Hot for the Holidays by Susanna Carr

Author:Susanna Carr
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2010-09-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

Rachel checked the stove again and turned off all the lights. Danny should be here any minute to take her to the airport. She hated not having a car and depending on friends and friends of friends. One day she’d have her own car, Rachel vowed, but first she had to get her life back on track.

She walked into the sitting area and felt a pinch of disappointment. Her apartment was small with very little furniture, but the miniature Christmas tree and deep red poinsettias had made the place bright and cheerful. She had taken down the decorations last night and packed them away. For some reason it made her place look smaller.

It was probably because of the curtains, she decided. They were drawn tight to keep the neighborhood Christmas lights out of sight. That was why her apartment looked dark and uninviting.

Don’t think about it, Rachel warned herself as she started to pace. One more hour and she’d be somewhere hot, sunny, and exotic. A place where there was no snow and no Justin. This was a major detox. She was using all her savings, but it was necessary. Once she got Justin out of her system, she could get back to her quiet, safe life.

She heard a car pull up to her apartment complex, the tires crunching in the snow. That had to be Danny. Grabbing her weekend bag of bikinis, shorts, and tank tops, Rachel stepped out of her apartment, locked the door, and headed outside.

The cold air stung as the snowflakes swirled around her. She squinted as the bright white blanket of snow reflected the sun. Rachel frowned when she saw the silver sports sedan parked at the curb. The car teased Rachel’s memory. She’d seen one just like that in the office parking lot. It looked a lot like ...

Rachel stopped to a halt as Justin stepped out of the driver’s side. Yep, a lot like Justin’s car.

He was wearing his olive green coat, a charcoal gray ribbed sweater, battered jeans, and boots, so there was nothing Christmasy about him. She should be thankful, but she was too busy fighting off the need to walk up to Justin and greet him with a deep kiss. Why did she long to curl up against his warmth and slide her hands under his sweater when he wasn’t wearing anything remotely festive?

It was a sign that she was getting out of town in the nick of time. It was weird that he showed up right when she was leaving. This is simply a coincidence, Rachel thought as she took a deep breath to combat the excitement building up inside her. Justin was here for another tenant. Or . . . her mind couldn’t come up with another reason. She just knew he wasn’t here for her. He better not be.

“Hey, Justin,” she greeted him cautiously. Dread started to twist her stomach as she watched him go to the passenger-side door. “What are you doing here?”

“Danny can’t make it,” he said as he held the door open, “so he asked if I could drop you off at the airport.

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