Holly's Big Bad Santa
Starla Kaye
ISBN 978-0-9802246-5-8

Erotic Contemporary Romance
104 paperback pages
Multi-format ebook $2.99
Paperback $7.95
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Jared had left Danville, Kansas, a confused and angry teenager. The black sheep of his family, he’d done his best not to look back. Then a letter from home made it impossible for him to stay away.

Holly was leaving Danville for a new life in California. Suddenly he was desperate to return home, to convince her to build a life with him.

But convincing Holly proved to be more difficult than he’d thought. Holly had always loved Jared, but after fifteen years she’d given up hope of him returning to Danville and she’d decided to move on with her life, a life which didn’t include Jared.

Chapter One

Fifteen years was a hell of a long time. Some people said you couldn’t go home again, and Jared Danville had believed that. He’d left Danville, Kansas, and done his best not to look back. Until now.

Sitting in his Lexus at the end of his parents’ long, winding driveway, he looked toward the massive Victorian house on the hill overlooking the town his great-great-something grandfather had founded. Every son and daughter of every generation since had stayed here, had brought wives and husbands here, and had helped grow the town. Except him. He hadn’t been able to stay another minute in small town USA.

Right now, with all the crazy turns his life had taken lately, small town Danville held a lot more appeal than it once had. Home.

He owned an expensively decorated condo practically on the beach in Santa Monica. Prime property. As he carefully stretched his still-healing body, he finally understood what “home” really meant. It wasn’t how valuable the house was or how big. His California condo—just because of where it was— easily had a higher monetary value than this huge three-story house with its fancy gingerbread trim, wraparound veranda, and turrets. But this was home.

As always, his parents had put up thousands of tiny white lights lining the numerous turrets, the high-pointed peaks, and the edges of the roof. When he’d been a teenager, he’d once tried to help with putting up those lights. All youthful macho man, he’d gotten careless and rolled off the roof. He’d broken an arm and sprained a leg. That had pretty much ended his holiday decorating.

And he’d stopped celebrating Christmas altogether after he’d left here two days before Christmas almost fifteen years ago.

He squeezed his eyes shut on that raw memory. Pain.

His upper left chest throbbed from too many hours sitting in one position and from trying to help steer with his left arm when his right arm got too tired. He needed to lie down, although he probably should take one of the pain pills first, but he really didn’t want to. He hated feeling weak, mentally or physically.

Disgusted, he opened his eyes. He shifted his gaze toward the cottage-style house next door, Holly Jacob’s home. How many times had they sat snuggled together on that porch swing? How many kisses had he stolen there with her mother inside the house? Sweet. Her kisses had been so sweet and yet filled with youthful passion. God, he missed them. Missed her.

Smoke curled lazily up from the chimney. Even in the afternoon, Christmas lights already twinkled in the big pine tree in the center of the yard. The three-foot tall plastic Santa and Mrs. Claus with two slightly smaller elves had been put out this time of year for as long as he could remember. They looked worn by age, but they were a Jacobs’ family tradition. One that would stop after this season. The worn Santa and Mrs. Santa and the elves would probably be thrown out as Holly thinned her belongings.

His gaze hardened and moved to the For Sale sign only a few feet away from the Santa scene. His jaw tightened. He thought about the much-read and sadly wrinkled letter he’d received out of the blue from his dad just over three weeks ago. Talk about “creepy.” Just when he’d been thinking about selling out of the private security business, just when he’d broken up with his second fiancée, just when he’d been balanced in that precarious state of “there’s a 50/50 chance he’ll make it,” according to what his doctors had told his partners in the ICU… Somehow his parents had tracked him down. “Come home for Christmas, son.”

Something pinched in the region of his heart. Here he was after all these years. Home. He’d never thought this would happen. He’d left during a snowstorm in the middle of the night. Now he’d returned just after a snowstorm. The remnants of it were all around him. Cold. He felt chilled to the bone even in the heated car. Frustrated, too. “Holly is leaving us. You’d best come back and say your good-bye before it’s too late.”

He’d read that part of his father’s note while still groggy and in the hospital. The words had kick-started his heart again. He’d thought his father had meant she was dying. He’d dropped the note, started pulling out IV lines, and caused all kinds of warning alarms to go off. Nurses had streamed into the private room, even a doctor had raced inside. He’d been a crazed man determined to get the hell out of there to go to Holly. The only thing that had stopped him was one of the nurses finding the note and reading it to see what had set him off.

“This Holly person moving bothers you?” she asked.

“Moving?” He slumped on his bed. “Not dying?”

“I don’t see anything about her dying. Just leaving. Moving to San Diego in January,” she’d said as the other nurse and doctor worked at getting him to lie back.

“Not dying?” His fuzzy brain had only read part of the note. He’d stopped too soon.

The note had haunted him, made him strive to heal faster, and do more physical therapy than recommended. He’d ignored all warnings to be careful, not push himself so hard. Urgency had built within him. He needed to finally face his past and the wrongs he’d done to his family. He felt an even more powerful need to see Holly again. His gut told him if he didn’t get back to Danville and confront Holly he would regret it for the rest of his life. His gut feelings had seldom been wrong, so he’d heeded them and decided to check out of the hospital far earlier than his doctor wanted. When he made his mind up about something, nothing and no one could sway him.

The only concession he’d made to anyone’s loudly voiced concerns was he wouldn’t fly home. Air pressure changes would have played havoc with his many healing stitches and his recovery from the fairly serious concussion. So he’d driven. Two and a half days of fighting fatigue, staying off his pain meds, and disregarding everything but the need to see Holly.

He leaned his head back. Now that he wasn’t driving, his mind was getting muddled. Tired, so tired.

He’d left here a strong-willed, tough kid. He’d become even tougher, harder, more determined. He rubbed at his shoulder and smiled. His partners called him Alpha Stud on Steroids. There’d been plenty of times when he fit the title, mainly because he’d been searching for the right woman. The one who fit him, who understood him, who could keep up with him in bed. His gut told him that woman was Holly, had always been her, and would always be her.

He rotated his left shoulder. Damn but that hurt. His partners also called him Kick-ass Badass. At the moment he didn’t feel like he could kick anyone’s ass.

Something thudded against his windshield.

He immediately reached for the lock box beneath his seat and the gun inside. Then he noted the smashed snowball and the water dripping down from it. He sucked in a steadying breath and the tension eased from his body. A snowball? Someone would have had to work darn hard to scrape up enough snow to make a snowball from the spattering of snow on the lawns nearby.

Before he could open his door, five foot maybe two of clearly pissed off female stomped over to glare at him. He gaped in shock at brown eyes darkened so much they looked nearly black, at a perky nose scrunched in disgust, at pink lips pursed so tight her mouth had to hurt. Holly. Rigid with fury. Even buried within a thick, red ski jacket she looked so damn cute in a full-blown woman way he ached to pull her into his arms.

He’d missed this hell on wheels. Yes, this was the only woman he’d ever wanted, would ever want.

She stepped back so he could get out of the car. But before he could speak, she snapped, “You sonofabitch!” And then she stormed away.

Not exactly a loving endearment, but he could work with it.

“Come back here!” Jared yelled behind her as Holly marched back toward her cottage.

She couldn’t believe she’d actually thrown a snowball at his car. How immature! She’d come outside to check on her lights and watched him pull into the Danville’s driveway. She’d recognized him instantly. All the hurt she thought she’d gotten over had burst free again. Just the sight of him had peeled away almost fifteen years of maturing from the often reckless teenager to the calm, respected woman she’d worked hard to become. She’d always had strong reactions to Jared Danville. Darn it! Darn it! Double darn it! She was soooo over him. She was! Really!

“Holly! Dammit, Holly, stop!”

His voice had deepened into a husky, sensual growl. It did funny things to her insides, spiraled warmth through her, especially low in her body. It made her think of…  No!

“Go. Away! Disappear back into the ether like you did before.” She hated the way her voice had choked up. She refused to look back at him and moved faster.

She’d almost made it to her porch when a snowball hit her just above the collar. With her short hair there was nothing to prevent cold drops of melting snow from going down her back. She stiffened, curled her hands into fists, and rounded on the man who’d once been the boy she’d believed she would one day marry.

As Jared stopped a few feet away, she took in the changes the years had made in him. Where the boy she’d teased, tormented, and had a mad crush on had been the hottest eighteen-year­old in Danville, Jared, the man, was a breath-stealing hunk to warm any woman’s dreams. Pitch black hair had thinned in front to a widow’s peak, but was otherwise still thick and begged for her hands to slide through it. Crow’s feet etched the tanned skin of his face at the corners of deep, rich chocolate eyes. And beard stubble caressed his carved face. A slightly pale face, pinched with white lines of…pain?

“Are you done yet?” he asked, ending her close examination and making her forget what she’d just noticed.

She blinked in annoyance. “More than done,” she lied, spun around and continued marching to her house. Something she’d seen nagged at her. What had it been?

A big hand snagged her arm and Jared jerked her to a stop.

“Let me go or else…”

“Or else what?” He sounded amused. With another tug, he pulled her to him.

She hadn’t been sure what threat she’d intended and all thoughts of threat faded from her mind the instant her coat-covered chest bumped against him. She got the immediate impression of well-defined pecs beneath the black cable knit sweater. He’d gotten out of the car without a coat and it was freezing cold out here. Yet heat blazed between them. Beads of sweat formed on her back, in her cleavage. Her heart raced. And all of that ticked her off. She tried to wriggle free.

“We need to talk.”

His brown gaze held hers, so many emotions swimming within it. He didn’t look like a man who accepted defiance. He looked hard, dangerous…not the bad boy kid he’d once been. Sadly, she found the dangerous man very appealing. But she’d spent years trying to get over him walking—no, running—out of her life.

“I don’t think so.” She pushed back with all her might and barely managed not to fall on her backside. “Why couldn’t you have stayed away?”

He appeared to hold his breath, jaw tensed. Finally he said, “Because it’s time I made peace.” He started to reach for her again, but stopped. Instead, he swept his gaze over her once more. “You haven’t changed a bit and yet you’ve changed so much.”

Holly frowned. “What the heck is that supposed to mean?”

A hint of a grin appeared at the same time his gaze heated. “You’re still the contrary female you always were. But you’re also damn cute.”

“Cute! Not pretty, not beautiful, but cute!”

He had the gall to chuckle, though she had the impression he wasn’t a man who laughed often. In spite of her anger with him, she wondered what had happened to him over the missing years. There was a sense of hardness about him. In the stiff way he carried himself. In the hints of having seen too much that lingered in the depths of his eyes. Yet she felt a vulnerability about him as well.

“Honey, you’re puffed out to probably twice your normal size in that down jacket. You’re wearing thickly lined suede boots. You could have the shapeliest legs I’ve ever seen, but I sure can’t tell now.” His rusty grin widened a bit. “Cute is the best I can do at the moment.”

Annoyed with her softening attitude toward him, she curled a lip in disgust.

He chuckled once more.

Fighting against an unwanted attraction, she leaped back even further into her old, immature ways and shoved at his rock-solid chest.

Caught off guard, he flinched, groaned, and landed on his butt in the mushy, wet brown grass. “What the hell!” He glared up at her and rubbed at his upper left chest.

A lesser woman would have been alarmed by the ferocity in his tone. She wasn’t, but her childish behavior mortified her. She sped toward her house, but she didn’t escape fast enough.

“First chance I get, Holly Jacobs, I’m warming your bottom!”

Face flaming, she gripped the handle of her front storm door and scanned the area, hoping no one else had heard what he’d said or had witnessed her behavior. When she didn’t see anyone, she called back, “In your dreams, Stud Boy.”

He climbed gingerly to his feet and brushed off his wet slacks. “Did you call me ‘Stud Boy’?”

Unable to believe she’d actually said such a thing, she shoved open the inner door and fled into the safety of her house. She slammed the door and leaned back against it. She’d just started making plans to leave Danville to begin a new life. She’d met a man in San Diego online a year ago, visited him several times since then. Eric wanted her to move there and take their relationship farther. She’d dragged her feet until he’d almost given up on her. Now, when she’d finally made plans, Jared came home.

“No!” she snapped, shoving away from the door. Jared being back in Danville had nothing to do with her life. She was selling her business, selling her house, and moving half-way across the country. Done deal.

His body aching, Jared started to follow after Holly. He wasn’t finished with her. He just needed to catch his breath, force down the demanding need for the pain killers he’d avoided taking. He’d gone through dependency and withdrawal once before. He wouldn’t go through it again. He hesitated, rubbed at his shoulder wound, and steadied his breathing. Another minute…

Footsteps sloshed their way across the driveway behind him and then the lawn. He stiffened. Panic crept into his consciousness. The fight or flee feeling. He stood his ground. He’d been a Marine, a trained badass. “The few, the proud” had turned him into a man who could face anything, do anything, and bear anything. His breathing ability returned. His confidence as well.

Slowly he turned. His mother raced across the yard toward him. For a seventy-two-year-old woman she still had a lot of zip. And she sported the reddest hair he’d ever seen, a sort of orange-red. Wow! Not something he ever would have expected.

“Oh Jared! My sweet, sweet Jared!” She threw her arms around him, hugged him with amazing strength. “I saw the strange car. I had a feeling, a mother’s intuitive moment.” She sniffed back tears and hugged him harder. “I just knew. I knew it was my baby boy.”

Baby boy. He was hardly that anymore, but, damn, if it didn’t sound good to be called that once more. Her hug nearly brought him to his knees. He couldn’t show weakness in front of her. “Mom,” was all he could manage to say.

Then she released him, stepped to his side, and swatted his bottom. “That’s for hurting me like you did.”

He gaped at her. Few people would even consider taking him on. Yet this woman who barely reached his chin had smacked him on the butt.

“No doubt I deserved that. More, too.” In spite of his tenuous hold on his pain, he pulled her to him, inhaled the once familiar scent of his mother, and savored the feel of her. He’d hoped, but he’d never really dreamed he’d have this moment again.

“About time you showed up,” his father stated in a deep tone much like Jared’s. “Guess you got my note.”

Jared looked at his father, recognized the physical similarities, saw the same wariness he felt. And then the sense of distance faded.

His father stepped beside them in Holly’s front yard and wrapped his arms around Jared and his mother. “I’d hoped. Prayed.” He audibly swallowed hard, and he hugged them both tighter.

Jaw tight with strain, Jared swallowed down years of regret. “Sorry.” A lot more needed to be said, later.

After a final squeeze, they separated. His mother took his big hand in her much smaller one to lead him back to their house. She refused to let go of him.

“How come your backside’s all wet?” his father asked from behind them.

His mother stopped to look and questioned in maternal disapproval, “And where is your coat?”

Warmth curled inside him in a way it hadn’t in far too long. He nodded toward the cottage. “It’s all Holly’s fault.”

“Is she okay?” Concern filled his mother’s eyes.

“She hits my car with a snowball, shoves me onto my ass in the wet grass…and she’s who you’re worried about?” He raised an eyebrow, more in amusement than irritation with Holly’s behavior. “She’s a bit pissed off to see me.”

“That’s probably putting her feelings mildly.”

His father headed for Jared’s car. “Let’s grab your bag and get out of this cold. Your mom just took a pumpkin pie out of the oven. I’ve been drooling over the smell for almost an hour. Maybe we can—“

“James Danville, the pie is for tomorrow’s dinner with the kids.” She tugged Jared along, smiling up at him. “I’ve got gingerbread cookies, though. You used to like…”

When tears trickled down her gently lined face, Jared felt lower than slime. “Gingerbread cookies and a glass of milk sound awful good, Mom.” Damn good.

A few minutes later he sat in one of the chairs in the eating nook attached to the over-sized kitchen. The house felt warm after coming in from the below freezing temperature outside. Scents of pumpkin pie and gingerbread drifted around him, making his stomach rumble, making him remember similar smells from so long ago. The faint sounds of Christmas music played on the stereo from the great room. He closed his eyes, felt swamped with so much guilt, so much pain. The music he’d worked hard to avoid hearing tortured him with all he’d turned his back on.

“I…” he began, uncertain how to apologize, how to explain why he’d left. He’d been tired of arguing with his father all the time. Of the four Danville kids, he’d been the one with the biggest ego, the most daring, and the hardest head. He’d lacked the ability to see beyond what he wanted. His two older brothers had excelled at almost everything. He’d been the family rebel. His grades had been less than stellar. He’d gotten kicked off the football team. He couldn’t remember the number of times the Sheriff had personally delivered him home after some prank or another. Yes, Black Sheep of the Danville Family had definitely been his well-earned title. His parents had struggled to deal with his title and reputation.

His mother jammed a cookie between his teeth. “Not now, Jared. I only want to enjoy having you home.”

His father sat down opposite him and took a cookie from the plate between them. “We’ll talk it out later, son.”

Jared chewed on the cookie, absorbed the comfort of being with family again. He’d missed them. All the places he’d been, all the things he’d seen…none of them compared to being with people who loved you or with being back in your family’s home. Why had it taken him so damn long to figure this out? Probably because he’d kept himself so busy all these years, desperate not to have time to think about what he’d left behind.

His shoulder ached, but he didn’t think Holly’s push or his landing on his butt had done any damage. His head pounded. He had trouble focusing, but he didn’t want his folks to know about any of his problems. He didn’t want to worry his mom.

“So how’re Jason and Kandee? Jim and…” He hesitated. “Oh right, he’s divorced now. And what about Jocie? Wasn’t she engaged?”

His father studied him curiously. “You’ve been keeping up with your family?”

When Jared would have answered, his father waved it off. “Glad to hear that.”

Guilt weighed even heavier on him. The first year he’d been away, he’d sent an occasional postcard to let them know he was at least alive and breathing somewhere. When he’d joined the Marines, he’d stopped sending the postcards. He’d gone places his mother would have been worried sick about. Stupidly, he’d thought she’d be better off not knowing where he went. After he’d got out of the Marines, he’d decided it had been too long since he’d communicated with them. Why stir them up by contacting them again? Yet he’d always kept up with what happened in his family and in his hometown. His parents had good, happy lives. They had two sons to be proud of, who’d taken over the family’s law firm of Danville and Danville. They had a daughter who had a successful real estate company. His father still managed the Danville Bank, started by his great-great-grandfather a hundred years ago. They had grandchildren. They hadn’t needed him. At least that’s what he’d told himself.

He ground his teeth in annoyance. Pity party, like some girl. Get over it! You screwed up. Now man-up and fix things. They’d tried in a way. They’d managed to track him down in L. A. and get a note to him.

He was about to speak when his mother said, “Jason and Kandee have three grown kids of their own and two grandchildren.” She slid a glass of milk in front of him. “Jim’s still bitter about the divorce. Long story for another time. And Jocie is on-again, off-again in the engagement thing with her partner in the real estate business, Parker Greene.”

“You can catch up with them tomorrow,” his father said. “Everyone is coming here for Sunday dinner, as usual.” He sighed and his brow furrowed. “I’d better warn you, your brothers are still a bit hostile about the past.”

Jared nodded and took a drink. He’d figured as much. “I’ll mend fences, if I can.”

With a nod of acceptance, his father asked, “What about you, son? Are you married? Any kids?”

He looked at his parents. They appeared hungry for any kind of knowledge about him and his life, which made him feel even worse. “I’ve never been married. Engaged a couple of times.” After learning about Holly planning to leave, he’d panicked. He’d finally realized exactly why he’d broken off those engagements. They’d both been beautiful, caring women. But they hadn’t been Holly. “No kids either.”

“You weren’t ready before, were you?” his mother prodded. “To settle down with someone.” She studied him another second. “Something tells me you’re ready now.”

His gaze shifted away from her knowing look. “At the moment I don’t have a job or even know where I want to live, or what I really want to do. Settling down doesn’t seem to be in my immediate future.” But he’d figure it out. And Holly
would be included in that future!

“I need—“ his father started to say.

“Not now, James,” his mother interrupted heatedly. “Don’t you bring up the bank. I’ve just got my son back. I won’t have you driving him away again.”

“Mom,” Jared started, and then stopped. The bank had been part of why he’d left. He hadn’t wanted to be molded into taking over a job that held no interest for him. His brothers had already joined the law firm, being almost twenty years older than him. He’d been a “surprise” baby born late in his parents’ lives. He’d been his father’s last hope of having an heir to take over managing the bank.

“No! We’re not getting into any of that now.” She raised her stubborn chin. “You’ll figure out what you want to do and we’ll back you unconditionally.”

Jared suddenly blinked at tears that threatened. He reached for another cookie. Where was the hardened Marine? The tough bodyguard he’d been for the last five years that could face down the most dangerous attackers?

“Your mother’s right. We just want you to be happy, son.” His father reached over and patted Jared’s hand. “It would be awful nice if you could be happy here, doing whatever you want to do.”

When he’d decided to make this trip, he’d never expected to be hit with homesickness. He hadn’t known what he wanted here beyond making peace with his family and convincing Holly to make a life with him. Now he wondered about staying here in Danville. L. A. didn’t appeal to him anymore. He’d told his partners he wanted to sell out of the private security firm, although they were balking at his sudden decision. He could sell his beach house pretty easily.

He shook off those thoughts. “I’ve got a lot of thinking to do, Dad. My life has been kind of complicated this last year. Getting shot a month ago—“

“Shot?” His mother stepped closer, used a mother’s x-ray vision to look over every inch of him. “You do look sort of pale, kind of pinched around your mouth. Are you in pain? Should you be in bed? James, maybe we should call the doctor.” She leaned down and hugged him, nearly strangling him.

Jared sucked in a breath and gritted his teeth, endured as best he could. “No doctor.”

“Darlene, he can’t breathe.”

She reluctantly released him but looked at him in concern.

He waited until his pulse slowed down and the pain eased. His dad had been right; his mother had had the strength of a Python. “It wasn’t that bad. Well, okay, it was. But I didn’t know how to tell you, or if you’d even care.” The flash of hurt in his mother’s eyes told him what a fool he’d been, then and now.

For a second it looked like his mother intended to give him a royal lecture, which he deserved. But then she blew out a sigh of frustration. “I’m putting you to bed. You will tell me all about it. Later. Right now I don’t think I could handle it.”

His father wasn’t quite ready to drop the subject. “What were you doing that got you shot?” Clearly, with his other sons being small-town lawyers and his daughter a realtor, the thought of his youngest son doing something dangerous had shocked him.

“Acting as a bodyguard.” All the traveling he’d done the last couple of days was getting to him. He yawned and stretched his long legs out. “Unfortunately, getting shot can be a hazard of the job.”

“But you’re not one now, right?” His mother’s eyes flashed with disapproval.

“Time will tell. I’ve been a partner in a private security business with some old Marine buddies for the last five years. But I’m trying to sell out of the company.” He yawned again. “My partners are trying to change my mind.”

Tell them No!”

He had to smile at the fervor in his mother’s tone. “I’m not a little boy, Mom. You can’t tell me what to do anymore.”

She huffed. “Never could.” Then she calmed down and smiled. “You always were my toughest child.”

His father nodded. “If you didn’t find trouble, it found you.” He looked thoughtful. “Holly was always the same way. And you spent a lot of time getting her out of mischief.”

“What a pair you two were!” His mother shook her head sadly. “Are you going to make things right with Holly before she leaves town?”

Jared fisted his hands on the table, ground his jaw.

She went on without noticing the tension emanating from him. “Our Holly has decided she’s finally had enough of Danville. She’s trying to sell her quilt shop and putting her house on the market.” Tears glimmered in her eyes.

“There’s a man in San Diego she met online, that she’s visited a few times. He wants her to move there and marry him,” his father finished, looking every bit as unhappy as Jared felt.

“It’s not happening!” Jared stood, grimaced, and headed out of the room.



Chapter Two

Holly rolled over and smiled in contentment. Ah, Sunday. Her favorite day of the week. After working over fifty hours a week at her quilt store Monday through Saturday and her volunteer work at the senior center two nights a week, she needed time alone on Sunday mornings to re-energize and prepare for another wild week of commitments, which she had even more of this year. She still wasn’t quite sure how she’d agreed to be Santa’s elf helper at the Danville Bank’s community Christmas party next Saturday. Or when she’d agreed to be Mrs. Claus and ride in the sleigh at the town’s Christmas parade a week later. She planned to leave Danville in January and needed to focus on that. She needed to end her community commitments, not take on more. But nobody cooperated with her. It felt as if the whole community conspired against her, refusing to let her go, leaning on her even more. And when someone asked for her help, she tended to cave.

Her smile faded, as well as her good mood. Leaving Danville was one of the hardest decisions she’d ever made. Giving up her shop, which she took great pride in, had caused her many tear-filled nights. It broke her heart to put her family’s home on the market. Moving away from Danville and all the people she loved—especially James and Darlene Danville, her second parents—was so difficult. How many times had she almost changed her mind? Countless. She’d wavered in her decision so often that gentle, kind, vanilla boring Eric had about given up
on her. No! Eric wasn’t “vanilla boring,” just dully predictable.

So unlike Jared Danville.

She sighed in frustration. The big, bad boy who’d once broken her heart had come back to stir up feelings and needs she didn’t want to experience again. She’d seen in his eyes, in his attitude that he’d become a serious badass. Unfortunately, she liked a man with a bit of an untamed side, liked the promise of heat and va-va-voom just in the way he looked at you. If she didn’t watch herself, trouble lay ahead. Poor Eric barely managed “va.” But she’d told him she intended to move to San Diego and she would. She hadn’t agreed to more, wanting to take baby steps in this big change in her life.

She sighed again, heavier. Maybe Eric was capable of “va­va” and she could encourage him toward “va-va-voom.” She could settle for that. He did give great hugs. Right? Yes! Yes, he did!

Enough of these bothersome thoughts! Get back to enjoying your peaceful Sunday. She didn’t have to be at her shop until around noon, if she went in at all. Bridget, the college student who worked for her part-time, could handle everything without her. She could stay in her nice, warm bed all morning. Or she could make breakfast and bring it back to bed and then read the newspaper while snuggled beneath the down comforter she’d recently splurged on. She could…

Her doorbell rang, interrupting her pleasant musings. Annoyed, she refused to answer it. Jeez Louise, it’s only—she glanced at the bedside clock—7:35! Too early for visitors.

The doorbell rang again, followed by someone pounding on the door.

She flung the comforter back and climbed off the high, old-fashioned sleigh bed. Grumbling, she stormed barefoot through the small house with its hardwood floors. Anyone who knew her, knew Sunday mornings were her private time.

Holly shivered. The thermostat needed adjusting, but whoever her visitor was had punched the doorbell yet again.

She frowned and moved faster. Someone would get a huge piece of her mind!

Too irritated to think rationally or to think about what she wore, she jerked the door open, ready to lambast the intruder to her quiet Sunday morning. Instead she stood there gaping, almost salivating, at the sight of pure male perfection. It took her a second to shift her gaze from Jared’s roughly carved, stubbled face with eyes crinkled in amusement, down to a black leather bomber’s jacket covering a black T-shirt, and then lower to faded jeans. Another half-second passed before her gaze moved on from the very nice package she shouldn’t have even glanced at to his snow-dusted boots. Snow!

She leaned to the side and looked out at her snow covered lawn. “Well, darn! It wasn’t supposed to snow again until next week.”

“You used to like snow.”

“As a kid.” She huffed and her thoughts turned in another direction. Bed head! Even with short hair like she now wore, her hair tended to be a disaster when she first got out of bed. Why the heck do you care?

He hadn’t said another word, but she sensed he was wandering through long-ago memories of their times sledding down the hill in his family’s backyard, building snow forts, bombarding one another with snowballs.

She trampled down unwanted memories. “Playing in snow is a whole lot different from having to shovel your sidewalk, shovel your driveway, and drive in it.” She looked up at him unhappily. “The reason you’re disturbing me is…”

His lips twitched. “I’d heard this cute little gal lived here, that she wore the sexiest PJs. I wanted to check it out.” His grin spread, and he swept his gaze slowly over her once more. “Not exactly sexy, but, hey, I’ve got a great imagination.”

Holly’s face flamed, and she glanced down at her favorite flannel PJs, the ones splashed with images of Santa and Mrs. Claus kissing. “You’re probably more into filmy nighties and silk teddies.” She shivered and wished she’d not turned the temperature so low last night.

He reached out to touch her shoulder, fingered the fabric. “Soft.” His gaze warmed. “I’m okay with these.”

Her heart raced, and she scooted out of his reach. Wanting to get back at him for making her think of him peeling her out of the PJs, she gave him her naughtiest smile and batted her eyelashes. “I save those others for nights when… I’m sure you understand.” She actually hadn’t had many such nights, but he didn’t need to know.

His grin disappeared, and his jaw tightened.

Hmmm. Interesting.

“Maybe we should change the subject.” He closed the door, and the small space seemed even smaller. He was a big man, bigger than his older brothers who were both just over six feet tall.

She stepped back into her entryway and rubbed her arms against the chill. “Good plan.”

He looked as if he wanted to reach for her and pull her into his arms. As if he were kissing her. No! That was what her foolish body wanted. Brainless leftover thoughts from a night spent dreaming about him. She shoved those ideas, those longings far, far away.

“Something wrong? You seem, I don’t know, upset.” He studied her, his head slightly tipped to one side.

“Hmmm, let me think. I was all nice and warm snuggled in bed, planning to stay there for a whole lot longer. Then someone started pounding on my front door.” She wiggled her cold, bare toes and rubbed her arms again. “Now that someone is keeping me from going back to my warm bed.”

“Babe, I’m not against you going back to bed. I’d even join you there.” His eyes had darkened, his tone huskier now.

Yes! her foolish body screamed. Heat tore through her and pooled low in her body in a way it hadn’t in far too long. Maybe ever. No! No! No! Even as her heart skipped a beat, her brain kicked into gear. “I’ll just bet you would.”

Looking unrepentant, he nodded. “Yes. I would.”

Her mind spun with visions of Jared in her bed, deliciously naked. Visions of him reaching for her, of him planting those big hands of his on her breasts, of his mouth suckling there, of a hand slipping lower. Stop it! This is sooo wrong! “You’re here why?” she questioned sharply.

His brow had furrowed, and he studied her again.

Oh jeez, had he guessed what she’d been thinking? Her face heated, and she narrowed her eyes. “Why. Are. You. Here?” She enunciated each word to prod him into answering.

“Mom sent me.” He’d gone back to admiring her choice of nightwear. His chest rose and fell at a more noticeable rate.

“Because?” She prodded again, forcing her gaze up from the way the hard planes of his chest pushed against the black t-shirt visible through the open front of the bomber jacket.

“Huh?”

“Focus, Jared.” She used two fingers to point from his eyes to hers. “Here. Not on my breasts, which you really can’t see now anyway.” The PJ top was pretty baggy.

His dark gaze lifted. “If you’d undo one or two buttons, I could see them. I wouldn’t have to use so much imagination.” His voice had turned husky, teasing.

She blinked, swallowed hard. He looked serious, like she’d do such a thing just because he wanted to get a real view of her breasts. Her nipples hardened. Darn it! So did her clit. Double darn it!

She shot him a killing look. “Why did Darlene send you over here? Does she need something? Sugar? Flour? What?” I need something, but it sure isn’t sugar or flour.

He shook his head, finally gave up staring at her breasts. “No. She wanted to make sure you were coming to dinner today, as you usually do, I’m told. She thought my being here would make you change your mind.” He held her gaze, in challenge.

Darn him! He’d always enjoyed daring her, and she’d rarely backed down from his challenges. But things were different now. Complicated. Especially her feelings for him. She’d planned to call Darlene and make an excuse of some kind, but had decided it was too early to call. “I’m not sure,” Holly fudged. “I should skip dinner today and help at the shop this afternoon. It is Christmas season now. We’re starting to get busy.”

She watched his shoulders stiffen at the mention of Christmas season. He met her gaze. His expression seemed troubled. Was it guilt and regret? If not, it should be! She remembered the pain she’d suffered, the hurt his family had endured when they’d discovered he’d left during the night. He’d skipped town with just his backpack two days before Christmas. He’d left a note: “I have to go. I love you, but I’ve got to go.” He hadn’t even signed the note. He’d just left it for her on her front porch in a small box with a sprig of holly. Damn him!

“Mom will be disappointed,” he said unemotionally.

“She’s got you home to fuss over.” She should be happy for his parents, and she was. But she also felt somehow not as important to them at the moment. She usually shared Sunday dinners with the Danvilles. They’d been her “family” for years. Now she felt like an outsider. And, yes, she realized how petty that was, but she couldn’t help it.

Holly should have insisted he leave, but instead she walked into the living room to adjust the temperature. With her back turned to him as she turned the dial on the old thermostat, she said, “I’m sorry about the snowball thing yesterday.”

He stomped his feet on the throw rug in the entry. “No, you’re not. Or for what you said.”

Sonofabitch. She hardly ever used that kind of language. She’d worked hard to become more of a lady, to give up the mischief maker part of her. In one single moment of time, Jared had drawn all of it out of her again. She slowly faced him. “You bring out the worst in me.”

His expression solemn, he said, “You used to bring out the best in me.”

“Why?” The question flew out of her mouth before she could stop it. She still had the crumpled note he’d left behind for her. “I have to go. I love you, but I have to go.” The words continued to hurt her. “How could you say what you did in a damn note and then just leave? You didn’t even have the guts to tell me you were leaving to my face.”

She blew out a breath of frustration. “I thought we were closer than that. You were my best friend.” Her voice broke.

“I—“

She shook her head and held up a hand. “No! Never mind. I don’t want to know the reasons. It’s too late. Way, way too late.”

His wide shoulders slumped within his leather jacket. “I can’t change the past, Holly. But I’ve done a lot of growing up.” He sounded distressed.

“Haven’t we all.” She hadn’t had to run away from her home to do it. No, she’d had to toughen up right here and face his family and her friends after he’d walked away from them all. She’d grown up fast, painfully fast when he’d left her.

 His expression tightened. “I’m a different man now.”

“How so?” she asked and wished she hadn’t said anything.

“In more ways than you can imagine. Some good, some maybe not so good.” He held her gaze. “I’ll never be the perfect man, the perfect son. Like my folks wanted.”

The vulnerability he tried to keep hidden was in his eyes. “They didn’t want perfection, Jared. They just didn’t understand you.”

His gaze locked on hers. “You did. Only you.”

She snorted. “What did it matter?” Her heart strained, tears threatened. She toughed up and stretched to her most intimidating height of just over five feet two inches. Okay not so intimidating.

“It matters. You matter.” His voice had deepened, his expression strained.

Stupid tears threatened even more. She did not want to cry in front of him. She was so close to really losing it. “Go! Now! Before I kick your sorry ass out of my house.”

To her surprise, amusement danced in his expression. “Really think you can?”

She growled in frustration, actually growled. “Don’t make me call your father. He’ll come straight over here and drag you out of my home.”

Now he chuckled, but he did move back to the front door. “Yes, he probably would. Dad’s always been a champion of the underdog, of the woman who needed protecting.”

“Like you,” she said the words quietly.

She thought about the many times Jared had come to her defense over the years. If there was trouble to be found, she found it. He’d saved her from herself too many times to count, and he’d taken the blame for her pranks a lot of times as well. Jared Danville had been the toughest guy in town, with the worst reputation—although not truly mean or evil, just rough. But he’d had a soft side, too. A vulnerable side only she’d seemed to know about. She studied him now and wondered how much he really had changed over time. How much he’d stayed the same.

“You didn’t give up on me before, don’t do it now.” He pulled open the door and didn’t look back. “If I have to, I’ll come haul your sweet butt from the store. Mom wants you at dinner today. You’re going to be there.”

“You’re such a stubborn man,” she grouched. But, oddly, her heart skipped a beat at his threat. And at his wanting her to have some kind of faith in him, even after what he’d done to her.

Jared could have kicked himself for having laid down the gauntlet in challenge earlier. He knew better. Holly Jacobs had never liked being told what to do, and she clearly hadn’t grown out of that.
******
Jason and Kandee had arrived a half hour ago. His brother had barely spoken two civil words to him. Kandee had said little more. Jim called saying he would be there in an hour, but not to wait dinner for him. Jocie was on her way. Holly, of course, had gone to her shop. He’d watched her drive away not long after he’d left her house, and she hadn’t returned.

“Damn stubborn woman,” he muttered and drew his father’s attention across the kitchen.

His father continued to stir a pot of gravy on the stove.

The smells of roast and homemade rolls swirled around the room. “Holly, I take it?”

“Who else?” Jared put the lettuce salad he’d helped with in the refrigerator. “My fault. I made it sound like an order that she be here today.”

His father nodded. “Women don’t like being ordered about.” He smiled at his wife. “Only took me fifty years of marriage to learn that.”

“Fifty-three years,” Darlene corrected. She looked at Jared. “So, are you going to get her?”

“Maybe it’s better he didn’t,” Jason said. “After all she suffered because of him, he should leave her alone.”

“Stay out of this!” Jared caught the concern in his mother’s eyes and shook his head. “I’m not backing down, Mom. What happened is between me and Holly. What happens next is between me and Holly.”

“I can drive you to her shop,” his father offered, lines of worry in his expression.

They shared a look, a silent reminder that Jared didn’t want his folks to tell his siblings about what he referred to as his recent job-related accident. His parents hadn’t been happy about his decision but had agreed to respect it. His father went back to stirring the gravy. “Right. You can take care of yourself,” he said, sounding sad.

It was hard after so many years of doing just that, but Jared said, “Thanks, Dad. But I’ll go get Holly on my own.” And sometime damn soon I’m going to spank her sweet butt.
******
The door to Holly’s Quilt Shop opened and a blustery wind swept through the building, blew straight to the register counter and wrapped around Holly. She shivered from her boot-covered feet, up her wool slacks and through her warm sweater. Bridget, standing next to her cutting fabric for a customer, shivered as well and then gasped. “Oh wow!”

Holly glanced up to find Jared standing big and tall in the doorway, looking extremely uncomfortable. Snow blew around behind him on the sidewalk. Flakes landed on his leather jacket and in his hair. She longed to rush over and hold him against her, run her hands up and down his arms to warm him.

Instead she said, “Close the door. With you on the other side.”

The customer looked at her in surprise. Few people knew her to be rude, but then they didn’t know her history with this scowling, gorgeous hunk of a behemoth.

She watched him close the door and move further into the space crowded with tables stacked with rolls of fabric, racks of patterns, cabinets with thread and other things necessary for quilting. He looked so out of place, but determined as he eased carefully around it all. He was focused on getting to her and clearly unconcerned with the middle-aged customer Holly could see was savoring every yummy inch of the newest eye candy in town. Bridget pretty much did the same thing. To her disgust, she, too, was eating up his good looks.

Forcing aside her female appreciation, she asked, “Did you take up quilting while you were away?” She knew why he was here, but she wasn’t in the mood to cooperate.

“I’m more into knitting.”

“You’re so full of it, Jared.” She rang up the customer’s order, feeling him watching her. “I’m busy. Go away.” He seriously disturbed her. His gaze directed at her chest made her breasts ache, made her nipples harden. Darn him! It almost felt like he was touching her now. Moisture pooled between her legs. Ohhhh, this has to stop!

Annoyed at her thoughts and reactions, she snapped again, “Go. Away!”

“Jared Danville?” the woman asked, sounding both surprised and in awe. “I recognize you now.”

He nodded and a hint of red spread beneath his beard stubble.

“Some of us thought you had died. Your parents have been so distraught.” The woman shifted uneasily. “They must be so happy you’re back.”

Holly’s breath hitched. She’d been one of the many who had believed he’d died somewhere over the years. His parents had never wanted to accept that. But she’d needed a way to let him go, so she could move on. Of course, she hadn’t moved on. Until recently. Until her decision to leave Danville because she couldn’t stand the pain any longer. Now the person who’d caused all of the pain had returned and now frowned down at her. She wanted to rage at him, make him fully aware of all the misery he’d caused her. Another part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go.

“Nearly did a few times,” Jared stated quietly. “Even just a month ago.” He grimaced, and Holly was almost certain he wished he hadn’t admitted that. Especially now that Bridget and the woman looked at him in sympathy. This older, harder man before her didn’t seem the type to want sympathy or pity.

Holly turned back to the register, her knees weak. She so hadn’t wanted to hear him say something like that. Trying to think of him as dead was far different from hearing him admit to actually having nearly died. A few times. Even just a month ago! Oh, God. Did his parents know? Darlene would be going crazy with worry if she did. She’d want to coddle him in cotton the rest of his days. Holly’s own instinct was to do the same thing, which, of course, was ridiculous. How could she feel anything at all for him after they’d been so close, planning a future together, and then he’d just walked away? He’d left that pitifully short note. He’d never called, not tried to contact her in any way for fifteen years. How could she care now? But I do.

“I’m only here for a couple of weeks.”

“Surely your folks want you here for Christmas. That would only be another week longer.” The woman handed Holly a credit card.

Holly couldn’t resist looking at him after the mention of Christmas. A vein pulsed in his neck. She could see in his gaze shift quickly to the door, sensed that he wanted to get the hell out of here, yet he didn’t move. He didn’t have to explain his wariness for anything Christmas-related. She knew him, even after all this time. Guilt had always weighed heavily on him when he’d done something foolish, something wrong. His having run away at Christmas time certainly qualified as “foolish” and “wrong,” at least in her opinion. In his, too, she felt certain.

“We’ll have a good visit before I have to leave.” He studied the fabric on the counter. “I don’t do Christmas.”

“What do you mean?” the woman questioned in confusion.

Jared stood there looking rigid from the stiff set of his wide shoulders to his tight jaw. Not everyone in town knew the story of how he’d left Danville just before Christmas. Not everyone in town knew what a painful subject it was for the Danville family, her, and, apparently, for Jared.

Although still hugely mad at him, Holly came to his rescue—as she’d always done. She looked to Bridget. “Can you handle the shop for a while? Maybe for the rest of the day? Jared came to get me for dinner at his parents’ home.”

Relief swept over his face, some of the rigidity left his body. “Yes, we need to go. They’re holding up dinner for us.”

“No problem.” Bridget shifted over to the register to complete the sale. She reached under the counter and then shoved Holly her purse.

Holly snagged her coat from a hall tree behind the counter. “I can drive. My car is out back.”

Jared shook his head and took her arm as she walked around the counter. “We’ll come back for your car later.”

Her arm tingled where he held her, even through the layers of fabric. She inhaled his musky cologne, something similar to what he’d worn before, and his own personal scent. Both scents had always driven her hormones crazy. Between them and his touch—okay his amazing ability to kiss, too—she’d gotten so close to going all the way with him. She’d resisted because she wanted everything to be special when they got married, which would have been the next spring. It had been hard on them both, maybe harder on him. She’d wondered if that had been why he’d left her. He’d said he loved her, but not enough to write her or to call her. Had he needed more of a woman than she could be back then? Had he decided he couldn’t wait any longer? She’d ached for him and regretted her decision for months after he’d gone. She let out a deep breath. None of it mattered any longer.

She pulled her arm free of his hold as soon as they left the shop. “You owe me for saving you back there.”

He stopped, lifted her chin, and looked into her eyes. Her stomach fluttered in anticipation. Then, as she held her breath, he cupped her face, stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I owe you for so much more than that,” his voice had gone husky, rich with warmth.

She savored his touch and the tender look in his eyes. Yes, you do.

He released her, unlocked his car and opened the door for her.

“Just leave me in peace and we’ll be good.” She settled in her seat, but he didn’t respond. She’d been afraid of that.

Jared tried to concentrate on driving the slick streets and not on the quiet woman sitting beside him. There’d been a time when they could talk about anything. Okay, they’d also argued about anything and everything, but they’d also done a lot of kissing and making up. Especially in their senior year of high school. He’d wanted to go farther and he knew she’d been tempted, too. During the summer after graduation and the first semester of junior college, their hormones had gone nuts. They’d gone pretty far, heavy petting, French kissing, but she’d resisted taking the final step because she’d had this idea about saving herself as some kind of gift to her husband for their wedding night. It had nearly killed him to respect her wishes. He had, though. They’d talked about getting married the next spring and he’d been determined to last until then. Dammit! He should have been able to last until then. But, no, he’d gotten stir crazy here, impatient. Stupid. He’d been long gone by the next spring.

“I don’t suppose you’re still a virgin?” He could have bitten off his tongue for having asked such a personal question. But, dammit, he’d wanted to be Holly’s first and only lover.

“I could ask the same question,” she countered, looking squarely at him. He saw the pain in her eyes, saw his answer.

Damn! He clutched the steering wheel tighter. “Got it. I shouldn’t have asked. Sorry.”

Damn, damn, damn! What had he expected? She was thirty-two now. Still, he wished she’d waited for him—selfish man that he was. He’d left her, left behind a ridiculous note professing his love and nothing else for her to hang on to. He hadn’t called her or written her. For all she’d known, he could have died. She didn’t owe it to him to wait. He also wondered why she hadn’t married any of the local men, because he was darn sure she’d had offers. A thought which upset him all over again.

She turned away to glance out the window where quarter-sized flakes were falling in a winter wonderland he might have enjoyed at another time. “I couldn’t wait forever for a man I didn’t think would ever be back. I had needs, too.” She hesitated. “Have needs. Just so you know, I like sex.”

“Holly.” Her name came out as a groan. He seriously wished he’d never spun the conversation in this direction. She likes sex. Considering he’d dreamed of taking her virginity and then had wet dreams of doing so much more with her over the years, he didn’t need to hear her confession. His pants grew tight. She likes sex. Well, hell.

“New subject,” she demanded.

“Okay, good idea.” He shifted on the seat to get more comfortable. “How about this ridiculous idea of you selling the shop? Even my first time in there, I could see you care a lot about it.”

He glanced at her and saw tension thinning her lips. “Or how about that idea of selling your house? Holly, you’ve always loved the cottage.”

“There’s nothing ridiculous about my decisions. You left Danville. It’s my turn to leave Danville.”

When he would have pressed her again, she shook her head. That familiar stubborn look sizzled in her eyes. “Drop it, Jared. Not your business anyway.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not.”

He wasn’t going to argue with her about this right now. They’d get into it later, and he planned to win the argument. He planned to win Holly. He had to win her back. He couldn’t settle for defeat.

She remained stubbornly quiet. He turned down Main Street, barely noted the town square hadn’t changed much over the years. A new business here and there. Then he saw the Danville Bank on the north side of the square. His brothers’ law office was on the opposite corner. The next block held his sister’s real estate office.

“Is Jocie handling the sale of your house?” He hoped so, because he planned to stall any possible sale until he made up with Holly. Then they’d figure out what to do with the house.

She didn’t answer right away, and then said quietly, “She will be. I’m signing the contract papers with her next week.”

Good. “What about the sale of your shop?” He’d try to stop it as well, somehow. “Anyone interested?”

“Actually, Jason’s wife, Kandee, is thinking about buying it. Jason isn’t too wild about the idea. He likes her staying home to watch the grandkids whenever needed.” Her shoulders slumped. “No one else. Yet.”

Good. “Too bad,” he lied. He’d have to talk to Jason, back him up in convincing Kandee not to buy the shop.

They arrived at his parents’ house, and he swallowed hard. Anxiety settled in the pit of his stomach and radiated outward. Two other cars were there now, probably Jim’s and Jocie’s. He dreaded facing his family. “This is going to be a stressful meal for me. My brothers are pretty hostile, which I understand.”

She surprised him by reaching over and gently squeezing his arm. “You hurt all of us. But your parents will forgive you, probably already have. Your brothers will come around. Jocie always had confidence you’d return one day, although I never knew why. I didn’t.”

Her admission cut him as sharp as any knife. But he deserved the pain. “I’m sorry, Holly.”

She gave a curt nod of acknowledgment, not forgiveness, and climbed out of the Lexus the second he stopped next to the other cars. He sensed she was about to balk and change her mind about going to the family dinner with him. He practically threw himself out of the car and sped around to her before she could move away.

“I’ve got to do this.” He stepped closer, nudging her back against the car.

“Jared.” Her eyes widened. Her nostrils flared, but when he cupped his hands around her face, she didn’t resist. She stiffened, but didn’t stop him as he lowered his head and claimed their first kiss in years. God, it felt so right. All of it. His hands touching her, the scent of her settling over him, and the tenderness in the kiss.

Maybe her mind battled against doing this, but her lips accepted him. She kissed him with far more skill than she’d had before, a thought which disturbed him. And pleased him. Then all thoughts fled, and his attention was solely on tasting her and on memorizing how she felt in his arms.

Her hands slid into his hair, threaded through it. He returned the favor. “So soft,” he muttered, pulling back just a bit. “Short. I miss your long hair, but this is okay, too.”

She lightly touched his receding hairline. “You’ve changed, too.”

He pulled her to him again. Her tongue slid along the crease of his mouth. Eagerly he opened and their tongues tangled in that special dance. Then he blew out a breath. “More. I need to feel bare skin, mine against yours.”

She trembled in his embrace, yet he felt her trying to put distance between them.

“Forget dinner. Let’s go to your place.” His hands cupped her face again. His thumbs feathered her soft cheeks.

“We can’t do this, Jared.” Her tone was sad, strained. “I’m involved with someone else.” She put her hands on his chest and pushed firmly away from him.

She’d shoved against his healing shoulder wounds and he couldn’t stop pulling in an audible breath. He saw her frown in concern. He didn’t want to get into his injuries. “Does he make you feel what I make you feel? You were every bit as much into the kiss as I was.” He had a raging hard-on and could barely think straight.

Holly continued to study him, trying to determine what had made him gasp. “We’re good together.” She sounded more resigned than definite. “What’s wrong with you? Why do you look so…so pained?”

He glanced down at the obvious bulge in his pants, which throbbed almost as much as his shoulder. “What do you think?”

She huffed. “You’ll have to take care of your little problem. On your own.”

He ignored that and went back to her comment. “We’re better together. You and I. We’re better.”

“No! I can’t do this again. I won’t!” She moved by him. “Give your mother my apologies. But I can’t go there. Not today. Not with you there.”

Jared leaned against the car and rubbed his shoulder. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”

She faced him from a few feet away, breathing hard. “Well, I am.”

“Liar.”

Furious, she reached down, patted a snowball, and threw it at him. “Stay out of my life. Stay away from me.”

She’d hit him in his wounded shoulder with a hard-packed snowball. If he hadn’t been still healing, he wouldn’t have felt it at all, wouldn’t have flinched. But he did.

His Holly didn’t miss a thing. She heard his quiet groan and saw his reaction. She marched right back, held a finger inches from pressing his shoulder, and said firmly, “Tell me what’s wrong with you. Now!”

“Leave it alone. You don’t want to know.” He pushed her hand away. “What you need to know, Holly Jacobs, is I don’t give up as easily as I once did. I’ve learned how to fight and how to win.”

“I’m not battling you. We were over fifteen years ago. I’m finally moving on.”

Moving on, without him. No! His gut told him to fight damn hard for her. For them.

In a surprising move, she avoided his protective arm and managed to poke his upper chest, but not hard. When he inhaled sharply, she demanded, “Now, tell me what the hell is the matter with you. Does this have something to do with your admission in the shop? That you almost died a month ago?”

“I got shot. Okay. Does that make you happy?” He hated being forced to tell her. He didn’t want her sympathy. He wanted her love.

At first she looked horrified. Then she turned away. “You’re exactly what I don’t need in my life: a badass man who people shoot at. I need someone I can depend on. Someone—“

“You need me. You want me. I felt it in that kiss, heard it in your soft moan.”

Maybe so, but I’m going to work darn hard to resist you. You’ll be gone soon. I can resist you for two weeks.”

“Think so? Really?”

She turned back to level a glare at him. “Really.”

“I’ll be in your bed within the week.”

She ground her jaw for a second, and then narrowed her eyes. If looks could kill, he’d be toes up. But he loved a challenge. “You belong to me, Holly. You always have.”

He shoved away from the car, grinned at the fury in her expression, and whistled as he walked toward his parents’ house.

“You sonofabitch!” she yelled after him.

“Remember what I said about warming your backside?” He kept on walking, smiling at the string of curses she grumbled before she stormed to her house.