A Christmas Seduction by Daire St. Denis

Author:Daire St. Denis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-09-24T04:00:00+00:00

11

I’ve never really understood the saying Home Is Where the Heart Is...until today.

Jo Duval

JOLIE AWOKE TO the sound of squeals, which brought an automatic smile to her face. Then other memories surfaced—vigorous, satisfying memories—and her smile grew. She reached for Thad, even though she knew he was gone. Maybe she was hoping for some lingering warmth. She wrapped her arms around the pillow he’d used and sniffed.

Mmm. Smoke and cedar and soap and Thad.

While he’d tried to quietly dress when he left in the wee hours of the morning, she’d heard him anyway. Just as he’d opened the French doors, but before he could step outside, she’d called, “Merry Christmas.”

With his back still to her, he waited and then slowly turned. She hadn’t been able to make out his features in the darkness. “Merry Christmas to you, too, Jolie Duval.”

“I’ll see you later?”

“Of course.” The door slid softly behind him and Jolie had lain awake, replaying all the wonderful moments over and over again until she fell asleep. Her dreams were all jumbled images of Thad and gifts and lights and mistletoe.

The sound of small feet running on the hardwood floors outside her room, accompanied by the squeals of delight, brought her to a sitting position. As much as she was disappointed that Thad was gone, she shared a certain excitement with Zak.

“He came! Santa came!”

Yes, he had.

Three times.

Jolie smothered a laugh. Diving for the bedside table, she placed the last remaining condom in the drawer before getting out of bed.

A quick shower later and she was dressed and making her way down the hall to the great room. Everyone was up already except for Kaylee and Evan. The fresh smell of coffee and baking filled the air along with the excited sounds of Zak, who had already torn open his Christmas stocking and was playing with the elastic-propelled airplane he’d found inside.

“Stockings first, then we eat, and afterward we’ll open presents.”

“Awww,” Zak complained as he chased the plane to where it dropped after careening off a ceiling beam.

“No complaints, Zak,” Simon admonished. “Those are the same rules as at our house.”

The boy’s shoulders slumped as he gazed longingly at the pile of gifts beneath the tree. Jolie had never seen so many gifts and she realized she’d left hers back in her room. She hurried back to retrieve them and then returned, phone in hand to take pictures. The huge tree with brightly wrapped parcels, all sitting in front of a picture window with snow-capped mountains in the background... It was so perfect it couldn’t be real. And if she hadn’t been here to experience it firsthand, she’d have thought the whole thing was faked for a Hallmark card.

She placed the small packages under the tree with the rest and took another bunch of pictures. The stockings were her favorite part, real wool socks all tacked to the mantel of the huge fireplace, filled to overflowing with gifts.

When she saw the stocking with her name stitched across the front, Jo thought she might burst with excitement.

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