Page 27 of Playing Santa

“I have an idea. How about as a reward for helping you find Jimmy today, you come to dinner with me tomorrow night?”

She laughs and shakes her head. “The last thing I want to do is leave Jimmy now.”

“I get it, but say if I found the ideal babysitter and I throw in Dasher—what would you say then?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Garino will babysit.”

“I don’t think so. Besides I can’t have Dasher at my apartment.”

“They can both dog-sit at my place.”

“You’ll never talk Garin--Annamarie into it. She sits home in her jammies and reads at night.”

“If I convince her, you’ll go for it?”

“Okay, fine.” She’s smiling and sure of herself, confident that Garino will never do it. But I know two things about Garino. First, she can be bought for the right price and second, but most important, she’s a sucker for romance. Underneath her crusty overprotective exterior, she has a heart starving for something mushy. Or I could be totally wrong and she’ll laugh her ass off at my expense.

I’ll find out. Immediately.

* * *

I was right about Garino and we leave Jimmy behind at her modest apartment, though Ronnie is reluctant and slow to leave. Once I get her to the car, I’m relieved.

“I’ve never in my life had to work this hard to get a woman to go to dinner with me,” I say. I let out a big sigh, not caring that she laughs, in fact glad because it relieves some of her tension.

“It’s just dinner, Mr. Hot Shot. I’m not sleeping with you.”

I snort. “Presumptuous aren’t you?” I pretend I’m not interested, but it’s a farse.

She snorts back at me. “I may not be confident about a lot of things, but one thing I’m absolutely confident about is that men are easy and they all want one thing. Always. Sex.”

“Someone taught you that lesson well,” I say. Then I regret the comment and vow to be more careful. “But let’s not start out talking about the sex that I’m never going to have or I’ll end up with blue balls for sure.”

She laughs again and puts a hand on my arm. “Okay. No more teasing. I know it’s not nice and you deserve a nice night.”

“Nice. Sure. That’s what I deserve exactly a nice night.”

“You know what I mean. Pleasant. Pleasing—”

“Don’t say pleasing,” I say. “It has connotations.”

She giggles and shakes her head and I drive, my mood light and the promise of a fun evening in spite of the no-sex rule has me elated. Fuck my cock. This is a night for my heart and soul and if the giddy feeling in me at her smile is any indication it ain’t half bad. Maybe it’s even better than a night of mindless sex. Damn. I’m a glutton but I don’t care. This woman has me by the… not balls.

It’s like she’s reached in and grabbed my heart in her hands.

We arrive at Louie’s and he takes our coats, charmed by Ronnie. She wears a soft red sweater and black leggings with tall black boots and looks hot as sin. Naturally I let out a loud whistle as we follow Louie to our table.

“Stop that,” she says. “People are staring.”

“Sweetheart, they were going to stare whether I whistled or not. You’re a knock out. Is that a new outfit?” I ask as I pull out her chair and she sits.

She nods, looking around and meeting the stare of one of the patrons until they look away. My dick gets solid knowing she went out and bought herself a new outfit for me. The shot of fire pings straight to my heart then to my dick and back again.

“You should splurge on yourself more often,” I say. “You always look gorgeous, but tonight…” I don’t dare finish my thought because the first thing that pops into my head is that I could eat her alive. Grinning, I hope not too wolfishly, I let the sentence trail off.

“You know you look like the big bad wolf, right?” she says, but she’s half smiling in a partly teasing, partly reprimanding way. Her special brand, the one I’m hooked on.