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Elliott’s eyes did seem to be watering. He blinked again, quickly, even as he bit his lower lip. “Uh, uh.” A shake of his head. “Not sick at all.”
“Then what is the deal?”
A smile stretched across Elliott’s face. “Just…carols, huh? You’re planning to sing carols?” Laughter boomed.
“Just hit me already.” The punch would be less painful.
Elliott nodded. “Right.” He lumbered forward—and hugged Brady.
Brady’s muscles locked down. “What in the hell are you doing?” Elliott was supposed to give him a punch, not a hug.
“I love you, man.”
“Elliott…”
Elliott eased back a step. Grinned at him. “You’re my best friend. I happen to think you are a pretty great guy—you sure saved my ass more times than I can count—but I think youknowa whole lot less than you think.” He squeezed Brady’s shoulder with one hand before letting go. “About damn time. I was starting to wonder if you’d ever get over your fear and get moving.”
Your fear.“What are you talking about?” Nope, they needed to back up. “Why aren’t you punching me?”
“Because maybe I want my sister to be with a guy who would move heaven and hell to keep her safe. Maybe I want her protected all the time—why else would I suggest that you stay at her place to look out for her?”
Brady swiped a hand over his face. “You’re playing matchmaker? You’refinewith me wanting to date Noelle?”
Elliott’s head tipped to the right. “That what you want to do? Date her?”
Why hold back? “I want to put a fucking ring on her finger, marry her in the fastest ceremony possible, and spend the rest of my life trying to make her smile.” Seemed like good goals.
Appearing Cheshire-cat satisfied, Elliott nodded. “Thought so. Why else would you wear the Santa costume?” He turned away and headed for the chair behind his desk. The leather squeaked when he sat down. “It’s really about time, too. Do you know how worried I was that she’d wind up with some dick like Rowen?”
Brady growled.
“Exactly. Now, how about you start practicing yourho, ho, horoutine. Oh, and about the Christmas carols? Her favorite isThe First Noelle,of course.”
Like he didn’t know that. When it came to Noelle, he remembered everything she liked. A handy talent because he was gonna have to use that knowledge to his advantage. Noelle thought he wanted her. And he did. Oh, yes, hell, yes, he did.
But more than that, Brady wanted her to fall for him. A much trickier deal. One that would require considerable work. Because being with Noelle wasn’t just about sex—one of the reasons he tried so hard to keep his control with her.Not just fucking.
He wanted Noelle to love him. In order for that to happen, he had to convince her that he was more than just a danger and adrenaline junkie.
Brady slapped the Santa hat on his head and got busy with hisho, ho, ho-ing.
Chapter Five
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…five hours of sitting in a scratchy, smelly Santa suit while everyone in the building told me their Christmas wishes. Anyone want to know what I want? Simple…her. I want Noelle.
—Brady
“Bah humbug.” Brady yanked off his Santa hat and maneuvered through the packed crowd as he tried to find—
“I think you meant to say, ‘ho, ho, ho’ instead,” Noelle murmured.
He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned toward her. While his costume was old and rough, she looked like the best Christmas dream in the entire world.
She wore red tights, a red sweater and skirt that hugged her deliciously, cute black boots that actually curled at the toes—like elf shoes—and a jaunty red hat perched on her head. She smiled a bit nervously at him. “I know it can be a lot,” Noelle said as she put her hand on his arm. “And some of the big wigs making donations are a lot to handle.”
The big-money people? Yeah, plenty of them were jerks. And the women in their dripping diamonds had tried to get a little too friendly when they’d sat in Santa’s lap.
“But we bring in so much needed money—and presents—for the community. If you come back for the actual distribution, and you see the look on the kids’ faces when they get presents that are selected and wrapped just for them, you’ll understand that it’s worth it. Anything is worth that joy.” Her face seemed to light up.
