Merry Christmas, Cowboy!. Cindy Kirk
lump,” he assured her, adding a very convincing “Ho-ho-ho.” “I have it on good authority that Lauren Van Meveren has been a very good girl this year.”
“I’m not sure your information is entirely accurate.” Lauren inhaled the intoxicating scent of his cologne and took a step closer. She’d never been attracted to overweight, white-haired, bearded men before, but for some reason she found this one incredibly sexy.
And it appeared Santa wasn’t immune to her charms. His gaze dropped to her shirt and she felt the tips of her breasts tighten.
As his gaze lingered, raw want coursed through her, igniting a need that shook her with its intensity. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d craved a man’s hands on her this badly.
The desire flickering in his suddenly dark eyes told her Santa was having some naughty thoughts of his own. The realization gave her the courage she needed to wrap her arms around his neck. “I’ve always wanted to kiss a man with a beard.”
Seth stiffened and for a second she worried she’d misread the signals. Then, without warning, his mouth closed over hers. His hands splayed against her back and he pulled her as close as his overstuffed belly would permit.
Waves of desire washed over Lauren and she gave in to the moment, until an excited voice cut through the passionate fog.
“Daddy, Daddy, come quick!” Dani called from the doorway. “Santa is kissing Miss Lauren!”
Chapter Four
Seth wrenched himself out of Lauren’s arms and raced for the stairs, his stuffed belly jiggling like a bowl full of jelly. Out of the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of Dani’s face. Mouth open. Eyes wide.
Four steps up was all it took for Seth to lasso in his rioting emotions. Running wasn’t the answer. There was a child—his child—to consider. He rested a white-gloved hand on the rail, turned and let loose his best “Ho-ho-ho!” before continuing heartily, “Danica Sue Anderssen, Santa hopes you like your gifts. You’ve been a very good girl this year.”
Warmth rushed through him at the look of pleasure that flushed his daughter’s face.
“I have been good, Santa.” Dani’s words tumbled out one after the other. “My daddy says I’m the best girl ever.”
Not sure how to respond, Seth gave another, “Ho-ho-ho!”
He realized he should have thought of something better when Dani’s eyes darted around the room. “Where is Daddy?”
“He went upstairs.” Lauren’s voice was calm and serene.
If the kiss had affected her, it certainly didn’t show. Seth wasn’t sure why the thought brought a surge of disappointment.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Dani bellowed, her tone reverberating with excitement. “Come see who’s here!”
Lauren’s gaze met his, her green eyes piercing.
Go. Go. Go.
Across the distance, the unspoken words slapped Seth in the face, rousing him to action.
“The reindeer are restless,” Seth said in his deepest Santa voice. “We’ve many stops still to make. I thank you for the cookies and milk. And the reindeer thank you, too.”
Without saying another word, Seth whirled and raced up the stairs. By the time he reached the guest room, the Santa suit was almost off. In record time the beard was discarded and the suit and accessories back in the closet.
Dressed now in the jeans and shirt he’d worn underneath, Seth took a deep steadying breath. He could do this. He had to do this. There was no way he was going to let an impulsive action steal his daughter’s innocent belief in Santa.
With that thought firmly in front of him, Seth sauntered down the stairs as if he hadn’t a care in the world. When he saw Dani seated on the sofa next to Lauren, his heart slammed against his ribs. So much hinged on how he handled these next few minutes. Calling upon the acting experience gleaned from several high school plays, Seth forced what he hoped could pass for an excited expression. “Did you see Santa?”
“I saw him.” Dani bounced up and down on the sofa. “I saw him kissing Miss Lauren.”
Seth had never blushed in his life but at that moment he came pretty darn close. Somehow he managed to meet Lauren’s gaze. “You were kissing Santa?”
Even to his own ears, his shock sounded genuine.
“Guilty as charged.” Lauren lifted a hand, the twinkle in her eyes taking him by surprise. “I gave him a friendly kiss to say thanks for stopping by.”
“It was like the kisses Aunt Anna gives Uncle Mitch when they’re in the kitchen alone,” Dani said in a loud voice. “She had her arms around him and everything.”
Seth closed his eyes. Dear God, could this get any worse? He opened his eyes a second later to the sound of Lauren’s laughter.
“What can I say? I was swept away. The old bearded guy knows how to kiss.” Lauren shot him a wink.
Though Seth told himself it shouldn’t matter what Lauren thought of his kissing ability, his chest puffed with pride. If he was being honest, he’d admit that for a second, he’d been swept away, too. He’d forgotten how good it felt to hold a woman. How good it felt to have soft, warm lips pressed against his. Most of all, how good it felt to simply be that close to another human being.
The three years since Jan passed had been lonely ones. Oh, he kept busy raising Dani and running the ranch. He played ball with his friends and went to church with his neighbors. But he hadn’t realized until now how much he missed physical intimacy.
“What happened to Santa, Daddy?” Dani’s sweet voice broke through his thoughts. “Where did he go?”
“Out the bedroom window,” Seth said. “The reindeer were pawing the roof. I’m surprised you didn’t hear them. I think they were eager to deliver more presents.”
Dani’s mouth formed a perfect O. “Did you see them? Did you see Rudolph?”
“Yes, Seth,” Lauren asked, her lips twitching. “Was Rudolph with them?”
“Everything happened so fast.” Though it seemed weird to be having a conversation about a reindeer, Seth somehow managed to keep a straight face. “I’m afraid I didn’t look for him.”
Dani exhaled a heavy sigh. “I wish I could have seen Rudolph and the other reindeer.”
“Me, too.” Lauren reached over and gave Dani a sympathetic hug. “At least we got to see Santa.”
Lauren’s generosity of spirit toward his daughter continued to amaze him.
“When I heard bells jingling, I knew it was Santa,” Dani said to Lauren, her expression oh-so-earnest. “That’s why I got out of bed.”
“I don’t blame you,” Lauren responded.
Seth stared in amazement.
Lauren’s expression was as serious as his daughter’s. Despite the psychologist’s feelings about fantasy figures, she seemed determined to help him preserve Dani’s innocence.
“Since Santa was here already, can I open my presents now?” Dani’s focus shifted to the stack of brightly wrapped gifts beneath the tree. “Pretty, pretty, pretty please?”
When his daughter turned her attention back to Seth, her blue eyes shining with hope, he wanted to give her the world. Only the thought of his sister stopped him. Anna and Mitch were coming over tomorrow specifically to share Christmas morning with their niece. He could imagine how they’d feel if they arrived and found gifts already opened. “’Fraid not, princess.”
“Please, Daddy, please,” Dani begged.
“Just think, once your