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Molly watched Tim and Jake undertake a snowy man hug, before her brother stumbled into the back of the car, tipping almost entirely sideways as he grinned at her.
“Moll! You made it! At least I’ll have one sister home for Christmas this year.”
“Dory will be here too,” Molly pointed out, only half paying attention. Jake had settled back into the driver’s seat, and she could smell his aftershave. It make her want to lick down the line of his throat, and she really couldn’t be having those thoughts in the presence of her brother, however drunk and oblivious he was.
“Not if her plane gets snowed in and can’t land.” Tim sprawled across the backseat as Jake started up the engine again. “Then it’ll just be the three of us and Mum and Dad.”
“More mince pies for me, then,” Jake said, not even glancing over at Molly. She tried not to feel offended by that.
He’d been about to kiss her, she was sure of it. Or, in honesty, she’d have totally kissed him. One way or another, kissing had been about to happen.
And now it wasn’t.
“She’ll get here,” Molly said, staring out at the snow. “You know Dory. She won’t let a bit of weather get her down.” After all, this was perfect Dory they were talking about. The over achieving big sister who had departed for London the moment she graduated from university and landed the sort of job mum could boast about. Then, not satisfied with that, she’d moved to New York for her dream job and dream fiancé. And then – then! The ultimate insult to less successful younger siblings – she’d lost it all, lied to her family for months, and still somehow managed to return home for Christmas last year with a rich, gorgeous, besotted boyfriend and the promise of an even better job lined up.
It really, really wasn’t fair.
Tim had almost dozed off in the backseat by the time Jake pulled into the driveway of her parents’ house. Her dad’s cab was still missing, but the lights were on in the kitchen and lounge, which meant that mum had to be home. Philippa Mackenzie was obsessive about turning everything off before she left the house – even unplugging small appliances – in case of fire. The Christmas tree lights in the front window wouldn’t be twinkling if she wasn’t there.
“Are you ready?” she murmured to Jake as the car stopped. She wasn’t even really sure what she meant by that – but he seemed to know. His face, so smooth and expressionless on the drive from the pub, suddenly tightened, and the nod he gave her was too sharp, too precise.
Was this hard for him too? Not really knowing where they stood? It seemed to be.
That made Molly feel ever so slightly better about the whole thing.
She got out of the car first, treading carefully on the snow to get to the boot and pull out her case. The last thing she needed was Jake being chivalrous and carrying it for her – the chances were that, the way she felt tonight, it would send her hormones into overdrive and she’d throw herself at him right there and then. Which would mean her brother and probably her mum would witness her humiliation when her advances were knocked back.
Except… for that one, brief moment in the car, before Tim interrupted, Jake had wanted to kiss her, she was almost sure of it. Which meant there was something making him hold back. It couldn’t just be the little sister thing, could it?
Well, whatever it was, she had eight days to find out and convince him it didn’t matter.
“Let me help you with that,” Jake said, suddenly at her side.
Molly gripped her suitcase a little tighter. “I’m fine, really. Haven’t you got your own bag?” She knew he had – she’d seen the expensive looking leather holdall in the boot when she put her case in.
“Yeah, but…” Jake reached out for the handle again, and she realised this wasn’t for her benefit anyway. It was for her family’s. To show that he was a perfect gentleman, as always. Couldn’t have them suspecting he ever had other intentions now, could he?
Molly yanked the case away from him but the movement proved too much for her ancient suitcase. Zip splitting across the side, the overstuffed case bled its contents across the snowy drive – sexy lingerie first.
Behind her, Tim laughed, and Molly’s face grew redder as she tried to stuff her belongings back inside. Way to look desperate, Molly.
“I don’t think you’ll be needing that at home for the holidays, Moll!” She gritted her teeth at her brother’s amusement, very aware of Jake crouched beside her trying to help, his gaze and hands studiously avoiding anything slippery, silk or lacy.
But as she reached for the last few items, Jake glanced up and she couldn’t help but catch his eye. Something burned deep in that gaze, and it wasn’t embarrassment. He’d seen what she’d packed and jumped to the obvious – and correct – conclusion that it was for him.
So much for the element of surprise.
Jake Sommers knew exactly what she wanted from him this Christmas – and most intriguingly of all, he seemed slightly more wanting than resistant.
Suddenly her malfunctioning suitcase seemed more like an opportunity than an embarrassment.
Chapter 5
As Jake tried to tear his gaze away from Molly’s, the front door flew open and suddenly, the warmth of home reached out through the snow and found them, even in the freezing night. In an instant, Molly had forgotten all about him, Jake could tell. Yanking it closed, she dragged her suitcase along, leaving wheel marks in the snow, racing towards her mother and the smell of mince pies baking, and wine mulling on the stove. Jake couldn’t blame her. This was Christmas. Everything else could wait – especially the interloper who didn’t really belong anyway.
“You made it!” Philippa Mackenzie threw her arms around her daughter the moment she came within reach, and Molly dropped her case to the ground to return the hug. Stepping to the side, out of the way, Jake picked it up for her. “And my boy!” Philippa moved onto the slightly staggering Tim.
“Mum. You saw me earlier. I live here.” Tim squirmed away slightly, and Jake felt an ache in his chest.
“I know. But only for nine more days. And besides, it’s Christmas.” The reasoning that would rule for those nine days, Jake knew. The Mackenzies took Christmas very seriously.
“And you!” Philippa pushed Tim aside to get to Jake, and he braced himself for impact. Beside him, Tim leant against the wall for extra support. “It’s been months since we saw you! Far, far too long.” She gave Jake a hug that he knew would be every bit as warm and tight as the ones she’d given her blood children. But still, he couldn’t relax. Couldn’t sink into the hug like Molly and Tim had done.
Couldn’t believe he really belonged in this place, with these people. Especially given what he’d just been imagining doing to their daughter.
Don’t think about Molly’s underwear. Just… don’t. Especially not while hugging her mother.
That way, madness lay.
Finally, Philippa released him, and he exhaled at last. “Now, let’s get you three inside. Your dad left me in charge of the mulled wine when he left for the airport, and I’ve just got a fresh batch of mince pies out of the oven.”
Perfect. Mulled wine, mince pies and Bing Crosby on the stereo. The traditional Mackenzie Christmas. That was what he needed. Not Molly alone in the dark and the snow, and definitely not those slippery, lacy, barely there knickers too close to his fingers. He needed the family environment – anything to keep reminding him that Molly could never be anything more than a sister.
Not unless he wanted to lose the closest thing he’d had to a home since his parents died.
-
Molly stared after Jake as he followed her mum inside.
“Now, you have to try my latest batch of mince pies. Can you believe, I have fifteen different sorts of mincemeat to try this year? You’ll have to keep track and te
ll me which one you like best,” Philippa said, as they disappeared into the hall and through the doorway on the left that led to the lounge.
Jake might be in the house, but he wasn’t home. Not really. He still doesn’t believe he belongs here. Which was pathologically stupid.
He’d stood stiff and uncertain, even as Philippa had thrown her arms around him, welcoming him home. After all these years, shouldn’t he know better? Unless… unless this was her fault. Unless her lingerie and talking about kissing had made him awkward around her family.
She could kind of understand that, she supposed. Even if it was still stupid.
Well. One thing she could do this week, possibly even while persuading him into bed with her, was make it clear that this was his home now, as much as it was hers. That’s how it worked. Like the half starved stray cats mum took in, Jake was theirs now. And nothing he could do would change that.
Not even sleeping with her. Probably.
As long as they didn’t get caught.
Molly shut the door behind her as she followed Tim inside. A plan formed in her mind, even as the mulled wine scented air warmed her. Dumping her case at the bottom of the stairs, she headed directly for the kitchen – or more specifically, the pan on the stove, her brain still whirring.
Jake wanted this, as much as she did; she was almost certain. What if he hadn’t been avoiding her for the past year out of embarrassment for her, or because he didn’t want her trying to hit on him again? What if it was because he wanted it too, but didn’t think he could let himself have it?
In which case, if she just explained everything, explained about her resolution, how it just needed to be a one-time thing – something to get it out of their systems so she could go back to London and sleep with other men… Okay, maybe she wouldn’t put it quite like that. But the basic idea was good.
