He hadn’t put up a ton of lights, just enough to give the house some sparkle. And he’d added a couple of reindeer to the front yard, since he’d had extras.

  Maddy grinned. “This is epic, Dad. I love it.”

  Just then Claire pulled up, her car slowing as she pulled into the driveway. She got out and gaped at the colorful red lights, the blinking-white reindeer on her lawn, and then turned to Sullivan with a murderous expression on her face.

  “Are. You. Serious.”

  “Isn’t it great, Mom?” Brooke asked. “Now our house looks like everyone else’s on the street, and we don’t have to feel like outcasts anymore.”

  “Whose idea was this?” she asked.

  Sullivan could feel Claire’s annoyance rising. “Mine, actually. Brooke seemed upset about all the houses but yours being lit up, so I thought putting up a few lights on your house might cheer her up.”

  She opened her mouth to probably yell at him then glanced over at Brooke, whose arm was linked with Maddy’s. Brooke’s eyes shined like sparkling stars, even in the dark.

  It was at that moment that Brooke looked over at Claire, her teeth chewing on her bottom lip. Sullivan saw the worry in her eyes. His heart ached for her.

  Claire sighed. “I guess a few lights couldn’t hurt. But did you have to add the reindeer, too?”

  “I thought the yard needed at least a little something.” He finished with an apologetic shrug.

  She gave her house a once-over, which to his estimation looked appropriately subdued, decoration-wise. Then she glanced over at his yard where he’d added the inflatable Santa today.

  “Okay, fine. But if one blow-up creature appears on my front yard, I’m stabbing it with my carving knife.”

  He laughed. “That’s fair.”

  Brooke came over and threaded her arms around Claire. “Thanks, Mom.”

  Claire hugged her daughter tight. “It does look…decent, doesn’t it?”

  Brooke beamed a smile. “It looks amazing. Thank you, Mr. Snow.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  “I guess since you did all this work, the least I can do is invite you over for dinner,” Claire said.

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “I insist. I’m making chicken tortilla soup tonight.”

  “She makes amazing tortilla soup, Mr. Snow,” Brooke said. “Please, won’t you and Maddy come?”

  He looked over at Claire, who didn’t seem angry anymore. Or at least not as angry as she had been when she’d first come home. “Sure. We’d love to.”

  “Awesome,” Maddy said. “I’ll get my books and we can work on homework together.”

  He hadn’t meant to finagle a dinner invitation out of putting lights up, but if it meant spending more time with Claire, he was all for it.

  * * *

  Claire put her things away, poured a glass of wine, then started dinner. She already had cooked chicken in the fridge, so making the soup wasn’t going to be all that difficult. Sullivan had told her he was going to put his things away and then he’d be right over. Maddy had dashed over to her house to grab her books, and the girls were sitting at the table doing homework together, both concentrating, surprisingly mostly silent.

  Claire took a sip of her wine and then exhaled. She’d been furious when she’d pulled into the driveway and seen the lights. How dare Sullivan put those up without her permission? He knew how she felt about Christmas. But once she’d realized he’d done it for Brooke, and how her daughter had felt so left out, the feelings of guilt had hit her hard.

  Claire might hate Christmas, but Brooke loved it, and there was no reason to punish her daughter just because of what had happened. A few lights wouldn’t hurt, and it wasn’t like Claire had to look at them all that often since they were outside.

  Since she’d left the front door unlocked, Sullivan made his way inside, rubbing his hands together. “It’s cold.”

  “Yes.”

  “What can I do to help you?”

  She looked around. “You can chop some things while I get the soup started, if you’d like.”

  “Sure.”

  He went to the sink and washed his hands then got to work. In the meantime, she got everything together in the pot, slowly adding the garlic, seasonings, cilantro, tomatoes, and the chicken stock, then added the stuff Sullivan had chopped for her. She let that simmer and refilled her glass.

  “Would you like some wine?” she asked as he was slicing the tortilla strips he’d pulled from the oven.

  “Yeah, I’d love some, thanks.”

  She poured him a glass and handed it over.

  “Thanks.” He took a sip, then eyed the girls who were apparently working a homework problem together. He turned his attention back to her. “Okay, now’s your chance. Tell me, how mad are you about the lights?”

  She shrugged. “Not as angry now as I was earlier. Besides, Brooke likes them a lot and that means something. But maybe next time ask me first?”

  He rested his hip against the kitchen counter. “If I’d asked you first, what would you have said?”

  She’d have said no. Outright absolutely not. Brooke would have never told her how she felt because she wouldn’t want her to know. “Point taken. But promise me no more outside decorations, okay?”

  “You got it.”

  She pulled bowls from the cabinet and set those on the counter then sliced avocados and limes and got out the queso fresco to add to the top of the soup. Once she added the chicken to the soup, she told the girls to clear off the table, and they carried everything into the dining room.

  Sullivan brought the pot in, and she ladled the soup over the avocados in the bottom on the bowl, and everyone added tortilla strips, cheese, and lime juice.

  Claire was happy with the how the soup turned out. It was flavorful and delicious and perfect for a cold night.

  “This is so good,” Sullivan said. “I’m so glad to have chosen tonight to loiter outside your house.”

  She laughed. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “It’s super tasty, Mrs. Asher,” Maddy said. “Thanks for letting us eat with you.”

  “Now all we need is Christmas cookies for dessert,” Brooke said.

  Claire shook her head. “Sorry. I don’t have any of those to offer you.”

  Brooke sat up straight in her chair. “Oh. But speaking of that, I’m going to Dad’s this weekend and we’re doing a whole Christmas extravaganza. Decorating, holiday cookies, the whole thing. Can Maddy come with me and spend the weekend? I know Dad and Jennifer would be fine with it.”

  Maddy grinned. “That sounds so fun. Dad, could I?”