others, but when it came to herself, she doubted her judgment. For the first time, Emma looked fragile, a word Rina had never associated with her before. She wanted to strangle the
As if reading her mind, Colin walked over and pulled Emma into a silent hug. Over Emma's shoulder, he met Rina's gaze. Sizzling heat and understanding passed between them.
Emma rose and cleared her throat. 'Well, I plan to give Stan a piece of my mind for deceiving me,' she said, back to her old feisty self.
Rina smiled. 'I bet you will.'
'And I'll be keeping an eye on you, young lady. No more two-timing this wonderful man.' With a chuckle, she embraced Rina. 'You are a good girl, Rina. I wish I had a daughter like you. And a son like you, Colin.'
'You just take care of yourself. More importantly, be good to yourself, okay?' Rina said.
'Am I ever anything but good?' A naughty twinkle settled in Emma's blue eyes. At least she'd brushed off her bout of insecurity. 'Now, I believe my driver's waiting in the car.'
Rina raised an eyebrow. 'I didn't recognize the car. Come to think of it, I didn't see anyone sitting in it, either.'
'I borrowed the Judge's favorite sedan. Heaven forbid he thinks he has the upper hand.' She sniffed. 'As for my driver, he probably went to take a leak-'er, do his business.' She shot Rina a wink and laughed.
Rina chuckled, helping Emma on with her coat and providing her with a pair of flat shoes to wear out to the car. 'We'll settle Norton's mess later, okay?'
'Nonsense. It's over and done with. Just give him a kiss for me. I love that boy.' And then she was gone.
Exhausted, Rina leaned against the wall and glanced at Colin. Somehow she found the energy to laugh. 'Alone at last.'
He grinned. 'We certainly are. So, can we get back to discussing Christmas Eve?' Because Colin didn't want to put off asking her to spend the holiday with him one more minute.
She bit down on her lower lip. 'I think I'd asked you what you had in mind.'
'You, me, a small tree we buy today and decorate, and then we make love by the fire all weekend long.' His body burned at the thought, and from the inferno in her gaze, she obviously felt the same way.
'It all sounds so great,' she said in a husky voice that aroused every male instinct he possessed. 'We can do all that for the rest of today and tonight. As for tomorrow, we could have that fire if you don't mind sharing with family.'
'Family?'
'Mine. With all the excitement over my series, then my desire to seduce you-'
'You wanted to seduce me?' he asked, obviously joking, obviously pleased as his lips hovered over hers.
His scent, his heat all worked to get her all stirred up again. 'Stop and let me finish. I was so distracted, I forgot that Brianne and Jake are coming tomorrow.'
Disappointment hit him hard. He'd counted on Rina's brother being out of state, on his and Rina's similar lack of family to push them together for the holiday. So much for the intimate night he'd planned. 'I wouldn't want to intrude on a family holiday.'
A wounded look crossed her face. 'Who said you'd be intruding? I just invited you. I would have asked you to stay anyway, had I remembered they were coming. You just kept me too distracted to think clearly.' She stepped toward him, a come-hither look in her eyes, a sizzling, sexy smile on her lips. 'It wouldn't be a holiday for me without you.'
She trailed her fingertips up his chest, letting them linger on the collar of his sweater. She knew how to get to him in word and deed. Heat pervaded his body and a throbbing erection took up residence in his jeans. And when she stepped closer, letting her chest brush against him, the swell of her breasts gave him every indication her invitation was sincere. Family or no family, he supposed he could deal with it.
For Rina, he could probably cope with anything.
'How about you go down, get Norton, do whatever you need to around here and then we go tree shopping?'
'Does that mean you'll be here when Jake and Brianne arrive?'
'As long as you keep Norton away from my shoes, I'll do anything you ask.'
'Anything?' she asked with a grin.
'You're naughty, Rina.'
'And you love it.'
He nodded. He sure as hell did. And the notion caused his chest to constrict.
'Give me half an hour to get Norton and change and then I'm all yours,' Rina said. After brushing a kiss over his lips, one that was brief but electric, she bolted for Frankie's.
Cheeks flushed and glowing, she lit up something inside him. Colin never wanted to lose the feeling, but he warned himself not to get too used to it. Life was all about change. His parents' deaths, Joe and Nell taking him in, his brief marriage, followed by Nell's death, Colin's divorce and then Joe's marriage to Corinne. Nothing ever stayed the same.
Fate always threatened to take away what he loved most. But in this case, Colin himself had the means to tear him and Rina apart. But he hoped to build a solid foundation before then, something that could withstand the repercussions when they came.
CHAPTER NINE
AROUND FOUR that afternoon, Colin lugged a pathetic-looking tree up Rina's stairs. 'This thing looks like it's seen better days.'
Rina unlocked the door and held it open so he could drag their tree inside. 'We're lucky they had any left the day before Christmas Eve. Personally, I don't care what it looks like. It's ours and that's all that counts.'
Norton barked when they entered, and he danced around, jumping on Colin with his front paws. 'Go walk him before I become his next victim, will you?'
Rina laughed. 'I expect that tree set up and ready to be decorated when I return.'
'Slave driver.' He winked and waved her away.
A few hours later, he stepped back to admire their handiwork. The small tree twinkled with all the spark, spunk and spirit that Rina had brought into his life. Red, green and gold ornaments decorated the branches, along with silver tinsel and a shiny star on top. The result was commercial in color but warm and comforting in the aura it exuded. A fire crackled in the small fireplace where Norton lay basking in the heat before deciding to snooze on the couch instead.
A feeling of accomplishment filled Colin, along with the strange sensation of belonging. Here. With Rina and her dog in this small Cape apartment. 'Amazing,' he said, unsure if he was referring to the tree or the feelings
'I know. Even with remnants left in the stores, this tree looks just perfect.' Her soft, grateful gaze met his and yearning flared to life between them.
He'd held off touching her all day, knowing the tree would never get put up or decorated if he even so much as stroked or kissed her soft skin. But the work was finished and now the fun could begin. 'We can't make love by the fire on Christmas Eve, but there's no reason why we can't do it tonight.'
She let out a husky purr of agreement and came into his arms. 'But I thought we'd make New Year's resolutions first.'
He blinked, surprised. 'I'm not big on those.' Mostly because they entailed promises, something he'd never been great at keeping. To distract her, he slipped his hands beneath her heavy wool sweater so his hands spanned her waist, traveling upward and coming to rest on the outside of her breasts. The full mounds filled his palms, warm feminine flesh awaiting his touch.
'Force yourself. For me, okay? It's an old family tradition, and I thought you and I could do it together this year.'
Even if they wouldn't be together next year to reassess and reevaluate? Colin wondered silently. 'You go first,'
