Toni was one part mortified and two parts completely turned on. She was in a sweat that owed nothing to the crowded, overheated room and everything to the man watching her out of the corner of his eye. With hindsight and the rush of adrenaline to act on impulse gone, she saw the differences in the brothers more clearly. This man had slightly longer though equally black hair, and razor stubble gave him a more rugged, less clean-cut appearance. He exuded a raw masculinity that appealed to her on a deeper, more carnal level. One she hadn’t known existed inside her until that kiss.
That kiss. Toni hugged her arms around her chest, as if she could hold tight to the feelings he inspired. As always, she forced herself to take an honest look at herself, her actions, and the situation. She couldn’t deny the truth. At a crossroads, about to embark on a new professional life, she couldn’t afford more than a one-night stand, no matter how out of character it was. She’d thought Stephan Corbin was the perfect man on whom to test her feminine wiles, but she’d been wrong. Whatever attraction she’d felt for Stephan paled in comparison to what she’d experienced under the nonexistent mistletoe with his twin. And darned if she didn’t want an instant replay.
But with the onslaught of children from the shelter, she had no choice but to wait. In the meantime, she continued the cat-and-mouse game of eye contact he’d begun earlier. Her heart beat frantically in her chest and anticipation flowed through her veins.
“Only two more kids, Toni,” Annie, her secretary, whispered in her ear.
“I don’t know whether to say thank goodness because I’m beat or thank goodness because even one child here is one too many.” She ought to know, having spent more than one night in a shelter as a child.
“How about thank goodness so you can go play get-to-know-you with the Corbin twin?”
Toni felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Had Annie seen that consuming kiss behind the tree?
“He hasn’t taken his eyes off you since you sat down in this chair.”
Toni shifted in her seat to accommodate the next little girl. “Did you know Stephan had a brother?” she asked Annie.
“No, but I wish I had, at least before you nailed him for yourself. I’ve got to run. I have a date. Have fun tonight,” she whispered on a laugh and walked away before Toni could respond.
The last two children and their requests for Santa went quickly. Toni kept her mental list of extra things to send over to the shelter from Santa and soon the kids, their chaperones, and the gifts were bundled up and on their way. She started to rise, knowing she still had an office to pack before the night was through.
“Not so fast.”
She recognized the seductive voice that rumbled from behind.
She curled her hands around the arm of the office chair she’d appropriated, steadying herself with a firm grip. “Something I can do for you?”
“Since you have a special relationship with the big man in the red suit I was hoping you could relay a wish.” His strong fingertips brushed her hair back from her face and around her ear, strumming across her skin with perfect precision.
Her stomach fluttered with longing and she forced an easy laugh. “Aren’t you too old to believe in Santa?”
“Aren’t you too young not to?”
“I’m dressed like one of his elves. Doesn’t that tell you something about who and what I believe in?” And right now she believed in this man—and anything he said or did.
She tipped her head to the side and found herself sharing breathing space, close enough to kiss him if she desired. And she did, badly. She’d never experienced anything as strong as her immediate attraction to this stranger.
“It tells me some. But I know too little about you and I intend to change that.” He walked around and eased himself onto the arm of her chair, not on her lap but close enough to increase her growing awareness.
His hip brushed her arm and her body heat shot up another ten degrees. She glanced around at the thinning group of people. Though she and her companion didn’t seem to be garnering added attention, Toni was still aware of this being a place of business.
Even if she had temporarily forgotten once she’d gotten him behind the tree, they were in full view of the masses now. “I’m not Santa Claus so there’s no lap-sitting involved,” she warned him.
He bent closer. “I’ll accept those barriers . . . for now.”
She inhaled a shaky breath. His masculine scent, a heady mix of warm spice and pure man tempted her to throw caution aside. Before she could lose common sense she grasped onto the one thread of the conversation she could remember. “So what can I tell Santa you desire . . . I mean want. What can I tell Santa you want?”
She’d caught her phrasing, an obvious extension of her thoughts and needs, and attempted a too-late retraction. But the word “desire,” once spoken, hovered in the air, teasing, arousing, and building upon the electricity arcing between them.
“I know what you meant.” He laughed and the deep sound both eased and aroused her in ways she didn’t understand. “I also know what you want and it’s the same thing I do.”
A tremor shook her hard. “And what would that be?”
“To finish what we started under the so-called mistletoe.”
A rousing round of applause erupted around them, interrupting their banter and his huskily spoken words. Despite the beat of desire thrumming inside her, she forced herself to look for the cause of the stir. She glanced up and saw Mr. Corbin, the firm’s senior partner—Stephan and his twin’s father—standing in the doorway. His twin. But beyond the obvious resemblance Toni drew a sudden blank.
Oh, Lord. For as quickly as they’d connected, she didn’t even know his name.
He brushed his knuckles across her cheek in a gesture more tender and caring than overtly sexual. She could have melted at his feet. And then there was the heat rushing through her body. She felt on edge, the desire inside her out of control.
He rose to his feet. “I’ve got to go greet the old man but no way are we finished.”
She bit the inside of her cheek. When she’d decided to go after Stephan, the firm’s bachelor, she’d known nothing long-term could come of it. She’d just wanted to enter the new year feeling good and knowing she could get the man she thought she desired, if just for a brief time. But she’d kissed the wrong brother—or the right brother depending on her perspective—and knowing nothing about him, all bets were off.
So she could continue her bold act and see where things led or she could run, something she’d seen her mother do too many times. Toni Larson didn’t run.
“Oh, we’re finished all right.” She licked at her dry lips. “At least until you tell me your name.”
“It’s Max.” Amusement mingled with desire in his blue-eyed gaze.
She grinned. “ ’Bye, Max.”
He shook his head. “Only until later, Toni.” His words held certainty, his voice the promise of sharing more than just an introduction. With a last glance, he reluctantly turned and walked away.
She watched as he approached the older man and witnessed what was so obviously a reunion between a father and a son he loved deeply. A lump rose to her throat. Looking at Max, Toni saw concern and love cross his handsome features, no hint of the playful man in sight. Apparently this reunion was emotional for both men.
But as Max broke from his father’s arms, he said something light enough to make Stephan laugh. Then he turned and, from across the room, his compelling gaze met hers and he treated her to a sexy wink. One that assured her he hadn’t forgotten her or his promise of seeing her later.
Her stomach curled in anticipation and searing heat assaulted her senses. She shook her head, amazed. Not only had she been naughty, she’d most certainly gotten her man. Just not the man she’d expected. Fate and irony were at work tonight. She touched her fingers to her lips and imagined the feel of his mouth working magic over hers, his warm breath and his masculine scent wrapping her in seductive heat.
She let out a breathless sigh, knowing the night she’d desired was about to get much, much hotter.
Max hadn’t wanted to leave Toni’s side, not for an instant, which he supposed told him something about the strength of his attraction to a woman he barely knew. An attraction he wanted to explore further.
After spending time and discussing everything but business with Max, the older man had grown tired and said he’d see Max at home tomorrow. He just hoped the truce they’d begun to forge today lasted once Max told his father that no offer, no matter how supposedly enticing, could coax him back into the family firm. The most the older Corbin could expect from Max was a loving son who’d always be there for him. Max hoped it would be enough.
But before he had to deal with tomorrow, he had tonight ahead of him and he looked forward to every last minute. He walked down the darkened hallway, lit only by lights from some occupied offices, and stopped by the door his brother had told him belonged to Toni.
Light shone from beneath the partially closed door and the low strains of music sounded from inside. Anticipation and arousal beat heavy inside him as he let himself in. Toni was emptying her office, packing boxes and singing while she worked.
The woman couldn’t carry a tune to save her life. Max folded his arms across his chest and grinned. “You can serenade me anytime.”
She yelped and jumped. “You shouldn’t sneak up on me like that.”
He stepped forward, moving closer. With each step he took toward her, she inched back until she hit the wall, looking up at him with wide eyes. “What are you doing?”
“What you asked. Making my presence known.”
“As if I could miss it,” she said wryly.
“But you’re afraid of me.”
She shook her head in denial but he backed off anyway. He wanted this woman in many and varied ways but frightened wasn’t one of them.
“You don’t scare me . . . Max.” His name fluttered off her lips. Then as if to prove her point, she held her hand out for him to shake. “And it’s nice to officially meet you.”
“Likewise.” He eased his hand inside hers. Warm and soft, her skin caressed his coarser flesh.
“You just surprised me,” she said in a husky voice.
“A good surprise, I hope.”
“Definitely that. So why are you here?”
“I was hoping to talk you into going for dinner.”
She bit down on her lower lip. “What if I have plans?”
He propped a shoulder against the wall beside her. “Break them,” he said with more confidence than he felt. His biggest fear was that she’d blow him off before they had a chance to explore what was between them.
“Convince me.” Her teasing smile invited him to do just that.
He curled his fingers around her hand and pulled her toward him, wrapping one arm around her waist and holding her other hand out in front of them. “Let’s dance.”
Her eyes opened wide. “You’re kidding?”
“Do you see me laughing?” He pulled her flush against him and swept her around the small office in time to the beat of the music. He had no idea what had come over him except he had no intention of losing her now.
She anchored her hand around his back for support, molded her body to his and let go. He felt it in the sway of her hips and saw it in the sassy tilt of her head. She was enjoying herself and he was glad.
His body couldn’t ignore her lush curves and his groin hardened, unsatisfied with a single dance. But Max wasn’t in this for a one-night stand. He was a man who’d spent his life trusting his own instincts and he wasn’t about to question his gut now. He wanted much more than sex with this woman and for Max that was a first.
She tilted her head back. “You’ve got good moves.”
“I give my partner all the credit.”
Her smile was nothing short of incredible. “Is that what I am?”
“You tell me.” He turned her once and stilled. They were so close, their warm breath mingled. So aware of one another he thought, as he stared into her expectant eyes.
Toni’s legs shook beneath her and she tightened her grip on the only available means of support—Max’s waist and hand. Then she waited as he lowered his mouth to hers, slowly, surely, his blue-eyed stare never wavering until his lips touched hers.
Their first kiss had been spontaneous, unplanned, and yes, she admitted to herself, a bit desperate. But this was so much more. He took his time, his tongue delving and discovering the deep recesses of her mouth, learning her, not once rushing the moment.
Her stomach curled in response to the drugging kiss, much the way her fingers curled into his skin.
His lips slid gently over hers, making the most of the moisture they generated together. Strong yet gentle, he took control, mastering the moves that made her sigh into him and spin dizzily out of control. Toni needed to participate on equal footing and she traced the outline of his strong lips with her tongue and reveled in his uninhibited verbal response. He was a man who not only expressed his physical desire but was bold enough not to hide his emotional reaction. The masculine groan found an answering pull deep inside Toni, in a place she’d kept hidden, uncharted until now.
Without warning, he pulled back, leaning his forehead against hers, his breathing rough in her ear. But the intimacy of continued body contact felt both good and right. Teetering on an emotional precipice, Toni shook deep inside.
“Have I convinced you yet?” he asked.
“Convinced me of what?” She was out of breath, stunned by the intensity of the short but extremely emotional encounter. She couldn’t call it just a kiss, not when he’d engaged her heart and soul in every move he’d made. Did he really expect her to think clearly now?
“I am so glad to see I can make you forget everything but me.” He laughed, a husky, tender sound that sent ribbons of warmth curling through her. “I asked you to break dinner plans to go out with me. You said I should convince you, remember?”
He reached out and traced the outline of her moist lips with his fingertip, reminding her of the kiss and all that had passed between them. “So did I convince you?”
Her tongue darted out, coming into contact with his salty skin.
He sucked in a startled breath and he met her gaze. “I’m going to take that as yes,” he warned.
He could take her anywhere, anytime, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. Instead she cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders. “Dinner sounds great. But I can guarantee you that without a reservation there’s not a place around that doesn’t have at least an hour or more wait.”
Dinner, reservations, Toni hoped everyday conversation would center her somehow, but after this interlude, she doubted her feet would touch the floor again tonight.
“Then it’s a good thing I have an in at someplace special. You ready?”
“Dressed like this?” She glanced down at her green tights and fur-lined skirt and wished she hadn’t come to work dressed as an elf but had changed at the office instead.
He took in her outfit, one she hadn’t thought of as sexy until she saw herself in his glazed eyes. “The place I have in mind doesn’t have a dress code.”
“How about a people code?” She pulled at her hat until the pins gave way and she tossed it aside.
He slid his fingers over a long strand of her hair. “Everyone’s allowed, bar none, including elves.” His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Just leave the reindeer outside.”
“Cute.”
“No, I’m serious. The place is called Bar None and you’re more than welcome. My old college roommate owns the joint. So will you come with me?”
In his eyes, she saw the same hope and anticipation alive inside her and grabbed for her courage. “Okay, Max. Lead the way.”
Max had a hard time concentrating on driving with Toni beside him. She shifted in her seat and he felt the heat of her stare.
“While you were twirling me around my office . . .” she began.
“And kissing you senseless . . .” He couldn’t help but remind her of what he’d never forget.
Toni shot Max a wry glare. “You didn’t mention this place was in the boonies.”
“That’s because you didn’t ask.”
She held her hands out in front of the heater, but he doubted she needed the warmth. He pulled his truck past the train station, lit by traditional colored Christmas lights that gave the place a festive look, much like the rest of the smaller town. Another half-mile down, Max turned into a private street and pulled the car into a gravel parking lot. The Bar None, an old-fashioned pub and restaurant, was in the same upstate town where he lived and worked, a good forty-minute car ride from New York City.
“Forget me asking. I think you were more afraid I’d say no.”
He grinned. “That, too.” After their second kiss, the one where they’d connected on too many levels to count, Max hadn’t been about to lose her by mentioning a little detail like distance. “I gave you the chance to turn around, didn’t I?”
She laughed. “While you were doing fifty-five, yeah, you did.”
He’d then proceeded to find out as much about his elf as possible, discovering she was at a turning point in her life. Feeling overburdened and overworked, she had the new year pegged as a fresh start. She hadn’t elaborated and he’d given her the freedom to reveal as much or as little as she desired.
Though he didn’t want to spook her by getting too serious too fast, Max knew he had every intention of being part of her new beginning. He shifted to park.
“So your friend owns this place?” she asked, glancing around her.
He nodded.
“Gorgeous decorations.”
Max took in the icicle lights dripping from the shingles and overhang along with the colored lights circling the surrounding shrubbery, seeing the setting he viewed daily from her new, awed perspective. “They are incredible.” And so was she.
“How do you plan on explaining me? My outfit, I mean.” She laughed, a lilting but embarrassed sound that reminded him of her jingling bells. Those she’d removed somewhere during their ride up the West Side Highway and they lay in the center console.
“I’ll just tell him you’re Santa’s helper.” He turned in his seat and reached for her hand.
She tipped her head to one side, a wry smile curving her lips. “And you think he’ll buy that?”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter to me what Jake believes. But it matters to me what you believe.” He’d only known her a few hours but the connection he felt with her was real.
Her lashes fluttered upward as she met his gaze. Deep and compelling, her eyes settled on him. Did she know? Understand? Feel the same overwhelming attraction and need as he felt pulsing through his body at this very moment?
Max wondered. He’d never fallen hard and fast for a woman he barely knew, but he had now. Feeling vulnerable wasn’t something he was used to and he suddenly needed proof she felt the same. “Tell me something. Since you brought it up, what was behind the elf outfit?” He’d heard his brother’s version. He wanted to hear hers.
She glanced away. “I was just spreading some holiday cheer.”
“Maybe that’s part of the reason, but I doubt it covers everything. And before we go into that crowded bar, I want to know more about you.” Something that would show him she trusted him. Something to prove to him that this . . . thing . . . between them wasn’t all one-sided.
She bit down on her lower lip. “What did Stephan tell you about me? And don’t tell me you didn’t ask.”
He laughed, admiring both her intuition and nerve. “That you organized the children’s visit to Santa and the gifts. That’s all.”
She inclined her head. “And you want to know why.”
He shook his head. “I want to know you.”
Looking into his eyes, Toni believed him. Though nothing had been said aloud, somewhere between kissing him and . . . well . . . kissing him, a sense of caring had developed, too. They didn’t know nearly enough about one another but he was giving her the opportunity to change that.
She’d never admitted her past to a man before, never felt close enough—yet she felt that closeness now. The vulnerability she normally associated with opening up to a man was nowhere to be found. Considering she wasn’t planning anything more than the here and now, the notion rattled her. Badly.
His hand brushed her cheek and remained there. “You can trust me, sweetheart.”
As she turned her head so his palm cupped her face, a renewed sense of rightness swept through her. “I spent my childhood in and out of a women’s shelter,” she admitted. “Whenever my mother got up the courage to leave, we’d find one my father didn’t know about. Then when things got rough, she’d go back to him and it would start all over again.”
He let out a low growl. “That shouldn’t happen to any child.”
“Exactly.” She shrugged self-consciously. “Which explains the Christmas party and my elf outfit.”
“Which explains my attraction to you,” he murmured.
“You have a thing for little women dressed in green?”
“You make yourself sound like a Martian.” He burst out laughing but sobered fast. Nothing about what she’d revealed was funny. “Actually, I have a thing for a certain raven-haired beauty with a big heart.”
She shook her head, flushed. “Don’t give me that much credit. Really. It’s all very self-serving. When I got out of high school, I swore I’d finish my education somehow. No matter how many student loans I had to take, I promised myself I’d find a way to be self-supporting so I’d never run out of options like my mother had.”
“And you’ve accomplished that.”
“With a little unexpected help,” she said, gratitude evident in her tone. “I found out when my mother passed away she’d taken out an insurance policy. Enough money to cover my education—after the fact. So my loans are paid off, but I spent years working like a demon for that sense of security.”
“But you’ve got that now.”
“Most definitely.” She turned away, reaching for the door handle. “I’m starving,” she said, changing the subject.
Obviously she didn’t want to take things too quickly, but Max made a mental note to find out more. “Toni, wait.”
She glanced over her shoulder.
“One more question.”
“Yes?”
“You thought you were kissing my brother.”
Even in the darkened car he could see the heat of a blush rise to her cheeks. “Mistaken impulse,” she said.
“Any feelings behind it?”
“Just one.”
He waited a beat before she finally finished.
“Regret.”
Max felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut. Until she turned completely and scooted over in the seat, so close he could smell her perfume. “I regret that you obviously think there was something going on between me and Stephan. Or that I have feelings for your brother other than friendship.”
“Don’t you? You initiated that kiss. I have a hard time believing it was born of feelings of friendship.” Despite the fact that she’d let him into her heart and the painful parts of her past, she’d yet to openly admit her interest in him.
“This is so humiliating and I’m going to sound so desperate.” She laughed and shook her head. “I thought I was interested in your brother and I acted on the opportunity.” She shrugged. “Turns out I was wrong.” Those velvet green eyes met his. “I thought I wanted Stephan—until the second I kissed you.”
Max had his answer and let out a ragged breath of air. She wanted him, too. So, he thought, let the night begin.